One of my favorite quotes about marriage is from John Piper: “There has never been a generation whose view of marriage is high enough.”
I believe this is so true. The Bible reveals that marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and His bride, the church. That is a big thing for us to reveal in our marriages, isn’t it?
How can we reveal it when we don’t even know or understand the fullness of what it means? I don’t think many of us really do.
Thinking on this, I was challenged yesterday when reading the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. I saw them in a new light. We often think of them as religious laws with no love in them. But as I read again, I began to see something of God’s relationship with us which should also be revealed in our marriages.
Let’s look again shall we? “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: thou shalt have no other gods before me.” God is saying to His people Israel and to us: I have delivered you out of the kingdom of darkness. I have made a marriage covenant with you and you and are mine. You now belong to me and no one else (Exodus 16:8-14; Song of Solomon 2;16; 6:3; 7:10; and Isaiah 54:5).
This commandment comes from God’s heart of love for His people. Because we belong to Him, He wants our total allegiance. Because our marriages are pictures to show this relationship between Christ and us, we should have this same attitude toward our husbands. When we are married, we belong to our husband, and he belongs to us, and no one else. The marriage vows say: “forsaking all others.”
The next commandment says: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them for I am the LORD thy God am a jealous God . . .” God is a jealous husband over us. He gave His only Beloved Son to die and shed His blood to purchase us to Himself. It’s not wrong for a husband or wife to be jealous if either one is looking at someone else!
The third commandment says: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
To take the name of the LORD means in the Hebrew to “carry His name or to bear His name.” We are created in His image to bear His likeness and image. When we belong to Him, He wants to manifest His character and image through us.
When we marry, we give up our old name and take our husband’s name. We now carry his name wherever we go. As we live in a way that honors our husband’s name, we not only bring honor to him but honor to ourselves. If we dishonor his name, we literally dishonor ourselves.
But then God goes on to say that we must not take His name in vain. That means to speak of it lightly or worthlessly. This also speaks to us in our marriages. It is a serous thing to speak critically, dishonoringly, or lightly of our husband’s name.
How sad to hear a wife criticizing her husband, pulling down his image, or speaking of him disparagingly or lightly. It is the opposite of what God intends for us in our marriage relationship. He wants marriage to reveal to the world the same attitude we have to God and to Christ.
We honor God’s name because it is hallowed. It is worthy. It is holy. It is great. Maybe you don’t feel your husband is worthy and you can only think of negative things to say about him. Well, keep your mouth shut. If you can’t say something that is honoring, don’t open your mouth.
Because remember, we are to be a picture of the relationship of God and His people.
Isn’t it amazing how God reveals this even in the first few commandments?
I am challenged. Are you?
Be blessed.
Nancy Campbell
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