God's Plan for Marriage

Some time ago while spending time with my family, m Aunt bought out a magazine she shares with us when she's finished reading the articles. It was the June 2008 Reflections for woman from Pentecostal Publishing that I picked up and it just so happened to have an article that I read again and again as I am now married. I will summarize the article but it's this chart that it provides that is so helpful!!

"By him all things consist" Colossians 1:17

The writer chose to delve into the respective biblical roles of husband/wives to describe God's plan for marriage as a covenant, one which parallels God's covenant with His bride, the church. See Eph. 5:25, II Cor. 11:2 and Re. 19:9  Thoughout the Bible we can see that God did relate to man with covenants . Each built upon the previous sort of like foundations... Each with privileges and obligations... When relating properly God blessed and the same when breaking a covenant.
By him all things exist... in marriage he is the glue that sets everyone in their place and firm at that- that is basically what the article was about. In his ten commandments we can see a relative role for those commandments in marriage which is what the writer was talking about when one parallels God's covenant with his bride the church. Well that also goes for husbands and wives as well...

Here is the table

Covenant between Israel and Yaweh	Covenant between husband and wife
1. No other Gods	Exclusive loyalty to your spouse, the most important person (next to God) inyour life! Don't allow career, children, friends, hobbies, etc., to become your first love.
2. No graven image	Truthfulness & faithfulness -- Do not have a false image of him/her; don't try to "shape"your spouse into your own image.
3. No taking the Lord's name in vain	Honor your spouse in both public and priate, with deference and courtesy.
4. Remembering the Sabbath.	Give your spouse time and rest, Including special times apart and together.
5. Honoring father & mother.	Rightly relating to parents and parent in-law.`
6. No murder -- Jesus expanded this to hate.	Free from hatred, destructive anger and uncontrolled emotions; no abuse of any kind.
7. No adultery -- Jesus expanded this to word or thought.	Sexual faithfulness, controlled appetites, faithful in mind and will; no intimated confiding to a member of the opposite sex.
8. No stealing	True community of property with the gift of priacy, one spouse does not hace total control or hold back security from the other or make sacrificial demands in order to please desires or whims.
9. No false testimony	Truthful communication -- Try to understand; don't project on your spouse what you think he/she means by cerain words or actions; don't uote your spouse out of context or suppress info that would give a more accurate picture of him/her.
10. No coveting	Be content and grateful for the spouse God gave you -- Don't compare his/her looks, talents, performances, etc. with another.