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Marriage Is A Covenant

Throughout Bible history there have been all kinds of covenants. People entered into covenants with people, and God entered into covenants with men. Few were formed in exactly the same way, although there are certain patterns that all covenants have in common, including marriage covenants. We will look at the different kinds of covenants and the responsibilities of those in the covenants. This will help us see how important covenants are. This will help to reinforce the importance of the marriage covenant.

The first covenant we will consider is the parity covenant. The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary defines the parity covenant as “a two-sided covenant between human parties, both of which voluntarily accept the terms of the agreement” (186). Following are examples of parity treaties from Scripture:

1. Friendship — 1 Samuel 18:3-4 - “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.” (NASB)

2. Marriage — Malachi 2:14 - “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

3. Political alliance — Joshua 9:15 - “Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.”

A universal covenant existed from the beginning of creation until the cross of Jesus. All people on the earth were under a universal covenant during the patriarchal period. The Jews were placed under a Mosaic covenant at Mount Sinai.

The Gentiles were still under the universal covenant that God gave at creation until Jesus gave them a new covenant at Calvary. Both the Mosaic and the universal covenants were replaced by the covenant with Jesus, which is a much better covenant (Hebrews 8:6). The Gentile or the Jew can still appeal to either covenant it they desire. It will be of no benefit to them, but they can still try to live by either if they wish. Such was the case of the Galatian brethren in 3:11-15 and 4:1-4. They were in the process of leaving their covenant with Christ and going back under the law of works or Mosaic covenant. Paul calls them foolish for doing that.

There is also a self-assumed or unilateral covenant. In this agreement, a person imposes obligations on himself. The other person, who is the recipient, is not under any binding agreement, but receives the blessing without doing a thing. Each of us who is married entered into this kind of covenant with his/her mate. Maybe it was an unspoken, unwritten kind of covenant called “responsibility.” Such is the case with God and the world. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus says that God has made a covenant with Himself to send rain on the good and the bad alike. No matter what kind of person you are, you will still receive the blessings of the earth: rain, sunshine, food, etc. The same can be said of the Son of God dying on the cross for all humanity. Not everyone will make a covenant with God, but the blessings are still there. This kind of love is called agape or unconditional. Whether we return God’s love or not, we still receive it. Our marriage covenants must be the same. If we love our mates at all times, even when they aren’t lovable, it will cause them to love us in the same way.

The suzerainty covenant is one-sided. The superior party imposes obligations on the lesser. God’s covenant is like a suzerainty covenant. One cannot bargain or negotiate this kind of covenant. It originates with the superior party. The inferior party can accept it or reject it, but he cannot negotiate or alter it in any way.

The Bible states that marriage is a covenant: “Wisdom will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she

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