Ephesians 5:31-32 reveals such a deep mystery about marriage that it leaves one in awe. It says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This verse doesn’t just refer to marriage in a physical sense but is also symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the church.
If a man and wife become one flesh, and this union mirrors Christ and the church, it becomes clear that just as Christ cannot be separated from His church, so too, a husband and wife cannot be separated. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 19:6, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
The relationship between Christ and the church is the ultimate example of unity. Even though sin caused separation between humanity and God, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He restored this broken bond, bringing us back into oneness with Him through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ—just as nothing should separate a husband from his wife.
The image of Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer in the Old Testament also reflects this truth. God used Hosea’s marriage to show how Israel had become unfaithful by turning to other gods, yet despite this, God remained faithful. It’s a picture of God’s unwavering love, just like the unity between Christ and the church and the inseparable bond between a husband and wife.
This understanding helps explain why Scripture advises against remarriage after separation—just as the church cannot “marry” another god or lord. It takes us back to the first commandment in Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me.” A marriage, just like our relationship with God, is meant to be exclusive and inseparable.
It’s overwhelming to see how marriage points us to God’s great plan, from the beginning to now, reminding us of His desire for unity and unbreakable bonds, both in our marriages and with Him.