Sunday: One Flesh
Daily Lesson for Sunday 13th of April 2025
Few biblical metaphors underscore the intimacy that God desires with the human race more than that of marriage. This metaphor is used so frequently in the biblical narrative—and shows up so pointedly in Revelation—that it is imperative for Bible students to grasp what God is driving at when He uses it in the Word.
Read Genesis 2:23-25 and Ephesians 5:29-32. In what ways does a human marriage mirror Christ’s bond to humanity?
Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com
On an occasion when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, He quoted the Genesis account of Adam and Eve’s marriage, to which the Pharisees quickly raised the question, “ ‘Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?’ ” (Matthew 19:7, NKJV).
Moses, of course, was deemed a founding prophet for the nation. Imagine questioning the Author of the institution of marriage by pitting Him against His own prophet. Their tact was typical of their approach to Jesus; they often attempted to prove that His teachings contradicted the Scriptures.
Lifetime, faithful marriage was the ideal established by God at the foundation of the human race. Fallen humanity, unfortunately, damaged this foundational gift from God.
Perhaps, given the importance that Scripture assigns to marriage, it is not a coincidence that the institution has always been under relentless attack. Along with the Sabbath, it is one of the two gifts bestowed on us in Eden, and both were intended to demonstrate God’s desire for an intimate relationship with His creation.
Marriage, the intimate pairing of two imperfect people, will always give cause for tension. A marriage between the church and Christ is the pairing of a perfect Savior with a very imperfect bride. Nevertheless, we can learn about God’s love from what a good marriage offers.
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Here are three principles for marriage. First, forgive your spouse, however undeserving, just as Christ forgives us, however undeserving. Second, accept your spouse, faults and all, just as Christ accepts us, faults and all. Third, just as Christ put us before Himself, put your spouse before yourself. How could all three of these gospel-based principles help us not only to understand how God relates to us but also to help any marriage? |
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The frequency of the marriage metaphor used in the Bible clearly shows how God defines His relationship with His people. God desires a warm, intimate, passionate, faithful, tender, and living relationship with His people. What is so special with marriage that God uses it to define His relationship with His people?
The Bible describes marriage as “a great mystery” (Ephesians 5:31-32). This union is a mystery because one plus one is two, but in this case, one plus one is one. Marriage is more than a physical union (sexual intimacy) between a husband and wife. This union is emotional, relational, spiritual, permanent, sacrificial, and exclusive. This is a unique relationship where two distinct persons are meant to have a common (one) destiny. Earthly marriage is a visible symbol of invisible eternal realities. Behind marriage, there is Christ and the Church. Marriage is far more than what it looks. It is a living symbol of Christ’s love, sacrifice, unity, and eternal covenant with His people. As two persons (man and woman) become one flesh, complete, and irreversible, God wants to have a permanent love relationship with His people. Jesus wants to have a common destiny with Him in His kingdom.
Marriage is a wonderful metaphor to exhibit the relationship God wants with His church.
In regard to that last paragraph of the lesson for Sunday I would submit that God is preparing the bride for that day when He can present "it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing". Eph 5:27 At that time it will be a pairing of two who are in perfect agreement and harmony of life.
One flesh is indeed a deep symbol that incorporates the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and in all other ways on how those married become one. As different body parts cares for the other body parts (the stomach digests food for the body, the brain directs the body for the good of the whole, the hands work for the sake of the body, etc.), so marriage partners are expected to care for the other. Each partner is no longer to see money earned as “my” money, but rather as “our” money. Ephesians 5:22-33 and Proverbs 31:10-31 give the application of this “oneness” to the role of the husband and to the wife, respectively.
Physically, they become one flesh, and the result of that one flesh is found in the children that their union produces; these children have and possess a special genetic makeup, specific to their parents. Even in the sexual aspect of their relationship, a husband and wife are not to consider their bodies as their own but as belonging to their partner (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). Nor are they to focus on their own pleasure but rather the giving of pleasure to their spouse- A powerful symbol of what christians who are now one with christ should be able to do not living on and for their own but living for christ having become children of God by right John 1:12 their genetic Make-up is changed and not reflects their Father in Heaven but it now becomes to nature to be spiritual and connected with their maker.
Marriage was meant to be a lifetime covenant between a man and a woman. Sin has marred the marriage experience leading to separation and divorce.
However, as Seventh Day Adventist Christians, we should be the example of what a Godly marriage is and we can only do this by allowing Christ to be the center of our marriages!!!!
How does that say anything about prophecy?
Does the fact that God compares His relationship with His people to a marriage tell us anything about what kind of relationship He wants with us?
On the bottom of Sunday’s Lesson there are three principles of marriage. Those are good principles but I feel like one is missing. Your spouse isn’t the only one who makes mistakes. You make mistakes too. I make mistakes too. There is a need to be honest and humble about OUR OWN failures, faults and weaknesses as well.
I think it’s referring to both partners, how both should treat other
To me, the one flesh helps me understand the Trinity. It's three People in one family serving one purpose, just like a married couple is two people in one family serving one purpose.
In regards to the principles at the end of the lesson, they are good ones, but they really stand or fall on whether both spouses will live them. If both spouses forgive, accept, put the other first, the marriage will be a happy one. But if one does not, there can be serious problems, even abuse.
Of course, one person can begin to live those principles and see the behavior/attitude of the other change, but that's not always true.
I see marriage as the proving ground providing opportunity to learn to express His one-ness in Spirit with us and through us. Through “the intimate pairing of two imperfect people,” He establishes a union between them to be grounded in the Spirit of His Love.
Our Creator and heavenly Father seeks to establish a spiritual unity formed by His creative Love. Not only in the marriage bond, but in every relationship within His Ecclesia, as we are considered to be representative of the body of Christ - 1Cor.8:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9.
I believe the Spirit's presence in the individual, in the marriage, and the Ecclesia are established by God for the divine purpose to demonstrate His Glory in and through us: a unity in spirit which is both formed and sustained by His Holy Spirit expressing God's Love toward us - Eph.4:4-6.
I have to quote the author's final paragraph. It synthesizes the message of a good relationship between "two different people."
"Here are three principles for marriage: First, forgive your spouse, however undeserving, just as Christ forgives us, however undeserving. Second, accept your spouse, faults and all, just as Christ accepts us, faults and all. Third, just as Christ put us before Himself, put your spouse before yourself."