Marrieds MinistryWORKSHOP WORKSHOP SERIESSERIES

Part 1 of 4 Parts

April 24, 2005

Praxedes Place, Kapitolyo

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WORKSHOP SERIES

Part 1: April 24 (Sun svc), 4-6pm “Theological Word Pictures of Marriage”

by Rolan & Weng Monje

Part 2: Jun 29 (Wed devo), 7:30pm “Unity and Intimacy during Difficulty”

by Cesar & Jennifer Lopez

Part 3: Aug 25 (Thu devo), 7:30pm “The Stages of the Pinoy Family”

by Rico Salcedo & Roy Soriano

Part 4: Retreats by Region All parts feature a lesson, panel disc, dgroup time, & HW.

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Outline

Theological Word Pictures of Marriage by Rolan & Weng Monje

What are Word Pictures?How does the Bible ‘picture’ marriage?What does God expect?

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What are Word Pictures?

Words “making pictures” One way to explain concepts Used in any language (metaphor) Common in Hebrew & Aramaic Used by Bible authors (mostly Jews) in both

the OT and NT A helpful angle for getting biblical insight

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Word Pictures to explain concepts

The Bible uses word pictures to explain many concepts (e.g. Bible - honey, Jesus-Good Shepherd)

Many of these concepts would not be understood as well without word pictures.

Can you think of some other examples?

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Focus on Marriage

Very important for Christians to study out marriage in the Bible.

Remember, the foremost analogy that God uses to describe his relationship with us is no other than marriage!

This dramatic biblical use of the marriage analogy is enough to make us think about marriage seriously.

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Why is it important to have a good marriage?

Because God wants it Because it is needed to raise godly children Because if marriage does bad, it hurts our

witness; a good marriage helps our witness Because it makes us appreciate God more Because people need hope in a broken world

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Word Pictures of Marriage

Today, we will look at four different OT word pictures that the Bible uses

to describe the marriage bond.

Note that these are all from the point of view of the man (husband).

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#1: A Serious Oath [berith]

In the OT, several types of “agreements” are mentioned. The most important kind is called the covenant.

Several ‘rituals’ were done to show the seriousness of the covenant (agreement).

The Hebrew word berith is related to the word “cut.” The idiom is that of “cutting a covenant.” In fact, animals were indeed “cut” to show the seriousness of the agreement.

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#1: A Serious Oath

Cutting animals was common in the Ancient Near East.

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Cutting a covenant

An animal was cut/sliced and both parties would pass between the parts, signifying, “May I become like this animal if I don’t fulfill my promise…”

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God did “berith” with Abraham

So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram…Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other…

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land… Gen 15:9,10,17-18

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God did “berith” with Abraham

Using symbols, God “passed between” the pieces, showing the seriousness of his promise.

Can you imagine going through the pieces?

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For marriage, God uses “covenant”

You flood the LORD's altar with tears… "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant…So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty.

– Mal 2:13-16

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Marriage as a covenant

It would be good for us to treat marriage as seriously as God treats his covenants.

God is “bloody” serious!

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Marriage as a covenant

God is serious about covenants.

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Marriage as a covenant

When you got married, it was like “passing between” the pieces.

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Marriage as a covenant

Marriage is a serious oath! We need to take is seriously, and God will

help us fulfill it.

Challenge: Remember your solemn oath.

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Remember your solemn oath.

» Be grateful & consider him/her a blessing.

» Have times to remember your wedding/special times.

» Pray with/for your spouse everyday.

» Commit to recommit.

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#2 A Secret Garden [na’al gan]

Song of songs is a love hymn about married romance.

It uses a lot of word pictures.

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A Secret Garden

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.

You are a garden fountain,a well of flowing waterstreaming down from Lebanon.

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A Secret Garden

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.

- Song of Songs 4:12, 15, 16

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A Secret Garden

D you picture your secret garden like this?

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A Secret Garden

Or like this?

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A Secret Garden

Or like these?

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A Secret Garden

Which picture describes your garden?

OR

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A Secret Garden

You should look forward to your time alone because it is exclusive.

No one else is allowed or best suited for your secret garden!

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A Secret Garden

» Like any garden, our marriage like a needs attention, constant tending & nourishment.

