MARRIAGE IS FOR FULFILLING GOD’S WORK;
When we think of marriage, we have so many thoughts about. Many of us have lots expectations in marriage. We have likes and dislikes, what we expect our spouse to meet our standard. But the question is, “is that the meaning of marriage?”
Marriage is not for fulfilling our desires, likes and dislikes. Marriage is for fulfilling God’s work. God had a plan for this world, and who will look after it. So He planed who will do that, and He said let us make man in our Image that He takes charge of the earth. Let us look at what the bible says; genesis chapter 1:26 says;- 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
So God created man to have dominion and rule the earth. After He has done that and placed man on earth he say that some thing was not right. Genesis 2:18 says;- The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
So after God had made man and commissioned him, He noticed that there was something which was not right, and that man needs someone to help him fulfill His purposes.
In God’s sight marriage is for fulfilling His purposes; a wife if to help man have dominion over the earth, she has to help him rule the earth, she has to help the man to subdue it and she has to help her husband multiply and fill the earth. This also applies to the man. He has to help his wife dominate, rule, have dominion and replenish the earth. The bible also says in Ephesians 5:26 that
WHY DID GOD CREATE MAN AND WOMAN?
We have seen that God created man and woman in a very special way. We have also seen that there was a vital relationship between God and man. Why did God do this? Was He just interested in making someone who different from the rest of His creation? The answer is no. he had a special purpose for man and woman. The purpose was for them to “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” genesis 1:28. The Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. Genesis 2:15. In summary God created man and woman so that they should;-
• Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
• Subdue the earth
• Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the earth.
• Till the garden and keep it.
So God purpose in creating man was to have a co-worker who would co-operate with Him and carry out His work and for His glory working in His limits and timing. Man was created not to satisfy his needs but to satisfy God’s needs. We conclude therefore that when man leaves God aside, His needs, plans and purposes, he leaves God aside. So marriage is to serve this purpose for the glory of the Highest God. We all need to remember that God’s work is to be done in God’s way, should be done in His timing, with vital fellowship with Him, in His power and for His glory only. So when we start thinkg about marriage, we must know that marriage is to help us do His work better.
HOW DID IT START?
AFTER God had created man and given him the commission and work for Him, God soon found out than man could not accomplish His work as he was. There was a need for a helper. Man was alone and needed a companion who would help him to do God’s work.
I strongly believe that the need for a wife was a need for a partner who could help man to accomplish God’s work. He was a lonely laboring man that God concluded by saying “it is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper fit for him” genesis 2:18. The helper was to be a compatible helper, not just and helper. She had to be fit to help to do God’s work. Go intends a wife to a helper fit to help a man do His work.
God is not a dreamer, H saw man’s need for a helper fit to help him accomplish His purposes, He did not leave things the way they were. He went out to put what He saw into action. He began to look for a helper fit for man. He could have added something or created some other man for Adam to relationship with that he would accomplish His work without a need for a helper. He did not do so. He decided to look for someone else, apart from himself, who is fit in a vital relationship with Himself to accomplish the work. So serious was the task of finding a compatible partner that even God did not find it easy. There was a seeking process and an elimination process. The bible says in genesis 2:18-23 18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, '
for she was taken out of man."

We have said that when God decided to make a helper fit for man, He did not find the process of choosing easy. There was a seeking process and an elimination process. The Lord did not impose His own choice on man; rather, He brought various possibilities to man and allowed man to be the final decider in the whole matter. Look at this examples of what God did;-
1. God brought every beast of the field, but Adam did not find a helper fit for him.
2. He brought every bird of the air to him, but he just gave them names and that was all.
3. He also brought the cattle of the field to Adam, the reaction was the same.
From what we have seen above, God did not dictate to man whom he was to choose. He presented the possibilities to man and left it to man to decide. God therefore gave man total freedom as to whom he could have as his helper. Look at what the Bible says in Genesis 2:20b
These creatures where helpers to Adam, but they were not fit. The helper Adam was looking for was a special helper fit to help him to accomplish God’s work. Man was looking for the best.
