DATE: – 4TH JULY, 2021
TOPIC: – GOD’S KIND OF MARRIAGE (Part 1)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Matthew 19: 3 – 12
MEMORY VERSE: – “And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh” (Matthew 19:5).
INTRODUCTION: – God our heavenly Father knows us better than ourselves, our past, present and future. He knows our likes, dislikes, interests and personalities. God knows our needs and how to meet such needs. So, knowing the needs of man and He said “I will make an help meet for him” (Gen.2:18). God is saying “I will make for a man a helper, a companion suited for you”. God made for the man a partner with whom he would be mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually compatible. God instituted marriage based on His own principles and purpose. And He is very much interested in us having joyful and peaceful homes.
LESSON OUTLINES
1) God’s Order In Marriage
i) Leave: – God originally ordained marriage, and the family unit as the first and most important institution on earth. God’s plan for marriage consists of one male and one female who become “one flesh”. God expect that a man and woman in marriage should leave other relationships that hinder full commitment with each other. Such relationship includes: friendship, partnership, father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunty etc.
Leaving starts with the public declaration and demonstration vows before God and man. They both must leave physically, emotionally and psychologically.
In Judges 14:5-8, we are told of the story of how Samson killed a lion on one of his trips to Timnah for marriage rites, which later brought forth honey. And how he gave a riddle for the elders of Philistine to answer. Verse 16-18, talks about the attachment of the couple i.e. Samson to his parents and his wife to her people. The wife’s loyalty was with her people (‘my people’), while Samson loyalty was with his parents (Father and Mother). Samson felt he owed his parents an obligation more that he owed his wife and vice versa. How is your own situation in your marriage?
ii) Cleave: – To God leaving is not enough in any marriage, there is need to cleave to your marriage partner for the rest of your lives together. To cleave is to stick to, glued to, the man and woman in marriage are to be inseparably joined together for the rest of their lives. Cleaving thus implied.
iii) Closer to each other than to anyone or anything else in the world. It is more important than the husband’s or wife’s profession, house cleaning, cooking or baking, hobbies, TV/radio programme e.g. sports, Nollywood etc. closer to each other than husband’s/wife’s parents, siblings or friends. Involves physical touching of an affectionate, non-sexual nature sharing feelings, closeness without inhibition. Absence of psychological offenses, open communication and honesty, intellectual agreement on major issues, spiritual harmony, sensitive appreciation of the mate’s physical and emotional responses, similar values hold, imparted secrets and genuine understanding.
Mutual confidence, a sense of warmth, safety and relaxation when together, sensuous nearness, sexual pleasure, lovingly shared, signs of love freely given and received, mutual responsibility and caring, abiding trust and understanding without words.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
God in His wisdom graciously instituted marriage with the primary purpose of fompanionship. He gave the man a wife to fill the vacuum in his life. He created the woman from the man’s ribs. Close to his heart and brought her to her husband so that they can live together as one throughout their life time. But this can only be possible if both are willing to obey God’s injuction on marriage to leave all others and cleave to only the spouse as long as they both shall live.
QUESTIONS
- Why should a man leave to cleave in marriage?
- What does cleaving implies?
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