What God Hath Joined Together

About the Book

Marriage was begun by God, designed by God, and leads to the greatest happiness when couples listen to God. You will never find two perfect people, which is why you must listen to a perfect God if you want the perfect marriage. PRECEPTS • Thoroughly biblical while addressing a variety of issues couples face in real life • Illustrates how decisions before marriage greatly affect the marriage • Provides a biblical perspective for often cited counseling approaches • A balanced view of the responsibilities of husbands and wives PROMISE • The reader will gain an appreciation for God’s wisdom in His plan for marriage • The reader will better understand his or her spouse’s point of view • The reader will understand intimacy in the greater context of marriage • The reader will learn to respect God and his or her spouse more within the marriage Contents Chapter 1—Introduction Beginning with a discussion of “the ground rules” for husbands and wives to discuss their marriage, this opening chapter is designed to introduce the biblical nature of marriage, the practical implications of marriage, how expectations can be our enemy in marriage, how and when to evaluate your marriage, and then ultimately why everyone should want a happy marriage. Chapter 2—The Right Reasons for Marriage This chapter discusses the reasons provided in the Bible for marriage, showing the importance of each one and then proceeds to illustrate why a marriage begun for the wrong reasons can lead to real problems later on. Chapter 3—Preparing for Marriage While many people spend months planning for a wedding, they rarely spend much time preparing themselves for marriage. However, strong marriages begin with people who have prepared their character long before marriage, people who had standards for whom they would marry and kept to them, people who recognized that married life is different, that many would change significantly, and that the unexpected might become normal. Most of all, people must learn to prepare themselves for the commitment that marriage requires. Without these things, it is no wonder that couples have problems. Chapter 4—The Problem Free Marriage—Part One While the nature of what two people might argue about or what might drive them apart will be different depending upon their background and circumstances, we can be sure that problems arise in any marriage. Therefore, marriage is not about avoiding problems, which is impossible, but about confronting them properly. The place to start, of course, is by knowing what potential problems lurk out there so that you can prepare to meet and overcome them together. Chapter 5—The Problem Free Marriage—Part Two Unfortunately, there are a LOT of potential problems, which means additional discussion. Chapter 6—The Importance of Character in Marriage Young couples often approach marriage as if saying “I do” in front of people makes you grow up immediately. Instead, couples should know that marriage does not necessarily mature people but that only mature people should get married. Marriage requires constancy on some things and flexibility on others. Maturity helps you tell which one is needed when. Marriage requires unselfishness and good communication skills, as well as the right attitude when things do not go your way. Marriage therefore works best when both husband and wife are faithful Christians, submitting first to God’s will so that they are prepared to work together to fashion their marriage according to God’s will. Since some people have trouble determining when they are truly prepared, I suggest asking five specific questions whenever you are considering marriage. Chapter 7—Roles in Marriage While a discussion of the roles the Bible gives for husbands and wives is not necessarily politically correct, it is essential for a strong marriage. But more than this, it is important for couples to understand these roles in a deeper way instead of believing the caricat

About the Author

Kevin W. Rhodes, B.S., M.A., has been preaching for twenty years, serving local congregations, training preachers, and holding singing seminars and marriage seminars. He is the author of How to Study the Bible: A Practical Guide to Biblical Hermeneutics, Shadows of Good Things to Come: A Devotional Survey of the Pentateuch, and A Consequence of Legitimacy: Domitian’s Conflict with the Senate and the Imperial Cult’s Conflict with Christianity, and co-author of Sound Words Revisited. He and his wife, Tracy Anne, have been married happily for seventeen years and have two daughters.