Joined at the Shoulder

“What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Matthew 19:6 NASB Joined together – Every translation I checked has the same wording, “joined together.” But that doesn’t quite capture the overtones of this very unusual Greek verb (syzeugnymi). The verb literally means, “yoked together.” It is found only twice in the LXX (Ezekiel…

Mining for Gold

The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:22 NASB Brought – “bôʾ, the fourth most frequently occurring verb in the ot, is used 2570 times, for the most part with everyday meanings of “go, arrive, enter a house,” or,…

Recovery

The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Genesis 2:22 NASB Had taken from – The purpose of marriage is unity.  Genesis 2:24 tells us that we are joined together in order to become one flesh.  But it isn’t just about…

The Four Spiritual Stages (4)

Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage.  I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.  Then I will take you for My people, and I…

Construction Material

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.  Genesis 2:21  ESV Ribs – Except for this passage (side of man) and 2 Samuel 16:13 (side of hill), this word (sela’) is usually about an…

Looking for the Love of My Life

207,557 people on Facebook viewed the offer of the “spiritual bracelet for men,” a hand woven bracelet that “promotes feelings of spiritual well-being.” I find that fact disheartening.  Imagine what kind of “feeling of spiritual well-being” would be fostered if these 207,557 people gave $1 a month to the efforts to rescue children from abuse…

A Request from Dr. Joe

Dr. Joe Arvay of Colorado asked me to post this request about marriage and families. I thought it would be good for all of us to think about it. “This is not one of those gross emails. This is a serious challenge to all the men out there. This is a challenge to save your…

Wedding Gifts

“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.  Then you will know the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20 Betroth – God offers hope, even for the most miserable, most rebellious, most immoral…

Marriage Counseling

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Be Reconciled – By now we have learned that God’s covenant relationship with us is reflected in the metaphor of marital faithfulness.  It’s not just about sexual fidelity…

Status: Married

For you are a holy people to YHWH your God.  YHWH your God has chosen you to be His own treasure, out of all the people on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6 Chosen – Have you chosen one to marry?  Have you selected a partner for life?  YHWH has.  The Hebrew verb bahar…