THE DISCIPLE'S MARRIAGE (LEAVING & CLEAVING)

Main Text: Genesis 2:18-25

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 

 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

Memory verse: Genesis 2:24

Introduction

When God instituted marriage, He said that the two of them would become one flesh. The act of becoming one flesh involves leaving and cleaving. What does these mean?

·         Leaving your parents means recognizing that your marriage created a new family and that this new family must be a higher priority than your previous family.  Leaving your parents does not mean ignoring them or not spending any time with them. If spouses refuse to truly leave their parents, conflict and stress result.

·         To “cleave” means “to adhere to, stick to, or join with.” It is a unique joining of two people into one entity. It means recognizing that you are joined, essentially “glued,” to your spouse. It is key in building a marriage that will endure hard times and be the beautiful relationship that God intends it to be. It means we do not quit when things are not going right. It includes talking things out, praying things through, being patient as you trust God to work in both of your hearts, being willing to admit when you are wrong and asking forgiveness, and seeking God's counsel regularly in His Word. . If spouses neglect to cleave to each other, the result is a lack of intimacy and unity

Points for Discussion

1.     In what ways can you leave your parents?

2.    What can couples do to enhance cleaving?