GOD'S INTEREST IN OUR MARRIAGES
GOD’S INTEREST IN OUR MARRIAGES
Genesis 2: 18 - 23; Ephesians 1: 19 - 23
The words we have just sung — “No longer now alone” — must touch our hearts as we reflect upon the solitariness of the Lord as He was down here. It is true that He said He was not alone, for His Father was with Him, but He also said, “Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone”, John 12: 24. He has died, and now as in heaven, the assembly’s union with Him has already taken place; even as our dear young brother and sister have been united in marriage, of which the Lord said, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate”, Matthew 19: 6. The bond is final; but how much more so as applied to Christ and the assembly! So that He is “no longer now alone”. Not only has He companionship in the assembly, but union which is never to be dissolved.
In the Scriptures, we have indicated the spirit that is proper to a marriage scene, as for example in John 2, for that scene at Cana was on a somewhat high level. The Lord was there by invitation; not only as distinguished because of His ministry, but there was a spiritual touch in the fact that He and His disciples were invited. Therefore it seems to me that the level was above the natural and social. And the Spirit would lift us above the natural, otherwise the Lord will have no part with us; but if we take spiritual ground He will grace an occasion like this, as He did the one at Cana, where He became dominant, bringing in “the good wine”.
What is conveyed in the scriptures I read is that the condition of being “alone” of our Lord Jesus was not according to divine thought. It says, “And Jehovah Elohim said, It is [p. 428] not good that man should be alone”, Genesis 2: 18. What occurred to me, and what I feel confirmed in is this, that marriage occasions, such as the present, should afford opportunity for the introduction of what enters into the marriage of the Lamb. We read in Revelation 19: 7, “The marriage of the Lamb is come”. What a wonderful word! In Matthew 22 the Lord speaks of a marriage (made by one who had abundant means of furnishing it — a king), but there is no mention of a bride! Now, for a marriage there must be a bride; but in Revelation 19 we read, of the Lamb, that “his wife has made herself ready” (verse 7); that is, she had initiative. It is not the marriage being made by “the king”, as in Matthew, but the wife is in evidence as having initiative — “his wife has made herself ready”; and then, as if to confirm this feature in her, we read that “it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints”, verse 8. One might have the most distinguished attire, and yet not be entitled to wear it. In royal circles the attire for a special occasion must be regulated by the one who predominates. Thus the Lamb’s wife, as making herself ready, is given to be clothed in such attire as is in keeping with her character. The fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints, whom she represents. And as making herself ready the Lamb’s wife is an example for all believing wives. Initiative in making things ready should always mark them.
In Scripture a great deal is said on the subject of marriage. We may think of it as ordinary, but not so with God. There is not a marriage among His children that is not of interest to Him. It is His own institution, in which Christ and the assembly were ever before Him; and on every marriage occasion among His children He is looking for some reflection of spiritual intelligence that is proper to it. Accordingly, what is to be observed is that God said, “It is not good that man should be alone”. In designating His creatures God uses no more noble word than man, and next to it is woman. There are no more noble words than these as applied to creatures. It is Jehovah Elohim — the covenant God — that is in view here. It says, “And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim had formed every animal of the field and all fowl of the heavens, and brought them to man, to see what he would call them”, as if to bring out the intelligence that was in the man. It was imperative that it should be in the man, and the institution of marriage should not be taken up apart from intelligence; for, aside from spiritual intelligence, what Christ is in His relation to the assembly cannot be set out; nor can it serve God’s immediate thought as to the creation.
And so the animals are brought before Adam; wonderful creatures they are, too. God calls attention to some of them in addressing Job, and inquires of his knowledge of them; although He did not ask Job to name them. But Adam was to do this, and what was expected of him was a challenge as to his knowledge. A man is tested when confronted with the evidence of divine power and skill. Can he name it? What does he know about the work of God? That is the point. What we see is that Adam qualified. He was a wonderful creature; and God would be pleased with the intelligence that shone in him, for it glorified the Creator. He is pleased and honoured as what is of Himself in us is seen. Our brother and sister will be tested in this respect in their new relationship; and the work of God in them will shine in the way of intelligence. There is potentiality and we may be confident that they will be helped of Him in all emergencies. Our brother will need intelligence in an especial way, and it will be manifest as he advances spiritually. It is a question of ability to discern the work of God; one never qualifies spiritually [p. 429] but in this way. Anyone can take account of the work of man; but, to take account of the work of God requires spiritual understanding. The question is, Can I go over the field of God’s operations and name the varieties of His work? If I can, I shall be a useful man amongst the people of God; and that is the paramount thing seen in our scripture, and it enters into this marriage occasion. Adam was to name every animal of the field, etc. What food for reflection there is in this! Adam qualified in this way as head, for he “gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the heavens, and to every beast of the field”, verse 20.
