Sorry was running late for work this morning.
Mat 19:4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,
Mat 19:5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?
Mat 19:6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
Mat 19:7 They *said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?"
Mat 19:8 He *said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
Mat 19:9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Mat 19:10 The disciples *said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."
Mat 19:11 But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.
Mat 19:12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."
This discourse starts off talking about marriage. Jesus isn't saying you shouldn't get married, he is simply saying if you do get married, you shouldn't get divorced. I believe it's God plan for "most" of us to be married. Why....
The first commandment given to man by God was...
Gen 1:22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
Gen 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Even after the flood, the first thing God told Noah's family was...
Gen 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
Gen 9:7 "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it."
Now I don't believe you have to get married or else.. I don't think it says anywhere in the Bible "Thou must be married". Not being married, isn't a sin.
However... There are blessings that come with being married.
Pro 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.
Pro 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
Children also...
Psa 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psa 127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.
Psa 127:5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
We should be careful of not wanting to get married for the wrong reasons.. usually selfishness. Many young professionals today wants their time and money for themselves, children take time money and effort. Who wants that?
The Bible warns against being like this.
1Ti 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1Ti 4:2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
1Ti 4:3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
In 1Cor 7, Paul says it is good for a man NOT to touch a woman. However he goes on to say....
1Cor 7:1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
1Cor 7:2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
1Cor 7:3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
1Cor 7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1Cor 7:5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
1Cor 7:6 But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
1Cor 7:7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
1Cor 7:8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.
1Cor 7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
The point being, it's harder for many people to go thru life being UN-married. You don't have to get married (I say this by concession, not as a command) but if you are having sexual weaknesses, (pornography, fornication, lust, etc...) it's probably better for you if you DO get married.
We were never meant to go thru life alone.
Gen 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Again, you don't necessarily have to get married but...
Ecc 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
Ecc 4:10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Ecc 4:11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc 4:12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (The 3rd strand being God in a marriage)
It's nice to have someone who knows you intimately to pray for you, encourage you, and lift you up through life. All marriages aren't always like this, but they should be.
...there is always more, but that's food for thought.
