Marriage is More than a Commitment; Marriage is a Covenant
By virtually every metric, statistic, and anecdotal observation, the Biblical view of marriage in our society is declining. While there are still many who hold strongly and passionately to God’s view of marriage in the western world, that hold is becoming looser at a rapid rate.
There is no way to list all the reasons for that in one blog post, but today I want to share one reason that I think undergirds much of this struggle. It is a straightforward misunderstanding of how powerful marriage is meant to be.
Commitment vs. Covenant
We often hear marriage described as a commitment. (Sometimes, tragically in my view, it is even reduced to nothing more than a “contract.”) Certainly, commitment is necessary in marriage. People are committed to one another, and marriage will not survive if that commitment is not there.
But marriage is deeper than that. It is not simply a commitment. It is a covenant. While you may think I am just playing with semantics, consider the definition of the word “covenant.” The simple definition is, “An agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.”
However, reading further through definitions, there is a reminder that the picture of a covenant is rooted in God’s very nature. Another definition of the word “covenant” is this: “The agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised to protect them if they kept His law and were faithful to Him.”
God is a Covenant God
God made a covenant with Israel in the Old Testament. He always kept His part of the covenant. He was regularly warning His people to stay true to their part of it. Sadly, though, they did not.
If we learn nothing else from the Old Testament, however, we should be struck deep within ourselves that our God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.
Marriage was God’s Idea
Further tying these ideas together, we must keep in mind that marriage was not man’s idea. It is not some social construct. While cultures may differ about traditions within marriage, or concerning a wedding ceremony itself, marriage as a union of one man and one woman for life was God’s idea.
It was not, however, just God’s “plan.” It was God’s design. The Lord designed marriage to be a powerful picture of what true covenant should look like. The whole “leaving, cleaving, and one flesh” concept of Genesis 2:24 is not just a nice picture. It is a covenental picture.
How the Sexual Union Portrays Covenant
One of the more uncomfortable pictures used over and over again in the Old Testament was that of God’s people “whoring after” other things. Sometimes it was the practices of other nations, sometimes it was pagan worship. But often, God pictured these desires of the people as “whoring” against Him (e.g., Deuteronomy 31:16; Judges 2:17; Psalm 106:39).
Why would the Lord use such a strong image? Because the sexual union between a husband and wife is the most powerful, intimate picture of what a covenantal relationship is supposed to be. It is difficult to imagine anything that more closely ties together husband and wife than that relationship.
So, when one decides to have that same union with someone to whom they are not married, they are rebelling as powerfully as possible against the covenant of marriage. God was trying, through the imagery of sexual promiscuity, to show His people just how serious it was to break a covenant. To go after a prostitute for such a relationship is as far from dedication to a spouse as one can imagine. God was saying, in effect, that sin against Him is just as far from fulfilling a covenant.
What Does It Matter?
Marriage is treated flippantly in our society. Some suggest that marriage is a good idea, but not necessary. Others say it is good for some, but there’s no need to really be dedicated to it. A widely-held view states that marriage is just a social construct that we can define (or redefine) in any fashion we wish. Too many live as if it is a good option in life, but if I don’t like it, I can end it, or even try another.
Those attitudes, which are prevalent in our society are the result of many things. But may I suggest that they are the result, in major part, to a lack of Biblical understanding. And that includes a lack of understanding about the picture of a covenant.
When it comes to marriage, be committed to your spouse. Commitment is necessary; of that, there can be no doubt. But do not treat marriage as just a commitment.
Remember that marriage is a covenant, and is the idea and design of a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. That one concept might just make your marriage better than you could have ever dreamed.
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
