"Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4) The rings exchanged during a wedding ceremony are symbols, or tokens, of the purity, fidelity, and honor pledges the bride and groom make to one another. The ring's circular nature is a symbol of the eternal covenant and everlasting quality of the devotion and love each has for the other. Placing the ring on the bride or groom's finger seals the vows pledged before God and those who witness the wedding ceremony.
A ring on one's hand declares to all who see it the covenant that person sealed with another, and that all others are excluded from their shared bond. Wedding rings must be viewed as symbols of the vows made before God. In Matthew 19:6, Jesus said, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." The marriage covenant is sealed before God's throne. He authored the marriage covenant when He created man and brought woman to him to be his helpmeet (Genesis 2). God is the Lord of the marriage ring.
The wise man wrote, "When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay." (Ecclesiastes 5:4,5) The sealing of the marriage covenant with a ring symbolizes the vows made to God and to one another. Marriage vows should not be taken lightly or forgotten. They represent a covenant between the couple and God-they are asking Him to rule over their lives.
Disregarding our marriage vows makes us fools before the Creator and Judge of this world; He takes no delight in those who do not take seriously the commitment they made before Him. He is Lord of the ring. If marriage partners are willing to take seriously the meaning attached to the rings they exchange, there will be a lot fewer divorces. We have no right to disregard any covenant we make before God. It is He who has the power and authority over the marriage relationship. Every part of a marriage should be tempered by faith in the Lord of the ring. We must allow Him to guide and help us to devote ourselves to keeping the bed undefiled.
When our marriages are in trouble, we often forget to look to the One who is Lord of the ring. When couples lose their focus on God, their rings lose their significance. They become willing to discard, for selfish and stubborn reasons, the vows they made to God. The wedding ring should be a constant reminder of the covenant made with God and your mate. When troubles come, look at the ring and rekindle your vows. Whether you are undergoing temptation, trials, anger, disappointment, or whatever, the ring should symbolize the hope of resolving the issues in accordance with the will of the Lord of the ring.
Joseph, an unmarried man, understood the sanctity of the marriage bond. When Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce him, he replied, "...How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9) His action was a reflection on the Lord of the ring. Fornication violates the marriage bond. It would be well for married couples to realize they entered a marriage covenant with Jehovah God! Possess a spirit like Joseph and know who is Lord of the covenant you made with your mate.
We all need this article. Even Christians seem to be searching out more ways to end their marriages when they should be working out their problems and remembering the covenant they made with God. (KMG)