GENESIS 2:18-25
Cleave, a verb, has two very different meanings. It can describe cutting or splitting something apart with a sharp instrument, or it can describe sticking to something like glue. The second meaning forms the topic of our meditation today.
God sketched His original plan for marriage in Genesis 2:24 when one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve) cleaved together to become one flesh – “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
For those who use or wear wedding rings, the ring represents our vow to be faithful to our spouses as long as we live.
A marriage vow is more than a contract that we can break by paying damages. It is a unique vow that is explicitly intended to be binding until death separates us (Matthew 19:6). The words “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health” take into consideration the fact that marriage is not a bed of roses and the probability that it will not be easy to keep our vows. Circumstances may change and so may our spouses.
Marriage is not easy; disagreements and difficult adjustments abound. While no one must live in an abusive and dangerous relationship, accepting the difficulties of poverty, hardship, and disappointment can lead to happiness. A marriage vow is a binding obligation to love, honour, and cherish one another for as long as we shall live because Jesus has asked us to do so.
Love is more than a feeling; it is a commitment.
🙏 Lord Jesus, bless our homes and make them the refuge of love in this world of sin.
