What is the Importance of Marriage?

While scanning for something interesting to write about, I stumbled in an intriguing news article in Yahoo Philippines regarding marriage. The article talks about marriage becoming of less value nowadays for Filipinos. 

Photo taken from Wikipedia

According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), more than 37% of the 1.78 million babies born in the country had unmarried mothers. This latest population census was 12.5% higher than the previous year, and compared with a 2% increase for all births in the country. According to one official who officiates the licenses of weddings in NSO, that an increasing number of Filipinos are now seeing marriage as an option, rather than a requirement when starting a family.

In statistics, it was found that eight out of 10 Filipinos are Catholic. The Philippines is one of the only three places in the world today that is against divorce, together with Malta and Vatican. Though most people living in the country are Catholic, numbers show that most Filipinos are no longer considering the importance of marriage, which is contrary to the church's teachings.

Most Filipino couples nowadays looked at marriage as just another unnecessary expense they need to eliminate. One couple in Manila, who now has a three-year-old son, reasoned out that instead of spending the money for their wedding, they used it to buy their baby's milk and needs. Though the couple's thinking seemed reasonable for not engaging in marriage due to their financial difficulties, does this mean it's OKAY not to consider marriage anymore? Is it alright not to marry, considering that what's matter most is your love for one another? 

Little That I Know

Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman before God. It was designed by and a gift from God Himself that a husband and a wife should enjoy. It is a profound mystery that I can't quite explain. But I'll try my best (with God's help) for His glory explaining the true meaning and value of marriage, so that our present generation may understand and cherish the beauty of it.

First of all, before I start, let us first define two important terms we need to know. Wedding and Marriage.

Wedding is a onetime (supposedly) ceremony between a man and a woman, which takes place in the presence of many people, declaring their union of becoming a husband and a wife. 

Marriage on the other hand is a "lifetime" commitment between a husband and a wife, a sacred union of two people living together as one and a bond between a husband and a wife whom God in His holiness had united as one flesh.

But let me clarify this, wedding and marriage goes hand-in-hand. A man and a woman cannot be declared as husband and wife if they are not bounded by wedlock.

The Profound Mystery of Marriage

God designed marriage to be enjoyed by a husband and a wife. God never ordained it without having a purpose. By examining His Word (the Bible), we may know what's the true meaning and value of marriage.

Let's start in Ephesians 5: 31-33:

 ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

The apostle Paul speaks about marriage as a profound mystery. Why? The answer can be seen in the previous verse. Paul quoted it from Genesis 2:24. 

In Genesis 2:18-25, God declared that man should not be alone. So God put Adam into a deep sleep, opened his flesh and took one of his ribs to form a new creature. Adam called that new creature woman, saying it was taken from he's own flesh and bones. Adam was so happy to have his wife, Eve, as his helper.

Genesis 2:18-25:

¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

 ²³ The man said,

   “This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
   for she was taken out of man.”

 ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Going back to the book of Ephesians, Paul therefore instituted that marriage is for all, both for man and a woman only. God said that man shall leave his mother and father and be with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Thus, Adam and Eve being both naked, are not ashamed with each other. The first marriage in history depicts that in the New Testament about Christ being the bridegroom and the church as His bride. Paul wants us to understand that the picture of Christ's relationship with the church is something like that in the marriage of Adam and Eve, our parents.

This is the profound mystery, that "marriage" is the exact picture of Christ and His church in a covenant commitment. A quote from Pastor Mike Hamby of Calvary Baptist Church in Madison Indiana:

"Marriage is a powerful declaration of the gospel. Christ loved and died for sinners. Sinners are put right with God through Christ’s death. This is God’s plan from eternity. Husbands and wives, singles and widows, all are sinful and need of a Savior. Christ is the One who saves sinners. You must believe this gospel first and foremost. Believing the gospel is more important than having a happy marriage."

A Sacred Covenant

God established marriage as a covenant relationship as seen in Ephesians 5:31: "A man shall leave his mother and father and be with his wife, and the two shall become as one." A man leaving his mother and father to be with his wife is the same picture as Christ leaving His glory in heaven, made in the likeness of men to be the Savior of His church. Wow! Does this not move you?!

Marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman is so profound, that man cannot grasp its full meaning. For just a sidetrack, our wicked generation today are actually approving this gay-to-gay and lesbian-to-lesbian marriage. Much worse, there was a self-proclaimed Christian Church here in the Philippines, specifically in Baguio, who just recently made a mass wedding of gays and lesbians! This is an assault against God's standards and also on God's holy covenant for a man and a woman to be together as husband and wife in marriage. This is definitely unacceptable before God. That's why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the immorality of the people in those cities. I'm praying that our country will uphold God's decree, so that God will bless our land. God has promised He will heal (bless) our land (nation) if we'll only seek His face, humble ourselves and turned from our wicked ways. God remains true to His promises.

A Treasure

A lifelong commitment in marriage is full of treasures to cherish. Marriage shows a glimpse of Christ's faithfulness in His church (bride). Christ died for His church, He bought it by His own blood to seal this covenant. He said that He'll never forsake or leave His church. Such deepness is the meaning of marriage that I was shocked to learn about!

This is probably what God had planned for marriage in the beginning. God wanted man to be faithful to his wife and the same goes with a woman to her husband. Marriage symbolizes Christ's faithfulness to His church! Therefore, by being faithful, eliminates man's sexual desires for other woman not his wife! Christ loves His church until death, so as it should be to a husband and wife, till death they will part. 


Sources:
1. Yahoo Philippines. To see article, click here.


2. A Sermon from "The Mystery of Marriage" by Pastor Mike Hamby. Read article by clicking here.