Two weeks ago, our focus was on Valentine and his courageous stance against Claudius who banned marriage and all engagements throughout his empire.  In this final message of the month, our focus will be on marriage.

As in third century Rome, so today, we face an assault against the divine institute of marriage (1 Timothy 4:1-3).   For quite some time, studies have shown that marriage (between man and woman forming a two-parent household) is the best thing for making a strong, stable, healthy, prosperous, and successful society (Church and State).  Such marriages, one could argue, are the “hub” of both the Right and Left Hand Kingdoms.  Strong marriages make strong churches and nations.  What’s needed today, in my humble opinion, is for more Valentines.

The Bible makes it crystal clear that marriage is an institution established by God (Genesis 2:18-25).  It is a gift from God and not an invention of society.  In other words, marriage was and is God’s idea.  Because marriage is a divine institution, it must therefore be defined in God’s terms.  After all, He created it, He determined its inner structure; and He appointed for it its purpose and goal.

By reading the Scriptures carefully, we discover three biblical principles which make up a correct concept of marriage.  First, marriage is to be a monogamous (one man and one woman) union (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:5-6a).  Second, marriage is to be a faithful union (Hebrews 13:4).  And third, marriage is to be a permanent union (Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19:6b).

In addition to these three principles, marriage is also a blessing from God (Genesis 1:27-28, 31. It is “very good”).  It is the norm of society.  It is to be expected and planned for; it is not the exception (Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2).  Marriage is a partnership of two providing oneness of purpose (Gen. 2:24), companionship (Genesis 2:18), and correspondence (Genesis 2:23).  God makes the wife to correspond to her husband, brings her to him to complete him and uses her to complement him.  The husband cares for his wife as he would a part of his own body (Genesis 2:21-22; Ephesians 5:28-29).  The partnership is sealed by a pledge on the part of both individuals.  Marriage is a covenant expressed in vows and witnessed by God (Malachi 2:14).  Marriage is also a solemn commitment because it represents a relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-25).

What did God say after He created this institution?  “…it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Instead of forbidding marriage as designed and instituted by God, like Valentine, we ought to be encouraging marriage, as well as upholding, honoring and defending it whenever and wherever it is threatened.  For as marriages go, so Church and State.