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We don’t understand covenants, we think they’re like contracts.  Honestly the most close modern day relationship we have to covenants is joining the military.  It’s easier to be divorced than leave the service.  Today, I want to explore what God has in mind when he talks about covenant.

Our covenant is created in three parts… (Genesis 2:24-25)

1. Leave
   1. A covenant is exclusive and the covenant is predated with leaving the home of origin and moving towards each other.  Once in a marriage covenant, you are not eligible to enter into it with someone else.
   2. Many marriages never get started properly, because they fail to leave their families.  Perhaps some of you here today, maybe you’ve been married for awhile have yet to leave and you know it because it’s a constant presence and problem in your home.
   3. Connections with our families of origin are great, being enmeshed is bad.
2. Cleave
   1. The covenant starts with the connection of a man and woman.
   2. This word cleave is used of our dependency on God.  As Joshua is saying farewell to the people in Joshua 23:8 he says to Israel about God, “You are to cling to Him.”
   3. Once we leave the family of origin we forge a new identity through the intimate connection of marriage.
3. One Flesh
   1. Once the leave and the cleaving have taken place then a new identity is forged.  This act of creation is something that we will talk about a little more next week when we talk about sexual intimacy.
   2. And then like we talked the first week about the cycle of intimacy covenant love à strengthened by graceà built by mutual empowermentà deeper intimacy which: increases our love.  Each time we go round this we forge deeper connections.
   3. This is why sex outside of marriage is so damaging.  It reveals our deepest parts physically, emotionally and spiritually but in an arena without adequate trust and intimacy.
4. If we build our covenant according to God’s design it brings us wholeness.
   1. Genesis 1:27 makes it clear that both male and female were made in the image of God.  So in a very real sense when a man and woman come together there is a completeness to their union.
   2. A cute story that lacks accuracy is the ancient rabbis felt that when man and woman were created prior to the fall they were literally connected.  At the fall they were separated.
   3. You see before we had man and woman, monochromatic according to our illustration.  Together much more colorful, it’s like seeing God in black & white versus full-color.
5. This is why singles who have that gift of singleness are profound and beautiful creations.  Matthew 19:12 Jesus affirms that there are those who remain chaste and single for the kingdom of heaven.  A single’s marriage in a very real sense is to God and it shows as a witness to us.

Our covenant is written on our hearts. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Mark 10:2-9)

1. Jeremiah is saying that Israel held so well to the letter of the law, but their hearts were far from God.  God is saying, “The purpose of covenant was to have you – all of you!  Not just lip service or a signed name on the contract.”
2. As God wrote a new covenant for us, his people on our hearts, Jesus similarly renews the marriage covenant when he does away with the certificate of divorce. (Read Mark 10:2-9)
3. Why is Jesus so hard on divorce?  This is why, because no matter the reason whether the divorce was “justified” or not you never leave unbroken.
4. Just like in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God’s covenant with his people is new and written on their hearts, our marriage covenants are written on our hearts!
5. I’m not one for political advocacy in the pulpit, but here I will state something that I am strongly in favor for and I believe every Christian should be and that is covenant marriage.
6. Church what is wrong with a nation that has to write new laws to make marriage a covenant?  All marriages should be this, but they’re not.
7. Our marriages have been viewed too much as a legal contract and not a covenant before God.   Our marriages aren’t typed contracts, but written on our hearts.

Our covenant is witnessed to by God. (Malachi 2:10-17)

1. Malachi 2:13-17, God is the witness and protector of the covenant, “both flesh and spirit” are his, covenant consumes all of our being
   1. Speaks to the inclusive nature of marriage.
   2. Our minds belong to each other, our hearts belong to each other, and our bodies belong to each other.
2. The same word used in Malachi 2:10 of God’s covenant with the people of Israel is the same word used of our marriage covenant in Malachi 2:14
3. You see God sees the covenant we make and he guards it.  He doesn’t want the contractual obligations we offer, Malachi 2:13-14 says he rejects the contract for the covenant.

Our covenant is worth keeping. (Ezekiel 20:44)

1. Too many times people come to a marriage and say, “This person isn’t worth keeping.”  Or that they don’t have much to lose.  But the truth is that the covenant is worth keeping – because the covenant is valued.
2. Let me summarize Ezekiel 20:1-43, God’s people have rebelled for the last time.  They have not listened, they have not respected, they have not loved, they have been faithless.  The people are worthless, but look at Ezekiel 20:44.  We see that God keeps his covenant with Israel not because Israel is worth it, but because God values his covenant.
3. Covenants are not disposable.  They cost something, in the Old Testament covenants were attested to by blood.  Sacrifice was made and in marriage its no different.  A marriage feast is prepared and sacrifice is made.
4. Our covenants, for their own sake, are worth keeping.

The challenge today for our couples: Go get your wedding album out, if you’ve got a tape, watch it.  Remember your covenants.  Many times people remember that they love their spouse, but sometimes they forget why.  Look at the beginning and remember.

The challenge today for singles: Go get a picture of your baptism, if you’ve got a tape, watch it.  Remember your covenant with God.  Many times people remember that they love God, but sometimes they forget why and the intensity they started with.  Look at the beginning and remember.