Apparently he made no mistakes, for God accepted every name that Adam gave; the name given evidently conveyed His own thought in each creature. How Adam shone in intelligence! It is that person that needs a helpmate, and she must be suitable. So it says, “But as for Adam, he found no helpmate, his like”, verse 20. The thought of suitability in the helpmate is repeated, for we have it previously in verse 18. After all the naming had taken place, there is nothing to indicate that there was anything suitable for Adam. It is a question of nature and of intelligence; and God takes the matter in hand. That is a question that should be asked in relation to these marriage occasions — Has God taken the matter in hand? He thought of Adam’s need and provided for it. I am not questioning this as to the union of our brother and sister, but am seeking to convey principles. We are told that “Whoso hath found a wife hath found a good thing, and hath obtained favour from Jehovah”, Proverbs 18: 22. We believe our brother has found this good thing. But then before that, God takes the matter in hand, and I would urge those who contemplate marriage to seek help from God. It is very important that you should go to Him about it. Every young brother [p. 430] and sister here should be prayerfully exercised in this respect. God is interested in us, and comes in for us as we look to Him and wait for His help. He says, “I will be to you for a Father”, 2 Corinthians 6: 18. How very comforting this is!
There is suggested in Genesis 2 the idea of sacrifice with regard to the man, even as the Lord gave Himself for the assembly. I do not say that Adam suffered; Scripture does not say so, but in principle he did. An operation was performed on him by God by which he was deprived of a rib; but he got it back a thousand-fold! (What we do in this way as under God’s hand, we get back in a manifold way.) Adam did not get back a bare rib, but a woman built by God! So that Adam said, “This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: this shall be called woman, because this was taken out of a man”, verse 23. Mark the intelligence of that! How typically helpful the whole passage is! God had come in, and He brought the woman He had made to Adam. Was there not a good time at that marriage! Think of what joy God had in His creatures being thus united as suitable to each other! This is the first time we get the word ‘built’ in Scripture. We can well understand that God had the assembly in view; and so He brought the woman to the man. There had hitherto been no such occasion; it was God who brought it about and entered into it fully. As Creator He had pleasure in it; but He has very much more pleasure in Christ and the assembly of whom Adam and Eve are but a figure. Adam’s pronouncement of the woman was according to God. In naming her he added to the high level of intelligence which had already marked him. God would impress us with what He has in view in marriage, what it is in relation to man’s sphere of life here, and as being of God. The Lord Jesus Himself, in speaking of divorce, says, “But from the beginning it was not thus”, Matthew 19: 8. How beautifully He touched on the subject, as showing that there is to be no dissolution of the marriage bond. Union is constitutional and final; it is not of different substances brought together, nor is it unity exactly, but union. It is two of like nature made one; and so Adam’s language was entirely in accord with the mind of God. He said, “This time it is bone of my bones”, etc. What intelligence he displayed in this expression.
I wish now to show that Ephesians 1 gives the antitype of Genesis 2. The apostle prayed that God would give the saints “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him”, that they should know “what the surpassing greatness of his power towards us who believe”, etc., verse 17, 19.
Note the word ‘gave’ (verse 22). God gave to Christ the position of headship, bringing out what I have been saying — the infinite intelligence that enters into the idea of His relation to the assembly. He is head over all things. God has given Him that place. In Colossians, “He is the head of the body, the assembly”, chapter 1: 18. That is in the right of His own Person, but the thought in Ephesians is what is given to Him; as if God would say, I am so delighted with this Man with all the wisdom He has shown, that it is My pleasure to give Him this great place. It is the full divine thought as to Christ and the assembly. What dignity the assembly has! It is not here that He is the Head of it, but Head to it, as being equal to the position which He gets in headship. And then the passage goes on to say, “... which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all”, verse 23. She is thus seen as great enough to express Him. This enters into the ordering of the believer’s house; for whilst the woman is to “guide the house”, she guides it as an expression of her husband’s mind and affection. As Christ is Head of the assembly, so the believing husband is head of [p. 432] his wife, and so she is to reflect what he is in wisdom and intelligence, even as the assembly is “the fulness of him who fills all in all”.
You can thus see, dear brethren, how important a matter marriage among the saints is, and that God is most interested in occasions of this kind. They never should be regarded as matters in which God has no part. Loving us as His children, He enters into our joys as He enters into our sorrows. But His interest in marriages amongst His people is enhanced by the fact that they take character, or should do so, from the marriage of His own Son.