Why get married? Marriage was not instituted by man, but by God Himself.  It is a contract, a promise of cooperation and commitment (Gen. 2:24).  It is also known as a covenant (which is a pact or agreement between two or more parties) that is made between a man and a woman with the intention of it lasting for a lifetime (Mal. 2:16).  Marriage, therefore, should never be considered as a haphazard relationship or a commitment made lightly.  Marriage is a very serious commitment through which mutual trust and fidelity is offered between a man and a woman.  It is also the covenant in which children are brought forth.  So, given the seriousness of marriage and the world’s apparent casual commitment to it, why should we get married?

Marriage was created for companionship

God Himself stated that man should not be alone (Gen. 2:18).  After God created Adam and placed him in the garden, He told Adam to name the animals.  Genesis 2:20 records that none of the animals were suitable helpers for Adam.   Adam was in need of a helper “corresponding to” or “fit” for him.  Therefore, God made Eve.  Note that God made a woman to be his companion so Adam was not alone.   As Eve would be a companion to Adam, so would Adam be to Eve.  All though friendships are an important part of life, there is no human companionship as close as that of a husband and wife.  God created marriage for that purpose.

Marriage was created for the pleasure of both

Gen. 2:24 states after Eve’s creation, “they shall become one flesh.”  Man and woman were created to be one in a physical sense.  The sexual union between man and woman was created for the marriage covenant.  Song of Solomon records the physical pleasure between a husband and wife, and that this was created for a good purpose.  Prov. 5:15-20 warns against extramarital sex and extols pleasure within the marriage relationship when it says

“Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.  Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?  Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you.  Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.  Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.  Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?”

Marriage is for pleasure, and it is also to guard against lust and sexual immorality (1 Cor. 7:9).  Abstaining from marriage in an attempt to be “spiritual” may actually not be spiritual at all, but be a cause of stumbling into sin.

Marriage was created for procreation

God told man and woman to, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…” (Gen. 1:28).  Procreation was part of Adam and Eve’s purpose.  Throughout the Old Testament, children were not seen as burdens, but as blessings and a heritage from God, (Psalm 127:3-5).
The family unit is seen as an integral theme through the Old and New Testament.  God created a family unit to consist of a married couple and their children.  Because of death and divorce, the family unit is not always as intact as it was originally created to be.  However, this does not change God’s intended design for marriage.  Children were to be conceived and raised inside of marriage, not outside of it.  In fact, any time Israel procreated outside of marriage, hardship ensued because they had stepped outside of God’s original design (Gen. 16; 2 Sam. 11-12).

Marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church that marriage was a representation of Christ and His church (Eph. 5:22-33).  The husband portrays a servant leader, laying down his life within the marriage relationship, as Christ did for His bride, the church.  The wife follows her husband’s lead, submitting to his leadership out of her own free will.  This represents the Body of Christ’s response to the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ.

So, why get married?  Marriage is a picture of the glorious relationship between the Savior of mankind and His people.  Marriage portrays the beauty and the truth of the eternal relationship we have with God.  It is a true blessing from God.