Marriage Builder (Creation-Redemption-Eternity)

No one sets out to destroy one’s marriage! Nobody plans to sabotage marital bliss and couples never imagined on their wedding day that their undying love would one day come to a devastating and painful end! While couples don’t plan to one day divorce, sadly, we also often don’t plan to do what it takes to grow our marriage. Think of the next series of posts as my attempt to help us all think and plan and put in some effort to keep ourselves from sabotaging the most important human relationship you and I will ever have on this earth.

Consider God’s High View Of Marriage: (Creation-Redemption-Eternity)

Part of the problem in the Christian marriage relationship is our inability to recognize just how big marriage is to God. When we are unable to see God’s high view of marriage we unknowingly hold to a low view of marriage which becomes a cancer to the relationship. We desperately need to see the high regard God has for our marriage!

• Creation

Consider God’s view of marriage from the beginning of time. In Genesis 1:1-25 we see God created everything out of nothing. And as He does His glorious handiwork the refrain is: “And God saw that it was good.” Seven times we hear this refrain in the opening chapter of God’s Word. (See verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21. 25, 31.) Over and over we are to hear these words, “and God saw that it was good,” and we rejoice in God’s creative glory which leads us along to a surprising shift in the narrative. Suddenly, we read “it is not good that the man should be alone.” (See 2:18) 

In Genesis 2 God created the pinnacle of His imagined wonders! It is here that we see God formed a male and female. Amazingly, He created individuals that had within them the ability to reflect the “image of God.” (See 1:27) He did this because, “it was not good that man should be alone.”

God gave Adam a responsibility to “be fruitful and multiply the earth and have dominion over all that God has created.” (See 1:28) 

As image bearers, God gave Adam and Eve the ability to reflect God’s glory by working the garden and taking dominion over God’s creation. Adam has a sphere of dominion that God says, you are to be an image bearer or a reflection of me in how you care for and take dominion over the portion of creation I have assigned to you. The first couple are to reflect and carry a responsibility in the garden. This is how God created the 1st marriage to operate. God created male and female and all of this leads up to Adam’s song found in vs 23.

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

This speaks of the closeness of the marriage relationship. Marriage provides an intimacy of relationship like no other.  Physically, emotionally, and relationally marriage is unlike all other relationships!

God created that! From the very beginning and before there was sin! God created with marriage in view! Therefore, creation speaks of God’s high view of marriage. We also would do well to esteem marriage highly!

• Redemption

Not only did God communicate His heart for marriage in creation, but when He redeemed fallen man he did so by using the language of marriage!

Marriage is a part of redemption language. Marriage is how God has determined to express His undying love and commitment for His bride, the church.  

Christ died for His bride!  

In the context of the apostle Paul quoting Genesis 2 he says:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:25-28

Therefore, not only is the high view of marriage rooted in God’s creation glory, but it is also part of the redemption language of Christ’s example of love towards His bride, the church! God’s high view of marriage is not only seen in creation, and redemption, but also in eternity.

• Eternity

The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

Revelation 19:6-7

It is not random happenstance that when God wants to describe His love for the church in eternity, He once again uses marriage language to accomplish His point. Creation glory, Redemptive glory and Future glory all invoke marriage to communicate our relationship with God!

Marriage was created from the beginning but sin began to destroy the relationship between us and God, and between husband and wife. Sin introduced decay into the relationship. However, Christ redeemed the relationship and in doing so He used marriage language to help us understand Christ’s sacrificial love and our redemption.  And then he speaks of our covenantal union in Christ throughout eternity at the marriage supper of the lamb.

In what way could God have revealed a higher priority of marriage to us? Are there some other terms He could have used, or some greater imagery He could have brought to us? I say, No! 

God’s high view of marriage helps us to consider our view of marriage.

We would do well to hold to a high view of marriage. A low view of marriage is a marriage destroyer! Perhaps you have been holding to a low view of your marriage. Please spend some time meditating on God’s view found in creation, redemption, and eternity.  

Lastly, check out my friends Tom and Debi Walter’s blog:

The Romantic Vineyard blog is dedicated to providing us with marriage encouragement and practical resources.

And while you are at it, check out their new book:

Cherishing Us: 365 Tips For A Healthy Marriage From The Romantic Vineyard