The fact that man did not just accept anything that was brought to him by the Lord God shows that he clearly understood the fact that God was not forcing things on him. It further shows the fact that he knew what he was looking for and therefore, was prepared to wait until he found what he wanted. He was more or less saying that although he needed a helper, he would rather stay without a helper than have just any helper. He understood the full implication of having a helper. He knew that the helper he accepted would influence him in a most profound way, and that he could succeed or fail in his life’s goal, depending on who that helper was.
So marriage in God’s purpose requires two helpers fit to help each other to accomplish the work of God. Marriage is the union of two helpers fit to accomplish God’s work.
So after knowing that marriage is not for fulfilling our purposes but to do His work, it involves searching and waiting. Let us look at what the Bible says in proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD. The search for Adams helper took much time and waiting. She was not easy to come by, but at last she was found. This time he did not do like the other three times, he accepted her fully and with total joy. He made her his choice. Look at what he said “at last” meaning the search has ended, and the choice made. Now in marriage after you make your choice, this is what happens, Genesis 2:24 therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
In these verses we that after the leaving, there is a cleaving and becoming one flesh not two any more. Then the work starts of helping your mate to Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Ephesians 5:21-33 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God 22 Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 for the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
With the husband having one supreme responsibility to their wives. It is that they should labour, strive and work so that they may on the Day of Judgment, present their wives to Christ in splendor without spot without wrinkle Without blemish. Without spot means that she should be without sin. Without wrinkle means that she should maintain her first love for the Lord Jesus. Without blemish means that the fruit of the spirit should mature in her in such a way that she will present the full spectrum of the character of Christ.
According to God’s purpose in marriage, a man is to set himself life-long goals. Yearly goals, monthly goals, weakly goals and daily goals on how to ensure that his wife grows in the splendor of the Lord Jesus. He is to ask himself at the end of each day, “Have I helped my wife today to grow in splendor?” if a man fails to prepare his wife in such a way that he will present her to the Lord in splendor, then he has failed as far as his marriage is concerned.
Now in conclusion let us look at two important things before marriage.
A YOU MUST CHOOSE.
Why does God not just bring the wife He has for you along and say “Brother Moses, here is the perfect life partner that I have for you”? If He did so, you would have lost the power of choice and you might one day complain about the fact that you were not allowed to choose. Adam complained when he said “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12. He declined all responsibility for the action she led him into because he was only the tool of the woman. So God will not impose His choice on you. In a sense He considers you as sovereign, and this includes the freedom of choice. In the Bible, Jacob wanted Rachel and was frustrated when they gave him Leah. He worked until he had Rachel, whom he loved. The Bible says “A prudent wife is from the Lord” proverbs 19:14. But this prudent wife fro the Lord has to be found. It also says “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord”. Proverbs 18:22. Proverbs 31:10 says “A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels” so a good wife has to be found, she will be obtained as the result of diligent searching.
YOU WILL HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN
God is prepared to guide you in your search and in your choice. He promises to do so. In His word He says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not keep with you” psalm 32:8-9. The Lord will instruct. He will guide. However, you must be obedient and you must have understanding. Again the word of God says “Do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” Ephesians 5:17. You can receive the Lord, be surrendered to Him, and yet be foolish and fail to understand His will. If you are like that, you will choose the wrong partner and suffer because of it.
Someone may say,” well, I will just marry any believer. Anyone will be alright, we are the children of God.” this is simple foolishness. It is like saying, “I have two shoes and two feet, I can just wear any shoe on any foot. Tell me how comfortable will you be if your left foot is put into the right shoe? Will have a bad time or not?
So a good marriage will only start when you know the Lord, know that marriage is for fulfilling God’s purposes. It will also be possible if you took time to search and choose the right partner. But all in all, let us seek the counsel of the Lord concerning our marriage. Be blessed and have a blessed marriage.
Pastor Moses.