ICS Daily Devotions
Marriage Is a Covenant
Genesis 2:23-24 (NKJV) And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Understanding the meaning of covenant will help many of us to understand the importance of being “one flesh” in a marriage. It is important that we should remember we and our spouses are “one” at all times. This will strengthen our marriage life, and it is the remedy to individualism.
Many people today look at marriage as a contract, but in a Christian marriage, it is viewed as a covenant. When marriage is viewed as a contract, the couple will think in terms of conditions, limits, rights, and even “outs”. To our modern thinking, marriage is merely a social contract governed by the state and negotiated between two sovereign people who share the same bed.
Many people also fail to realise that each marriage partner brings into the relationship years of mental, emotional, and spiritual baggage. The strongholds in our minds lead us to relate to our spouses based on our preconceived ideas which may blur our judgements at times. Therefore, adjustments are required when two individuals begin living together as “one” in marriage, because it presents all kinds of opportunities for emotional suitcases to open.
Rather than facing their problems together and working to salvage their relationships, many couples are taking the easy way out through divorce. In the process, hearts are being broken, children are affected emotionally because they don’t have the ability to articulate the struggles and stress within them, homes are being destroyed, and the collateral damage is rippling through society.
A covenant is a binding, unbreakable agreement based on blood resulting in the absolute union of two parties in which everything is mutually shared. It is witnessed and guaranteed by God Himself. It is unconditional, unlimited and unending. Therefore, a marriage covenant is more about trust than terms, character than convenience, and giving than receiving. It reflects the very character of God. Based on the marriage covenant, we are “one”—“one flesh”, and therefore we will face everything together.
Covenant is the only secure foundation upon which a happy, fulfilling and permanent marriage can be built. When we do that, we will experience how God is able to unite two lives into “one flesh”.
Sermon Series: Divorce Paper
