By Bolaji O. Akinyemi
Sunday, 10th of March 2024, I stood on the Altar of Great Commission Bible Church on the invitation of Rev Olukayode Johnson Oyekunbi and Pastor Mrs Ololade Johnson Oyekunbi, teaching on the covenant of marriage from what seems to be a one sided message in favour of wifes. Men in the audience were so green with envy. My chief host of course got back on the altar to repeatedly demand of me the need to be back to preach the side that will “favour men”. I got out of that service to see the post of the separation of the wealthiest woman in Nigeria Folorunsho from her husband Modupe Alakija from Odidi Godday Aguriase’s FB page. It was too much a news for me to procees.
Alakija Mrs is a woman respected and honoured in the public for many reasons, mostly by many for her wealth. With commitment to the vow of marriage and contribution to the building of the institution of marriage like no other woman in her class around the world.
This Amazon, has my respect, indeed, for her labour in marriage! She strove, not just to see it work, but to work it out. It was her stewardship in marriage that earned her the honour of writing the foreword to the book written by me and my wife, titled; Money, Sex and Communication
A privilege it turned out to have her name grace the front cover of the book. For that we are eternally grateful to God for her simplicity and kindness. Whatever the reason for her separation we still hold her in high esteem for the report of our research and investigation that showed clearly a woman in labour for a crown, if there is any for marriage that placed her name on our book.
The attacks on the concept of marriage seem to spare no one. If the poor are failing for poverty, what excuse does the wealthy have? The bull eye however is the person and the union that marriage represent; Christ the Groom and the Church her Bride.
On the social media recently was a communication listing patriarchs who were polygamous suggesting that God has no issues with a man having more than one wife. The idea, also of men been polygamous by design has been forced on this generation by social media preachers. An average youth is made to see himself more like “male ewu” with the liberty of sex expression that can only be permitted in the animal kingdom.
This social onslaught against marriage and the failure of many a hero of this vow demand that we put God’s idea for the covenant in perspective. The first Marriage that ever took place was in the garden called Eden, it was presided over by then yet to appear on the stage of time invincible Priest eternal, without beginning, without end, Melchizedek!
Marriage as we say is for love, companionship and procreation. Beneath this as a foundational pattern was a covenant, a type of what God will do in Christ.
In Christ and from Christ alone can answer to our questions on marriage be found.
Contention, confusion and contradiction on the concept of marriage is not new to our age.
In Matthew 18, Jesus has made a troubling submission on the need for forgiveness.
In chapter 19, the Pharisees came to him to defend the submission of Moses on granting a wife the bill of divorce to put her away for every and any reason.
The Master clearly stated, “have you not READ, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, who said and what did he say?
God said, “for this cause shall a man (the male) leave his father (male) and mother (female), and shall cleave unto his wife, (female): and they shall be one flesh. (Emphasis mine). That verse, aborted the ambiguity that the mischievous are trying to forster on the scripture to support same gender marriage.
The ground of PERMISSION for divorce was weakly granted for adultery. It was so bitter a pill to swallow that his disciples concluded, if the case of a MAN be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
To which the cross and covenant that marriage is intended to be was revealed by Christ; in verse 11; “all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given”!
What then is marriage or the marriage covenant?
The privileged visitor to the 3rd heaven and student in the wilderness of Arabia would bring us words from the mouth of the one for which marriage was patterned as a shadow.
The Apostle Paul shared with us, I believe one of the many lessons he received from Christ.
The husband is the head of the wife, not as Adam is the head of Eve, but, “even as Christ is the head of the church”: and he is the saviour of the body. The type in Adam and Eve of what marriage will be in Christ is the reason God couldn’t have supported Adam from divorcing Eve in the first place. Moreover, the failure of Eve was the failure of the head who failed in its duties as Saviour of the body.
If we are in doubt of the “musterion” that marriage is, not after reading the 25 verse of Ephesians 5; husband love your wife, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVE THE CHURCH, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT?
Whao! What a huddle only grace can lift us over!
In verse 31, Paul quoted God and Christ (Gen 2:24 and Mt 19: 5). “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh”!
Remember the conclusion of Christ on marriage; all men cannot receive this saying, SAVE THEY TO WHOM IT IS GIVEN!
Are you given to the concept of marriage as founded in Christ and have you matured in spiritual Priesthood to fulfill the duties it will demand of you? Have come to a point where you can forgive an adulterous spouse. Can you face a bullet for your wife if need be?
What am I reading? You seem to be saying! Hosea was another shadow, a type of what God intended marriage to serve in Christ.
Hos 1:2 ISV When a message from the LORD came to Hosea, the LORD told him, “Go marry a prostitute and have children with her, because the land is prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
Hos 1:3 ISV So he went out and married Diblaim’s daughter Gomer. She conceived with him and gave birth to a son.
Our calling in marriage is not to be ourselves, but to be Christ’s!
This however the Apostle concluded is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.
Marriage is beyond a social engagement, it is a deep rooted spiritual calling unto Christ.
A great “musterion”, a mega mystery! The word mega means something beyond the capture of the eyes and the mind. May I submit that Marriage can never be understood for what it is meant to be without coming into Christ.
Marriage is a fraternal conjugation, a cultic realm where two are made one in One (Christ) for One (Christ)!
Come, then up thither! Give Christ his nucleus value in your life and see your marriage work.
Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table.
email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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