What About Married Love?

WHAT ABOUT MARRIED LOVE?

Well, what about  human love? We have looked at God’s Love, the source of all true love. We have considered the beautiful nature of Agape, intentionally chosen and sacrificial love on the part of God expressed through the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have seen how Agape Love expressed in the Trinity, perfects all other loves. Agape love also guides and perfects other expressions of love among us within churches , among our own families, and alongside our friends. So finally, we turn to married love and how that particular love expresses a deep mystery about the relationship between God and His Church.

ADAM AND EVE

Let’s begin with Adam and Eve, the first married couple on this earth. There is much we do not know about Adam and Eve. We do know God created Eve to be Adam’s wife. We know He made both of them in His image. We know He created them for fellowship with Him. We know He entrusted them with the opportunity to enjoy the perfection of His paradise through obedience. We know He disciplined them for their disobedience and then gave them the opportunity to start again. We know that He continued to expect of them goodness tied to following His plan for them. We know He blessed their union with children. We assume they taught the Ways of God to their children, though some accepted and some rejected His Way. So how would we assign key words to Adam and Eve? I would say, fallen yet redeemed.

NOAH AND HIS WIFE

Next, we continue with Noah and his wife. (I have to wonder if her name has been withheld at her request. Imagine all of her ups and downs as she and Noah experienced God’s call while the Ark was built, then filled with family and an amazing menagerie of animals. Imagine those long days, weeks, and months on the ark. Imagine waiting for the waters to recede. Imagine the family keeping up with all of those animals and their needs. Well, let’s just say Noah’s heroic wife faced about as much stress as anyone could within the bonds of marriage.) I notice we read nothing in the Bible of any rebellion on her part. Even as Noah obeyed God’s instructions for building the ark and caring for the animals, we know she had to be right by his side supporting and assisting him in these mighty tasks. Their marriage surely had its stresses, but together this couple obeyed God and fulfilled His plan for preserving both humanity and the creatures of the earth through the flood.  Then came repopulation and redevelopment. Here is a model for blessed marriages in the Lord: A husband and his wife together hear God’s call, obey that call, and faithfully carry out the sometimes mighty, sometimes petty (as it seems) tasks involved in doing so. After they faced the flood together, God brought the rainbow of His eternal promise to save such faithful folks as these. And my words for Noah and his wife? Faithful together.

ABRAHAM AND SARAH

Let’s see! Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 80 when Isaac was born. That was fully 25 years after God had first promised them a son. During those years of waiting, their marriage survived Sarah’s giving her maid servant to Hagar as a concubine—while blaming Abraham when the birth of Ishmael definitely complicated their life together. All-in-all Abraham  and Sarah obediently followed wherever God led. They traveled throughout their long years together. In the end God kept the promise of His heavenly blessing while their marriage managed to survive and grow, sometimes thriving, sometimes merely surviving. As the time drew near, Abraham, and then Sarah laughed about God’s specific promise of a son, just when their age made it seem impossible. Then God did it! Imagine the joy felt by Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was finally born! Long-haul marriages like theirs will have their highs and lows, but keeping their trust in God, Abraham and Sarah remained faithful. They carried out God’s plan for them and for the world. Key Words for their lives together? Promises kept.

BOAZ AND RUTH

By God’s choice Ruth and Boaz found each other in a unique marriage of cultures—Ruth as a Moabite and Boaz as a Jew from the tribe of Judah. Obviously God had HIs hand on Ruth as she lost her Jewish husband, and as she lovingly followed Naomi, her mother-in-law, home to Bethlehem, and labored as a day gleaner in the fields of Boaz. He noticed her hard work and learned her story, and was impressed. God arranged for Naomi to bring them together through their kinsman-redeemer tradition. They were married and became the great-grandparents of David, who became Israel’s greatest King, and established the line from which Jesus, our Savior, was born. Both Ruth and Boaz demonstrated hearts filled with devotion to loving God and also to loving their neighbor. This rather strange couple in the eyes of the world became a perfect couple because of God’s Love using them as He moved toward the coming of the Promised Messiah, our Lord Jesus. What key words should we assign to them? Divinely united.

ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH

According to the Bible, Zechariah happily lived a long life of faithfulness as a priest along with his wife, Elizabeth. Through their many years together they were never blessed with children. Then when they had passed the age of fruitfulness, God stepped into their lives miraculously, to give them a son, John, who would prepare the way for Jesus. Zechariah certainly learned a hard lesson as he disbelieved the Angel sent to give him this good news. Many, if not most of us, would have reacted pretty much as he did. He lost his ability to speak until John was born and named, according to God’s Purpose. Elizabeth, a cousin to Mary, received an amazing sign from the baby in her aged womb, when John jumped in response to Mary’s visit with Jesus growing in her virgin womb. Miraculous births abound in God’s eternal Gospel Plan. Isaac, John, Jesus—all give testimony to God’s power to accomplish His work through couples available to Him through their faith and obedience. So, key words for Zechariah and Elizabeth? Dedicated, blessed.

MARY AND JOSEPH

Then we come to Mary and Joseph. We list Mary first because the Angel came to her first. Although she is shocked at the news of her being chosen to give birth to the Messiah, she gives her assent to God’s Will, and bursts out in praise for

His Goodness. Joseph, so true and noble in spirit, determines not to harm his espoused Mary, but he receives a vision of the Angel, who assures him of Mary’s purity, and explains she carries the Messiah, to be named Jesus. Just as Mary obediently receives the role of mother to the Messiah, Joseph obediently accepts his  role as protector for Mary and earthly father to our Lord. As a result they receive confirmation when Jesus receives worship from shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Magi. Every married couple deals with daily and significant challenges in parenting. Imagine parenting the Messiah born to be the Savior of the World. Key words for Joseph and Mary? Trustworthy, obedient.

PETER AND HIS WIFE

We actually know very little about the married life of the Apostle Peter and his wife. We do know they were a fisherman family in Capernaum. We know Jesus healed the wife’s mother. We read in 1 Corinthians 9:5 that Peter’s wife seems to have accompanied Peter on his mission. We know they would have had a demanding life, for the disciples traveled far and wide, proclaiming the good news of Jesus. We know the Call of Jesus became the foundation of their married life together. We know they shared a full and challenging life as Peter, along with other believers, went on to begin the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We assume Peter was loved and supported and joined in this demanding life by his wife. So, what key words would we assign to them? Bold, courageous.

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA

Aquila and Priscilla worked together as tentmakers, like the Apostle Paul. They lived a godly married life and became foundational members of the early church. They established house churches in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus. They were favorably reported by Paul as having been his co-workers. They were able to disciple Apollos in the actual teachings of Christ and His Church. So, together they are models of service, hospitality and Biblical teaching. They serve as role models for Christian couples today. We could assign to them these key words: Effective disciplers. 

CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

This brings us to the ultimate marriage. Christ and the Church. Paul wrote; “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.(Ephesians5:25-27) Jesus becomes the model for husbands in sacrificing His life for the church. Through God’s Word He purifies the Church, making her radiant, holy, and blameless. This makes Christian marriage an earthly demonstration of Christ and His Church. The Apostle John writes in Revelation 19:7-9;

“Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
 Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

Here again we see earthly marriage as a relationship God created for men and women as representative of the chosen and loving unity between Christ and His Church. So, we see in the shared lives of Adam and Eve, Noah and his wife, Abraham and Sarah, Ruth and Boaz, Zechariah and Sarah, Mary and Joseph, Peter and his wife, and Aquila and Priscilla, the beautiful union of Christ and His Church. Our ultimate key words: Hand-in-hand, beloved.