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The Marriage Vow
Gina:
Hi, Michael
Gen 25:22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.
How do we know this isn't where the vows were exchanged and the wedding ceremony took place? Maybe it was.
How do we know that simply because we don't see where there was a ceremony when a handmaid was given to a man that there was no ceremony? We don't know that there was no ceremony.
Neo:
--- Quote --- If the feast/ceremony/vows/oaths had already occurred with Rachel the night before, then Jacob was already married to Rachel. ALL OBLIGATIONS HAD BEEN MET.
How is it, then, that it turns out he had “legally married” Leah?
--- End quote ---
Vs. 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in OUR country, to give the younger before the firstborn."
Michael, Laban's ways are a tad lower than God's ways. That was how it was done by a very carnal-minded trickster in HIS country. God was teaching Jacob a lesson for the trick he pulled on his father.
Neo:
--- Quote ---How is it, then, that it turns out he had “legally married” Leah? (And he certainly did, as the text says Leah was his “wife”, during the next 7 years, for which he labored again to take his rightful wife, Rachel.) Jacob had said no vows, and made no contracts with Leah. But one physical act, done ignorantly by him—he was deceived!—voided the agreement with Rachel, nullified the “marriage” and instead made Leah his wife.
There it is, right there in scripture. Looks like Dennis is completely wrong, in that sex does make a marriage legal. Because that unity, that bond is what a marriage is.
--- End quote ---
I wouldn't take this to an extreme. I wouldn't base my views on marriage by looking to very carnal-minded tricksters - men and women (obviously Leah was a bit of a trickster herself).
Are you saying that a man is considered to be married to a woman simply by having sex with her? Michael, and you'll tell that to the women (and sometimes men) and children (male and female) who are raped every year?
Everybody will have to give an account to God. If they believe that they are legally married simply because they had sex with another person, then they will have to grapple with that. It is between them and God.
As for me, I believe that we were bought with a very, very HIGH price by Jesus Christ who made a public display of his love for us and redeemed me with His blood in a very public way.
I'm not married and I'm not perfect but I will never consider myself married to a man simply because he "entered my house," so to speak. Thieves and robbers do that to women and children (boys and girls) every day!
I'd be very careful, Michael. Jesus put himself on display to unite me back to my heavenly Father. If I were going to be married, the least I could do is to sign a piece of paper and make a public statement that, yes, I have it on file at the courthouse that this is my husband and I am his wife and not go outside the bounds of marriage where sex is concerned.
People who say that a piece of paper from the "state / country " is not necessary to make a marriage legal are hypocrites because they won't hesitate to whip out the title deed to their house which has their signature on it to prove that they bought it and it belongs to them. They don't mind that being on record or written down and kept secure in the event someone were to try and take their house from them. They don't mind their children's birth certificates being on file at the courthouse. They don't mind that.
There are people who say all the time, Well, it's just a piece of paper and that doesn't make a marriage.
Okay fine, but if it's "just a piece of paper," then sign the thing! Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for you! The least we could do, as people who claim that we are His children, is not look to carnal-minded people from the OT for how to conduct our private lives. Sign the paper. Have a ceremony and then you can have sex.
In this country, we have a marriage and then sex comes after. it's a privilege to those who are married.
Have a marriage the way it's done in YOUR country. If it entails jumping over a broomstick in public with witnesses and that's considered legal in your country, then jump over it.
In this country, we have to go down to the courthouse and sign a piece of paper and then we're married by taking vows before someone who has the legal right to marry two people.
There's no end to where this could go, but basically, in these parts, we do these things according to the New Testament. We don't "climb up some other way." Even Jesus paid the temple tax though He legally was not obligated to. He was not obligated to shed His blood, but he did it to show He loved us.
Many don't want to be bound by the laws of the state, probably because they have ulterior motives. They want to be able to leave anytime they want to leave. Okay, fine. So like Ray said, if you don't want to be married then don't have sex. That's the least you could do for the ones we love. Don't use people for your own gratification.
It's as simple as that.
Dave in Tenn:
amen and amen.
dave:
Repent......and the preparation for the ceremony begins.
indianabob:
Very well put Gina, thanks for your thoughts.
Indiana Bob
Rhys 🕊:
Good stuff Gina. Thanks for sharing it
Rhys
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