The second most important sphere of government is marriage/family government. This sphere is one of the most neglected spheres of government.
“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”Genesis 2:18
“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.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:23-25
God created marriage and blessed it between a man and a woman. Marriage is a lifelong covenant between the two where the couple leave all other affections and priorities and cleave to one another and become one. Marriage is also the place for safe and blessed sexual relationship, which creates the perfect environment for raising a child whose parents are committed to each other and the baby.
Marriage brings stability for everyone, and it provides a safe and secure environment to raise self-governing children. Parents have a responsibility to set the right example for them and to teach and train the children in Truth. This fulfills God’s mandate of being fruitful by raising children who are God honoring and are productive and responsible citizens in their society.
When Adam and Eve sinned against God, it impacted their relationship with God and with one another. They were blamed each other and did not take responsibility for their own actions before a holy God. This was the breakdown of self-government which also impacted the marriage/family government. The breakdown of one sphere of government has a ripple affect on the spheres of government.
Marriage has continually been under assault from the beginning because it is the nucleus of God’s governance on the earth, and it represents our spiritual relationship to a holy God. God sees marriage as a holy covenant. It is about a husband and wife who are willing to be committed to God and be self-less towards one another. It is the ultimate expression of Jesus’ two greatest commandments.
To the contrary, the enemy is after separating and destroying families. Due to man’s hardened heart, God permitted divorce for only two reasons. First, it was adultery, and the other was abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. However, the current no-fault divorce has caused much damage to families and the society as a whole. The divorce rate in the church is the same as those outside of the church. This is not about shaming those of us who have gone through divorce, but it is about understanding the schemes of the enemy and the huge consequences of divorce.
How do we build stronger marriages and families? I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
