Godly Relationship 2: The Marriage Institution.

“ And they shall become one flesh.” Gen. 2:24.

My heavenly Father and Maker of all things, I come to You again in the Name of Jesus. It  has been several months since I was inspired to visit this platform to share Your awesome thoughts and surpassing Wisdom with my fellow humankinds. I know that only You are the living God who created the invisible and visible world. By Your powers and transcendent Wisdom everything was made, in heaven and earth, and everything is sustained by the power of Your eternal Word!

I am most thankful for life, family and the incredible opportunities and exploits You have made possible through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Your Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. You continue to amaze and inspire a sense of wonder in us by Your teachings and instructions for purposeful living.

I earnestly pray and invite Your excellent Spirit to take absolute control; and guide our thoughts to align with Yours. By Your grace, we delve into this daunting task of sharing the mysteries of a loving Father, to a world that has been plagued and befuddled with confusion, selfishness, impunity and violence. Above the clouds, I proclaim clarity of vision and a life of godly purpose and fruitfulness in Jesus mighty Name. Amen!!!

A life surrendered to embracing God’s will and purposes comes with a great cost. The Lord Jesus spoke candidly when He declared the cost of discipleship to His followers. There is a great demand on your will, priorities, time and other valuable resources. Then comes an overwhelming persecutions and tribulations orchestrated by agents of darkness. My family and I have had our own share of fiery trials and persecutions. However, in all these, God’s promise remains true: We are more than a conqueror through Christ who strengthens us. He granted us incredible victories and strengthened our faith through it all. Hallelujah!!!

The Marriage Institution is a gift from God

“ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:17-18.

Had the first marriage documented in the Bible been successful according to the ultimate plans and purposes of God, it would have been much easier to have a template to evaluate subsequent ones. But, the story of Adam and Eve is tantamount to a concept that was killed on arrival. The ship suffered a terrible shipwreck just before it fully sailed off the coast.

Since then humanity has experienced all variations and distortions of family structures, communities and nations. The foundational blueprint and design of God has been abandoned and we are in a perpetual struggle to fix what we broke. How successful mankind has been in this arduous task is quite visible in the gory and despicable experiences of our world today!

However, as I embark on this difficult study and reflections on the Word of truth, I am delighted to understand that biblical marriage is certainly a gift from God. From the essence of His goodness, the Lord created Man with the attributes of HIs goodness and the power of dominion over earthly affairs, provided he remains in one accord with His divine will.

God’s Spirit brought life, and it is also His Spirit that sustains this awesome relationship and brings forth the power of His vision and ultimate purposes into fruition. The seed of goodness and perfection lies in God’s Word and eternal design, empowered and sustained by His Spirit. A disconnection from Him ushers in a corrupted seed that can only bring forth a disordered and distorted fruit; spiritual darkness and, hence, a perverted existence.

“ And God said, See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Gen. 1:29-31.

God, as a master craftsman, inspected His works and declared them perfect and flawless; Nothing more to add and nothing to subtract. Simply put, a masterpiece!!! But someone has been behind the scene watching and hatching a hideous plan of devastation. Satan surely understood certain principles underlying the Maker’s modus operandi. The prince of darkness understands the power of agreement and the seed of life thus created by such spiritual concept. By subterfuge he created doubt in the mind of the weaker vessel, Eve, and thereby seed of distrust and disconnection from the Author of life and Source of everything good and pure: the Lord Jesus Christ.

“ Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.” Dan. 8:25.

A Covenant Institution

The Lord had orchestrated a covenant relationship with mankind. Adam was the representative of this divine agreement. There was clear communication between God who spelt out the esteemed position of man and also the responsibility that comes with it. Man’s humbleness under God and diligence in protecting the trust placed in his care was paramount to fully accomplishing the ultimate vision and purposes of God for the created physical earth. God’s spiritual Kingdom has to be extended to the physical earth by mankind’s stewardship under the authority of his headship, the Lord.

Tagged along this primal Accord was the marriage covenant between the male and female human species. God’s original design and plan was clearly communicated directly to Adam, to be subsequently relayed to Eve. From God’s standpoint it was a perfect arrangement that was to bring delight, fulfillment and wholesomeness to the unique couples in God’s Kingdom. From all indications, each of the pair can exist independently but in God’s Wisdom they must function as a unit, spiritually and emotionally. Mankind has prospered in filling the earth to the point of over-population but living as a harmonious entity, with an environment that nurtures fulfillment and satisfaction is still largely elusive. In order to gain some insight from the lens of God’s perspective, I have decided to embark on an analytical examination of the first family of Faith; Abraham and Sarah. This has entailed a painstaking, thorough and deep digging into the Scriptures.  I prayed for the Holy Spirit to lead me to all truth regarding this critical and profound theme that will help me and others to better understand God’s original thoughts for families on earth, in complying to His blueprint for a harmonious, dynamic and  fruitful relationship with God and one another.

The Power of Separation

The Designer of all things has wisely put boundaries between different creations, lives and systems. These boundaries, among other reasons, serve for uniqueness and effective functioning of various components parts. In the garden of Eden, there were two distinct trees. These trees were symbolic of two systems or two kingdoms. The tree of good and evil represented the Satanic kingdom. It stands out as a superficial, seductively inviting but hidden ugliness and chaos. On the other hand, the Tree of life is symbolic of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The treasures and powers of this Kingdom is not readily visible to the natural sight but discerned by Eyes of Faith. You discern and receive the Kingdom by Faith in God and His Word of life.

“ Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Gen. 12:1.

Nimrod and his multitude of followers attempted a coup against the will and plan of God for mankind. It ended in unspeakable disaster and endless confusion for the human race. God steps in again to redeem the situation and re-orient man back to His plan. Abraham, a seed of Adam, was chosen as the head or representative of this new move of God. The Almighty was determined to accomplish the Counsel of His will. His grace must be furnished to accomplish this great project.

Abraham, whose name at that time was Abram, must be separated from all other potentially ungodly influences surrounding him. A clear boundary needed to be established so that his thoughts and affections could not be tainted and corrupted by outside and superficial considerations. Worldly wisdom, traditions, cultures and religious practices all resonate with our fallen nature but truly has no power against the indulgences of the flesh. It was critically important that this great biblical character be called out of his pathetic familiar existence into the richly rewarding but unfamiliar life of trust in the Word and Promises of a Father who loves us unconditionally.

He is also a God of justice and principles and expects the same from His people. Every seed reproduces its own kind. When God’s seed of truth is accepted, received with joy in faith, regardless of the cost, internalized and fixed in our hearts, it produces a renewed mindset and transformed lifestyle. This brings glory to God, the King of the universe.

What is particularly impressive about this divine act of separating Abraham from the rest of the world is that this Patriarch was super rich by worldly standard at that time. He had not only material possessions but human slaves as well. However, the all-wise God who knows the deepest need of every soul understood the lack of fulfillment in the life of this man. He had no son and thus no heir to all these acquired possessions. Abraham must have been a hardworking guy and a clever merchant.

He prospered tremendously but still lacked the power of reproducing and extending his seed unto the next generation. There was no hope of someone extending his legacy to future generation. Thus, in the estimation of the Ancient world, Abraham was a complete failure and a reproach among his peers. Yet, he clung passionately to his wife, Sarah, and would not consider getting a divorce. He loved her unconditionally and she was indispensible. She remained the apple of his eyes.

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverb 3:5-6.