A yoke is a wooden beam that joins two animals together to work in tandem. A good farmer uses good judgment when selecting two animals to work together as one. He considers their sizes and temperaments. He teaches them to respond to commands and to walk in step with each other.
God has commissioned the human race to reproduce itself via covenantal relationships based on His Word. When a husband and wife, yoke fellows, listen to God and follow His instructions, they work together in tandem and are highly effective.
Once, Pharisees tested Jesus, asking Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Jesus asked them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” Then, Jesus stated, “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” [2]
Jesus calls the husband and wife one flesh. He said that God joins the couple together and does not want anyone to break their team up.
God is for yoking. He is for the joining of two well-matched individuals to work together as one for His glory. God also seeks godly offspring.
“You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying, but He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. You say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.” [3]
If husbands want God to answer their prayers than God would prefer that they be faithful to their marriage covenants with their wives than to cry out and weep tears before Him. A husband that faithfully loves his wife and children is someone God will listen to and help.
The Apostle Peter echoed the words of the prophet Malachi. He wrote, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” [4]
Husband, understand your wife! Honor her! Treat her as a coheir of eternal life! Yes, one day she will all be like the angels in heaven. She will be married to God in the same way you are. Be good to your wife and God will answer your prayers. [5]
The Apostle Paul wrote, ““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 her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 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.” [6]
God goes so far as to compare marriage between a man and a woman to His relationship with His people... the Church. Just as God moves on the hearts of Christians to pioneer churches to proclaim His Word and testimonies in communities across the globe, God also moves husbands and wives to come together to advance His kingdom by their love for one another. The husband is to nourish and cherish his wife as Christ does the Church. Jesus laid down His life for the Church, and husbands are to lay down their lives... ambitions... agendas... achievements... to nurture and cherish their wives and to do so for the glory of Christ. And wives are to give their husbands in return what they so desperately need, respect.
So, many people have suffered great harm because they received more teaching from the world than from God about marriage. Marriage is one of the greatest blessings God has given to the human race, but it is often misunderstood and uncultivated by us. We are to honor marriage.
The Lord says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” [7]
God blesses that which is best for us. A covenanted relationship between a husband and wife is best for all involved. Make vows to faithfully love, honor and cherish one another until death do you part, and then, make every effort with the help of God to keep the vows.
Don’t forget grace! Our relationship with God is saved by His grace. And we sinners need God’s grace and forgiveness towards one another to keep our marriages together. When you have reached wit’s end, say, “Lord, we need Your grace to help us or we are not going to make it.”
Christian yoke fellows are united in our beliefs and values because we base our lives on the Bible and are helped by God’s Spirit to understand and follow His commands.
The nation of Israel broke-up after their king began to disobey God in regards to marriage.
God’s Word says that King Solomon loved many foreign women. These foreign women (700 wives and 300 concubines) worshipped false gods. They turned his heart away from the Lord. He even built shrines to their false gods. God was angry with Solomon. He told Solomon, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.” He did. The nation broke in two. [8]
Eventually, God allowed His people to be displaced from their land and held captive in Babylon for 70 years. While in captivity, many turned back to the Lord. Some, however, still refused to obey the Lord in regards to the marriage covenant. Leaders of the people reported to Ezra, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.” [9]
What did Ezra do? He tore his outer clothing, plucked out some of his hair, and sat down astonished. Others joined him. He fasted until evening. Then, he fell on his knees and spread out his hands to God. He prayed, “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” He recounted to God the unfaithfulness of Israel. He acknowledged the grace that God has shown them. He acknowledged their guilt. He wept bitterly and entire families wept bitterly with him. They confessed their sin to God. The result was that those who erred, corrected what was wrong. They put away the pagan wives. They realigned their lifestyles with the Word of God. [10] This was not easy, but it was the right thing to do for themselves and for their nation.
During the New Testament era, the Holy Spirit led many idolators to convert to faith in Christ. The Lord’s servant Paul provided us instructions in regards to their unconverted spouses: “But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: if any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” [11]
So, the Lord advises faithfulness to an unbelieving spouse as long as that unbelieving spouse is willing to remain in the marriage. The Lord suggests that the believing spouse might lead the unbelieving spouse to him.
Jesus Christ brought Leslie Strobel to faith in Christ. Her husband, Lee, was an atheist. He set out to disprove the claims of the Bible about Jesus. Leslie prayed Ezekiel 36:26 for Lee that God would take out his heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. The Lord heard Leslie’s faithful prayers for Lee. Jesus used Lee’s effort to disprove Christianity to convert Lee to Christianity. Lee Strobel wrote a book afterwards entitled, “The Case for Christ.”
The Lord wants us to enjoy harmonious relationships that produce godly children for His glory. The Lord is abundantly happy to help us if we look to Him.
[1] 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
[2] Genesis 1:28; Matthew 19:3-6
[3] Malachi 2:13-15
[4] 1 Peter 3:7
[5] Matthew 22:30
[6] Ephesians 5:25-33
[7] Hebrews 13:4
[8] 1 Kings 11:1-11
[9] Ezra 9:1-2
[10] Ezra 7:3-15; 10:1-4; Deuteronomy 7:1-5
[11] 1 Corinthians 7:12-16
God has commissioned the human race to reproduce itself via covenantal relationships based on His Word. When a husband and wife, yoke fellows, listen to God and follow His instructions, they work together in tandem and are highly effective.
