Human love is ennobled by being patterned on God's love for his people. It is also safeguarded by God's commands.
The love between husband and wife
Conjugal love is commanded
Colossians 3:18–19 See also Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 24:5; Proverbs 5:18–20; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:28, Ephesians 5:33; 1 Peter 3:7
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
It is patterned on God's love for his people
Isaiah 54:5; Ephesians 5:25–27 See also Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 3:14; Ezekiel 16:8; Hosea 2:19; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7
For your husband is your Maker — the LORD of Hosts is His name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
The power of human love
Song of Solomon 8:6–7 See also Genesis 29:20, Genesis 29:30; Proverbs 6:34–35
Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all. Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.
Examples of love in courtship and marriage
Genesis 24:67 Isaac and Rebekah; Genesis 29:18 Jacob and Rachel; Judges 16:4 Samson and Delilah; 1 Samuel 1:5 Elkanah and Hannah; Esther 2:17 Xerxes and Esther; Song of Solomon 1:2, Song of Solomon 4:10; Hosea 3:1; Matthew 1:19 Joseph and Mary
Safeguards on human love
Sexual immorality is condemned
1 Corinthians 7:2 See also Leviticus 18:22 homosexual acts forbidden; Leviticus 19:29 prostitution forbidden; Deuteronomy 23:17–18; Matthew 5:32; Acts 15:29; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:8; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
Adultery is condemned
Exodus 20:14 See also Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:18; Proverbs 6:24; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 13:4
You shall not commit adultery.
Restrictions on divorce
Matthew 19:9 See also Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:32; Mark 10:11–12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:10–11
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Lust is condemned
Matthew 5:28 See also Job 31:1; Proverbs 6:25; 1 Corinthians 7:9; Ephesians 4:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:5
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Polygamy is forbidden
1 Timothy 3:2 See also Deuteronomy 17:17; Malachi 2:15; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 1:6
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.