Hamartiology

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Turabian Format

THEO202_B03

Anthropology: Marriage and Divorce

Marriage is such a tradition in every human culture that we sometimes lose sight of how it actually came to be. Man did not create marriage, God did (Gen 2:18-25). He created it for a specific reason and attached to it very specific guidelines. In Scripture, marriage is often used as a metaphor for the relationship between God and His people. In order to please God and obey His commandments, we must understand the basis for marriage, justifications for divorce, and conditions of remarriage. In these things, faithfulness is the key to having a loving, spiritual relationship, not only with a spouse, but also with God.

Marriage is a covenant between a man and woman who consent to be joined together. God intended for Adam and Eve to become “one flesh,” specifically designing humans for the purpose of marriage (Gen. 2:24). It is the foundation for society as a whole, bringing with it stability, security, and an intimate environment of trust and love. Marriage impacts community cohesiveness, without which no society could remain intact. In fact, “There are no societies in which marriage does not exist.” Marriage is the only acceptable course by which children are brought into the world (Gen. 1:28; I Tim. 5:14), and provides a moral and answerable means by which to satisfy our God-given sexual desires (Heb. 13:4). Marriage in ancient biblical times differs greatly from modern standards, allowing for marriage within families, matriarchal marriage, and Levirate marriage. Jacob’s marriage to both Leah and Rachel, who were his first cousins and sisters, was acceptable. It was also a matriarchal union; Jacob became a member of and lived with the women’s family (Gen. 29). Levirate marriage laws are found in Deuteronomy 25, and describe how a related male must take the deceased man’s widow as his wife. This allowed the widowed woman to remain with her family, as opposed to marrying an outsider. The...