What other scriptures emphasize the importance of enjoying life with your spouse? Enjoying Life Together – Ecclesiastes 9:9 “Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun … ” (Ecclesiastes 9:9) Other Passages That Echo the Call to Delight in Marriage “If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty placed on him. He is free to stay at home for one year to bring joy to the wife he has married.” “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth— a loving doe, a graceful fawn. May her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.” “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” • Songs 2:10-13 “My beloved spoke and said to me: ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me… For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.’ ” (The entire song celebrates romantic delight within covenant love.) • Songs 7:6-7 “How beautiful and pleasant you are, O love, with all your delights! Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are clusters of fruit.” “Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone, but to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone, but to his wife. Do not deprive one another …” “In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.” “Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” “Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” Key Themes That Surface Across These Passages – Marriage is God’s gracious gift meant for pleasure as well as partnership. – Joy in one another is not optional; it is commanded and celebrated. – Time, tenderness, and exclusivity nurture delight (Deuteronomy 24:5; Proverbs 5). – Physical intimacy is portrayed positively, within covenant boundaries (Song of Solomon; 1 Corinthians 7). – Mutual honor and sacrificial love safeguard enjoyment (Ephesians 5; 1 Peter 3). – When husband and wife cherish each other, they testify to God’s goodness before a watching world. Putting It into Practice • Guard time together; delight doesn’t flourish on leftovers. • Speak appreciation often—Proverbs-style words of blessing spark joy. • Keep romance alive; Scripture celebrates affectionate pursuit. • Walk in mutual submission and sacrificial love, echoing Christ and His church. |
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