God see marriages as covenant between man and a woman not as a contract. Contract and covenant are different though there are some similarities. Why Christian marriages are covenant not a contact?

Though we cannot discuss everything here in this article; but let’s look into few important aspects of it. A covenant is a commitment which God initiates and it is a tool that God has designed to order His relationship with mankind. Dr. Scoff Hans notes that covenant is an exchange of person as opposed to contract, which is exchange of promises. The covenant is established by taking an oath that creates kingship between the two who are making covenant.

Contracts can be broken easily but covenant cannot because its Sacred in the sight of God. We view marriage as sacred and we entered into this by taking an oath. In the last article I said “God is the one who ordained the marriage” (it’s not man made or man’s idea). Bible says God is the witness between man and women when they are united in a marriage.

Malachi 2:10-16 prophet speaks about how God is viewing the Israelites marrying foreign women (Women worshipping pagan gods). It focuses on the horizontal aspect (between humankind) of Judah’s unfaithfulness- the breaking of marriage covenants. They did not treat marriage as sacred or as a covenant rather they saw it as a contract that can be broken as per the personal interests. They started divorcing their wife of youth and went behind others. God hated this and warned then not to be unfaithful.

God brought them into existence as a united whole in a covenant relationship to himself should have produced faithfulness not only to him but also to one another. The Judah failed to honour the agreement or broken covenants and other ordinances God give them. The people of Judah were committing widespread serious covenant violation and these profaned Israel’s relationship with her God.

When we see the covenant God established with Adam, Noah, Abraham, to nation Israel and eventually with the whole world through His son Jesus Christ., we see God being faithful irrespective of people’s unfaithfulness; So, if God viewed and respected His relationship with us a sacred, then we must continue to see the marriage as a sacred institution established by God.

Marriage is a covenant and not a contract. Marriage is intended to be commitment to which we maintain trust and fidelity until separated by death. In a covenant, we put the needs of the relationship ahead of our own needs, humbly serving each other much as Christ serves the church.