Marriage: Divinely Instituted
After having created and adorned the heaven and the earth, God created living creatures. He created many animals at once, but He initially created only one human being—a man. Subsequently, He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, during which God removed a rib from him. From this He created a woman, Eve, and brought her to Adam to be his wife. Just as they were first one and subsequently became two, the Lord, by way of marriage, made them one again after this. “And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh” (Mark 10:8). After God had brought Adam and Eve together, He “blessed them, and … said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen 1:28). Thus, God instituted marriage and gave His blessing upon it, not only prior to the fall, but He also repeated this after the fall (Gen 3:16; 9:1). God Himself decrees who one’s wife will be and gives her to every man (Gen 24:44). “A prudent wife is from the Lord” (Prov 19:14). The Lord Jesus gave His approbation to marriage by honoring a wedding with His presence (John 2:11). Thus, “marriage is honourable in all” (Heb 13:4). This is also true for ministers, for Paul calls the prohibition of marriage a doctrine of devils (1 Tim 4:1), and it is furthermore a sign of the antichrist. Godly ministers, both in the Old and New Testaments, have been married. Aaron was married and had sons (Lev 1:7), Samuel was married and had children (1 Sam 8:2), Peter had a wife (Matt 8:14), and Paul had license to take a wife, as was also true for the other apostles (1 Cor 9:5).
As God instituted marriage, the Lord likewise created in man the ability and inclination to procreate. This inclination is good in and of itself, but after the fall everything in man has become corrupted and distorted. Man is also in this respect distorted and frequently desires the means more than the end. Yes, he frequently fears the end, and with heated fervor entertains himself with the means. Consequently he indulges in various sins in this respect, as to both manner and objects—sins which are forbidden in the seventh commandment.
The Sins Prohibited
The sins which are forbidden here are numerous. We shall organize them under the following main headings: actions, gestures, words, thoughts, lusts, and opportunities. To unchaste actions belong the following:
First, there is adultery, which occurs when a married man or woman has a relationship with another person—either married or unmarried. If this sin is committed by two married persons, then there is double adultery. If it is committed by a married and an unmarried person, there is single adultery. Not only does the married person commit adultery, but also the unmarried person.
Secondly, there is the desertion of one’s spouse without adultery being the cause. “For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away” (Mal 2:16); “Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery” (Matt 5:32); “If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases” (1 Cor 7:12, 15). If the one spouse commits adultery, then the other spouse may leave the adulterous one, file for divorce, and remarry. The person that has been divorced due to committing adultery may not remarry, and whoever marries such a person also commits adultery. If a spouse divorces rashly, that is, without fornication being the cause, such a spouse will be the cause of sin if the one who has been divorced commits fornication. The one who is the cause of the divorce may not remarry, even though this was practiced in Israel. In such a case, where the sin remained, there was the stipulation that the one who was deserted be given a bill of divorcement (Matt 19:7). This is, however, contrary to God’s commandment. “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt 19:6). The one who has been divorced, however, is not obligated to remain unmarried, but rather is permitted to remarry. However, to divorce for reasons other than fornication is adultery.
Thirdly, there is incest; that is, if persons who are too closely related enter into a relationship, be it outside of marriage or within marriage (although it is no marriage). The blood relationship is too close if the relationship is closer than cousins, that is, the children of brothers and sisters. Marriage between first cousins is not prohibited anywhere. The Lord has left man free in this, and such persons do not need to be secretly troubled about this in their heart. The degrees of relationship which are forbidden are parents with their children and grandchildren, this being true in all generations. It is also considered to be incest if one marries either two sisters or two brothers; that is, the one after the death of the other. It is incestuous to marry children of one’s sister or brother; that is, if an uncle or an aunt marries someone whose uncle or aunt they are; or if a nephew or niece marries an uncle or an aunt in all descending degrees. To determine who are too near of kin, one must refer to Lev 18:6-18 and 20:11-12.