Introduction
The topic of marriage flows on in organic sequence from the creation story, particularly as it is presented in Genesis 1:26- 27. This teaches that man and women, not necessarily by marriage, are called to image God in the world through their unity in diversity.
Although it is implicit in Genesis one that this will find foundational expression through marriage, the content of what this means is made plain in chapter two.
Marriage as Oneness
Genesis 2:24 lays out the constitution of marriage, here the man and the woman become husband and wife. Here, what is pointed to in Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;…’”, is opened up. There are three essential ingredients to marriage presented:
1. Leaving: the severing of the highest previous claim known, the family of origin. It means a death to childhood identity and the condition of singleness.
2. Cleaving / Clinging: this points to a union that will bring into being a new unit/family. The unity in mind is total in degree and for life.
3. One flesh: this refers to sexual intercourse as the climax of the binding together of the couple at every level of their being.
God himself is the giver of marriage, who first gave Eve to Adam as the gift of one person (like himself but unlike the animals) to another. (The full revelation of this awaits the coming of Jesus who unveils that only a God who is fully personal in relationship can give one person to another.)
Marriage brings a man and a woman together into a new circle of life into which no one else is allowed to intrude (adultery) but from which new life may spring (children). The exclusive nature of the relationship is its holiness and what makes it powerful. Marriage, as a total permanent and exclusive relationship is a covenant reality. This is designed to reflect the sort of relationship God has with his people (Isa 54:5; 62:4; 2 Cor 11:2).
When the command to, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28) is added to the dynamic means to this end (Genesis 2:24) we see that marriage is the context for the multiplication of oneness. Such a oneness is the transmission, by physical and relational reproduction, of the unity of God himself. The “let us make” (Genesis 1:26) is reproduced by means of the covenant of marriage. (Procreation images creation, Gen 4:1.)
Marriage and Fallenness
The disintegration of oneness in marriage, whether in a limited or absolute sense (divorce), flows on from the rejection of the Creator. When Adam and Eve decided that they were inadequately in the image of God (Gen 3:5- 6), they could no longer communicate true oneness, either physically or relationally. They shattered their relationship with him, with one another and their offspring. All marriages, and all humanity, have henceforth suffered this disintegration.
The depth of pain that is felt in and through the traumas of marital difficulties and breakdown relates to the deep inner connection between the unity of God and the destiny of humanity as husband and wife in marriage. It corresponds to the pain in the heart of God over our abandonment of his love and our unfaithfulness to the covenant relationship with him (Mal 2:13 -16). This is true by virtue of our creation, even if God is not consciously recognized as the celebrant of marriage and its ultimate unifying bond.
Jesus as the Saviour of Marriage
Paul comments on the spiritual reality of marriage by citing and expanding on Genesis 2:24. “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife’. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:31-32). He teaches that all God intended for marriage has been secured by Jesus for his people, his bride, his church.
All the resources of love, obedience, faithfulness and unity revealed in Christ’s covenant relationship with humanity (Isa 42:6; Heb 13:20) are now accessible to married persons through the Spirit. Previously, it was humanly impossible to reproduce oneness in the meaningful qualitative degree that is “eternal life”. Now, whilst perfection remains impossible until the end, this may happen in realistic measure by the power of God.
Christian Men and Marriage
Paul highlights this by saying, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy…” (Eph 5:25 -26). In the divine order of the flow of oneness, the vision a man has for his wife will stem from the insight that we have into Jesus’ destiny for us as his bride. To the degree we are enabled to appreciate the extent of the sacrifice of the cross, to that degree will we be able to sacrifice ourselves to perfect in love our marriage partners. To the degree we see the vision of the End, the pure spotless Bride presented to the Bridegroom (Eph 5:26- 27; Rev 19:7 -8), to that degree we will have faith and hope for the transformation of our wives.
Marriage is a high calling in direct proportion to the calling of Jesus to multiply oneness across the face of the earth by his own death and resurrection. This is the true vocation of marriage.