The Marriage Bond is from our At His Feet Series and will help you to view marriage from the eyes of Jesus.
The Marriage Bond
“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”
Matthew 5:31-32
Marriage is the most binding and strongest commitment God instituted to be between two people.
God created this bond as early as the creation when he created Adam and Eve for this very purpose when He said:
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24
Looking at the background and history of when Jesus spoke these words will give us more insight into the reason, He said it.
The Reason Jesus Said This
In those times the Jews treated their wives as objects, if she would do something they did not like, or if the man for one reason or another did not want her anymore he could tell her to leave.
This causes a lot of young women to be scared and cautious with good reason to enter into marriage.
The Greek and Roman women were not better off and the men could sleep with other women and discard their wives for little or no reason at all.
All of them had their own legal or non-legal processes for divorce, but Jesus is more interested in the reasons one would want to part ways with your partner.
The Importance Of Marriage
God created a marriage without an expiry date to last for as long as you live.
He wants us to love, understand, and have compassion for one another, to be friends, and companions, and to be committed to one another.
Marriage is so important to God that our prayers can be hindered when we do not honor our spouse.
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
1 Peter 3:7
Divorce can be the reason why your prayers are not heard and answered.
“And this is the second thing you do:
Malachi 2:13-14
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.”
An Act Of Violence
In God’s eyes, divorce is like violence (Malachi 2:16), which in reality it is.
It is described as losing a living person to death.
Many people going through divorce experience emotional violence and trauma.
Jesus gave adultery as the only reason one can divorce because adultery is similar to divorce the effect of violence and trauma on a marriage.
Christian marriages are under serious attack from the thief who comes only to kill and destroy (John 10:10).
The good news is that Jesus came so that we can have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
My Testimony
My own marriage is a perfect example that Jesus can and will repair and heal a marriage that went through the horrors of unfaithfulness.
If I did not have God in my life during that aftermath period and without being able to pray for my marriage, I personally would not have survived it.
God remains faithful and true when we have genuine remorse and have the power to heal us individually as well as in our marriages.
We Are Not To Judge Others
Every marriage is just as unique as every person has their own personality.
We may never judge others who divorce because we have not lived that marriage, or walk in those people’s shoes.
While there are marriages that are moonlight and roses from the offset, there are those marriages that suffer greatly for different reasons.
What we can do is support them, give them love, and pray for them on their road to healing.
Very Important To Keep In Mind
Something I have said in some of my previous posts and will repeat here again is: If you are in a violent relationship and you suffer emotional or physical abuse, please seek professional help.
Your life is much more precious than that and God grants us wisdom and common sense to know when a situation is not good or safe to stay in.
Let’s Get Practical
Application: Start by praying for yourself, your spouse, and your marriage, even if you do not know what to pray, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance (Romans 8:26-27).
Prayer points: You can have a look at the 31 Scriptures To Pray Over Your Marriage to pinpoint the problem areas and pray for them specifically and effectively.
Promise: By loving your spouse unconditionally, and depending on God for grace and wisdom, you can be sure that you please God because He hates divorce (Malachi 2:11-16).
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Everything in Him, unto Him, and to glorify His Holy Name!
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