Biblical Reasons for Marriage
Knowing WHO originated the marriage institution is important. Marriage is not a man’s idea, neither was it initiated by him. It was God himself who realized the man’s need for a companion and addressed it. Therefore, marriage is more than just a piece of paper that legally binds you to another person for tax purposes. It is a special institution ordained by the Almighty with great benefits. below are the biblical reasons for marriage:
- The first and foremost biblical reason for marriage is companionship
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18
God looked over all of creation and proclaimed that humankind needed companionship. When God created Eve He made her the perfect fit, companion and Helpmeet for Adam.
- Enjoy sexual Intimacy
One of the many reasons people get married is a natural desire for sexual intimacy. God created us naked and unashamed, with a desire for sexual intimacy. That was a natural part of God’s original design for marriage. Yes, He was being purposeful in the marriage bedroom.
“Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.” (Proverbs 5:18-19 NASB)
God designed sexual intimacy for many reasons but one of them was certainly pleasure. See the entire book of Song of Solomon. It is important to point out that God also set healthy boundaries around sexual intimacy.
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4 NASB)
“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18 NASB)
- Procreation
God created man and woman, gave them the gift of pleasure in sexual intimacy and a command to multiply.
“God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Genesis 1:28 NASB)
Procreation was a part of God’s original design for marriage.
Please note: The absence of children does not nullify your marriage. Similarly, it is not the arrival of children that validates the marriage
- Provision, Security and Support
After the first marriage, we begin to see the roles of husband and wife in the Bible and they sound a lot like security and support. Adam was given the job – before the fall – to work the land. This is a way of providing for himself and later his wife.
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15 NASB)
Eve was created to support Adam. She was perfectly created as a helper, counterpart for support
- Typify Christ and the Church
Marriage is to be a human object lesson of the divine relationship between Christ and believers. Marriage was a strategic piece of God’s design in creation to point people back to Him. All throughout the Old Testament we see God using marriage as a description of our relationship to Him. God is described as our Husband or Bridegroom and we are the Bride of Christ.
“And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:5 NASB)
We see the concept repeated in the New Testament as well.
“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:22-33 NASB)
For better or worse, God originated Marriage and desires that marriage point all of creation back to Him.