For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

                                                                                                                 Genesis 2:24 

Marriage can be traced all the way back to the beginning. It was created and established by God. It is His idea. Fidelity, partnership, sexual intimacy, and companionship all come from God the Father. Man and woman complimenting each other in a way that is unmatched in this life. This is the subject of today’s passage and the seventh commandment. The commandment simply reads, “You shall not commit adultery.” But our passage demonstrates the reasoning and purpose behind this instruction.

God created man from the dust of the earth but declared that the man should not be alone. None of the animals qualified as a suitable partner for the man so God created woman. She was not created in the same way as man rather God created the woman by taking part of the man. This action set forth for the rest of time God’s design for marriage. One man and one woman are to enjoy one another for a lifetime. This union comes as a result of a man leaving his parents and then being joined to his wife. This union then establishes a new family unit in which the man and the woman bring love, commitment, and faithfulness to the marriage. This is the spiritual mystery of “becoming one flesh.”

When Jesus was asked about the issue of divorce, He responded with the following: 

Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 

                                                                                                                 Matthew 19:3-6 

Jesus refers back to God’s original instruction pertaining to marriage. But He takes it one step further. After declaring, “the two shall become one flesh”, He adds, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

We all understand the legal side of marriage and how judges and courtrooms act as agents in dissolving marriages. But this process only deals with the legal side of marriage. It doesn’t address the spiritual side of this sacred union. Even when separation and divorce is amicable, there is usually fallout from such decisions. This is largely because God never intended for us to move from marriage to marriage, trading in our spouse much like we do an automobile. But the reality is that many marriages will not withstand the test of time.

For some, the decision to marry is premature and done at too early of an age. For others, physical attraction alone might be the driving point to stand at the altar. With no other foundation for the marriage other than sexual drive, the marriage begins on shaky ground and erodes over time. For some, marriage is abandoned because of violence in the home. Whether physical, psychological, or verbal abuse, this kind of behavior makes intimacy, trust, and companionship virtually impossible. For some, there was a yoking of what the Bible refers to as being unequal. A believer and an unbeliever, ultimately, do not have anything in common and this spiritual divide can act as a wedge between the husband and the wife. A Christian spouse should seek to keep the marriage intact however this is contingent on the unbelieving spouse’s willingness to participate. These types of marriages can also see quite a bit of strain and difficulty.

But whatever the reason for a marriage to dissolve, the separation of a husband and a wife and the destruction that it brings to the family is not in line with God’s original plan. Consider the following: 

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 

                                                                                                                   Hebrews 13:4 

This is not a pronouncement of eternal judgment for the sins of fornicators and adulterers rather it is an instruction for everyone to have a respect for marriage. Eternal judgment will come for those who have not received salvation by not believing in the name of Jesus (John 3:18). As with all the other commandments, salvation, forgiveness, and reconciliation are all possible for anyone who will place their trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So forgiveness is offered, but respect for marriage as God’s premiere standard for interaction between men and women should be upheld as the standard for society.

Marriage is to be a strengthening of each other through a common bond of love, trust, and fidelity. When this trust is broken however, restoration can become difficult. With God, all things are possible and we should never underestimate His power to bring a broken marriage back to its original state but building trust after a violation of the marriage will require both parties to cooperate with God’s working.

In addition, God can take any marriage, born out of any situation and bless it. However, this also requires both parties to be willing to receive forgiveness from God and then proceed in the strength, victory, and power that Jesus will bring to any marriage yielded to Him.

The seventh commandment is a reminder of the goodness of God in creating marriage and a reminder of how it should be viewed as sacred.