Hebrews 13:4  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterous.

Satan accused God of building walls of protection all around Job and his family and household (Job 1:10). According to Satan, that's why Job was so upright. Yet Luther says above that those hedges of protection are exactly what God wants around every husband and wife and around every family. Picture a ten-foot-high invisible fence around every marriage, keeping intruders away, building trust in the family, resisting temptations, ensuring safety for the children.

Some would tell us today that marriage is purely a private matter, that the marriage of others are none of our business. Luther couldn't disagree more. God makes marriage the basic building block and foundation of all society. When husbands and wives separate or divorce, it's not a private matter. It affects parents, children, friends, neighbors, church family, and the whole community. In those difficult cases, God is certainly gracious and merciful and will make "all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). Yet God and all of us would much prefer to use this Sixth Commandment as a great fortress of protection around every marriage.

None of us can say about marriage and families, "That's not my business." God commands everyone to help and protect. Onward, Christian soldiers! Fight for husbands and wives and children. Send anniversary cards. Offer to babysit. Be informed and active in what the government is doing to protect marriage. Encourage church attendance and family devotions. And let marriage be held in honor by us all.
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