Family

The family is the oldest and most basic relationship that God uses to portray His relationship between Himself and His people.  From Genesis 2.20 to Rev 22:17, God uses family relationships to symbolize beautiful truths about salvation and righteousness.  In Ephesians 5:22-33, we find that the marriage relationship between a man and a woman symbolize Jesus Christ and the church.  We find elsewhere in the New testament that the church is the bride of Christ (Mat 22-30, 25:10, Joh 3:29, Rev 18:23, 19:7-9, 21:2, 21:9, 22:17, etc.). 

Another very basic use of family includes God the Father and God the Son.  Also, God the Father is the Father of all Christians.  Jesus is referred to as our everlasting Father in Is 9:6.  We are children of God.  Abraham was called the father of the faithful (Romans 4:1, 12, 16, James 2:21).  We find that older believers are spiritually considered as fathers of younger believers (1 Tim 5:1).  All Christians were spiritually begotten through the Holy Spirit.  Paul had spiritually begotten Onesimus (Phil 1:10).  Finally, all believers are considered as brothers and sisters to one another.   

The above are just some very basic examples of how God uses the family relationships in symbolic ways to picture spiritual truths.  Unfortunately, we live in a time where the family is in great distress.  Divorce is commonplace.  Families are divided.  Many have abandoned the family relationship and live together in varying relationships and family structures. 

The Bible teaches us that divorce is wrong.  In the rare cases that a Christian wife must leave her husband, she should remain single or be reconciled to her husband (1 Cor 7).   The Law of Moses’ allowance for divorce and the Biblical examples of God divorcing Israel have an important spiritual meaning and are not grounds for divorce.  It is realized that the teaching that divorce and remarriage is Biblically unacceptable will be offensive to many.  Although not desirable, many churches condone divorce and remarriage.  The following essays are offered to reflect Biblical truths about the important of the marriage relationship, Biblical teaching that divorce and remarriage is unacceptable and the Biblical method to train children.