For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. – Ephesians 5:31

Scripture reading: Genesis 2:18-25

Christ’s love for His Bride, the Church is an unbreakable, inseparable bond. He allows nothing and no one to come between and destroy this union. So too, a husband is to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife in an unbreakable-inseparable bond. Literally, they are glued or cemented together.

This speaks to both the unity and the permanence of the marriage union. What God has joined together let not man separate.

With every marriage, God establishes a new Christian home where the husband is the head and the wife is his help-meet. Both husband and wife are no longer under the authority and responsibility of their parents, but they are now one! They are now inseparable.

However, when parents refuse to let go and attempt to control or meddle in their lives, they are a hindrance to the bond of unity between the husband and wife. They are marriage breakers by not allowing the husband and wife the freedom or ability to fulfill their God-ordained roles in marriage.  So too, if a man fails to leave his parents, he not only fails as head of his home, but his wife is no longer appreciated as his primary help-meet. The unbreakable bond that binds husband and wife becomes unglued. Why? All because the husband has not left father and mother and cleaved to his wife. Leave and cleave is God’s standard for marriage.

Suggestions for prayer

Help couples to adhere to God’s standard to leave and cleave in order to maintain the unity and permanence of the marriage bond.

Rev. Henry Van Olst felt called to the ministry at the age of 32 after 12 years of working in the accounting field. He served the Parkland Reformed Church (URC) of Ponoka, Alberta from 1993 to 2005; served in several other churches, and upon retirement in 2020 moved back to Ponoka, Alberta along with his wife Mary, to be closer to their four married children and fifteen grandchildren. Rev. Van Olst remains active in preaching and teaching as the church is currently vacant. This daily devotional is also available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional.