The Christian perspective on marriage

The institution of marriage was not an invention of man but instituted by God on the day He created woman to be a companion to man:

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."... So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep…. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh [Genesis 2:18, 21-24].

The temporary institution of human marriage was designed by God to be a type of the eternal relationship between Christ and His church.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. [Ephesians 5:31-32]

Sadly in our day and age, the sanctity of the covenant of marriage has been reduced to either a piece of paper which all too often means absolutely nothing. Or even a prenuptial agreement drawn up in anticipation of the time when the couple will no longer wish to live together.

A covenant is simply an agreement, or contract made between two parties to do, or not do something. The covenant God made with Abraham is an early example of a covenant, between God and His people

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. [Genesis 17:7]

Covenants in the Bible were usually ratified by being sealed with blood, which meant formal consent given by both parties which made the contract valid.

The covenant made by God with Abraham in Genesis 17:4, was ratified or sealed with the circumcision of every male [Genesis 17:10].

The Israelites were sprinkled with blood to seal the covenant made with Moses on Mt. Sinai [Exodus 24:1-8]

The ultimate covenant was sealed by Jesus’ blood. [Matthew 26:27-28]

However what is often overlooked is that marriage too is a lifelong covenant that is supposed to be sealed with blood through the consummation of the marriage.