Marriage in God’s Eyes

Mark 10:6-9 – “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Marriage is ordained by God, and His design is for one man and one woman, not one man with many wives, one woman with many husbands, or two men or two women. Once a man and woman are joined in marriage, in God’s eyes they are no longer two people but one. Every married couple is “joined together by God” and is “one flesh” before Him. Their marriage bears witness to God and expresses His desire to be united with humanity. No matter how rebellious people become, God’s desire to be united with them never changes, which is why “let no one separate” them. To break the unity of a married couple is, in God’s eyes, to commit “adultery.” Likewise, God hates those who divorce their wives and those who treat them with violence.

The Bible also provides specific reasons for legitimate divorce: when one spouse commits adultery, thereby breaking the unity of the marriage. In addition, for believers who were married before they came to faith, if their unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, they may be permitted to do so.

Jewish law originally did not allow a wife to initiate a divorce from her husband. However, due to intermingling with Gentiles like the Romans, Greeks, and Edomites, the Gentile custom of a wife “leaving her husband to marry another” infiltrated Jewish society. (This is why John the Baptist condemned Herod Antipas for marrying Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.)

Christianity is very sensitive to and hateful of sin. It is also the only one of the world’s four major religions that places a strong emphasis on the body, as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19: the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and God’s Spirit lives within it. A Christian’s body was bought at a great price and is meant to be used to glorify God. For this reason, Christians especially abhor the sin of sexual immorality, because “every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the one who sins sexually, sins against their own body.”

Everyone hopes to have a happy marriage, but most marriages face both small and large troubles, and tragically, many end in separation, causing severe pain to both parties. The Bible tells us that God is the one who instituted marriage, that He has a wonderful plan for it, and that every marriage is unique and has a special meaning and purpose in His eyes. In marriage, people must let go of their self-centered attitudes. In this committed relationship, they are to be united in heart, become one, love one another, and serve God together. If we are willing to submit to God’s original purpose for marriage, we will surely enjoy the wonderful blessings He bestows upon our families.

(Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version Bible and Comprehensive Biblical Interpretation)