Marriage in Every Book of the Bible

Karen F. Norton

Description

In every book of the Bible, God uses the intimate beauty of marriage to illustrate His great love for mankind.

Marriage must be on your mind. Otherwise, why would you be reading this back cover? Perhaps you’re engaged, or a newlywed, or a marriage pro—regardless—God’s Word contains all the information you need about how to have a godly and successful marriage.

Do you know that every single book in the Bible has something to say to us today about marriage? Most of us know the familiar passages like 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5. But in every book? Yes, instructions for a godly marriage abound from cover to cover. And why does God put such great emphasis on marriage? Because He uses the metaphor of marriage to illustrate His boundless love for the children of Israel in the Old Testament. This intense love moves into the New Testament personified in the heavenly bridegroom’s unconditional love for His bride, the church.

From the moment God created the institution of marriage in Genesis 2:24 to the ultimate consummation in Revelation 19:7, we sense His exceedingly abundant love and concern for marriage.

Since marriage originated with God and was ordained by Him as a good thing for mankind, it is imperative that we listen to His words more than anyone else’s. “Marriage in Every Book of the Bible” is excellent for personal study or can be used in a classroom or group setting.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Philosophie et théologie
• Israel
• Bride of Christ
• Marriage
• Children
• Love
• Church

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 25 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664283428
• Langue: English

Extrait

MARRIAGE IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE
 
WHY GOD CHOSE MARRIAGE TO ILLUSTRATE HIS LOVE
 
 
 
 
KAREN F. NORTON
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Karen F. Norton.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Author photos by Barbara Havard and Oh Snap Photography, Lufkin, Texas
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8341-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8340-4 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8342-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022920804
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 1/24/2023
CONTENTS
Dedication Page
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Introduction to the New Testament
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Prayer of Salvation
Other Books by Karen F. Norton

 
 
 
 
 
“I’m writing a book on marriage,” I replied when asked about my current project. Her mouth said, “That’s nice.” Her expression said, “All the world needs now is another book on marriage.” I couldn’t agree with her more on both responses!
Soon after God created man, He designed marriage, and His divine plan for marriage began to unfold. Just as every story in the Bible either foreshadows or reflects the Son of God, Jesus Christ, every book either points directly or alludes to the marriage relationship. We see it in the Old Testament between God and the children of Israel and in the New Testament between the heavenly bridegroom and His bride, the church. Therefore, we can learn how marriage between a man and woman is supposed to work by gazing deeply into these relationships. God uses the intimate beauty of marriage to illustrate His great love for mankind. Marriage is tremendously important to God. Your marriage and my marriage are near and dear to His heart.
Answer this question: Why do you read the Bible? The answer can be found in the pair of glasses you put on. Often, we read through the lens of His blessings (What’s in it for me?). But there are many other lenses depending on our interest at the time. Some examples are salvation, holy living, God’s sovereignty, leadership, finances, end-times, healing, etc. The list is endless. At times we may read the Bible through the lens of self-justification, because we don’t want to change and want to convince others that our actions and lifestyle are acceptable when in reality, they are not. Now that’s just wrong, yet we’ve all done it to some degree. Many times, in God’s great mercy, He will show us truth about Him and ourselves we are not expecting. That’s a good thing. Embrace it. But the best lens of all is the “What do You want to say to me today?” lens. We should wear that pair of glasses more often.
For now, I challenge you to put on the marriage lens glasses as we read through God’s Word together. You will see that in each of the sixty-six books of the Bible, God includes instruction and guidelines for marriage, in some books more than others. Marriage in Every Book of the Bible highlights a few of the values I consider critical to a successful and blessed marriage. You will discover other guiding principles unique to your marriage and family as you read through God’s Word.
Marriage in Every Book of the Bible is not a quick-fix or B-12 shot for marriage. It will not make your marriage an overnight success. It won’t provide a reprieve and then you’re back to the same old “same old.” There is no easy step 1-2-3 included here for an efficacious marriage, but a blueprint for a lifestyle. It may not be what we want to hear, but it’s what we need. The best blessed marriage for all of life is possible. However, it will take work, commitment to God and spouse, and submitting to God’s plan for marriage. Don’t let that four-letter word scare you. Anything worth having is worth the work required.
I don’t know about you, but I want to know everything our creator God has to say about marriage. I understand that the most crucial and intimate relationship I will ever have and should ever have is with the Lord Jesus Christ who loves me so much more than any human could possibly love me. The second most important relationship that will ever exist in my life should be and is the one I have with my spouse. Therefore, I go to the Biblical narrative to discover God’s divine plan for marriage. After all, more than anything, I want to hear and truly know what God has to say, for He is my solid and unchanging rock. The world, on the other hand, wakes up to a different definition for marriage every day, otherwise known as shifting sand.
Marriage is the perfect practice field, training ground, and laboratory for learning to be more like Jesus Christ. We’re not on our own to try and figure everything out. He has given us His manual, the Bible, to teach us everything we need to know. We must read and follow the directions, because opportunities and do-overs abound in marriage! God knows we need lots of practice in humility, sacrifice, forgiveness, patience, kindness and unconditional love. Don’t ever quit. God doesn’t give up on us. If intimacy and growth are not happening in the marriage of two believers, it is probably not happening in their individual relationship with God and His Word either.
At times, marriage can be painful. Jesus completely understands that pain and frustration because He is the heavenly bridegroom, and His bride (you and I as believers) are far from perfect. He still loves us. Marriage is a heart and spiritual issue.
Discussion on marriage from each book of the Bible may not come from the familiar passages we typically use to teach on marriage. The goal of this book is not to regurgitate studies on marriage already done but to establish the truth that the entire Bible reflects the importance God puts on marriage between a man and a woman as it coincides with God’s plan and love for Israel and the church. In doing so, I seek to interpret Scripture with Scripture.
God uses various analogies (i.e., shepherd, king, warrior) in Scripture that are rich in symbolism to draw attention to and explain to us in a language we can understand who He is, His character, and His great love for us. No greater illustration exists than that of marriage. We all have witnessed a husband and wife in our lifetime. All over the world in every era and culture, there is marriage. More people can relate to the marriage union (good or bad) than can personally relate to a shepherd, king, or warrior.
In this book, we will look at marriage as portrayed by Biblical husbands and wives. What did they do right, and what did they do wrong? Is marriage different today? If it’s in the Bible, it is for our learning. One truth is certain: God’s idea for marriage has never changed. His Word contains timeless and unchanging principles that never need tweaking. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
If Jesus is the golden thread throughout Scripture, marriage is the silver strand. So, take your spouse by the hand, and let’s go on a mining expedition together and look for those tiny shimmering slivers of truth enclosed within Scripture. Easily overlooked, they contain much wealth that will enrich a marriage. We tend to look for the bigger pieces in the picture, chunks we can brag about. But what about those sparkling specks that quickly glisten when the light hits just right? If we blink, we miss it. Lord, don’t let us miss those gleaming bits that are so important to our life’s picture. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).
Are you ready? Let’s dive into the Word of God and bring to the surface those sparkling truths which will help us in our relationship with our spouse.
Karen F. Norton
December 2022
DEDICATION PAGE
I am truly blessed to have been married to Gene Elwin Norton since June 9, 1972. In my eyes, he exemplifies the heavenly bridegroom so well, and I resemble the bride or the church who is so much les