The Meaning of the Marital Covenant
Copyright 2005 Majella.us
The human historical drama of The Bible has fascinated scholars
for centuries and there is no shortage of interpretations. The
most amazing thing is perhaps how easily it will lend us the
perfect perspective through which to examine and evaluate modern
issues and problems. One very powerful metaphor that runs
throughout both the new and the old testaments is the radical
way in which God establishes a covenant with his people. Through
an examination of the covenantal promises of God himself, we
find the perfect examples by which to evaluate the meaning of
the term "covenant" in the marital union.
God's Covenant with Abraham In the book of Genesis God makes the
amazing promise to give Abram (who together with his wife Sarai
had given up on having their own children) that he will be
blessed with descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven.
Even further, "on that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying, 'to your descendants I give this land, from the river of
Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.'" (Gen 15:18).
Interestingly, both Abram and Sarai are shortly thereafter
referred to as Abraham and Sarah, thus signifying the change in
identity that occurs as a result of entering into a covenantal
bond.
The symbolism of the rite of covenant that God enters into with
Abraham speaks volumes about the true meaning of covenantal
promises. Following God's directions, Abram slaughters a three
year old heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, setting their pieces
apart from each other. Shortly after, Abram goes into a "deep
sleep." "Then the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a
smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between these
pieces." (Gen 15:17). According to the Navarre Bible, there is
an ancient rite (cf. Jer 34:18) whereby "the action of the two
parties--passing between the pieces of the victims--indicated a
readiness to be similarly cut in pieces if one were guilty of
breaking the pact" (pp. 96-97). In this scene, God, represented
by the flaming torch, gives us a supernatural example of the
meaning of the word "covenant" as he passes between the pieces
to ratify his promise. From this example, a covenant, such as
that which is taken between two spouses, then, is much more than
a legal contract--it is the total offering of oneself with the
other. What a different world we might live in if spouses were
to take their vows so seriously.
Another great example of what the call to "holiness" in
matrimony really means is given by Saint Paul in his letter to
the Ephesians. In an effort to delve deeper into the mystical
relationship between Christ and the Church, he offers the
metaphor in which husbands and wives are part of a "one flesh"
union whereby the man is the "head" and the woman is the "body."
He begins by exhorting spouses to "be subject to one another out
of reverence for Christ." Speaking to wives he states "be
subject to your husbands, as to the Lord." And then comes the
powerful call to "husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her" (Eph 5:21-25). Saint Paul
himself refers to this covenantal relationship as a "great
mystery." (Eph 5:32). Personally, I always wondered what Saint
Jose Maria Escriv