Marriage

The Best Part of Life
This material appears courtesy of Bibleplace

We are to Separate from our Relatives
[FROM VOWS] Who then giveth this woman to be married to this man?

"THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE UNTO HIS WIFE: AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH."    Genesis 2:24.

"And he answered and said unto them, have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE: AND THEY TWAIN SHALL BE ONE FLESH? WHEREFORE THEY ARE NO MORE TWAIN, BUT ONE FLESH. WHAT THEREFORE GOD HATH JOINED TOGETHER, LET NO MANY PUT ASUNDER."
Matthew 19:4-6

"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THEY TWAIN SHALL BE ONE FLESH: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh."   Mark 10:6-8

"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

This principle is so important that it is stated 4 times in the scriptures. Notice the steps involve leaving the father and mother and cleaving to the wife. God established this cause. In the old testament, when a bridegroom found a prospective bride, he had to negotiate a price for her. In other words he had to pay the father for the loss of his daughter. One example of this is in the story of Jacob and Rachel: Genesis 29:15-35.

It is quite clear in this passage of scriptures, that spouses need to leave their dependence on their relatives and depend totally on each other. Until we grasp the understanding that our mate takes precedence over everyone else in this world except the Lord, we will continually have trouble in our marriages. Do you remember the story of Abraham or Ruth? Abraham had to leave all his relatives and go to a far country that God would show him.

"Now the Lord has said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, AND FROM THY KINDRED, AND FROM THY FATHER'S HOUSE, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:"   Genesis 12:1-2

We should become ONE in everything in our marriage: finances, ideas, goals, ambitions, drives, etc.

• The Importance of Marriage
• Holding Onto The Best Part
• God is our Witness
• God Ordained and Instituted the Marriage
• Marriage Must be Entered in Truth
• We are to Separate from our Relatives