"The Institution of Marriage"
In the beginning on the Sixth day of creation, God said in Genesis chapter 2, "(26) Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . . (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it and have dominion . . . . "
The institution of the family begun - man was formed of the dust of the ground, and the Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul - a physical being. The Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a help meet. The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh." Man was created first and from the dust of the ground, from dirt; the woman was created second and not from the dust of the ground BUT from man the creative work of God -- from his rib or part of his side. The rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. Hence, the first wedding took place in the Garden of Eden, the Father of the bride presented her to the groom and she became his wife.
In marriage 2 wills; 2 separate, individual wills are being formed or becoming as "1". The man and his wife have become "1", now both of them have to be willing to let go of their own will (will: a strong desire or determination to do something; a person's choice or desire in a particular situation). In holy matrimony, now, we have to conform or adopt to the will of the Father. IF the husband or wife conform to each other's will or desire in their union of marriage eventually that marriage will falter (meaning: to stop being strong or successful, to fail or weaken, to walk or move in an unsteady way, to feel doubt about doing something) because they have decided to follow their own way or desire. It is the Lord God that recognized that man needed a "help meet", it is the Lord God that created the wife from the man and presented her to him, God knows what works and what doesn't work in marriage.
Here's just a couple of scriptures that will work IF you work it in your marriage:
v WIVES submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
- Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.
v HUSBANDS love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
- Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
v HUSBAND & WIFE: ". . . for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be ONE flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but ONE flesh, what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
- Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Note - also part of the scripture(s) mentioned above is an analogy of the relationship between the Bride (the Church) and the Groom (Christ Jesus). The Word of God (aka Bible) is the foundation and instructional manual on how to build a healthy, wholesome, vibrant, loving marriage.
