One of the greatest blessings God has given to humanity is the institution of marriage between one man and one woman. However, due to the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), this institution could not remain perfect in this life. All marriages now fall into one of two categories: good or bad. Yet, marriage was not originally created to be merely good or bad, but very good, designed to benefit both the man and the woman. Like everything else in life after the fall, marriage is tainted by evil, with sin often arising from both the husband and the wife.

(By the way, we are picking up from where we left off last time.)

After the fall, both Adam and Eve were cursed by God. Left to themselves, each could be a danger to their own well-being and that of the other; as their natural inclination is to live, act and behave like a cursed human being. One key trait of a cursed individual is selfishness. Cursed people care only for themselves and spend their days ensuring they get what they want, when they want it, and by any means necessary. If they don’t, they become disappointed, throwing emotional tantrums and blaming their spouse for their frustrations.

The husband blames his wife, and the wife blames her husband. When each explains their side of the story, they are fully convinced that they are the innocent party in the marriage. They believe that if it weren’t for their spouse, their life and marriage would be in a much better place.

What is this? It is simply the curse at work in their lives, without any restraint. The cursed man looks out for his own needs and comfort, and the woman does the same. They become blind to their selfish tendencies when confronted with them.

Thus, the institution designed to benefit both of them ends up hurting them in many ways.

Imagine a small garden for a moment, and assume it’s yours. If you want to grow vegetables like kale and tomatoes, what do you need to do? Do you just pray hard? While it’s always good to pray about everything, in this case, if all you do is pray, nothing will happen to your garden. Actually, something will happen—but not what you intended. Instead of producing the vegetables you desire, it will bring forth weeds, thorns, and thistles. Why? Because the earth is cursed due to Adam’s fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Left on its own, the earth cannot naturally produce anything that benefits humans.

Similarly, when left to ourselves, we all are like a neglected garden, unable to produce anything beneficial for ourselves or others. Because of the fall, we are cursed by God, and our natural way of living is one of being under that curse.

Did God curse the institution of marriage that He created for humanity? We don’t find that in Scripture. However, one thing is clear from Scripture: we, as human beings, are cursed by God. Now, imagine a beautiful institution being led by two cursed individuals. What do you think the outcome will be?

Nothing but disaster!

The Bible clearly says,

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—” Galatians 3:13 ESV

It says that Christ took our curse upon Himself on our behalf. Isn’t that the greatest news humanity could ever receive? Absolutely!

However, for this truth to fully transform us, we must believe in Jesus Christ and enthrone Him as the ruler of our lives. Instead of saying, “I know how to manage my life and marriage; and I can come up with solutions to all my life and marital problems,” we turn to Him and His word. Believing in Christ means trusting Him and taking Him at His word. This isn’t a one-time action we can do and forget. No! We must seek Him daily, relying on Him for all our needs and desires, recognizing that, left to ourselves, we cannot truly benefit ourselves or others. Without Him, we remain hopelessly bound by the curse that affects each one of us.

A husband—the father of his children, the head, provider, and protector of his household—when left to himself, can harm his own wife and children. Similarly, a wife—the mother of her children, intended to be “a suitable partner” to her husband and a guiding teacher and role model for her children—when left to herself, can also hurt her husband and children.

You see, it is crucial for us to first know and understand this fundamental truth: the earth is cursed, and we all, human beings, are cursed by God. We must grasp this before diving into the nitty-gritty truths about marriage according to the Bible. . . . cont’d ///