Images from Marriage - 250203

SPEAKER A Hi, folks, I'm Mike Browning. This is Let God Speak. God designed marriage to be a beautiful experience. It is to bring happiness, it's to bring security so families can thrive. Unfortunately, marriage doesn't always match the ideal. Despite that, God still uses marriage as a beautiful illustration of his love for his people here on Earth. So today we'll study Jesus love for his people in the setting of the marriage relationship. Folks, on our panel today, we have Kaysie Vokurka and we have Lena Yoon. Thank you, ladies for joining us. We really appreciate that. We'd like to pray before we go any further. We invite everyone to join with us. Father in heaven, thank youk that we can be here together to open the scripture and study this message. And I pray that yout Holy Spirit will bless us here in the studio and all those at home watching this programme. May youy presence be with us all. We pray, please, in Jesus name, amen. Now, marriage is the most intimate of human relationships. And I'd like to invite you to turn with me to Genesis, chapter two. And we're going to read there from verse 23 and 24. Now, this is where God is introducing marriage to Adam and Eve, the first human beings. And it went this way after God had done that, introduced them together, Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Now, this is pretty heavy stuff. What is it saying to us here, Kaysie? SPEAKER B Well, it's saying that there's a level of intimacy that's only found in the marriage relationship. And that intimacy is actually protected and fostered when that relationship is both exclusive and lifelong. And it's interesting, my husband and I were talking about this the other day, because the intimacy in marriage is really built on trust and it's built on, like a complete openness between one another. There's nothing between you like, it's just completely that relationship that's built on a close and deep connection. SPEAKER A You've got to have that openness, haven't you? SPEAKER B Yeah, you do. And that's the relationship that God wants to have with us as well. Everyone he wants to have a real deep, close connection with. SPEAKER A Okay, thank you for that. That's a lovely insight. Some people don't bother about getting married, of course. Lena, is that appropriate? SPEAKER C No, that's not. But we can see commonly, like in our society, that some people choose, you know, to just live together without Getting married, but, you know, and probably there's no legal commitment to it. And it's easier for them to actually, you know, decide to live together and break up or even split. But that is not God's way. A marriage should be lifetime and faithful. So that sort of marriage should be the ideal. So along with Sabbath, marriage was one of the two gifts that, you know, was bestowed onto us at the foundation, like, you know, in the Garden of Eden. So, you know, therefore, you know, ideal marriage should be, you know, lifetime and lifelong and faith. So there's no. In other words, there's no alternative to that. But the problem is that our fallen humanity messed up with, you know, this foundational gift from God. SPEAKER A It's interesting, isn't it? Marriage was the most. His best relational gift, and the Sabbath was his best relational gift for us with him. SPEAKER B Yeah. SPEAKER A So it's rather interesting those two are connected, like, okay, thank you for that. I appreciate that. Lena. One of the issues that Jesus confronted, of course, when he was on the earth was the problem of divorce and marriages breaking up. And he was asked about this by some of the leading people of the time. And I'm going to read from Matthew chapter 19 and verse 7. And these people wanting to ask about this, they said to Jesus, why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away? That's interesting, isn't it? Apparently it was a fairly simple process. What did he say? What was he saying about that? What did Jesus have to say about that? SPEAKER B Yeah, it's very interesting what he says, because he was certainly trying to explain how that Moses had to deal with what was not ideal, basically. And in verse eight and nine, it says, moses, because of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce your wives by. But from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced, commits adultery. So it's very clear that it was only allowed because of the fallenness of man and the way they were doing things. But originally it was never intended to be a necessity for divorce. Marriage was supposed to be something that was beautiful and rewarding and meaningful and give just extra enjoyment in life. SPEAKER A And permanent. SPEAKER B Yeah, and permanent. That's right. So that was messed up by what man does. SPEAKER A Yeah. Okay. It's interesting and of course, can be very challenging. Jesus said to some people, and we understand that. So let's talk about the ideal marriage here. Now, can you describe the ideal marriage force, Lena, as You see it? SPEAKER C Yeah, sure. Marriage, a union for life, as you know, has to be permanent. And that is a symbol of the union between Christ and his bride, his church. So, you know, ideally the ideal should be that two perfect individuals and people unite their lives in a perfect marriage. Just like in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were perfectly created by God and in a perfectly created environment they put in and united them. So that was a perfect marriage. But unfortunately after the fall of men and you know, there was a change, dramatic change. So two imperfect individuals unite their lives in their perfect marriage so that