Once, Pharisees tested Jesus, asking Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Jesus asked them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” Then, Jesus stated, “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” [2]
Jesus calls the husband and wife one flesh. He said that God joins the couple together and does not want anyone to break their team up.
God is for yoking. He is for the joining of two well-matched individuals to work together as one for His glory. God also seeks godly offspring.
“You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying, but He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. You say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.” [3]
If husbands want God to answer their prayers than God would prefer that they be faithful to their marriage covenants with their wives than to cry out and weep tears before Him. A husband that faithfully loves his wife and children is someone God will listen to and help.
The Apostle Peter echoed the words of the prophet Malachi. He wrote, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” [4]
Husband, understand your wife! Honor her! Treat her as a coheir of eternal life! Yes, one day she will all be like the angels in heaven. She will be married to God in the same way you are. Be good to your wife and God will answer your prayers. [5]
The Apostle Paul wrote, ““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 her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 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.” [6]
God goes so far as to compare marriage between a man and a woman to His relationship with His people... the Church. Just as God moves on the hearts of Christians to pioneer churches to proclaim His Word and testimonies in communities across the globe, God also moves husbands and wives to come together to advance His kingdom by their love for one another. The husband is to nourish and cherish his wife as Christ does the Church. Jesus laid down His life for the Church, and husbands are to lay down their lives... ambitions... agendas... achievements... to nurture and cherish their wives and to do so for the glory of Christ. And wives are to give their husbands in return what they so desperately need, respect.
So, many people have suffered great harm because they received more teaching from the world than from God about marriage. Marriage is one of the greatest blessings God has given to the human race, but it is often misunderstood and uncultivated by us. We are to honor marriage.
The Lord says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” [7]
God blesses that which is best for us. A covenanted relationship between a husband and wife is best for all involved. Make vows to faithfully love, honor and cherish one another until death do you part, and then, make every effort with the help of God to keep the vows.
Don’t forget grace! Our relationship with God is saved by His grace. And we sinners need God’s grace and forgiveness towards one another to keep our marriages together. When you have reached wit’s end, say, “Lord, we need Your grace to help us or we are not going to make it.”
Christian yoke fellows are united in our beliefs and values because we base our lives on the Bible and are helped by God’s Spirit to understand and follow His commands.
The nation of Israel broke-up after their king began to disobey God in regards to marriage.
God’s Word says that King Solomon loved many foreign women. These foreign women (700 wives and 300 concubines) worshipped false gods. They turned his heart away from the Lord. He even built shrines to their false gods. God was angry with Solomon. He told Solomon, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.” He did. The nation broke in two. [8]
Eventually, God allowed His people to be displaced from their land and held captive in Babylon for 70 years. While in captivity, many turned back to the Lord. Some, however, still refused to obey the Lord in regards to the marriage covenant. Leaders of the people reported to Ezra, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.” [9]
What did Ezra do? He tore his outer clothing, plucked out some of his hair, and sat down astonished. Others joined him. He fasted until evening. Then, he fell on his knees and spread out his hands to God. He prayed, “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” He recounted to God the unfaithfulness of Israel. He acknowledged the grace that God has shown them. He acknowledged their guilt. He wept bitterly and entire families wept bitterly with him. They confessed their sin to God. The result was that those who erred, corrected what was wrong. They put away the pagan wives. They realigned their lifestyles with the Word of God. [10] This was not easy, but it was the right thing to do for themselves and for their nation.
During the New Testament era, the Holy Spirit led many idolators to convert to faith in Christ. The Lord’s servant Paul provided us instructions in regards to their unconverted spouses: “But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: if any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” [11]
So, the Lord advises faithfulness to an unbelieving spouse as long as that unbelieving spouse is willing to remain in the marriage. The Lord suggests that the believing spouse might lead the unbelieving spouse to him.
Jesus Christ brought Leslie Strobel to faith in Christ. Her husband, Lee, was an atheist. He set out to disprove the claims of the Bible about Jesus. Leslie prayed Ezekiel 36:26 for Lee that God would take out his heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. The Lord heard Leslie’s faithful prayers for Lee. Jesus used Lee’s effort to disprove Christianity to convert Lee to Christianity. Lee Strobel wrote a book afterwards entitled, “The Case for Christ.”
The Lord wants us to enjoy harmonious relationships that produce godly children for His glory. The Lord is abundantly happy to help us if we look to Him.
[1] 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
[2] Genesis 1:28; Matthew 19:3-6
[3] Malachi 2:13-15
[4] 1 Peter 3:7
[5] Matthew 22:30
[6] Ephesians 5:25-33
[7] Hebrews 13:4
[8] 1 Kings 11:1-11
[9] Ezra 9:1-2
[10] Ezra 7:3-15; 10:1-4; Deuteronomy 7:1-5
[11] 1 Corinthians 7:12-16
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