The Marriage Book

Ben Patterson wrote about the Bible in Sex and the Supremacy of Christ (edited by John Piper). He wrote the following:

The Bible is a book about marriage....To say the Bible is a book about marriage is to say that it is also a book about sex and the meaning of sex. For marriage is the only natural condition for the pleasure of sex.

A fascinating concept, and one that triggered a stream of thoughts in my own mind. First of all, marriage is probably the most commonly used type or illustration of our own relationship with Christ. This is probably due to the fact that it is life's most intense form of relating. Marriage is typified not by sex. No, it is characterized and recognized by love. Yes, it is love that affords the beautiful intimacy of true ecstasy (with or without sex, though preferably with).

As I thought on this I caught myself. What if marriage isn't the most common way of describing the Christ and mortal relationship in the Scriptures? After all, He does employ other techniques. He often chooses to describe Himself as a "close friend" or as a "brother." God Himself depicts Himself as "Father." Yet on further consideration those are intimate relationships afforded also through marriage. A man should not become a father unless married. Once married your spouse must be your closest friend. The description of Christ as our "brother" is a little trickier but not if considered under the Hebrew context where even in Song of Solomon's she calls herself his "sister."

Lastly I took into consideration the importance of marriage. Why is it so important? I mean it is wonderful and beautiful and all that but still...Yes, it is the only proper way of enjoying sex, be it for procreation or pleasure or any other purpose. But we already said that wasn't the means-and-ends of marriage, but rather love. Perhaps that's the reason. Love. God loves us enough to be wise enough to cook up this plan. After all, it is His plan. He thought of it from the start. In fact it is one of the earliest commands given to man. Some even say it is the earliest.