Tag: marriage

Our families are a circle of strength founded on faith, joined in love kept by God forever. Genesis 2:21-24

Genesis 2:21-24 Authorized (King James) Version

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 and the rib, which the Lord  God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In Genesis 2:21-24 we find a close-up of the first wedding ever celebrated.

It took place in Paradise at the beginning of history, and it was one of the most impressive events ever.

The setting was more beautiful than at any other wedding.

The first bride and groom, Adam and Eve, were surrounded by the unstained, breathtaking beauty of God’s creation.

No modern-day florist or outdoor photographer could begin to capture the beauty of that setting.

Most impressive about that first wedding, though, was that God himself conducted the ceremony:

“the LORD God made a woman … and he brought her to the man.” This is the Bible’s way of telling us that marriage is from God, established as a creation ordinance. Marriage was not invented by a human being; it was instituted by God when he created us “male and female” (Genesis 1:27) and brought Adam and Eve together.

Marriage, then, is sacred.

All who marry receive a special gift from God’s own hands.

And because marriage is from God, we need to listen carefully to God’s expectations for marriage.

Many people see the outcome of their marriage as a toss-up.

Some see their marriage as a reason, as an opportunity, to start a reality television show to gain their fame and fortune and celebrity recognition.

Then to protect themselves and their individual estates, they sign complicated prenuptial agreements spelling out in greatest legalese, detailing their assets.

Consider that the wisest of the wise Kings Solomon had 600 wives and 300 concubines – and while God clearly held greatest relevance to Solomon in the beginning of his reign, by the time his reign concluded – it was a marital mess.

Who really knows if love truly exists in those relationships?

Who knows if God is even .01% relevant in that relationship?

But marriage has the God-given potential to be a powerful source of blessings, unity to all who choose to follow the instructions of the One who ordained it.

What Is God’s Purpose for Our Family?

Families. We all have one, whether it’s a biological family or an adopted family.

Families change when babies are born or adopted, and when marriages and deaths occur.

When one gets married, it’s normal to accept their spouse’s family as their own.

And there are times when, after the death of a spouse, the widow or widower maintains familial relationships with the family of their deceased spouse.

If one re-marries, the family increases.

Family is an important concept in the Bible.

God instituted family when He created Eve as a helpmeet for Adam.

The rest of the Bible speaks of family in its various roles, and most important is the church as God’s family.

What Does the Bible Say about Family?

The Bible defines the family as do we – those of the same household, that being the pairing of a husband (man) and wife (woman), along with their children.

Because God created the family, He is intimately involved with each one. 

Scripture is our great instructor of monogamy—the lifetime union of one man and one woman in marriage as the foundation of the family (Genesis 2:21-24).

Throughout the Bible, the institution of family as the model God created it to be is prevalent; all other relationships are to stem from the family, God’s building block of society. 

If we regard the Ten Commandments, we see the first four of them concern our relationship to and with God, the other 6 speak to our relationship with others.

Three are directly related to the family.

The fifth commandment says to honor one’s father and mother (the family foundation) (Exodus 20:12).

The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), thus preserving the sacred nature of the family.

The tenth commandment, “you shall not covet,” (Exodus 20:17) speaks to God’s command for fidelity of heart. For within a family, it is not good nor godly to covet what others have, including a different family.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Actions proceed from the heart’s intent, and God is all about preserving the family as He created it. He therefore gets the glory (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The New Testament includes historical narratives and epistles which include instruction (and reiterations from the Old Testament and Jesus’ teachings) as to what the family is to be according to God.

Paul spoke to them when he said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1) and “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

Why Is Family So Important in the Bible?

God uses families throughout history to enact His will.

The promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 involves family.

“‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”

A later unfolding of the Abrahamic Covenant reveals more details as God tells Abraham He has made him “the father of a multitude of nations…I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.”

God established His everlasting covenant with Abraham and his progeny (Genesis 17:4-7). Thus began a family too large to number.

And within the family of Abraham, offshoots came.

The most significant is the progression of families which led to the birth of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

We can trace His genealogy at Matthew 1:1-17 (a possible trace of Joseph’s side of the family) and Luke 3:23-38 (a possible trace of Mary’s side of the family).

Not an insignificant aside is God used all sorts of people, including a Moabite woman (Ruth in Ruth 4:18-22), a prostitute (Rahab in Joshua 6:23-25 and Matthew 1:5), and an adulteress (Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12:24).

