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MARRIAGE : ITS PURPOSES AND AIMS We cannot think about marriage without thinking of the Bible and what it says about the same. I do not think I have ever heard a marriage ceremony with references to what is said in the Bible about marriage. The reason this is so is that we cannot have reasonable minds and not realize that God created the world and all in it and that He created the first man and woman and ordained marriage of those individuals. In Genesis 2: 8-17 we read of the garden of Eden, the first home God set up for man. In Genesis 2: 18-24 we read of the creation of the woman and she being brought to the man as his wife. In verse 18 a great truth is given; “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” In verses 19 and 20 it states that Adam gave names to all the animals of the earth but there was not found a help sufficient for him. So the Lord formed woman from a rib of his side and brought her to man. Adam named her woman because she was taken out of man. Then we read the great words that have been repeated in marriages millions of times :”Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) Christ later comments on this marriage relationship when asked, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? He said, have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” (Matthew 19: 3-9) From these scriptures we learn that marriage is an institution of God for the honor and happiness of mankind. One man and one woman voluntarily enter into a bodily and spiritual union, pledging each to the other mutual love, honor and fidelity, sympathy, forbearance, and comradeship, such as would assure an unbroken continuance of their wedlock so long as both shall live. Herein lays the purpose and the aims of marriage. 1. Marriage is for companionship. In Genesis 2:18 God said “It is not good for man to be alone.” Most men will become coarse in conduct, manners, care of themselves, and in some cases immoral without the companionship of a good woman. The woman was made of a rib from his side to be his constant companion by his side in life. She was not made of a bone of the foot to be enslaved by the man. She was not made of a bone of his head so she would be equipped to rule over him; she was made of a bone of his side to be a person of her own in equality or in some aspects superior to the man. Comradeship is a better word for this relationship. As the wise man put it, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two can withstand him; and a three fold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9- 12) Everyone needs a friend that will stick with them closer than a brother. Ideally this is a husband and wife who have become one flesh in companionship. It is true that each woman needs friends of other women also and each husband needs to understand these things and encourage the same. At the same time women need friends that will encourage them to continue in faithfulness in the marriage relationship and help them to see the good points in their husbands. Evil companions will corrupt good morals while good companions will build good morals. (I Corinthians 15:33) Men need other friends of other men also but again the same principles for the woman and her friends also applies to the man and his friends. Often times it is the advice and temptations others set before men that cause them to fall from faithfulness to their wives or in viewing their wives properly. We should all seek to see the good in one another and promote the good in others. Try to keep from saying harsh things to one another. Under no circumstances are husbands and wives to fight one another verbally or physically. Correcting one another in love is certainly the best policy. Both need correcting at times but kindness in doing so is the best policy. You don’t want to lose your best friend - your husband or your wife. 2. Another purpose of marriage is procreation. God said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) Reproducing is God’s law for all things he has created. In Psalms 127:1 it states: “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.” Then in verse three he gives a result, “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thy house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.” You see, “children are an heritage to the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalms 127:3) To bring into the world sons like husbands - fathers and daughters like wives - mothers is a blessing to the family and a blessing to the world. 3. A third purpose of marriage is to prevent immorality. God made man and woman to be above the animals of the earth so they could have dominion over them, subdue them, and use them. A single male animal can sire a whole herd of female cattle, but God ordained that one man marry one woman and they are to have children which are all siblings. For any man or woman, any sex outside marriage is the sin of adultery and fornication. I Corinthians 7:2 states, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” Sexual attraction of men to women and women to men is natural but it should be fulfilled in legitimate marriages. “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body: but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (I Corinthians 6:18) “Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4) C.D.
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