A Divine Purpose For Marriage

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” - Genesis 1:28

Yesterday, we began talking about the different truths we need to understand surrounding what God defines as a model marriage. We discussed how the first thing we need to understand is the divine pattern of marriage. (If you missed yesterday’s devotion, I would strongly encourage you to go back and read it.) Today, we’re going to continue this conversation and look at another truth surrounding model marriages.

The second truth we need to understand is the divine purpose of marriage. In Scripture, we are told that God created the male and then the female in His own image. They were alike in that they were human, but they were different in their sexuality, but that was for a reason. “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:28).

The very first responsibility God gave to the very first couple was to be fruitful and increase in number. In other words, to procreate – to have children in His image to be multiplied through both men and women, and He wanted both men and women to rule over the earth. He also wanted to have future generations of people who would love him and follow Him and inherit the blessing that He promised them.

Now, this might seem obvious, but I think it’s worth stating that if God had created either two men or two women to be married, He certainly would have never given the command to be fruitful and multiply because two men and two women can’t multiply anything. 

By the very fact that this is the unique, physical relationship that can produce children, God was also saying that children should be raised by a father and a mother. There are only two kinds of people who have the ability to produce the physical love in a relationship that makes children possible and that is male and female. Therefore, with this divine purpose in mind, we can clearly see God’s ideal for a model marriage.

Dear Lord, thank you for your Word. Thank you that we can find truth and wisdom within the pages of Scripture. When it comes to marriage, an entity that the world and the enemy are so desperately trying to dismantle, help us to stay true to what you say is right and remember the divine purpose behind marriage. In Jesus’ name, amen.