The point is God shows no partiality, and He will use families for His purposes in His perfect timing (Isaiah 55:8; Acts 10:34; Romans 2;11; Galatians 4:4).

Who Is Our Family, according to the Bible?

Mark 3:31-35 Authorized (King James) Version

31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Is our family only biological?

Happily, no.

As Christians, we gain a two-fold family life when we accept and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In one sense, we do have biological families (those who belong to us in the way God intended), for example mother, father, and siblings.

In a second sense, as people belonging to Jesus, we have been adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:16-17).

Christians who have been adopted by other families here on earth are part of a three-fold family (biological, adopted, and God’s family). 

We can consider the family as a model for who we (as believers) are as God’s children. Each Christian is a child of God (Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1).

And, according to God’s design, we each have a father, mother, and siblings (usually).

Each part of a person’s biological family is to act as God has mandated in His word.

And each spouse is to be one with the other (Matthew 19:5), just as we are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). 

As far as the three possibilities, only one will endure forever, and that is the family of God.

We are indeed to love our biological family, yet we will spend eternity worshiping the Lord with our church family (which may indeed include members of our biological families).

Jesus, in Matthew 10:37, “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (See also Matthew 12:50; Luke 14:26).

What Is God’s Purpose for the Family?

The Lord spelled out His reason for a family in Genesis 1:28 when He said,

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Families are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, just as God said would happen to Abraham’s family.

God uses each one born to continue that process through the means of families. 

In the end, however, each family member’s purpose is to,

“Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); God’s ultimate purpose for us is to bring Him the glory He so rightfully deserves.

We are to seek His kingdom 1st as individuals, teach our families to do the same.

We are, as families, to grow in Christ and be witnesses to the world.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

we stand united in Christ to worship Him and enact His will, edify His Kingdom.

Yes, we are all born into a family.

Yet what matters, in the end, is to have been born again into the family of God (John 3:3).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 45 Complete Jewish Bible

45 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong:

2 (1) My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
I address my verses to the king;
My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.

3 (2) You are the most handsome of men;
gracious speech flows from your lips.
For God has blessed you forever.
4 (3) Warrior, strap your sword at your thigh;
[gird on] your splendor and majesty.
5 (4) In your majesty, succeed, ride on
in the cause of truth, meekness and righteousness.
May your right hand teach you awesome things.
6 (5) Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you,
as they penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
7 (6) Your throne, God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity.
8 (7) You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.
9 (8) Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
from ivory palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
10 (9) Daughters of kings are among your favorites;
at your right stands the queen in gold from Ofir.

11 (10) Listen, daughter! Think, pay attention!
Forget your own people and your father’s house,
12 (11) and the king will desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, so honor him.
13 (12) Then the daughter of Tzor, the richest of peoples,
will court your favor with gifts.

14 (13) Inside [the palace], the king’s daughter looks splendid,
attired in checker-work embroidered with gold.
15 (14) In brocade, she will be led to the king,
to you, with the virgins in her retinue.
16 (15) They will be led in with gladness and joy,
they will enter the king’s palace.
17 (16) You will have sons to succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes in all the land.
18 (17) I will make your name known through all generations;
thus the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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For Those Who Will Dare to Gather; What a Day of Solemn Recalling This Will Be! “Whenever we eat this Bread, we Drink from this Cup, we Proclaim The Lord’s Death Until He Comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Amplified Bible

The Lord’s Supper

23 [a]For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate]  remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in  [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A Time for Silent Recall, for Proclaiming the Sacrifice

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

The Lord’s Supper Is a Remembrance of What He Did For Us

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed-over[a] to you— that the Lord Jesus, in the night on which He was being handed-over, took bread. 24 And having given-thanks, He broke it and said “This is My body, the one being given[b] for you. Be doing this for My remembrance”. 25 Similarly also the cup after the dining[c], saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Be doing this, as-often-as you drink it, for My remembrance”. 26 For as-often-as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord, until which time He comes.

Today is Sunday, and if you attend a worship service today, you might celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. Many churches around the world will gather and focus on the simple loaf of bread and cup and hear these powerful words: “This is my body, given for you. . . . This is my blood, shed for you.”

In a way, the tangible elements of bread and grape juice (or wine) bear witness to the limitless love of Jesus shown in his sacrifice on the cross. We are invited to take and eat so that we may remember and believe that in Jesus’ death and resurrection we find forgiveness and new life. We are also reminded that when we participate in communion, we “recall and proclaim the Lord’s death” until he returns. Communion itself is a witness unto Jesus and all he has done for us.