there will be always tensions or problems, but there's still solution. We're going to discuss, you know, further on. SPEAKER A Well, the tricky part is that we all bring a trail load of baggage with us, don't we? SPEAKER C Yeah. SPEAKER A Which has to be dealt with. Look, thanks for that, really appreciate it. Moving on to the spiritual side of marriage here, Kaysie, how would you compare marriage with our relationship with Christ? How would you compare the two? SPEAKER B Well, it's interesting because in a spiritual sense, Christ is perfect, but it's like he's marrying an imperfect bride in terms of when he is dealing with his relationship with us as fallen humanity. So that's a very fascinating dynamic, perfection within perfection. But it's interesting what we can read in Ephesians 5, verse 25 and 26, it says, Husbands, love your wives. Just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present to her to Himself a glorious church. And it just continues. But essentially there what we see is that Christ gives himself, gives of himself to nurture the church, to care for the church, to show his love and self sacrifice for the church. That is how he works in the relationship with his church, despite the faults of his bride. And here it's saying that we, we need to take that as an example in our own relationships that when we're dealing with one another and we're faulty, that let's take Christ's example and show that love, even if the other person has really messed up, still be kind, still show love, still be self sacrificing, still be committed. SPEAKER A Thank you for that. Can you follow on from that, Lena, and give us some guidance from the way Jesus treats us, which is what you were talking about there, Kaysie, the way Jesus treats us and how we should treat one another within the marriage? SPEAKER C Yeah. So there's a Jesus model which can transform our marriages. It has three simple steps. First, we should Forgive our spouse, however undeserving, just as Jesus Christ forgives, gives us, however undeserving. And second, accept your spouse and their faults and all, just as Jesus Christ accepts us, our faults and all. And lastly, we should put our spouse before ourselves. Just ask Jesus Christ put us before himself. So these gospel based principles, you know, help us not only to improve our marriages, but also it actually help us to understand how God relates to us through marriages. SPEAKER A It's nice to know that Jesus has that giving when he considers us. We're not a nuisance, we're not in the way, but he wants us to be close to Him. I love that. Thank you for those thoughts. Now Ezekiel tells a really interesting story. It's an amazing story, really. And it's recorded in chapter 16 of Ezekiel and verse 4. We'll start there. Ezekiel 16, verse 4. And he tells this amazing story, it's a parable and he says in verse four, as for your Nativity, on that day you were born, your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you. You were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling clothes. This is a rather graphic description of a birth here. No eye pitied you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you, but you were thrown out into the open field when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. What is he saying to us here with this incredible story, Lucy? SPEAKER B Yeah, it's interesting, as you mentioned before, it's a parable and it's really, it is a parable. It's like a metaphor to kind of help God's people understand what the relationship is like or was like for God with, with his people and, and what God did for Israel. It's like, it's like he rescued an unwanted baby that was thrown, thrown out and, and just left to die. And he had compassion and thought, you know what? I'm going to take this one and I'm going to raise it. I'm going to protect and nurture this, this person and, and give it a chance in life, really. And then it's interesting what we read in verse 16 and 17 says, and when I passed you by, sorry, 6 and 7 of verse 6 of chapter 16. And when I passed you by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you, in your blood, live. Yes, I said to you, in your blood, live. I made you thrive like a plant in the field. And you grew, matured and became very beautiful. And it just continues. So, yeah, this is what God gave for this. This person who. Yeah, it was basically left alone. SPEAKER A We were dying, right? SPEAKER B Yeah, Humanity was dying. Yes. And God invested a lot into humanity. SPEAKER A It was fantastic, really. So what happened then, Lena? The story hasn't finished yet. What happened next? SPEAKER C Next, as Kaysie mentioned, and this unwanted baby grew up and finally had grown to womanhood. And then, you know, God married her. So we can see this in Ezekiel, chapter 16, verse 8. Here he says, when I passed by you again and looked upon you, and indeed your time was the time of love, so I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes. I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you and you became mine, says the Lord God. SPEAKER A This was an amazing thing that he did that. SPEAKER C Yes. SPEAKER A And then verse 14, we're still in chapter 16 and verse 14 now, it says there, your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty. So she grew and this baby grew into a beautiful young woman, for it was perfect through my splendour, which I had bestowed on you, says the Lord God. Very interesting. So did this last? Like, she was an amazing woman and it did it last. SPEAKER B Yeah, you wish it would like you wish. The story just stayed there and continued because it's such a brilliant place at the