What is a Marriage Covenant?

Headcoveredlady, Is there something shorter we can call you?
Anyway, he must, or why would he say that if you are married to an unsaved person not to "put them away" if they want to stay?
Christine

 

HCL, the term Covenant Marriage is now being used in place of the term 'life partners' that limits the reasons that couples can use for divorce. Several states have voted to allow couples to choose the option to help prevent divorce without premarital counseling and predivorce couseling.

I have an online friend who is a mother to two adopted black children who were born to drug users. Brenda's husband deserted her and the kids two years ago for cocaine and a young girl. At first, he remained in town and helped with finances. Now he has completely disappeared but she waits... for God to restore what the locust has eaten.....

I also knew a lady online who was not legally married to the father of her 5 children. The man insisted they needed no paper or ceremony and would not 'marry' her. She called herself a covenant wife. Her state did not recognize common law marriage without a form from a city clerk. He had not told her that. When she found out, she insisted they have a civil ceremony.


A COVENANT MARRIAGE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

We do solemnly declare that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who agree to live together as husband and wife for so long as they both may live. We have chosen each other carefully and disclosed to one another everything which could adversely affect the decision to enter into this marriage. We have received authorized counseling on the nature,
purposes, and responsibilities of marriage. We have read the Covenant Marriage Act, and we understand that a covenant marriage is for life. If we experience marital difficulties, we commit ourselves to take all reasonable efforts to preserve our marriage, including marital counseling.

With full knowledge of what this commitment means, we do hereby declare that our marriage will be bound by Arkansas law on covenant marriages and we promise to love, honor, and care for one another as husband and wife for the rest of our lives.';

(2)(A) An affidavit by the parties that they have received authorized counseling which shall include a discussion of the seriousness of
covenant marriage, communication of the fact that a covenant marriage is a commitment for life, a discussion of the obligation to seek marital counseling


in times of marital difficulties, and a discussion of the exclusive grounds for legally terminating a covenant marriage by divorce.

(B) A notarized attestation, signed by the counselor and attached to or included in the parties' affidavit, confirming that the parties
received authorized counseling as to the nature and purpose of the marriage and the grounds for termination thereof and an acknowledgment that the counselor provided to the parties the informational pamphlet developed and promulgated by the office of the Attorney General under this subchapter, which pamphlet provides a full explanation of the terms and conditions of a covenant marriage;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A covenant marriage is, in my opinion, a Biblical marriage. Some states recognize covenant marriages. God only allows for covenant marriages, in my humble opinion. Divorce is never an option in my home or heart.

Diane

 

When I hear "life partner" or "lover", It immediately makes me think of a gay couple. These are terms they use to describe a committed relationship.

 

Just another example of the 'world' corrupting something good. Life Partner means 'til death us do part'.

I am my husband's life partner and lover and only death will part us. We are no longer two but one flesh....

Diane

 

Diane, I didn't know there was a diference. So in Arkansas they have covenant marriage, and do they have the same marriage everyone else have(easlily disposable)? Does that mean people choose which one?

Christiane, we call her HCL for short.

 

Diane </font>[/QUOTE]Diane, my husband and I talked about this verse before. We descided only in the bible, nad only in marriage does 1+1=1 And Gos knows what He is doing, because they only way you get 1 is if the two are 1/2, (him)1/2+(me)1/2=1 Without each other we aren't whole, complete. Now who wants to split themselves in half with divorce?

 

I first heard of the concept of divorce when I was
about six year of age, and I thought it was the
most wonderful invention for our time. I hoped my
parents would learn about it and get one, but they
did not. I will always regret that: my father could
have had a life.

Our God hates divorce. While it is not said, it is
implied, then, that He hates more those marriages
which are: </font>

• planned with divorce in mind</font>
• not planned in wisdom</font>
• based upon the idea of the party of a
  lifetime with cool clothes, rather than upon
  the seriousness of a lifetime commitment</font>
• marriages without His consent</font>

The only good thing that came out of my parents'
long marriage was the idea it conveyed to me: that
marriage is for life. I got that from the Bible and
would have been perfectly happy to see them
break theirs off: I still would have known about
lifetime commitments.

But when my children married, I told their spouses
to be that they were making a lifetime commitment;
they would be a lifetime member of my family,
whether or not they liked it. So far, so good. 8o)
Both of my children's marriages have, at this time,
beat the divorce odds, as has my stepson's
marriage. My stepdaughter's is still fairly new, but
I am confident in her.

Both my present husband and I were widowed.
Because I respect marriage, I remained single for
10 years before remarrying. No laurels upon my
head for that -- marriage scares me to death!
But I am glad I waited. Wow, am I ever glad I
waited!

My parents were married for @ 65 yeas, when my
father was killed by a truck driver who deliberately
ran over their car in order to save his truck from
going into a ditch, which would have ruined it for
the shows he enjoyed competing in. Each year,
when they celebrated their anniversaries, I had
mourned their long marriage. Some marriages
just should not be. My father's Solomonic "wide
house"' is no more.

