“Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be 1UNITED to his wife, and the two of them shall be ONE FLESH’? So they are NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH. Therefore what GOD HAS JOINED together, LET NO ONE SEPARATE.” (Matt. 19:3-6) 1proskollaó: glue one thing to another.
“For I HATE DIVORCE,” says the LORD…” (Mal. 2:16) God has joined them together let NO ONE separate them…Its worded this way in Mark’s gospel, “…THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH…Therefore what God has joined together, LET NO ONE SEPARATE.” (Mark 10:6-9)
To further understand the importance of this covenant relationship Paul said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ LOVED the church and GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER to MAKE HER HOLY, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her TO HIMSELF as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Eph. 5:25-28) Paul goes on to say, “…we are members of Christs body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a PROFOUND MYSTERY—but I am talking about CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.” (Eph. 5:30-32) Paul writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit shows us how the relationship and the permanently of man’s covenant in marriage is like when we join together with Christ in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten. “They will come and bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.” (Jer. 50:5)
-Bill Stockham