“JOINED”

W. Lamont

Matthew 19: 5, 6; Exodus 26: 23–25; 1 Corinthians 6: 17; 16: 15–20

I want to speak of what is joined. Matthew 19 sets out very clearly marriage as being of God,

“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate”. I am quite sure it is of deep interest to heaven tonight to look down and see us assembled and to take account of our brother and sister as joined of God, to see marriage thus honoured in the midst of such a world as that in which we live.

In Ephesians, when Paul speaks about a man leaving father and mother, he adds, “This mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”. So, as our brother quoted in prayer, the end in view is the relationship between Christ and the assembly and we are gathered tonight on the occasion of a marriage “in the Lord”, 1 Corinthians 7: 39. That is of great interest to heaven.

In Exodus 26 we read of these boards being “joined beneath, and together ... united at the top thereof to one ring”. Not only have our brother and sister taken up the natural side of marriage but, in their relationship together, should remember their links in redemption. So God would speak to us to make sure, our brother and sister and all of us, that our links are in the appreciation of the redemptive work of Christ. These corner boards would take the strain.

There have been strains in most marriages but, as the redemptive work of Christ is appreciated, these strains can be

absorbed. We have been taught that the boards of the tabernacle were taller than any Philistine. They were “together ... united at the top thereof to one ring”. This relates to the constant appreciation of that of which the apostle would remind the saints, “but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, Ephesians 5: 32. A marriage in the Lord would always have in mind this great thought of Christ and the assembly.

1 Corinthians 6 would remind our young brother and sister, and all of us, of the necessity of our links with Christ—“He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit”. We are to realize that, by the Spirit, we are joined to that blessed One. The exhortation to our brother and sister, and to all of us, would be to enjoy what is God-given in what is natural but never to forget or to neglect what is spiritual in our links with the Lord.

In all our localities there is much to do, as our brother and sister will find. Paul is speaking here in 1 Corinthians 16 of households and of husbands and wives. Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned together, three times Aquila is mentioned first and three times Priscilla is first. Paul speaks of “every one joined in the work and labouring”. Our brother and sister should keep these things in mind—that, as joined together in marriage, their links together are in the appreciation of the redemptive work of Christ, and their individual exercise is to be joined to the Lord and together to be joined in the work and labouring. We would encourage our young brother and sister to take up these matters as “joined together”, for His name’s sake.