A Covenant Kind of Love

Hey there,

We had the joy of celebrating a wedding in our family recently. What a beautiful, joy-filled day! There were happy tears, lots of laughter, and so much love in the room.

We couldn’t be happier for the new couple. It was a blessing to watch them stand before God and make their covenant promises to each other.

As I sat there watching them exchange vows and rings, I kept thinking about covenants—the kind of sacred, “this is forever” promises made before God and His people. Their marriage is built on exactly that: public, joyful commitments to love, honor, and cherish each other no matter what comes.

That thought took me back to something I learned from Ray Vander Laan’s teachings years ago. He pointed out that the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai wasn’t just God handing down a rulebook—it was like a wedding ceremony between God and His people. In ancient Jewish weddings, the bride and groom would exchange a ketubah, a marriage contract that contained their vows. RVL helped me see the Ten Commandments as that very ketubah—God’s wedding vows to Israel.

Just listen to how it begins: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). That’s God saying, “I chose you. I rescued you. I love you. Will you be Mine?” The rest of the commandments are the loving boundaries of that covenant relationship. They weren’t cold rules; they were the promises that would keep the marriage strong and faithful.

The couple chose Ecclesiastes 4:12 for their wedding:
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

What a perfect illustration for a wedding! Two people standing together in marriage are stronger than one—but when the third strand is Jesus Christ, that cord becomes unbreakable. Their marriage isn’t just the two of them; it’s built around the God who covenants with us and holds us together.

And here’s the beautiful part: that old Sinai covenant points forward to our Savior and the new covenant. The Bible calls the church Christ’s bride (Matthew 9:15, Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7-9). He is the Bridegroom who paid the ultimate bride price on the cross, sealed the covenant with His own blood, and promises never ever to leave us.

So as we celebrate this new marriage, let it remind all of us of the greatest covenant love of all. Whether you’re married, single, or just somewhere in between, you’re invited into this faithful, grace-filled relationship with the God who says, “I am yours, and you are Mine.”

My prayer for the newlyweds—and for every one of us—is this:

Lord God & Creator, thank You for the picture of covenant love we saw this week.
Help Grace and Carter (and all our marriages) reflect Your true faithfulness.
When life gets hard, remind us of the promises we made—to each other and especially to you Lord.
And may we live with the joy of those who know they’re loved by the perfect Bridegroom.

Congratulations again, to the happy couple! We love you and we’re cheering for you—even from a few states away.

~ Charlie (Father-of-the-Bride)

Have some advice for the happy couple? Drop it in the comments below!