WHAT IS MARRIAGE FOR?

What is marriage for? The answer from human perspective is “to live happily ever after”. No, two people get married in order to make themselves miserable. They marry with optimism that life truly will be more meaningful and emotionally richer. It’s amazing how God made man, and so beautiful how he made woman and brought them together to manage His creation!  What you know is what you value but what you don’t know you do not value. The question is;

Why did God create Woman from the Man’s rib, when He could have simply created her from the dust, as He made Man? God chose to form woman from the man’s flesh and bone, in so doing, He illustrated to us that symbolically in marriage man and woman are united into one. This is a story that puts a beautiful touch on our reasoning: In Genesis we understood that, when God created the heavens and the earth, he spoke them into being. When He created man, He formed him from the dust of the Earth and breathed life into his nostrils. But woman, He fashioned her after He breathed the breath of life into man. God allowed a deep sleep to come upon the man so He could patiently and perfectly fashion the woman. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From the man’s bone, He fashioned her. He chose the bone that protects man’s life. He chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs to support him, as she is meant to do.

Around this one bone, GOD shaped and modeled the woman. He created her perfectly and beautifully. Her characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. She is to provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the
centre of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Woman is to support man as the rib cage supports the body. A woman was not taken from the man’s feet, to be under him, nor was she taken from his head, to be above him. She was taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

Adam walked with God in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see or touch Him. He could only feel Him. So everything He wanted Adam to share and experience with Him, He fashioned in a woman: His holiness, strength, purity, love, protection and support. Women are special because they are the extension of God. Man represents God’s image, woman represents His emotions. Together, both represent the totality of God. So man is expected to treat woman well. Love and respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt yourself. What you do to her, you do to yourself. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman is expected to support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion God has given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

In the 1960’s when the divorce rate was a lot lower than it is today, most couples reported being fairly happy together. This was because our forefathers, though they did not know much spiritually, were in charge of their homes, providing, protecting and fully in leadership. And their wives on their own part were in full submission to the leadership of their husbands. Even though the marriages then were not totally free from conflict, they were properly managed.

But then the sex revolution came along and people said “we don’t need marriage

anymore. Anyone can live together for however long they want to, for whatever reason they want to and should not have to be bound together “till death does them apart”.” “We don’t need God or the institution of marriage that He created.” Then the minority of people who were unhappily married or who grew up in an unhappy home led the rebellion. They took over the legislatures, judicial systems, the entertainment and popular culture and schools. They told us lie after another in order to try to convince us that their own immoral behaviors are OK.

Since this war on marriage and family began, they dragged our culture down deeper and deeper into the gutter, making the world lose sight of God’s purposes for marriage and sex. As a result, many people see marriage as too limiting. But God said in Proverbs 6:32 “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” KJV.  Also in Hosea 4:6, it says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.........”KJV

Adultery is often committed in the name of great love, but this marginal understanding, shows that the adulterer lacks even the capacity for true love. Those who are guilty of this sin are generally immature, insecure, self-centered person who lack any depth of feeling for others, being primarily selfish in their desires.

 An extramarital affair is the most difficult situation that can affect a marital relationship. It eliminates the emotional bond between spouses, violates the basic trust each partner has for each other and it jeopardizes the health and well being of both parties. 

An affair is not only a sexual event—it is an emotional event. It is usually a consequence of the emotional distance between the married couple. In a rather paradoxical manner, the extramarital affair may also temporarily create closeness between the couple but will ultimately send the relationship into a terrifying state of panic. Usually, poor relationships between a husband and wife result in one of them or both seeking extramarital affairs. Sometimes, the involved partner will justify that the affair is an attempt at “disrupting the status quo” in his or her marriage - that is you must live together as custom demands but can still catch some fun outside because it is accepted in the world). If the relationship has drifted into stagnation, lack of emotional contact, habitual criticism and argument, constant conflict, or just plain emotional distance and coolness, then the affair will eventually put the final nail into the coffin. Culture does play a very significant role in our attitudes and actions regarding marriage. Christian marriage must not be shaped by culture, but by the cross of Christ, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God: Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:17-24). When Christians comes to marriage, we dare not allow the world (our culture) to shape our thinking, our attitudes, or our actions. WHOSOEVER INDULGES IN EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR LACKS UNDERSTANDING AND DESTROYS HIS OWN SOUL! DO NOT ALLOW FIVE MINUTES EXTRAMARITAL PLEASURE DESTROYS YOUR SOUL! The consequences are too much to bear.

This evil effect of adultery has brought spiritual, physical and eternal death.  It has also caused a great wound, dishonour, lasting reproach and scar in our homes. Also, sex before marriage is just as wrong as adultery and other forms of sexual immorality because they all involve having sex with someone other than your spouse. Our ignorance of the Bible and of the Christian faith is blowing out the flickering candle flame in our society. But when we have the correct understanding of God’s purpose for marriage, only then we can fully comprehend that God has used the marriage institution to provide and protect us in a much better way than we can ever devise.