moment. But when we read in verse 15 of chapter 16, it says, but you. But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. And in the next few verses, it talks about how this woman took all the gifts and beautiful garments, the gold, the silver, the riches, everything, all the blessings that God had invested in this woman. She gave it to other lovers like she just gave it away and was, you know, devoting herself in other. To others and even made other images and just all of these things. You can not imagine how when God has given so much that somehow she just didn't get it. Like she just didn't appreciate it. SPEAKER A She just threw it all away. SPEAKER B She turned away. Yeah. SPEAKER A So presumably that was it then, Lena. It was all over as far as the marriage was concerned there. Is that correct? SPEAKER C No, that's not correct. Surprisingly, that was not over. So we're going to go to Isaiah, Ezekiel 16:62, 63. Here 62 says, and I will establish my covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame when I provide you an atonement for all you have done, says The Lord. So the Christian had to suffer a lot. You know, he suffered his pain, excruciating, unimaginable pain. As, you know, his people and, you know, rebelled against him and, you know, committed adultery. But even then he actually gave himself for us and paying in himself our infidelities and adulteries. That is the amazing part of it. So basically, basically he, you know, by doing that, actually we have the promise of eternal life. So in other words, and God provides an atonement for the unfaithfulness of his bride. SPEAKER A Thank you for that. It's very interesting to me. This story helps us to understand a little of the heartbreak God experiences when his people let him down and turn away. Yeah, you know, we often don't think of that. We all suffer heartache sometimes in our lives, but God did too. And does it continually? Look, keeping in mind that the bride represents God's people here in the story here, in what way? In what ways or way is the people of God, the bride of Christ, beautiful today? Aren't we beautiful? SPEAKER B Good question. So we have a little insight. In Second Corinthians, chapter 5 and verse 21, it says, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. And this is just one text that talks about how we can have Christ's righteousness in place of ours, but in other places in the Scripture, it describes our own righteousness to be like filthy rags, which of course, that's not beautiful. But later also in the Bible, I think in Revelation, it talks about being clothed, that we would be clothed in white garments. So pure white garments are like Christ's righteousness. So you get a picture that the righteousness, the goodness of God is what makes God's people beautiful. When we allow Christ to let his righteousness live out in us in our own lives, that is what makes us beautiful because we are keeping the laws of love. SPEAKER A That's lovely. Thank you for that. That's also true. You know, moving on from there. Of all the stories in the Bible that illustrate the amazing love and mercy and patience of God, there's nothing like the story of Hosea. Now, God gave Hosea a very demanding assignment, didn't he, Lena? SPEAKER C Yes, he did. It was actually one of the strangest assignments that was ever given to one of his servants, actually on purpose. So we're going to go on to find this out. Hosea 1:2. When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, go take yourself a wife of Harlotry and children of harlotry. For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord. So the assignment was actually for Hosea to go and marry a harlot. So he, surprisingly, he did it. So we're going to continue to read verse three. So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Dibelim, and she conceived and bore him a son. Then the Lord bore him a son. Yes. So married. So Hosea married her and they actually bore a son. SPEAKER A So, okay, so he did it. And this was to illustrate, because it says in verse two, still, because the land has committed idolatry, the nation had. And he was to act out for the benefit of people just what God was going through, what they were putting God through, as well as everybody else. So was she faithful to Hosea after this opportunity? This was a new start for her, wasn't it? SPEAKER B Yes, it was a new start for her. And he obviously invested a lot in her, like what we saw in the story in Ezekiel. But when we read in Hosea 3, verse 1, we get some clues about what happened. It says, then the Lord said to me, go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery. Just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans. So I bought her for myself for 15 shekels of silver and 1 1/2 homers of barley. So you kind of got to read between the lines in this verse. But the woman that he goes to is someone who committing adultery. So she was already married. Which means that we think that this is referring to that same harlot. You know, she's married to Hosea, but she's gone off. And so in verse two where it says he had to buy her, that almost indicates that she actually ended up becoming enslaved in the process of her apostasy, and Hosea actually had to buy her back for himself. So it's very interesting because this really is painting a picture of what God did for us and God's gracious persistence in seeking us, even when we have totally been ungrateful and gone astray from him. SPEAKER A Yes, it's an amazing story actually. And I just think what an amazing man Hosea was. Yes, compare him say for example, with Jonah. And that's quite an interesting comparison. Okay, what