Marriage: What was God’s first warning about it?
In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we have the first marriage. God first made the man, Adam, but saw that there was a need for him to have a woman in his life, not many, just one. We have a summary statement about this and the whole creation in Genesis 1. From these two people [there’s no room for evolution here] the world would be populated.
Genesis 1:27-28
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. [Emphasis added]
Then in Genesis 2 we have more details.
Genesis 2:21-24
21 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;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 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.
Then in the next verse of this passage, we have a very interesting and thought-provoking statement.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. [Emphasis added]
Question: Who were Adam’s father and mother? And who were Eve’s father and mother? Answer: They didn’t have them! But what wisdom we can see in this! Even before there were in-laws, God warns about the problems they can cause to a marriage.
Having said all this, I had wonderful in-laws. They never, in any way that I know of, interfered with my marriage to Janet. But that’s not common! I believe it is for this reason that we have this warning about it. In-laws can be a huge threat to a marriage!
A primary objective of every parent should be to do their part well as a spouse to provide a great example for their children. If you want to play a part in shaping the marriage your children have, set a good example for them. That’s the best you can do. They may or may not follow your example, but never let your own marriage be their excuse to be a poor mate in their own marriage. Make it a primary goal to let them see in your example exactly what they need to be.
Conclusion—
Therefore, even before there were in-laws, our Lord foresaw the problems and provided a warning about them. Look out for your in-laws!!! Certainly, there are some good ones and I suspect they all have good intentions, but the warning still stands. A man and his wife need to separate from their parents in such a way as to build their own marriage without interference. To do otherwise is to pave the way for trouble.