 

Some good (some interesting) responses so far.

One characteristic of our Creator God is that He has a covenant relationship with His creation... and God does not break His covenants. Of this we can be sure!

But HCL, your last questions was:

A marriage covenant is not between God and man (or woman) but between the two individuals who get married. Be that whatever it may be called.

God designed marriage as a social institution applicable for all societies.
He recognizes marriage in any circumstance, good or bad.
See Luke 17:26,27 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” NAS95
That doesn’t necessarily mean He honors the specifics of a marriage covenant. Some marriage covenants are not honorable.

God does hold us to honor our covenants. Joshua made a covenant, and despite being deceived in the process he held to it. It sort of makes us look weak today when we have so many excuses to break our covenants. Sometimes marriage is hard, (you know… “in richness and poorness, in sickness and in health…”) “This we will do to them, … so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them.” (Josh. 9:20)
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 mentions: “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?”

A Christian marriage is more than a joining of two people, it is a covenent where two Christian believers desire to honor God through their union.

Rob

 

Dear Friends,

Our relationship with Jesus is as a marriage covenant. It is a blood covenant relationship, a relationship this generation is trying to rediscover and will rediscover in the endtime drama. It will be a revelation.

And hearts will be exposed.

http://endtimepilgrim.org/bloodcove.htm

Blessings to all,

Gavin

 

Diane </font>[/QUOTE]Amen.

Kelly and I were married in 1988. I was 19 and she was 17. At our wedding shower many friends and family bought us baby gifts, our first child was born in march 1990. We have not always had an easy road, but we have found that God was definitely working in the bad times to draw the two of us closer to him and to each other.

When we were married many of our friends said we would last about 6 months. Unfortunately many of these are now in there second marriage. IMHO then, the marriage institute is the same for the lost and saved alike.

As used at Gen. 2.24 'one' means the following:

H259
אחד
'echâd
ekh-awd'
A numeral from H258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: - a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.


The word must be considered in context of course.

This is a beautiful study observe the language used:

Genesis 2:18  ¶And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21  ¶And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23  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.
24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

cleave H1692
דּבק
dâbaq
daw-bak'
A primitive root; properly to impinge, that is, cling or adhere; figuratively to catch by pursuit: - abide, fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard, after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.


God Bless
Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

Amen, Bro. Dallas. I was 19 and Jim was 23. It's been 33 years this coming Oct. God is Faithful!

Diane

 

Note here, 'the man and his wife,...'

The Holy Spirit obviously recognized this marriage, note also this is prior to Adam knowing his wife intimately (Genesis 4:1  ¶And Adam knew Eve his wife.

This relationship also was recognized prior to the fall, and prior to the revelation of Gen. 3.15;21 etc. thus prior to salvation by Grace, which I believe Adam and Eve did receive. This then makes the marriage relationship one and the same with the same stipulations, whether the parties are believers or not.

God Bless.
Bro.Dallas Eaton

 

Amen again! The covenant marriage is a permanent agreement between a man, a woman and God! No loop holes for me!

I'll take this a step further.... I honestly believe if we are in prayer and allow God to lead us in our choice of a mate, I believe God has created and ordained and will lead us to that perfect mate.

I believe in my heart that I am the woman created by God for Jim. From that rib....

Diane

 

Amen Diane,

I am in full agreement with you. I believe that God has ordained the marraige of Kelly and myself, this does not mean that the adversary has not attempted to break this marriage, but it does mean that, as I said above, we lean more and more on God. As A.W. Pink said, to be strong in Grace is to be weak in sin.

Some call me old-fashion, some tell me I will never be able to pastor a church because of my belief, I don't mind what some call me, and I don't mind not pastoring, as long as I am being denied because of my adherance to the Word of God, my hands are clean.

I would rather be denied by man than by God any day.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

Itching Ears, Bro. Dallas....

Give me God's word over pretty stories and the lies of the world! My ears are not itching. I hear you!

Diane

 

My hueband and I were married in 1980(he was 21 and I was 16), we had known each other since childhood, circumastanc esin life kept thrusting us to one another, even though we were not christian we had always known God had created us for each other, it made divorce not an option even then, it sure hasn't been easy, but we've never been quitters. When my husband proposed he said ( and has said ever since) that I had one of his ribs, we were made for each other, and he wanted his rib(me).

 

One of the students of Gameliel (or was it a
student of his father?) informed Gameliel that our
God is a thief, because He took one of Adam's
ribs while Adam slept. The student waited for
Gameliel's response, but the teacher's daughter
asked her father if she could answe the young
man. Allowed to do so, she told the story of a
man who would break into his neighbors' homes
and steal their silver bowls. She went on to say
that the thief would invariably replace each silver
bowl with a gold one. This, she said, is what our
God did when He took one of Adam's ribs: He
replaced that rib with Eve -- something of far
greater value than that of the item "stolen."

Your price is far above that of rubies.

 

How sweet Abiyah, that is so cute.