FEB 28, EVENING

Malachi 2:14-16
Memorise Matthew 19:6
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder”

In Malachi 2:14-16 God teaches us many things about marriage. In spite of what gay rights activists think or say, God’s original institution of marriage as stated in Genesis 2:23-24 stands, that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. A union of two people of the same gender is a perversion of what God had intended for marriage and is a sin. As we learned earlier, a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. God made one woman for one man and He intended for marriage to be a monogamous relationship, just as He intended for our relationship with Him to be one of faithfulness and commitment. He hates divorce and wants every married person to be committed, faithful and loving to his/her spouse until death. Again, this is contrary to our attitude of consumerism and disposability where possessions and gadgets are outdated in months and we are encouraged by the world to replace our things or upgrade them ever so often. Furthermore, doing anything that harms one’s marriage, in God’s eyes, is as if an act of violence has been committed.

Understand that the marriage covenant is based on a concept known as “chesed” (the Hebrew word to express love, faithfulness and mercy). Chesed love, or agape love as the Greeks call it, it is not only an altruistic and selfless love for another person, but it also springs from a strong desire to do whatever is beneficial for the other person even if it comes at great expense to oneself. Therefore, a couple in a marriage enters into a vow to regard each other in the above manner, that is, to show chesed.

Dear Teen, the way a man should love his wife is patterned after the way Jesus loves believers. Just as Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for the sake of sinners, so too should a man do so for his wife. Just as Jesus’ love for us never grows weaker and is permanent, so too should marriage be a permanent loving union between a man and a woman. In accordance to the Bible, there is no room for “alternative” lifestyles like homosexual or polygamous relationships. Just as Jesus is always faithful to us, so too should spouses be faithful to each other and not have any extramarital affairs.

Thought: Marriage was ordained by God. No-one has the authority to dictate the terms and conditions of marriage except God Himself.
Prayer: O Lord, thank You for showing us a perfect example of what chesed means through Christ Jesus.