Is Marriage Earthly?
Marriage is an earthly union. Jesus said so himself. Doubt me? Open Matthew 22 and study it. They painted a hypothetical scenario for Jesus. It was a stumper to determine who would be that woman’s husband in the resurrection.
Jesus was disappointed in the fact that they did not know the scriptures (Matthew 22:29-30). It reminds me of medical school days, where we asked our chiefs complex stuff, and the answer usually was given in the form to trigger us to study better. The truth is, knowledge liberates.
Now that I have proved to you that marriage is earth-based, it means we can proceed with my train of thought.
What I Believe
I am a believer. I believe God exists indivisibly in three members of the Godhead- the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe the supernatural controls the physical, which is why I proclaim something in faith and receive it before it becomes manifest.
God created marriage to help us enjoy life on earth. Marriage is good. I believe it is not a commandment as someone will not go to hell for being single.
Will your marriage last just because you’re a Christian? No.
Can an unbeliever enjoy marital bliss? Yes.
So how spiritual is marriage? As believers, we have to be in the habit of doing nothing without God. Nothing means nothing. We have to let the Holy Spirit guide us in all our decisions so we can fulfill God’s purpose with ease. His will must override ours. Hence, we need God to help us choose our partners for marriage.
God’s Ways Are Dynamic
Did God rain down manna at one time for His children? Yes, He did. Does God send all of us manna now when He wants to feed us? No, He doesn’t. Does God still provide food for us? Yes, He does.
For marriage, are there occasions where God has declared one person a spouse for another? Very well, there has been. Is God in the business of doing that to everybody? Absolutely no. You know why? God does not relate to all of us the same way. How God works is beyond logic.
As much as God loves us, He still permits us to use our free will to make decisions. God is not a tyrant, so He grants us the ability to choose. We have to pray for guidance. The choosing rests on us. If we are obedient to God, our choice usually matches His will.
Who Are The People God Chose Spouse For In The Bible?
Hosea:
This was a strange one. Not only did God ask Hosea (a prophet!) to marry a woman, He specified the kind of woman He wanted. A prostitute! That even goes against the rules of the faith, you know, we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That classic choice was a visual representation of how wayward God’s people were and how God was still in pursuit of them. Hosea 1:2.
Joseph:
In Joseph’s case, I would not firmly say God chose Mary for him because scripture does not detail how they met. What I can say for sure is that God reassured him to go ahead with his plan of marrying her (as he did before the whole pregnancy saga). Matthew 1:20-21.
Genesis 24
This chapter is the go-to scripture reference for many people concerning marrying God’s will. The sermon there is profound. I might write on it sometime if I receive inspiration. My focus today is on verse 8.
"But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free of this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.”
I love the caveat that Abraham included. He was a forward-thinking man who understood that this lady has the right to say no. He said if the woman refuses to follow, the servant would be free from the oath. Beautiful. Nothing extreme like some men do in recent times. The fact that one is a man of God is not a guarantee to get a yes from the lady, and vice-versa.
Recognize that some things should be “deal-breakers” during the period of trying to find a spouse.
In that story, Isaac was not to go to Nahor under any circumstances. Likewise, as believers, there should be lines not crossed (peculiar to our walk with God and our vision for ourselves), no matter how desperately we want to get married.
Accept The Adventure
God permits us to choose who we want to marry. We can ask for His input because He is very willing to guide us. That guidance may not be by seeing the lady in your dream or having the guy call exactly at midnight just when you knelt to pray.
How does God talk to you regularly? If it is hard for you to know that, then maybe you should work on that first.
Marriage requires a lot of ingredients to work. Accordingly, even when God helps us decide who we marry, we must not abandon working on the relationship else it will die.
