Most people look at marriage just a "legal union" of individual. Some will say that it is your love that matters and marriage is not given an importance at all. If you are already married or planning to get married it is very important that you understand God's design for it and its purpose. This is what I've learned on Chapter 2 of "Love Life for Every Married Couple."
1. The idea of male and female was God's idea
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Genesis 1:27
God made both male and female for His own good purposes. As you read Genesis you will see that the creation was incomplete without the woman. Think of a world with all men or all woman?
2. Marriage was designed by God to meet the first problem of the human race: loneliness
Genesis 2:18-22, God saw that it is not good for a man to be alone so God let Adam named all animals but he did not find any good helper for him. So God let Adam to fall asleep and he took one of his ribs and made a woman.
3. Marriage was planned and decreed to bring happiness, not misery.
Genesis 2:23, When Adam saw Eve she called her bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh because she was taken out of man. Adam feelings shows how dear and important Eve to his life. It is like saying “I finally found the one who complete me, who takes away my loneliness, who will be as dear to me as my own flesh. She is so beautiful! She is perfectly suited to me. She is all I will ever need.”
4. Marriage must begin with a leaving of all other relationships in order to establish a permanent relationship between one man and one woman.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24
We must understand, that marriage begins with a leaving: leaving all other relationships. Some couples prefers to continue leaving with their parents which most of time causes conflicts within the relationship. This is necessary so that the man’s full commitment is to his wife and vice versa, wife’s full commitment is to her husband. The man should no longer be dependent to his parents, he can no longer be under their authority. The man is now the head of his own family.
This also means that we must put all other priorities behind like business, career, house, hobbies, talents, interest, or even church work. You should put your marriage as a priority. Unless you are willing to leave all else, you will never develop the thrilling oneness of relationship that God intended for every married couple to enjoy.
5. Marriage requires an inseparable joining of husband and wife through their lifetime.
The next principle that we need to understan from Genesis 2:24 aside from leaving is you must be ready to spend a lifetime cleaving with your partner.
Anything that draws the two of you together and cements your relationship more firmly will be a part of cleaving. Anthing that puts distance between you – mentally or physically – should be avoided because it breaks the divine pattern of marriage.
If you are going to make a decision try to ask these questions to yourself. Will this draw us closer or drive us apart? Will it build our relationship or tear it down? Does it express my love and loyalty to my partner or does it reveal my self-centered individualism?
6. Marriage means oneness in the fullest possible sense, including intimate physical union without shame.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be on flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
Genesis 2:24-25
For this reason marriage must be monogamous, which means for two people only. God made one woman for one man.
