The Lord My Teacher

The Lord is my Teacher, I shall not wander.
He makes me drink from the ocean of knowledge and leads me to springs of wisdom.
He instructs and trains me so that i will be skillful.
Even though I walk through the valley of ignorance, I will not consider it a bliss,
For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
Your rod of discipline and your patience; they mould me.
You prepare a curriculum for me, that I may be wiser than the old.
Surely Knowledge and understanding will follow me,
And I will dwell in His wisdom for ever.
(An adaption of Psalm 23)

Marriage as Covenant

In a post modern world, “No one can be relied on and fully trusted. So we lift from one relationship to another. Marriage has given way to serial monogamy. Friendship is about what we can get out of a relationship rather than what we can put in. We are deeply hesitant to commit ourselves to ideas or people.” In this context the Biblical values on marriage needs to be emphasised.

1. Understanding of Marriage

We see the first marriage in Gen 2 as Gods institution, marriage was His divine idea. The declaration of God “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24) is profound and defines marriage and its principle. Jesus further quotes this verse in Mat 19:4-6 in his talk with the Pharisees when he was questioned on divorce. Jesus said that marriage is intended to be permanent and man is not to separate what God has joined.

The marriage relationship is seen as the most intimate of all relationships and is more abiding than the parent child relationship. This relationship is so significant that God chose it as a picture of his relationship with his people. In the O.T God saw himself as the husband of Israel (Isa 54:5), and in the N.T Christ is seen as husband of the church (2 Cor11:2)

2. Unity in marriage

The word ‘one’ in Gen 2; 24 is the same as the word used for God in Deut 6:4), Hear, O Israel the Lord our God is one”. The Hebrew word for one means ‘composite unity’ as against absolute unity. This oneness involves not only sex but also intellectual, spiritual emotional and social oneness; marital oneness does not mean that we lose our individuality. In marriage we are a team, composed of two individuals and never fail to recognize our individuality. Individually and as a couple we are to give ourselves to ministering others.

3. Contract Versus covenant

A contract is an agreement between two or more persons; some of our contracts are legally binding and some morally binding. Legally marriage is a contract with certain rights and responsibilities. In a legal marriage if one party does not live up to the contract, then legal actions force them to do so or to end the marriage with an equitable settlement.

In the scriptures we see God initiating to make a covenant with Noah (Gen 6:18). Noah’s willingness to build the ark indicated his acceptance of God’s covenant offer of deliverance.

Further God went on to make covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:3-8), Moses (Exo: 19:3-6). God confirmed his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12-29), and the prophets often reminded Israel of their covenant relationship with God (Jer 31:, Ezek 37, Hos 2).In the N.T Jesus as the Messiah fulfilled the old covenant and instituted the new covenant (Mat 26:28, Lk 22:20).

In the Bible we see people making covenant with other people. For example Jonathan makes a covenant with David (I Sam 18:1-3) .Ruth makes a covenant with Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17). Marriage is seen as covenant between a man and a woman. God often depicted his relationship with Israel as a covenantal marriage relationship. Through the prophet Malachi God expressed his displeasure with divorce ( Mal 2:14,16). Jesus himself viewed marriage as a lifelong covenantal relationship (Mat 19:4-9).

4. Characteristics of a covenant marriage:

4.1 Covenants are initiated for the benefit of the other person:

Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan himself initiated this covenant and was motivated by love. In the same way Ruth made her covenant with Naomi “where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16, 17).

Therefore in a covenant marriage each spouse is committed to the other’s well being.

4.1 In covenant relationships people make unconditional promises:

In many marriage ceremonies the following question is included “will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? To live together in the holy estate of matrimony, will you love her, comfort her, honour her and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her so long as you both shall live?” To which both the bride and groom responds “I will”. This is the language of covenant marriage.

4.2 Covenant marriage is based on steadfast love

God’s love motivates us to enter into a covenant with him. We commit our lives to love and serve him. We enter our marriage with a sense that we are loved and that we love each other, thus we can freely commit ourselves to each other for life.

4.3 Covenant relationship view commitments as permanent:

Every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we are reminded that God’s covenant with Noah was permanent. Ruth’s commitment to Naomi was a permanent one.Christian marriage is a commitment to permanence.

4.4 Covenant relationships require confrontation and forgiveness:

God’ people through out the O.T failed to live up to their covenant commitments, But God did not abandon them because of their failures. But God always confronted Israel with their failures, and stood ready to forgive.

In a covenant marriage each of us is to have a willingness to forgive. It is marked by a commitment to responsible living and a willingness to forgive when our spouse fails.

Bibliography

Chapman, Gary. Covenant Marriage, (Nashville:Broadman & Holmen Publishers, 2003).