I remember an enormously powerful experience of communion many years ago.

It was on the day of my wife’s and mine wedding.

As the Clergy proceeded through the liturgy of Marriage, in the background was the Bread and the Cup of Communion waiting for the moment of consecration.

In the modest sized Methodist Church where we were Married, the wife and I were both excited for each other, profoundly humbled before the Lord our God.

For the Wife and I what mattered the most was not just the moment of joining but the above and beyond all other things, celebrating, recalling Jesus’ place in our lives, in this holy moment of marriage – God #1 Jesus #1 Holy Spirit #1.

Love and sacrifice and service unto God first and foremost, then our neighbors and then each other. (Mark 12:28-34 Complete Jewish Bible)

28 One of the Torah-teachers came up and heard them engaged in this discussion. Seeing that Yeshua answered them well, he asked him, “Which is the most important mitzvah of them all?” 29 Yeshua answered, “The most important is,

‘Sh’ma Yisra’el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, O Isra’el, the Lord our God, the Lord is one], 30 and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.’[a]

31 The second is this:

‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]

There is no other mitzvah greater than these.” 32 The Torah-teacher said to him, “Well said, Rabbi; you speak the truth when you say that he is one, and that there is no other besides him; 33 and that loving him with all one’s heart, understanding and strength, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself, mean more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Yeshua saw that he responded sensibly, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared put to him another sh’eilah.

*sh’eilah* The word in Hebrew means simply “question,” but among Jews speaking English it means “a question about Torah or halakhah” …

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people.

As my Wife and I held those symbols of Jesus’ death in our hands, we saw with fresh eyes how his sacrifice brings life. We had both brought our “baggage,” and we placed them upon His Altar, sacrificing them as Christ sacrificed for us.

As we served the Elements, as we first served God, as we served the assembled wedding guests and officiants, we prayed that we set an example for the guests of the absolute primacy of God, the Father and God the Son and God Holy Spirit in our wedded lives and by divine extension into wedded lives of the assembled.

We decided God alone brought us together. God had decided that our purpose here wasn’t finished. In life in the primacy of service to God, our neighbors and ourselves, and in death, we all belong to him—the one who gave his all for us.

As you each proceed to receive holy Communion, recall first and foremost, in and echelons above all that we our ever so flawed and finite selves hold being primary, having all or nothing primacy in our day to day lives, Jesus, you are the bread of life. As we worship you, may we experience close communion with you and our brothers and sisters in faith. Thank you for the gift of your life. Alleluia! Amen.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

Tehillim 23 Orthodox Jewish Bible

23 (Mizmor of Dovid). Hashem is my Ro’eh (Shepherd); I shall not lack.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the mei menuchot (tranquil waters).

3 He restoreth my nefesh; He guideth me in the paths of tzedek l’ma’an Shmo (righteousness for the sake of His Name).

4 Yea, though I walk through the Gey Tzalmavet (Valley of the Shadow of Death), I will fear no rah (evil); for Thou art with me; Thy shevet (rod) and Thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos runneth over.

6 Surely tov and chesed shall follow me kol y’mei chaiyyai (all the days of my life): and I will dwell in the Bais Hashem l’orech yamim (for length of days, whole life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Lenten Journey: A Word from Our God to Our Children. Ephesians 6:1-3

Ephesians 6:1-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

Family Relationships

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Some time ago, while sitting in a restaurant, I overheard a conversation between a teenager and her mother.

The mother was trying to convince her daughter that as long as she was in high school and living at home, she had to follow her parents’ rules.

At one point the daughter said, “I don’t have to listen to you just because you are my mother. I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”

Of course, the daughter had it wrong. Lewis Smedes, in his book Mere Morality, explains that God appoints parents to guide their children on his behalf.

The fifth commandment tells children of every age that they must honor and respect their parents, simply because they are their parents.

Children who are still living at home are expected to follow their parents’ rules.

The only exception would be a case in which the parents were busy asking their children to do something against God’s will.

Obeying our parents and listening to them can save us from a lot of hurt in life.

On more than one occasion I’ve heard adult children say, “I should have listened to my parents.”

Because of their life experience, parents often can better see the consequences of the decisions their children could make.

