LANGUAGE

Every married woman should be submitting to her husband, doing what he says, obeying, respecting and serving him with joy and grace.

Boy, it's so easy to get you to click the link when I start out like that.  Such an easy mark.  

But since you're here ... 

'The language of the Bible is covenant language.'

When it says, 'Submit to each other' --- 'Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it' --- 'Leave father and mother ... hold fast to one another ... become one flesh' --- 'Love her ... respect him.'

That's all covenant language.

Marriage is to be a covenant.  That's an unbreakable, inviolable, irrevocable agreement between two parties.  Actually, God makes some uni-lateral covenants in the Bible -- that's a covenant with Himself (i.e. the rainbow) -- that is unbreakable no matter what you and I do.

Salvation is part of the new covenant.  God enters into that covenant with us and says: 'I'll be your God and you'll be My people;  I'll never leave you or turn my back on you.'   

Covenant language.

Likewise, a husband looks at his wife and says, 'I'll be your husband and you'll be my wife and we'll make a people together;  I'll never leave you or turn my back on you.'

That isn't contractual language; that's covenantal language.

In business you have contracts.  When you sign up for a credit card, you sign a contract.  When you buy a house, you sign a contract.  When you lease a car, you sign a contract.  But the Bible doesn't present marriage in any way, shape or form as a contract.  It's a covenant.

Contract is about negotiating terms that benefit me.  But covenant is about your well-being and benefit.

Contractual thinking and language says, 'I'm here to get what I want.  I'm here to get what I need.  I've waited long enough for it.  I should be happy.  I have to have it now.  In fact, I deserve it.'

Covenantal thinking and language says, 'God wants me to become what you need.  God wants me to love you as you need.  God wants me to serve you as you need.  God wants me to sacrifice for you as you need.  God wants me to invest in you as you need.'

So as Jesus, the covenant head of the church, loves it and serves it, so the man as the covenant head of his wife and children, lovingly leads them so they are blessed and flourishing and growing in the grace of God.

And be blessed.