Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ! Here is the word for your meditation and prayer! I am delighted to share the message of empowerment and hope at such a time as this. The title of the message is:"MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT AND NOT A CONTRACT" The Amplified Bible in Matthew 19:6 says,
[6]"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate)." May I hasten to mention that a Marriage covenant joins two people as husband and wife to become one flesh. Therefore as the husband and wife are one flesh, it means when the wife or husband falls sick, both of them must feel the pain, as they are expected to feel and sympathize for one another. When people get married they are expected to both leave their parents and live together as a couple, and not to continue behaving like mum and dad's babies, by not wanting to be independent as married couple. You are expected to cleave to each other like glue. However, some of the practices in the African culture that work adversely on cleaving processes between couples are: a) The man cannot be glued to his wife when his parents force his wife to stay in the rural areas. b) Some parents do not allow married couples to leave the family home until they authorize them to do so. . c)Being forced to look after extended family members can prevent proper cleaving as husband and wife. d) The parents may force their daughter to continue supporting them financially, as a way of trying to compensate them from their childhood financial support. e) A man cannot be glued to his wife when parents continue to treat him like a child, although he will be married, as they continue to control and direct him like a baby. Likewise the woman cannot be glued to her husband if she frequently spends more time with her parents, instead of spending more time with her husband, in order to be bonded and glued together.
The Living Bible in Malachi 2:14-16 says,7
[14]“Why has God abandoned us?” you cry. I’ll tell you why; it is because the Lord has seen your treachery in divorcing your wives who have been faithful to you through the years, the companions you promised to care for and keep.
[15]You were united to your wife by the Lord. In God’s wise plan, when you married, the two of you became one person in his sight. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. Therefore, guard your passions! Keep faith with the wife of your youth.
[16]For the Lord, the God of Israel, says he hates divorce and cruel men. Therefore, control your passions—let there be no divorcing of your wives." This scripture although it is also referring to Israel who are God' s chosen people as wife and husband in the spiritual form as Christians, it is also in a way an example of a marriage covenant between a husband and wife. Here there is an emphasis of faithfulness in marriages. We need to respect the marriage covenant by remaining faithful to one another for life. Don't cheat and don't step out in your marriage.Remain faithful and caring all the time.Love to love, and love to be loved.
The Living Bible in Genesis 2:24 says,
[24]"This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife in such a way that the two become one person." What is a marriage covenant?? The marriage covenant which means a strong commitment and loyalty, even unto death between a man and his wife was established by God at the beginning of human history, when he created the heavens and the earth, according to the above scripture. While some African customs could undermine the principles of the marriage covenant, God being the creator of marriage, has the right to tell us which principles should govern our marital relationships. A woman in some African culture is not only married to her husband, but is a wife to all her husband's paternal relatives, such as young brothers and cousins, an issue which is against God's principles of marriage covenant of only serving one husband for the rest of one's life.
The Living Bible in Titus 2:4-5 says,
[4]"These older women must train the younger women to live quietly, to love their husbands and their children,
[5]and to be sensible and clean minded, spending their time in their own homes, being kind and obedient to their husbands so that the Christian faith can’t be spoken against by those who know them." So as the above scripture states, marriage is supposed to be a sacred and permanent covenant, established and witnessed by God himself and not men. As confirmed earlier in Genesis 2:24 a man and a woman must leave their parents and cleave to one another as one flesh. But some African customs undermine this God's requirement, when the marriage is bonded by (marooro, lobola or dowry), especially if the man fails to pay what is expected of him by his wife's parents, it may have serious implications on the couple's marriage.
The Living Bible in Ephesians 5:33 says,
[33]So again I say, a man must love his wife as a part of himself; and the wife must see to it that she deeply respects her husband—obeying, praising, and honoring him." This verse in Ephesians 5:33, emphasizes the need for the husband to unconditionally love his wife. In the same vain the wife must respect and obey her husband unconditionally. The submission to husbands mentioned in the scripture, does not mean oppression, but should be in the form of humility and loving attitude.
The Living Bible in Proverbs 18:22 says,
[22]"The man who finds a wife finds a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord." A wife is a blessing and a helper from God, and therefore must be treated with a loving and compassionate heart.
The Living Bible in 1 Peter 3:7 says,
[7]"You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God’s blessings, and if you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers." Men who abuse and mistreat their wives, can miss some blessings as couples. The husband is the breadwinner, and must always ensure that the family, that is, your wife and children have adequate food provisions, shelter and enough security, God being your helper. The wife must also be hardworking as well like in Proverbs 31 ( a virtuous woman). Don't be provocative, because you may attract evil spirits and chase away the Holy spirit through anger and fighting.( Ephesians 4:26-31)
The Living Bible in Hebrews 13:4 says,
[4]"Honor your marriage and its vows, and be pure; for God will surely punish all those who are immoral or commit adultery."
The Living Bible in Luke 16:18 says,
[18]“So anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” The Living Bible in Matthew 19:9 says,
[9]"And I tell you this, that anyone who divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery.”
Living Bible in 1 Corinthians 7:2 says,
[2]"But usually it is best to be married, each man having his own wife, and each woman having her own husband, because otherwise you might fall back into sin." So marriage is a necessity for all living beings. The Amplified Bible in Ezekiel 16:8 says,
[8]Now I passed by you again and looked upon you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I plighted My troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became Mine." A marriage is not a contract, but a covenant between God and the married couple. A marriage contract has an expiry date, but a marriage covenant lasts forever until death seperates you. The Bible says," What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder"( Mark 10:5-9). However, due to African customs and beliefs, when a woman fails to conceive a baby the husband's parents and relatives may influence the man to divorce his wife, although the marriage covenant in the Bible does not allow it. A marriage is sacred. Being a sacred covenant, human marriage serves in the old and new Testament as the prism through which God reveals his covenant relationship with his people and Christ with his church. Once again a marriage is not a contract, but a covenant, and therefore let us all respect this union, between two people. Let there be no wrong advice and influce from outside forces. Always seek proper counseling and conflict resolution dialogues. Stop the blame game, in a marriage set up. Tolerate one another, and forgive each other! Be prepared to compomise your pride, and ask for forgiveness, even if it is not you who has offended the other. For those who are preparing or intending to marry, take this advice and teaching seriously, before deciding otherwise. Don't rash into a marriage covenant, before calculating and preparing, because it is a lifetime covenant in which you must make the right decision and choice, so that you will not regret later. Love, tolerate, appreciate, commend and feel for one another, in a marriage covenant, all the time!
May God richly bless you!
Evangelist Fanuel Masikati:
Contact:+263778495363
Email:divinerevelations7@gmail.com
