This enemy steals what belongs to God, and he twists and manipulates it until it is barely recognizable and even dangerous to us. Then he dresses it up in fun and pleasurable garments to present it to the human race to kill and destroy us.
And the world takes what he gives and runs with it, claiming that those who know God's ways only want to take away their freedom to do what they want, and to prevent what is fun and pleasurable.
We've seen so often that God's ways are good, and healthy, and provides true liberty to be able to do what is right.
This picture we will look at today is marriage.
God made Adam and Eve, and pronounced that they would be "one flesh" (Genesis 2: 24). When a man is "joined to his wife" physically, this is marriage; the husband and the wife join their bodies together in the marital act to become one, and God blesses this union with children.
Paul tells the Corinthian believers,
Do you not know that one who joins himself with a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall become one flesh" (I Corinthians 6: 16).He's asking them if they want to be married to this wanton woman!
A twisted view of this is two people of the same gender; they cannot physically achieve this "one flesh."
God intended that marriage would be exclusive, the man having one wife for life, and the wife having one husband. This is the ideal.
God allowed some variance, as when a man or a king would have more than one wife, and even concubines. But do you think these marriages were happy? Look at Jacob's marriage with Leah and Rachel, for example. (See Genesis 29: 1- 30: 24 for the story.) He had intended to marry only Rachel, but was tricked into marrying Leah, too. This created rivalry and competition and misery.
Do you think that your wife, or you as a wife, would accept other women into your husband's bed? The Chinese character for "misery" is two women under one roof.
God also hates divorce (Malachi 2: 16). He considers it "dealing treacherously" with one who should be cherished.
All these deviations from the ideal tend to distort the picture of marriage as the relationship God wants to have with us.
Paul writes,
But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him (I Corinthians 6: 17).The Lord God called Israel His wife (see Jeremiah 3: 1-10), and she committed spiritual adultery against her Husband when she took stones and trees and carved idols to worship instead of the Lord.
Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride (Matthew 9: 15; Mark 2: 19-20; Luke 5: 34-35; John 3: 29), as we are joined spiritually with Him by His Holy Spirit in our spirit. He is one Husband to us, and all together we are one bride, even though He knows each of us individually, and loves each one of us, saving us one by one. And He will never leave or forsake us, or divorce us.
God also made marriage the foundational basis of all human societies and cultures and civilization itself.
No wonder our mortal enemy, in wanting to destroy us, has attacked this idea so vehemently. He wants to destroy this beautiful picture that, when followed, builds our families and neighborhoods and cities and nations. And it provides the best home environment for cherishing and appreciating one another, showing our children and the world God's lovely ideal.
But most of all, this enemy wants to destroy our idea of Christ, our Lord God, Loving us as passionately as a newlywed husband is so enamoured with his new bride!
O my Father, please help all of Your children know You well enough to realize how much You Love us, and have married us to Your Son. You gave us this picture so we could realize how faithful You are, and how much You cherish us, and want us to experience Your joy and the legitimate pleasures of Your ways for us.
Father, I don't know what kinds of spiritual enjoyments You have in store for us, but I'm sure that they far surpass any and all of the physical pleasures You have provided for us here.
We can take pleasure, not only in the marital relationship, but also in the joys of accomplishment, and of giving, and of one another's company and family and friendship relationships.
O Father, Your ways really are the best! They keep us safe and secure and healthy and growing. They teach us how to enjoy fun that satisfies, not like the world at all. Your pleasures forevermore will fill us with purpose and enjoyment and satisfaction in governing with You over all the future universes You will create.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Redeemer and Husband, Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
