Musing – Part 1 - Why is Marriage Important to God?

Hebraic Musing – Part 1 - Why is Marriage Important to God?

This is part 1 of a three-part study –  How do we view Marriage & Divorce Today?  
Part 1 – Why is Marriage Important to God?                    (Today’s message)
Part 2 – How does God Define Marriage in His Bible?
Part 3 – What’s the Real Problem with Divorce?

Marriage must be important to Our Lord; Marriage is mentioned specifically over 100 times in the NIV.
“Marry”  49x;  “Marriage” 43x;   “Marries” 20x;  and marriage is inferred even more often with terms like “Bride”(25x), “Bridegroom”(24x), “Wedding”(19x), “Joined”, “Union”, etc.

Marriage is introduced, defined and honored in the first four books of Torah especially.  Then the problems of divorce had to be dealt with in the last book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, as Moses prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land (more on divorce in Part 3).

I was asked to teach a Sunday School class 25 years ago on the book of Revelation with a Bible college dean & his teachers in the class.  Fortunately the key verse was Rev. 19:6-9 – “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, …(shouting)…  ‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.’  … Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”  As a class, we identified a dozen or so wedding customs that are clearly biblical like –

1. Bride & Groom don’t see each other before the Wedding  – Have you seen Jesus yet?
3. Giving of the bride             – Still the Father’s job.    He gave us to Jesus!
5. The Vows;                           – Love & Cherish;  “Until death do us part”; more?
6. The Ring;                            – Signet ring with the authority of the husband, Jesus!
7. Unity Candles                     – They shall become one flesh.
8. First Communion together & Reception     – Proposing a toast like Jesus did at the Last Supper
       “ I will not drink of this…fruit of the vine …until that day … in my Father's kingdom." Matt. 26
10. The Bride' takes on the Groom's name     – We already call ourselves Christians! 
13. Groom carries bride over the threshold   
                                                – Jesus goes to prepare a house w/many rooms; and will come back for us.
14. The Honeymoon,              – Wedding and ultimate intimacy; when we are finally “In Christ”

That lesson triggered my interest in Biblical Marriage.  My wife of 52 years left me in March 2012 for the perfect HUSBAND, Jesus Christ.  Two months later I published my second book, “Biblical Marriage.”  A key Life’s Purpose for me is to “Promote Biblical Marriage”. 

As Jesus authored our “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”, He started with Adam and Eve; and ended by welcoming His Bride, us, to the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb” (and Jesus is the Lamb of God).  The whole Bible is built around Marriage – living together in covenant relationship.

Are we preparing for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb with our marital experience here on earth?

 Points to ponder

What about you?  Did you say “Yes” when Jesus proposed to you?

What does the Groom-to-be expect from HIS bride-to-be?

Marriage is God’s greatest gift to us!    
            Next week – How does God define Marriage?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                  January 16, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
and “Biblical Marriage”   Amazon search – “Biblical Marriage Yosef”