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Hebrews 13:4
The author of Hebrews gives good advice for how the Lord views marriage. He says that marriage is honorable and that sexual relations are meant to be between the husband and his wife as he indicates by stating that the bed should be undefiled (Hebrews 13:4a). But he also gives note that fornicators and adulterers will be judged by God (Hebrews 13:4b).
This is a command to honor marriage.
This is a command to flee from fornication and adultery.
Genesis 2:24 (NKJV) states, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” These are the first words spoken after God created woman out of the rib bone of the man (Genesis 2:21-23). The Apostle Paul speaks on these words in Ephesians 5:32 calling this statement a great mystery but follows it in Ephesians 5:33 by stating (NIV), “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
To “become one flesh,” I believe has two meanings in the eyes of God: (1) In childbearing – to create a child together in the act of how God designed us to populate the world. (2) As God created man and woman to be a “unit” together, the man and the woman should unite as “one” to make complete the lives of human physical life. The need/desire for a husband/wife also leads us to the need/desire in our hearts to unite with God in our faith in Him to reunite the broken relationship that He desires to have with us – in Christ.
Dear LORD,
We have loosened the bond in which You intended for marriage to have in that the man and woman should become one in the flesh. We have loosened the roles of husband and wife to support one another and love each other as one loves themselves. Many beds are defiled by adultery and fornication. Please help us to see our faults in marriage and know that You are a forgiving God for all who will come to You with a sincere repentant heart. Please help us to see that we must open our hearts to Jesus and the work of Your Holy Spirit in our lives to overcome the sinful nature of this world and live as You would have us – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.