Marriage is one of the best things that can happen in your life or…one of the most painful. The word marriage for many people brings up a wide range of emotions. Some feel joy and hope about it and others feel sadness, disappointment, or anger. And yet people continue to get married — some more than once.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught that marriage was intended to be a once-and-for-all, lifelong covenant. He stated that the only allowance for divorce was sexual immorality. In today’s world, many people choose not to marry at all. They live together, raise children together, and avoid covenant altogether. Sadly, this often leaves children confused about what marriage is meant to be and why it matters.
Jesus said:
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
— Matthew 5:31–32 (ESV)
So what is marriage?
Marriage is meant to be a covenant between one man and one woman—a solemn promise to love, honor, and remain faithful to one another until death. In this covenant, two people bind themselves not just emotionally, but spiritually. Breaking that covenant, as Jesus explains, creates deep spiritual and relational consequences.
This covenant in the bible means that you will keep your word until death, it is a binding promise. A covenant is solemn promise that you will love one another, protect and care for each other, and most of all be faithful to one another. God made a covenant with Israel and although they whored after other gods and broke their covenant He still loved them. He never walked away or divorced them. They broke His heart many times and although He was angry He still loved His bride. God loved Israel as a Husband loves a wife. His example of loving faithfully is our example of the covenant of marriage.
Israel was a terrible wife to God and yet he endured the heartache and unfaithfulness of His bride. In the book of Hosea, God calls Hosea to marry a prostitute. “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom… for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2)
Through Hosea’s marriage, God was calling His bride back to Him.
This same promise is echoed in the book of Isaiah. “Your Maker is your husband… For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you.” (Isaiah 54:5–7)
If we truly desire a great marriage we need to love as God loves. His faithfulness reaches to the heavens. His love endures forever and His compassion is renewed each day. Both husband and wife need to love as God loves, keeping their bodies, hearts, and souls focused and faithful to one another. Keep your hearts and eyes on one another in love and faithfulness. God loves you and want you to have a great life. Following God’s example of marriage is the best thing you can do for one another and for your marriage.
As a husband, I have been in the shoes of Hosea. I have lived many years knowing the heartache and hurt that God went through as He faithfully loved His bride. There were many times it hurt so much that that I wanted to leave. But… for God. He kept telling me that it would be okay.
And many years, decades, later, my family is still together. My bride is healing and beginning to understand the covenant of marriage. Her parents divorced at a young age and it did not help her to understand the covenant of marriage the way God does.
My children and grandchildren are doing well. We are making good memories together and that is my blessing for staying –and not walking away. I hope you are able to glean something from my experience and that you will stay strong, live well and prosper.
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