No one even thinks about it. If someone wants to get married they go to the government to get a license to do so. It was not always this way. Government’s “marriage” was originally designed to give approval for man made types of “marriage” that God would never allow. Should we expect it to be any different today?
Yahweh God’s marriage has existed since the creation of the world. God’s marriage is based on his moral laws. For the Christian, God’s marriage is the only marriage that has validity before God. There are only a few rules for God’s marriage.
- One must marry someone of the same general kin or race.
- One must marry someone of the opposite physical gender.
- One must marry someone who is also a Christian.
Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
In both the Greek and Hebrew the word adultery includes the idea of miscegenation. God does not recognize as valid a union between people of different races.
Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.” Also see Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7 and Ephesians 5:31.
In Genesis 2:24 the Hebrew word for man has a masculine gender. In the Hebrew the word for wife is of feminine gender in the possessive case and actually is the word woman.
2 Corinthians 6:14 “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
God does not recognize a union between a Christian and a non-Christian. For those who already have a union of this type, they may stay together if it is desired to do so. The Christian is however free to leave and marry a Christian. 1 Corinthians 7.
Exodus 21:10 “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights”
A marriage recognized by Yahweh God is strictly between one man and one woman. Although it is very unpopular and not politically correct today God does allow a man to have more than one of these marriage relationships before God. The man must continue to provide for previous wives as before. The first wife also has a special place as the wife of his youth.
Deuteronomy 25:5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.” Also see Deuteronomy 25:6-10.
This is commonly referred to as Leverite marriage. The reason is spelled out in the full quote as to protect the future lineage of a man in Israel. The term brother in Hebrew has a broader meaning than the English word and can include any close male relative.
Scripture has much more to say about marriage. The intent of this article only concerned who can marry. The only approvals a Christian needs for marriage is Yahweh God’s, the father of the virgin woman and the woman.