The Importance of Marriage
Marriage is very important to God. It was his first established institution. Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast: JOHN 2:1-8. If we understand the marriage, then we can understand christianity and the kingdom of God. Look at the relationship between the marriage and the church in the following scripture:

"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. This is a GREAT MYSTERY: but I speak concerning CHRIST AND THE CHURCH. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."    Ephesians 5:31-33

I believe the natural concept of marriage was given first so that we could later understand the spiritual concept of the church and christianity. God seems to always give us a natural example first. He then takes this example and relates it to a spiritual concept. This makes it easier for us to understand spiritual things. Examine this CONCEPT in the following scripture.

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. HOWBEIT THAT WAS NOT FIRST WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, BUT THAT WHICH IS NATURAL; AND AFTERWARD THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. AS IS THE EARTHY, SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE EARTHY: AND AS IS THE HEAVENLY, SUCH ARE THEY ALSO THAT ARE HEAVENLY."    1 Corinthians 15: 45-48

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