Sabbath Thought - Marriage

"Marriage is a natural union but a divine institution, ordained of God."  So it states at the beginning of the marriage ceremony we use in the United Church of God. The marriage ceremony is on my mind as Roxanne and I travel to Oklahoma for the marriage of my nephew, Zarek Dowd, on Sunday. Marriage is a natural union because we seek relationships humanly, and we look for that special someone to share our life with as God intended.

Seeing marriage as a divine institution is a perspective increasingly lost on the culture around us however. God established the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:18, 23), and as such is the only One qualified to say what constitutes a marriage. With the decline of church attendance, and the increase of secularism, marriage is not seen as a spiritual relationship. As such, marriage has simply become a government-backed institution rather than a God-ordained relationship.

What is the point of marriage? Why did God create this institution? God created marriage so that physical human beings (a man and a woman joined in marriage) could come to understand the God-plane aspects of this relationship.

In a Godly marriage we are to learn mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21) so we properly fear God. The husband is to lead the wife as Christ leads the church (v. 23) and to give his life for his wife (and by extension, his family) as Christ did for the Church (v. 25). The wife is to be subject to the husband as the Church is to Christ (v. 24). Lastly, a husband is to love his wife (because we men can forget!) and the wife is to respect her husband (so you better marry a man worthy of your respect!).  God gave mankind marriage to reflect the relationship of the Church (the bride) to Christ (vs. 31-32).  All of this is lost in the secular discussion of marriage, but should be front in center in the marriages in God's Church.

The United Church of God marriage ceremony ends with this vow made by both parties - "Do you then, faithfully promise and covenant with God, in the presence of these witnesses to take [this person] to be your lawful wedded [spouse] - in sickness and in health, in good times and in difficult times, for as long as you both shall live? Since all ordination or setting apart in the Scriptures is by the laying on of hands, would you please join your right hands and, with the laying on of my hands, I will ask the Eternal God to unite you as husband and wife."

Marriage is a divine institution, and one of the many blessings God has given to mankind. It helps us to understand His desire for us to be a part of His family - now and for eternity.

Make the most of God's Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

22 June, 2024