I was looking with a buddy at some of the Scriptures that pertain to our marriages.
I was thinking about the Sovereignty of God in our marriage. Here are some of my thoughts.
1. He designed marriage in its perfect pristine state in unity between the man and woman and without shame. (Genesis 2:24, 25.) Marriage is a good thing, a holy union, a blessing to husband / wife and a picture of the unity between the God-head.
2. He commands us to rejoice in our wives (Proverbs 5:18). Ask yourself: how can I rejoice in the hard times? It is easy to do so when things are in unity and comfortable. But, what about during and after an argument? How can I rejoice then? Simple answer — just do it. God commands it.
3. He makes us shine because of our excellent wives. (Proverbs 12:4; 31:10). Some may say, read the rest of the verse. “…but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.” Why is it that a woman can be our glory or our shame? Since we are one with our wives, anything we do directly causes a reaction in the relationship. However, most of our shameful times stem from OUR sin allowing hers to appear as well. Going unchecked, sin will cause a relationship to bleed. We as the leaders must be the first to repent, to admit fault and to go to our wives to reconcile. We alone must lead. We must in turn disciple our wives so that they will do the same with their sin.
She is worth more than the wealth of jewels and gold. Who could ask for anything more valuable than that?
4. He gives favor to husbands when they marry. (Proverbs 18:22). Note that Solomon did NOT say… “He who finds a GOOD wife…” This is significant. God blesses us with favor as husbands. He satisfies some of our needs and wants in our wives. Since it is a perfect union and a perfect institution, all our physical and emotional needs are met in Christ but seen partly through our wives. That is favor. She is our reward. She helps us succeed, blesses our homes and takes care of our family. Many of us men would really mess things up if we had to do what they do for us.
5. He has commands for the husband. (1 Corinthians 7:3) What is the duty of a man to his wife?
A. Love her as we love our own bodies (Eph. 5:23), as we care for ourselves and have selfish ambitions, we are to have the same love toward them, wanting them to grow, be successful in their Biblical role, mature in Christ, stay healthy etc.
B. Love her as Christ did the Church (Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:18), to the point of death.
C. Give ourselves up for them (Eph. 5:25), as a sacrificial self-less way of living.
D. Present her to be sanctified by Christ (Eph. 5:26), through discipleship.
E. Wash her with the Word (Eph. 5:26). Daily reading with her or to her is vital. It is through the Word that she is discipled and renewed. (Rom. 12:1-2).
6. Divorce is not an option. (1 Corinthians 7:11; Mal. 2:16) God commands us NOT to divorce. There are reasons to divorce but it is only because of our spouse leaving us or becoming unfaithful with another man. We are never to entertain the idea of initiating a non-Biblical divorce. Those thoughts are sinful because of God’s explicit commands. We cannot seek an out (1 Cor. 7: 20).
As we think about our marriages, humbly recognize who designed them. Meditate on His sovereignty over each of our relationships with our wives.
