BAC, I should`nt have written "When a man took a virgin wife under the old covenant..." because although I did read somewhere that it was a Jewish custom at one time, I have not read this practice as having been ordained by God in scripture, so I have invalidated my own point, by doing exactly what I wish not to do. :embarasse
Been there, done that
Also, tho I have read many times by various Bible commentators that there is a deep spiritual significance in a virgin bride shedding blood on her wedding night, I have no specific scriptures to support this view. And, tho I truly see the varied marriage ceremonies as practiced by the Jews and Christians then and now as merely customs, because again, I see no where that God lays down any rules for this practice, i`m rather confused about the whole subject. A couple can get a marriage license at any courthouse, without any actual marriage ceremony and it is accepted by both church and state. So to me it all goes back to when does GOD consider a couple to be married. Maybe marriage in Gods eyes requires witnesses?
There seems to be some misconception here also. The Bible says blood is required for forgiveness of sins ( Heb 9:22 ). But I don't see anywhere in the Bible that is required for a covenant. The Bible does say that the difference between a promise and covenant is that one lasts until there is a death. ( Heb 9:16 )
I believe it's God purpose that a marriage should last "until death do us part".
In fact in Heb 6:13, all it took for God to make a covenant was swearing the promise to himself.
+The Bible word sometimes translated fornication does not mean ‘sex before marriage.’
From Strongs.
G4202
πορνεία
porneia
por-ni'-ah
From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.
Hmmm.. somewhat vague. So what does Harlot mean?
H2181
זנה
zânâh
zaw-naw'
A primitive root (highly fed and therefore wanton); to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple forniciation, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah): - (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) *****, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-*******, whorish.
G4204
πόρνη
pornē
por'-nay
Feminine of G4205; a strumpet; figuratively an idolater: - harlot, *****.
H6948
קדשׁה
qedêshâh
ked-ay-shaw'
Feminine of H6945; a female devotee (that is, prostitute): - harlot, *****.
First, I doubt most men want to marry a ( *****/harlot/prostitute/strumpet ) take your pick.
Second, if sex is all that is required for two people to be married, then harlots/strumpets must be married to several men all at the same time.
While polygamy was practiced in the OT, it was frowned upon in the NT.
( Matt 5:27-28, Matt 5:32, Matt 19:9, Mark 10:12, etc...)
+Under Old Testament law, casual sex was impossible. For an unmarried man to have sex with an unmarried woman was to make an even more binding commitment than normal marriage.
This wasn't the case in Exod 22:16
Exo 22:16 "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife.
Prov 7:7-22 paint a pretty dire picture of this type of woman. Perhaps a worse picture for the man who falls for her.
In 2 Sam 11:5 Bathsheba says she got pregnant from David. Yet later in verse 26 the Bible says she was still the wife of Uriah, even though David was the last person she "slept" with.
+In God’s eyes, a one night stand makes two people one.
John 4:15 The woman *said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw."
John 4:16 He *said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here."
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus *said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband';
John 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and
the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly."
Apparently Jesus didn't see it that way.
+In the Bible, marriage celebrations were purely secular. (not commanded by God)
And last but not least:
+Christians are free to break away from any Church practice, tradition, or custom that is not commanded by God.
Mal 2:14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously,
though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Again, I would say, it's the covenant and vows that make a marriage. The commitment. Not the sex. Sex outside of marriage is fornication, the Bible may not always call fornication "sex outside of marriage", but it always calls sex outside of marriage either fornication or adultery.
I would ask you what constitutes a divorce? Can there be a divorce without a marriage?
I would also ask, if sex is all it takes for someone to be married, what is the difference between a harlot/prostitute and a wife?
What is your definition of fornication? What is your definition of adultery? What is the difference between these and getting "married" by sex?
Heb 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for
fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
1Tim 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1Tim 4:2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
1Tim 4:3 men
who refuse to get married and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.