could. So what, what can we learn? What's the take home point from this story? SPEAKER C So the lesson that we can learn from this story is that God was using Hosea to help us to understand from God's perspective his pain and agony of human sin and rebellion, like adultery here. So God actually had chosen Israel as his wife, but, you know, and his wife continuously committed adultery and cheated on him. But even yet still God actually, surprisingly, he, you know, as Cayce mentioned, brought her back and restored her. That's the most amazing part of it, the cross of Christ. So God actually, it shows us how earnestly God has wanted to restore his wayward people. And that's the most amazing part of this story, I guess. SPEAKER A Yes. Okay, thank you for that. Yes. And I want to go on now to Revelation chapter 18, where we have a description of God's people at the end of time now and the challenges that they are facing. And in chapter 18, verse 3 and 4, I'll read them through. It's talking about Babylon here, which is the name that God has given to his unfaithful people. And this is what it says. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. One thinks of Hosea's wife again. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. The merchants of the earth have become rich with the abundance of her luxury. So she's influenced in a bad way the whole world. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her Babylon, my people, lest you share in her sins unless you receive of her plagues. Now this is talking about again the unfaithfulness of his people here. And here's a call now, what is the message to us here, this call that he's given? SPEAKER B Yeah, the call is to come out so, to recognise the false beliefs and practises that compose Babylon and separate ourselves from them. So separate ourselves from the sins of the world and instead be faithful to Jesus, to know his word, to follow and practise that in our lives and to claim his bloodshed for our own sins. SPEAKER A Okay, thank you for that. Yes. And talking now about a Abraham, we're going to move back to the story of Abraham here because Abraham was facing a similar kind of challenge. He was worried, particularly his son. Isaac was at marriageable age and he wanted to get a nice wife for him, but he didn't want her to be one who would influence Isaac away from God. This was very important to him. And so he had a strategy here. So what did he plan? What did he do? Actually, Lena? SPEAKER C Yeah, so as you pointed out, Abraham was really concerned about the fact that, you know, he was aware of the moral degeneracy of Canaanite Religious practises. So he didn't want Isaac to fall into sort of idolatry or, you know, at war, even, you know, immoral religious practises. So basically, basically, he remembered the promise that was made to him by God. So then he actually gave his oldest and most trusted servant a solemn task. We can read from Genesis 24:3. Here he says, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, and you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. So that was the task for his servant. SPEAKER A So that's a good guide for us, really. And going back to that call in Revelation 18, come out of her. Come out of Babylon, my people. That's a good call. We've got to separate ourselves from the practises of the world, not the people, because. Because they need us to help them. But we certainly need to be separated from the worldly things and the wrong things that are being done. Now, we're running out of time here today, folks, so we're going to move on. And I'm going to ask this question, Kaysie, of you. Unfaithfulness to God is pictured as spiritual fornication, right? And in Revelation 19:2, this is what it says, for true and righteous are your judgments or his judgments, actually, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he was avenged on her, the blood of the saints shared by her. Now, has the great harlot stepped over the line here at this point? SPEAKER B Yes, definitely stepped over the line, come to the point where she's been finally judged. And this is what happens at the end of the world. And God is ready to make everything right. All the wrongs that have been done, God is going to make right. SPEAKER A Okay, thank you for that. And just very quickly, this is followed by another announcement. Lina, we have to be very quick here. What was that announcement? SPEAKER C Okay, we're going to go and to Revelation, chapter 19, verses 7 to 9. So let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. So he tells us about the marriage of the lamb. And she made a ready for the wedding and the marriage and is clothed with perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. SPEAKER A This is the beauty of it, isn't it? And this is the final pitch we want to stay with today that we are covered with the beautiful robe of Jesus righteousness that makes our lives sparkle before God. And I think that we should really always keep that in mind in the struggles of life. Folks, we've got to finish there. Jesus has made ample provision for his bride to shine with the beauty of his own righteousness. Every one of us is offered the privilege of being a light for Jesus and He is faithful. He will take us to himself and finally get us through to glory. That's the hope. Well, we're glad you joined us today on Let God Speak. Remember, all our past programmes plus our notes for teachers are available on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. you can contact us by email if you would like and we invite you to join us next time. God bless. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.