“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and leave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
Throughout Scripture, already from Genesis 2, we see that in marriage, the man and the woman leave their parents, and are joined together by God to establish a distinct family unit. It is a picture of the marriage of Christ and his Church, or Assembly, (his Bride) which He loves and for which He has given Himself. Speaking of marriage in Ephesians 5:32, Paul says, “This mystery is great; but I speak of Christ and the congregation." It is a wonderful love story: the love of Christ who gave all He had to acquire what He valued so much. His marriage will endure for eternity, and our marriages are a figure of it, although their duration does not exceed that of our lives in this world.
Our marriages should be filled with this love of Christ: it would give them holiness and the power of testimony in this world,—which Satan hates so much. He hates everything precious to Christ!
Marriage also provides that children are brought up in an environment of love and security. We see around us the problems that arise when children grow up without this security. There is instability, and this leads to the problems of society in general. Children should grow up in a family unit that is a shelter where they know that mom and dad love each other, and are not going to leave each other or them.
In this verse from Gen. 2:24, "man" is a mature person capable of making the positive decision to leave his parents, and to take on the responsibility that comes with the decision to lead a wife and family, and provide maintenance.
To "attach" indicates a lasting bond of affection: an abiding relationship of love. "Being one flesh" indicates unity of activity and purpose, and also physical relationship. Marriage is the God-given relationship for the display of our natural affections and our natural desires.
Marriage is until the Lord comes or death breaks the bond. Matthew 19:6 says, "Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate."
Also in marriage, the individuals lose their separate identity, and the two become a new person: “The two will be one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Mark 10:8). If we take Christ as our model, we will give our love to our spouse, desiring only love in return (“Christ loved us and gave himself up for us”—see Ephesians 5:2, 25), and by doing this the love will grow. He loves us unconditionally, even when our love is chilled. In marriage, our love too should be unconditional, following the example of Christ.
The husband has the responsible role as head or leader, and the wife must be subject to him. This is God's command to which we must be prepared to submit if we desire His blessing: “Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord; because the husband is the head [or: head] of the wife” (Eph. 5:22, 23). It is not superiority or inferiority, but position according to the divine plan and order, which works for the blessing of husband and wife. If the roles are reversed, the way is open to pain and disorder. We must willingly submit to the Word of God rather than to the influences of the world. True love gives everyone their rightful place, and the relationship thrives within that framework. A loving husband will always give due consideration to his wife's thoughts and desires, and a faithful wife will honor the husband's responsibility to lead.
If you're planning on getting married, are you ready to share everything with your spouse? — share everything as one person with him: yourself, your time, your money, your interests, your visions, so that you will only do what you both happily agree on before the Lord.
"Being subject to one another in fear of Christ" (Eph. 5:21