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A Secret Garden: Taking it deeper

» Sex is a gift. The world abuses the gift. » Only you two can satisfy each other in the most private ways. » Sam Laing: The thing that distinguishes the relationship of husband and wife from every other relationship is the “one flesh” aspect…Take it out, and the depth of closeness and love for one another will not reach its God-given potential.

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A Secret Garden

Challenge: Celebrate your sexuality.

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A Secret Garden

For men: Know & show that there is more to love than sex.

For women: Acknowledge that you want to meet your husbands physical needs.

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Celebrate your sexuality

» Don’t take each other for granted.

» Strive to keep growing in your physical relationship.

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#3 A Satisfied Man [ravah]

Marriage is described as a satisfying relationship.

In those days, thirst was satisfied by getting water from a cistern…

“every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern”

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#3 A Satisfied Man

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. – Pr 5:15-17

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#3 A Satisfied Man

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer-- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. – Pr 5:18-21

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Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well…

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Ancient Cisterns

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A Satisfied Man

A man should be satisfied with his cistern/fountain, but he should also take care of it!

Point: Marriage should meet each other’s needs. The idea is that no one else on earth can meet your needs of your needs like you.

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A satisfied man = A confident man

A man should be satisfied with his cistern/fountain…

But that also depends on how he takes care of it!

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What happens…

When we don’t pay attention to each other’s needs?

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What happens…

When we don’t pay attention to each other’s needs?

progressive nature of emotion

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Another word picture...

A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day.

- Prov 27:15 (NLT)

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The “nagging wife” picture

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The “nagging wife” picture

Drip-like nagging (from any side) shows that needs are not being met.

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But if you meet each other’s needs

The man is the first to be fired up! (And the woman naturally follows).

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A Satisfied Man

Challenge: Meet each other’s needs.

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Meet each other’s needs.

» Be generous with praise.

» Learn to accept each other (esp. weaknesses).

» Communicate your needs. (slow start-up)

» Strive to call each other higher spiritually.

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#4 A Blazing Fire [reseph ‘esh]

Fire is used in the Bible to depict many different things.

One of the things denoted by fire is an awesome marriage!

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#4 A Blazing Fire

Remember, Song of Songs…

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

– SS 8:6

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How’s the fire?

Is your fire for each other still blazing hot?

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O uling nalang?

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How’s the fire?

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Challenge: Keep the romance alive!

Make your marriage a blazing fire!

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Keep the romance alive.

» Everyday romance.

»Work on something, physical/spiritual together.

»Make yourself attractive (physically and spiritually).

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The Word Pictures

These word pictures help us understand God’s heart for us as married couples.

These show us how much God desires the best for our marriages!

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Word Pictures of Marriage

What are Word Pictures?

How does the Bible ‘picture’ marriage?

What now?

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Word Pictures of Marriage

Word Pictures are…

Words “making pictures” One way to explain concepts Especially common in Hebrew & Aramaic Used by Bible writers

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Summary of Word Pictures

1. A Serious Oath [berith]

2. A Secret Garden [na’al gan]

3. A Satisfied Man [ravah]

4. A Blazing Fire [reseph ‘esh]

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Konting HW (until June 29)

1. Pray about your marriage.2. Discuss this workshop with your spouse (maybe during a date?).3. Spend time with at least two couples you think you can learn from/relate with.4. Memorize Mal 2:16 together.5. Do the follow-up sheet together.

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Let’s be encouraged!

God shows us in the Bible that He wants the best for our marriages.

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Let’s be encouraged!

God believes in us! He’s behind us!

The price tag of a great marriage is not too high.

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Conclusion

So let’s work on and grow

in our marriages

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Conclusion

May your marriage be a “picture” of forever...

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PROPOSED WORKSHOP SERIES

Part 1: April 24 (Sun svc), 4-6pm “Theological Word Pictures of Marriage”

by Rolan & Weng Monje

Part 2: Jun 29 (Wed devo), 7:30pm “Unity and Intimacy during Difficulty”

by Cesar & Jennifer Lopez

Part 3: Aug 25 (Thu devo), 7:30pm “The Stages of the Pinoy Family”

by Rico Salcedo & Roy Soriano

Part 4: Retreats by Region All parts feature a lesson, panel disc, dgroup time, & HW.

Marrieds MinistryWORKSHOP WORKSHOP SERIESSERIES