Characteristics of Love: Love and Marriage
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24(GNS) That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.
Genesis 2:24(NLT) This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Introduction: Welcome to the 31st week on characteristics of God’s kind of Love.
🙏 The word of God will not be parable unto us in Jesus name.
The 31st characteristic of God’s kind of Love this week is relating Love and marriage.
🛑 When God instituted marriage, His love radiated among the first couple.
Hear Adam when he saw his wife under God’s love
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh”: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
God’s kind of Love encompassed them to the extent of Adam seeing Eve as “bone of his bones” or “my love” or “mine” using today’s parlance. There is no way anyone will hate or abuse his own body, therefore where God’s love binds couple, they become part of each other.
Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
The resultant effect of God’s kind of Love in marital relationship that made Adam to see Eve as “bone of his bones” is stated in the following verse which is our text:
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
🛑 Whenever there is “therefore”, something must be there before. In vs 23, Adam saw Eve as part of his body and therefore saw the need to leave parents and cleave to wife in vs 24.
The resultant effect of God’s kind of Love in marital relationship is “Leaving” father and mother, and “Cleaving” to wife.
With God’s kind of love;
1️⃣ Couples will be fond of one another,
2️⃣ Longing to be with one another,
3️⃣ Understand one another,
4️⃣ Cherish one another and
5️⃣ Ready to forgive one another.
They become inseparable as long as they live even with the Tempter’s attempt to separate and cause confusion. This is the marriage characterised by God’s love that brings no shame in times of nakedness.
Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
🛑 When that Serpent, called the Devil came in-between the first couple, “Lust” took over after lustfully eaten the forbidden fruit and Love of God became unsolicited.
Hear what Adam told God who gave him the bone of his bones after sin made God’s love a mirage.
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
▶️ By interpretation of Adam’s defence to God, he did not request for the woman, God brought her. Adam no longer referred to her as “bone of his bones” or “my love” or “mine” but “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me”.
God’s kind of Love departs sinful marriage and Lustful desire that brings shame in times of nakedness takes over.
Genesis 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Worldly lust or valentine’s love brings fear in times of nakedness among couples.
As soon as God’s love departs due to sin and disobedience, spouses see themselves as separate entity and oneness becomes unachievable.
With worldly lust;
1️⃣ Couples will no longer be fond of one another,
2️⃣ Intervention from parents and others become prevalent,
3️⃣ Couples will rather be with friends and acquitances,
4️⃣ Longing to go to clubs or old students association than be with spouse,
5️⃣ No understanding of one another,
6️⃣ Selfish ambition takes over and
7️⃣ Bitterness with unforgiveness will be inevitable.
They become separated and seek divorce like others in the world. The Tempter eventually dominates their lives. This is the marriage characterised by worldly love or lust that brings shame and confusion in times of nakedness.
❓What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
▶️ Is there a “leaving” issue you haven’t been brave enough to conquer yet? Confess it to your spouse today, and resolve to make it right. The oneness of your marriage is dependent upon it. Follow this with a commitment to your spouse and to God to make your marriage the top priority over every other human relationship.
✍ Finally brethren, God’s kind of Love binds couple together without even thinking of separation in all circumstances. It is when sin creeps in and God’s love departs that Christian couples embark on what God hates.
Malachi 2:16(NLT) “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “It is as cruel as putting on a victim’s bloodstained coat,” says the Lord Almighty. “So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife.”
✋ Maranatha.
