This transcript was auto-generated. 

·        All I have said so far is God is the creator of marriage 

·        He intended it to be between two people. 

·        And He intended it to be between a man and a woman. 

·        And fourthly the purpose of marriage was to create a model for family.

 We have just been told, “A man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife”. 

 I really like the KJ translation of this, maybe because it is what I grew up with. It says, “he shall cleave unto his wife”. So, he is leaving his parents, and cleaving (being joined) to his wife and that I say is a new family relationship. God’s ideal model for family is a mother, a father and perhaps later children. Even before sin had entered into the human race that was God’s plan. This is how he intended it to be. 

But although God says that a man and a woman are to be joined together in these verses it does not at this stage mention children. This tells me a woman or a man for that matter can be a complete person without bearing children. A couple can be a complete family without bearing children. I believe what it does suggest is that the when married the primary role in marriage is to partner, to compliment the husband or wife, not necessary to bear children. Whilst that is true, I also believe that God did in fact intend that in usual circumstance that marriage should create families with children. So, although the family unit would usually create and nurture children there are many, many different circumstances and situations when it might not. 

 In Gen 1: 27-28a; 

So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

So, in chapter one when God created humans, he intended them to multiply and populate the earth. But in chapter 2 when specifically defining marriage He doesn’t mention it. Marriage is defined as being for more than just procreation. (Friendship companionship etc) This tells me that within the definition of marriage God allows couple to decide when and how many children they wish to have, or even if they wish to not have children at all. Although sometimes God may sovereignly overrule those plans as a lot of married couple have discovered. 

One more final observation, and probably the most important thing I can say about marriage is…

We will look at next time.