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Honorable Marriage
By Quin Kehler

What is marriage? What makes it honorable? 
We live in a society that is rampant in sin after the Fall of Man in the garden of Eden. In the beginning, God institute the first marriage—Adam and Eve. Marriage brings a man and woman together in holy matrimony.
God approves marriage between a man and a woman, but not between a man and a man nor, between a woman and a woman. It is an abomination to the Lord (Rom. 1:26-32). The Lord Jesus is for marriage (Matt. 19:4-6; Mark 10:8; John 2:1-2).
Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Marriage is honorable because, in it, is blamelessness and purity. Intimate relationships outside marriage is defilement. There is no commitment. It ruins the purpose of the wedding vow: “I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith [or] pledge myself to you."
I had a friend from high school who now shacked up with her boyfriend. She said they are not in a hurry to get married and have a family. Unmarried couples are so eager nowadays to just live together and not wait for marriage. We need couples like Mary and Joseph (Matt. 1:18-25). They were espoused (betrothed) at the time. They both feared God. When Joseph found out that Mary was expecting a baby, thinking she was infidelity, he broke off the engagement. He was a just man. He knew what’s right and performed it. By God's grace, God intervened. Mary and Joseph got married and had a son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
“And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” Matthew 1:21.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” Matthew 1:23.
Boaz and Ruth are another example in the Bible who had an honorable marriage. Ruth was a widow, who lived with her mother in-law Naomi, when she and Boaz met. According to the Jewish custom of the day, the next close kin of the dead relative, must inherit their possessions. It was noble of him to take Ruth as his wife.
“The second most important decision you'll ever make after salvation is: who you will marry”, I hear preachers say, but it's true. Marriage is to be a picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22-33).I am very blessed that both my husband and I are saved. Yes, our marriage is not perfect because we are imperfect people. God made it perfect. He completed us. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh” Ephesians 5:31.
Broken marriages are not honorable because God disagrees with divorcement (Mat. 5:31-32). Separation in marriages benefit for reconciliation. I Corinthians 7:10-11 says, “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” We are seeing broken dysfunctional homes are caused by broken marriages.
Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, was a deceiver and ran away from home to live with his uncle Laban. While he was there, he fell in love with his youngest beautiful daughter Rachel. Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob decided to marry Rachel also. Having multiple wives made his married life a bitter one; perpetual contention between them.
We need marriages which honor the Lord in all things.