Genesis 2:21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Our passage for today clearly shows that the sacred institution of marriage was ordained of God from the very beginning of time. The family, beginning with husband and wife, form the foundation of society and was given to us by the Lord for the welfare and stability of the human race, and thus forms the basis upon which communities and nations are built. Whenever this sacred institution is disregarded or distorted, the floodgates of woe, misery, and loneliness are opened, with devastating consequences for individuals, communities and nations. The numerous variations and alternatives to the marriage institution, constitute a well coordinated effort by the devil and his agents to permanently destabilize society as we know it. That's why our passage for today concludes by stating that a man and woman should "leave" the confines of their parents home and be married.
Today we have numerous deviations to this sacred institution. We now have millions of single parent households, where children are raised without the influence, presence, support, and stability of mom and dad. We also have concepts like "shacking up", that have taken deep root in modern society, where individuals of the opposite sex can live for many years without making a commitment to one another. We also see polygamy, where a man has several wives, or in some cases many "secret lovers", to which no commitment is made, except for the physical rendezvous between themselves. Then again we have prenuptial agreements, where husband and wife enter the marriage relation, but with certain financial reservations. All of these and other deviations are not the will of God and do not bode well for the health and stability of the human family.
However, today we will expound a little on the concept of "shacking up". The idea of living "common law" is nowhere countenanced or encouraged in the Bible. If a man was sincerely interested in uniting his interests with a woman of his choice, then he was required by God to "put his money where his mouth is", by entering into a legally binding commitment for life. This is what took place in the experience of Jacob after he saw Rachel, the girl of his dreams. He openly acknowledged his deep love for her and then put his words into action by working for seven years to obtain the wife of his choice. Not once during those seven years of courtship do we read that Jacob brought Rachel into his tent to live, with the intention of marrying her later. After the stipulated time had elapsed, he entered into a binding agreement with her, and thus she became his wife. Let's read:
Genesis 29:8 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
There were no intimate, sexual interactions between them until the day they said "I do". Similarly, it is not the will of God that a man should "test drive" a woman for years and years without making a legally binding commitment to be married. An example in miniature form can be found in some of the commercials, advertising the products of certain car manufacturers. For instance, Volkswagen has the "Sign then drive" event occurring in different parts of the United states. In other words, they require a written commitment before their vehicle is driven off the lot to become a personal possession. Then we have the ad for Subaru. After showing a family happily test driving one of their vehicles, they end the commercial by saying, "Love, it's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru".
Similarly, if two individuals decide that they "Love" each other, God's will is that they "Sign then drive". Any other arrangement is not God's will as revealed in His word, and in the interest of the family and society as a whole, we should imitate the model given us in the garden of Eden. If as individuals and as a nation we were to follow God's revealed will as it pertains to this issue, very great improvements will be our experience, and families and communities would achieve much greater good and cohesiveness. May the Lord grant us the will to align ourselves with the principles of righteousness, that it may go well with us and our children forever. God bless!