Marriage: The Beginning of Meaning
Through marriage, we glimpse the depths of God’s investment in humanity.
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, describes the beginning of everything.
It opens with the creation of the universe, highlights the creation of man, and continues with the formation of the nation of Israel. A proper understanding of the beginnings of our history helps us understand our calling and the goal toward which we are aiming with our lives.
The description of the Garden of Eden shows us the purpose of all creation: an intimate and close relationship between God and humankind. God, our Creator and Father, desires a relationship with His children, in whom He has placed a fundamental need and longing for fellowship with Him and with one another. God created man and woman in His image (1:26). This seal of God, embedded in us, determines our mission and nature. Our hearts and minds gear us up for lives that seek intimacy.
“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’” (2:18). God had declared everything He created “very good” (1:31). The first and only thing He said was “not good” was man’s loneliness. Such a statement shows us that God embedded the desire for love and companionship into the essence of humanity. A person who feels lonely can find comfort because God sees and understands every individual’s desire for a meaningful relationship.
Healthy Model of Marriage
Adam, the first man, called his companion Eve, which means “to live” or “to give life.” He chose the name “because she was the mother of all living” (3:20). Genesis, which is part of the Jewish Torah, teaches that when a husband and wife unite in marriage, they become one body: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (2:24).
Such unity is the beautiful mystery of marriage. When a man and woman wed, they become united physically and spiritually as a new, complex entity. They become dependent on each other and are no longer complete when separated.
Modern teachings of the world notwithstanding, our physical and spiritual design is for a complete and monogamous relationship. Rabbi Akiva, a famous 2nd-century teacher, taught that when a husband and wife are worthy, God’s presence lives among them. But when they are not worthy, they are consumed by fire (Sotah 17a).
Though not of biblical origin, but interesting nonetheless, the rabbi’s theory alludes to the Hebrew letters that form the words man (שיא) and woman (השא). Both words contain shared and unshared letters. When the unshared letters are combined—the י (yod) from man and ה (hey) from woman—they form the name of God (הי – Yah). However, when the shared letters are combined—ש and א—they form a Hebrew word for fire (שא).
When We Remove God From Marriage
A healthy marriage must understand its connection with its Creator, who provides a model for a relationship between a man and a woman. When this internal link with God breaks, unhealthy and damaging models of relationships emerge.
The absence of a divine connection distorts our understanding of love and companionship and paves the way for conflict and dissatisfaction. Without this spiritual foundation, relationships often struggle to find meaning and purpose, leading to a cycle of negativity and hurt.
It’s by maintaining a connection with the Creator that people can understand the proper design of marriage and God’s purpose for it. This divine blueprint ensures that when marriage is godly, the marriage bed remains undefiled, inviting God’s presence to dwell with the husband and wife.
Conversely, when the marriage is ungodly and defiled by adultery, it becomes a fire that consumes and destroys both man and woman, highlighting the stark contrast between the sanctity of a godly union and the devastation of forsaking God’s principles. The apostle Paul reminded us of the dangers of adultery in 1 Corinthians 6:16–18 when he told his readers adultery was not a simple act of physical connection but a deed that has lasting implications that result in damage to one’s own body.
The Fallen Marriage
When man turned away from his Creator and sinned against Him, the internal light (the essence of God) was dimmed, leading to a distorted view of marriage. We see this clearly in today’s culture, which rejects God’s design for marriage. The sanctity of marriage is under attack by models for various relationships. Marriage is stripped of meaning and replaced by a twisted mockery of the original plan laid out in Genesis.
Without God, sinful desires drive the lost man in his search for meaning. He cannot create healthy relationships but instead follows his sinful desires, leading to pain and suffering. The fallen world not only is lost in its quest for fulfillment but also promotes and enforces harmful models taught to a new generation.
According to a survey of Gen Zers and millennials by the Thriving Center of Psychology, two in five people surveyed consider marriage an outdated tradition.1 Eighty-five percent reported they don’t feel marriage is needed to “have a fulfilled and committed relationship.”2
In contrast to intensifying trends, many studies have shown that a healthy marriage produces many benefits for society: It promotes stability, economic prosperity, healthier populations, increased social capital, intergenerational continuity, reduced crime rates, and overall emotional support and well-being. These benefits highlight the importance of marriage as a foundational institution in society.3
The Return to God’s Design
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The lives of all created beings depend on the reality of these words.
This verse declares that God intentionally planned the universe. It does not exist by accident. Genesis 1:1 is one of the most momentous statements ever made in the history of humanity. The truth liberates people from the degrading lies concerning their genesis and restores them to a proper understanding of their relationship to God and to one another.
Marriage is a beautiful gift from God, enabling us to understand our Creator better. When cultivated in accordance with God’s design, we become complete as God’s creation and act in harmony with our desires for a relationship.
This divine institution serves not only as a union of two individuals, but also as a testament to God’s love and fidelity toward humanity. Furthermore, marriage enriches societies by fostering stable family units, which are essential for the nurturing of future generations and the propagation of moral and spiritual values.
Through marriage, we glimpse the depth of God’s investment in humanity and in His commitment to a relationship designed both to reflect His glory and to fulfill our deepest needs for companionship and love.
ENDNOTES
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- Pew Research considers anyone born between 1981 and 1996 to be a millennial and anyone born from 1997 onward to belong to Generation Z.
- “I Do Not: Gen Z, Millennials Shifting Expectations About Marriage In 2023,” thrivingcenterofpsych.com, June 23, 2023 (tinyurl.com/ThrivePsy).
- Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage (New York, NY: Doubleday, 2000).
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