THE MARRIAGE COVENANT

By Barry Shaw

In His creation, God willed it that when a man and woman fall in love, they are to leave their parents and cleave to each other as one flesh. In so doing they make an irrevocable covenant with God and to each other that they shall live their lives as husband and wife “until death do us part.” This is the holy marriage covenant.

In Genesis, the Word of God provides: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him...” 1:27. But then God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 2:18.  So God took one of the man’s ribs and made a woman as a mate for life. Then “the man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.” 2:22-24.

God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” 1:28.  Everything in life is planned for us by God. Psalm 139:16; Isaiah 37:26. God intended procreation be the result of the holy covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. The man cleaves to his wife and she cleaves to him. This is God’s will. For almost 47 years, this has been my personal experience as a husband. He intended before we were born that my wife and I be husband and wife. To discard this relationship is not just a breach of a legal contract, but a broken covenant with God. Once joined together as one flesh, it was not God’s plan that we part before death and cleave to another.

There was a time when God allowed our marriage covenant to be tested. After 14 years, our marriage was in trouble. But because of our strong belief in God and the covenant we’d made with Him; because of the long history of our relationship including our children born to us; but most of all because of His grace and mercy, we weathered the storm. It was a time of deep pain for both of us - but with God’s limitless love and guidance, we worked through the issues we faced with each other. It was by no means easy. It was hard! In fact there were many occasions when we felt it would be “easier” to walk away. Now, looking back at those times over 30 years ago, we know that the deeper the pain, the greater the joy (see Acts 14:22b). We have been best friends for many years now and we know that God’s hand was in it all. After all, He is a party to our marriage covenant.

“... [W]hat God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:6.

Barry Shaw writes from Applegate Valley, Oregon.