The Inventor of Marriage

I’ve been reading a timely book with some brothers from church by William Gouge (1575-1653), Building a Godly Home; A Holy Vision for a Happy Marriage.

Marriage is the hot ‘bed’ debate today. The reason I have been speaking out so much on the matter is because of the recent federal judge, ruling Idaho’s marriage law unconstitutional. This ruling is currently being debated in California at the ninth circuit court of appeals. Not only is a federal judge making a ruling against Idaho, a federal court in California, located in San Francisco, will determine if county courthouses will begin issuing marriage licenses to people who want to marry someone of the same sex.

The reason this is closest to me is because of the gospel witness. Their is a sacred union of two (one male and one female) being joined together as one. This is a sacred union because God ordered it to be this way. I realize the detractors don’t like this and find a defense for the institution of marriage as God’s order. Some of the complication in this is because some ‘churches’ and ‘pastors’ have been promoting this kind of union as God ordained.

Not only is this is confusing to many people that ‘pastors’ and ‘churches’ are endorsing same-sex ‘marriage’ but pastors and churches have not been preaching the gospel as they should. When the gospel is not clear we forget how wretched we are and begin to declare that which is debase and abominable as beautiful and normal.

The author of marriage is God, period. He does have a right to define it as He does. Ones being offended at His right to limit marriage to one man and one woman – until death – is evidence that one would prefer to create a god for himself who will let him do as he wishes. This is a reason why Jesus asserts in Matthew 19:4-6 (Phillips):

 “Haven’t you read,” he answered, “that the one who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ and said: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two separate people but one. No man therefore must separate what God has joined together.” (emphasis mine)

If God orders marriage as one male and one female, no person or court in the land has prerogative to redefine the order to anything else. This, God has made, and no one must separate and dismantle what God ordered. This doesn’t mean that it can’s be separated or dismantled, it means it shouldn’t be. So don’t.

We find again that we are humbled to submit to the order of God. What appears to be a limitation put upon humanity proves to be His love to liberate us from the bondage of doing that which is not ordered by God.

When Hebrews 13 was written, then even latter when translated into English, the word marriage is defined as a sacred event between one man and one woman for life. “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)

Marriage can be defiled, otherwise we would not be instructed to keep it undefiled. The defiled activity in the marriage bed is the activity that the writer argues will be judged by God. This means that it is easy to defile what God has ordered as good, beautiful and honoring. Meaning further, heterosexuals and homosexuals alike are capable of defiling the marriage bed. Married couples and singles are capable of defiling the marriage bed. If we are instructed to keep the marriage bed pure, then that means we need to know what God intends when he declares something good and right.

Even though the modern English dictionary defines marriage differently than it did in the past, and it does, we are responsible to read Scripture with the understanding of what is said by its understood definition when it was written. If we don’t we are at risk of making a god for ourselves and rejecting Creator God, Jesus the Christ.

I continue my appeal to the governing authorities of the State of Idaho. It is no small matter we are facing today. This is one of great consequence. If needed, please do not hesitate to close county clerk offices. Idaho is a sovereign state. Exercise your duty to her citizens and keep the favor of God. You are not forcing a religion on anyone to do so. You do not force anyone to worship the God of the Bible by refusing to issue marriage licenses to anyone but one man and one woman. Equality of tax breaks does not require you to accept the redefinition of marriage being an institution of one man and one woman. You are better able to serve all citizens of Idaho by not allowing this change to happen.