There is much to guide the people of the church to lead a Godly life with the inspired, written word within Hebrews 13.
Focussing on the word “honour” in the opening of verse 13:4, “Let Marriage Be Held in Honour among all,” “honour” being translated from the Greek word “τίμιος.” We see that from Strong’s Number: g5093. “τίμιος timios; including the comparative τιμιώτερος timiōteros; and the superlative τιμιώτατος timiōtatos; from 5092; valuable, i.e. (objectively) costly, or (subjectively) honored, esteemed, or (figuratively) beloved: — dear, honorable, (more, most) precious, had in reputation.
AV (14) – precious 8, most precious 2, more precious 1, dear 1, honourable 1, had in reputation 1;
as of great price, precious held in honour, esteemed, especially dear.”
Translators use “precious” for the word “τίμιος” in the New Testament, as found in 1 Cor. 3:12; 1 Peter 1:19 and then again in 2 Peter 1:4. Marriage, marriages are precious, to be treasured, respected, valued and invested in.
How can we show we hold marriage in honour and see marriage as precious? We need to show we are in sync with the word of God, the Holy Bible, including His words on marriage for the good of all in the church, the community around us and our nation. We need to be out of sync with the culture around us, which has corrupted marriage and family values.
Without question, the first relationship of all within the church is with God, loving him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, and then love our neighbour as ourselves [Matthew 22:37-8]. We build our love through relationship, and we all need to build a deep relationship with Jesus to prepare for the “marriage of the Lamb.”
With our earthly marriages, we need a good understanding that it is not only designed by God and for His purposes. Marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman and God. The covenant is a lifetime commitment and involves a promise to love, honour, and cherish one another.
The Bible speaks of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, with the two becoming one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
Marriage between a man and a woman is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His Church, with the husband representing Christ and the wife representing the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33).
We need to encourage husbands and wives to:
- To put God first in their relationship – which can be a powerful witness to the community.
- Pray for each other. While praying for a parking spot or a new car comes easily to many, praying for a spouse does not.
- To rely on God’s strength and not their own.
- To pray together within their home and with their children, if they have been blessed with children.
- Invite Christ into their marriage/family.
- To understand and embrace their God-given roles in marriage and as fathers/mothers if blessed with children.
We all need to enter into spiritual warfare against the continuing attacks on individual marriages and on God’s design and purpose of marriage and family. Marriage is precious to God.
"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”"
Hebrews 13:1-5 [NLT]
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