And making Christlike decisions in their own lives helps parents earn their children’s respect.

On two occasions when Paul gives to his readers a long list of the ugly fruits of godlessness, right in the middle we find one little phrase:

“disobedient to parents” (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2).

Conversely, when you read church history, you discover that at times of spiritual awakening, practical godliness followed—including children’s submission to godly parental authority.

Paul writes children’s obedience to their parents is not merely a suggestion; it is an obligation.

Scripture teaches that such obedience is right according to the natural order of God’s creation, in accordance with His law, and as a response to the gospel.

Parents should not be afraid to call for, and praise, obedience.

But Paul doesn’t only say that obedience is right; he also says that it is rewarded.

In the Lord Jesus, there is a blessing that accompanies paying attention to God’s commands and promises.

And when parent-child relationships are marked by love, trust and obedience, we don’t just create healthy people; we also create a healthy, cohesive society.

Parents who wish to bring about such obedience would do well to remember five important truths that the Bible teaches about our children:

1. “Children are a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3).

They are a gift and a blessing.

Thinking of our children should prompt gratitude to the Giver of those children.

2. We don’t own our children; they belong to God. (Psalm 139:13-18)

They’re on loan to us, for a limited time.

3. Children are flawed from conception, guilty of sin and not deserving of eternal life—just like all of us (Psalm 58:3; Romans 3:23).

4. Because they are sinful, children are in need of the commandments of God. (Deuteronomy 6:4-12)

As parents, we are responsible for instructing them in God’s law from the earliest days.

5. Our children can be saved only by grace. Therefore, we must teach them to look to Jesus alone for salvation. (Luke 18:15-17)

Many of us live in a culture where these truths are opposed.

On the one hand, children are seen as innately good, and their education or health or happiness is held up as the highest good.

On the other, they are often bullies, the butt of jokes or subject of complaints.

Sometimes even within the church itself, there is an absence of clear, biblical statements about God, Godly family and Godly parenting.

But here is what God says: children growing up in the home are to obey their parents; parents are to raise their children to know God’s law and God’s grace.

If we would raise a generation in our homes and in our churches that is more godly and more zealous than ours, we would do well to nurture our children in the context of God’s truth.

Many, if not all of us, had parents with children in their homes.

All of us will be members of churches with children in our midst.

So what should it look like for us to contribute to the spiritual health of the next generation?

Honor Your Parents

Deuteronomy 5:16 New American Standard Bible 1995

16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

This command was not written for the little children.

They have no choice but to honor their parents.

It was written to younger and older adults who lived with older generations.

Living together in a household with three or more generations was common in ancient Israel, as it is in some of our own very households and societies today.

How do you treat your elders, especially your parents?

I have seen some young people act worse toward their parents than they do toward anyone else.

They complain that they deserve more and nicer things.

They berate their parents because they aren’t up on the latest technology or trends.

They throw a fit when asked to do a simple household task.

When another adult says, “You sure have a wonderful child,” the parent is stunned.

Our best and our worst be­havior comes out in our families.

That is why this scriptural reminder is absolutely critical and necessary.

Show honor to your parents.

It doesn’t matter if they aren’t as smart or capable as they once were.

It doesn’t matter that they, like everyone else, have flaws.

The criterion for honor and respect is the fact that they are your parents.

Scripture repeatedly teaches that honoring your parents will bring blessing.

This command closes with a promise, saying that God gives us life and blessing for honoring the parents he has given us.

How are we with caring for our own parents or grandparents?

Micah 6:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

What God Requires of Man

6 With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love [a]kindness,
And to walk [b]humbly with your God?

Leviticus 19:32 New American Standard Bible 1995

32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the [a]aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.

James 1:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [a]bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [b]by the world.

How well is it with us as parents, as disciples, the church, doing what the Lord requires of us?

How well is it with us as parents, as disciples, as the church in advocating for justice for our children, our parents, our grandparents or great grandparents?

How much do we love kindness?

How about our allegedly ‘humble’ walk with our God, His Son and Holy Spirit?

How well is it with the church caring for its own widows and its own orphans?

This Lent, think muchly and pray even more about your children and family!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father God in heaven, help us to honor and respect our parents. Forgive us if we have ignored them, and help us as children to be patient with their shortcomings.

Thank you, Father God, for our children, for parents, especially godly parents. Thank you for the gift they are in our lives and in others’ lives. Help us to show them proper honor and to respect all people as created and loved by you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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