Marriage/Divorce

Learning from marriage

Page 2

Before an actual wedding takes place there is often a rehearsal. All involved get a chance to learn their places and parts. God is wise and merciful. He has created marriage so that the world my learn from it. It is as if we are having our wedding rehearsal.

The marriage of a man and woman is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. KJV

The husband can be seen as picture of Christ and the wife as a picture of the church. If we look a few verses back we see that the husband is the head not the dominator of the wife just as Christ is the head of man.

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: KJV

We can see that the husbands role mirrors Christ's love and sacrifice for his wife the church. The wifes role mirrors the church's love and submission to the husband, Christ.

Christ ultimate example of submission and sacrifice

Christ the son is subordinate to God the father. Christ showed His subordination in a profound way. He knew that to fulfill Gods plan He must suffer. He was to be beaten, humiliated, take on our sins, be crucified, and die. Christ is by no means weak or cowardly. Still, understandably, He prayed that He would be spared.

Matthew 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ...42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. ...44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. KJV

"Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." No arguing against subordination in that. How does this compare to man and woman? Let's look at another verse.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. KJV

As you can see God's plan for marriage and the roles of husbands and wifes differ greatly from how the world today perceives it. The vow to love honor and obey should be a happy statement not something to balk at. We should base our marriages on God's plan and not on what the world has decided it should be.

Thank you for reading and may God bless you all