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A SCRIPTUAL GUIDE TO MARRIAGE
Written by Rev. H.T. Burke
The Purpose of Marriage: Union (Love) and Procreation (Life)
..Male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it ..." Then the LORD God said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man." Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh (Gen.1:27,28,2:18-24)(1Tim.5:14).
Children are a Blessing
Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).
Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and went away (Matthew 19:13-15).
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" (Gen.30:2) (See Also: Gen.4:1,25,5:29,17:16,29:32-35,30:1,6,Prov.17:6 Psalm 128).
Contraception is a sin against Marriage
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son (Ruth 4:13).
Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also. (Gen.38:8-10) Note* God slew Onan for contraception, not because he refused to raise a child for his brother, since the punishment for this is much less than death in Deut. 25:5-10.
The Indissolubility of Marriage
And this again you do. You cover the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand. You ask, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the LORD the God of Israel, and covering one's garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless (Malachi 2:13-16).
And Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "what did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "for your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.' And in the house, the disciples asked Him again about this matter. And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:2-12).
To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband) - and that the husband should not divorce his wife (1Cor.7:10,11 See Also: 1Cor.7:39,Rom.7:1-3).
The Obligations of Marriage
But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does. Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control (1Cor.7:2-5).
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. 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, 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. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife, loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband (Eph. 5:22-33.See Also: 1Cor.7:27-38/Col.3:18).
The Blessings of a Good wife
House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD (Prv.19:14,18:22).
A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life... Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised ( Prv.31).
The Husband is Blessed Through his Wife
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love (Prov.5:15-19).
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun
(Eccl.9:9,Deut.24:5,1 Peter 3:7).
The Believing Spouse Sanctifies the Unbelieving
For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife... (1Cor.7:14-16).
Fornication (Pre-marital Sex) is a sin against purity and marriage.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the fornicators and adulterers (Hebrews 13:4 Also:Eph.5:5,6,Gal.5:16-24,Rev.22:14,15,1 Cor.6:15-20).
Written by Rev. H.T. Burke
The Purpose of Marriage: Union (Love) and Procreation (Life)
..Male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it ..." Then the LORD God said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man." Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh (Gen.1:27,28,2:18-24)(1Tim.5:14).
Children are a Blessing
Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).
Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and went away (Matthew 19:13-15).
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" (Gen.30:2) (See Also: Gen.4:1,25,5:29,17:16,29:32-35,30:1,6,Prov.17:6 Psalm 128).
Contraception is a sin against Marriage
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son (Ruth 4:13).
Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also. (Gen.38:8-10) Note* God slew Onan for contraception, not because he refused to raise a child for his brother, since the punishment for this is much less than death in Deut. 25:5-10.
The Indissolubility of Marriage
And this again you do. You cover the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand. You ask, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the LORD the God of Israel, and covering one's garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless (Malachi 2:13-16).
And Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "what did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "for your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.' And in the house, the disciples asked Him again about this matter. And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:2-12).
To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband) - and that the husband should not divorce his wife (1Cor.7:10,11 See Also: 1Cor.7:39,Rom.7:1-3).
The Obligations of Marriage
But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does. Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer, but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control (1Cor.7:2-5).
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. 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, 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. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife, loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband (Eph. 5:22-33.See Also: 1Cor.7:27-38/Col.3:18).
The Blessings of a Good wife
House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD (Prv.19:14,18:22).
A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life... Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised ( Prv.31).
The Husband is Blessed Through his Wife
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love (Prov.5:15-19).
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun
(Eccl.9:9,Deut.24:5,1 Peter 3:7).
The Believing Spouse Sanctifies the Unbelieving
For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife... (1Cor.7:14-16).
Fornication (Pre-marital Sex) is a sin against purity and marriage.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the fornicators and adulterers (Hebrews 13:4 Also:Eph.5:5,6,Gal.5:16-24,Rev.22:14,15,1 Cor.6:15-20).