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chocolateismybestfriend
06-02-2006, 08:53 AM
I've had this conversation with many people, but am still unsatisfied with the result. Maybe you can all shed a light.

When you are proposed to and you agree, or when you propose, you make the promise to marry that person.

I read in a quote from Bro Branham that if you propose or agree to a proposal, you commit to the vow of marriage when you do that so you are essentially at the point as good as married just not "legally", and if you went on from there and married someone else you are living in adultery.
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QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.2_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
1036-Q-313 313. Brother Branham, what is the meaning of a annulment? Are people free to marry or is this just another word for divorce? I would like some information on this.
Sure they're married. As long as they take that vow, they're married. Just like a boy, if a boy promises a girl to marry her under good faith, he's obligated to that girl. He's just as good as married her. The only thing the law does, is give you a--a bill of rights to live together to keep from being common-law husband and wife. But when a man tells a woman, "I will marry you, Honey; I will take you for my wife. Will you take..." he's married.
Your vow is sacred; that's what marries you anyhow. There's not no preacher can marry you, no magistrate, or nothing else; it's your own vow to God and to this man. When you promise, you are married.

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.2_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
1036-195 Looky. You say, "Brother Branham, is that...? You say... You said you'd only answer that by the Bible." Did you want the Bible on it? Raise your hands if you want it. Now, we got about six or eight minutes. All right.
"Joseph, her husband, being a just man (her espoused husband, already called her husband)... Joseph, her husband, being a just man, was 'mindedly' to put her away privately on this wise; but before they came together, she was found with a child of the Holy Ghost. (See?) And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and saying, 'Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee, Mary, thy wife.'" Already married, he'd already promised her.

QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.2_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
1037-197 And of... And little lady, if you promised to marry that boy, you're obligated to do it. If you marry another after that obligation, you will--from now on anyhow--you'll be living in adultery. And notice, the same thing to a boy promising to marry a woman...
Don't you make your vow to anybody 'less you mean to stick with it. Remember, there's the Bible for it. Joseph promised to marry Mary. And God said that that was...
Read the Old Testament laws on that. See? The Old Testament law, if you promised to marry a woman, and you married another one, you was committing adultery; and it throwed you out of the camp. Yes, sir. You have to keep your vows when you promise a woman that. She's a sacred little vessel, and that's to bring child life into the world again. So when you promise her, you must marry her.


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I know people within my church who were engaged before the partner they are now married to, and seeing them now with their families and knowing why they didn’t marry that other person, I wouldn’t look disapproving at that for a second.

Of course vowing something like marriage would never ever be taken lightly, but what if you found out something about them that changed the whole situation? Would it be adultery if you married after you were engaged to someone else?

I guess I’m asking is it truly that black and white?
Are these people attending my church, and quite possibly churches all over the world committing adultery within the marriage because they didn’t marry the first person they were engaged to?

BroTrevor
06-02-2006, 12:07 PM
That's a tough question, and one that I believe has to be looked at in each individual situation.

For instance...

A guy and a girl are in love, but live in different places. The guy, knowing the girl he loves really likes where she currently lives and being near her family, asks "would you be happy living where I live?" To which the girl replies that she would be happy anywhere he is. (She's figuring he probably will move down there anyhow.)

The guy then asks the girl to marry him, seeing as how she pretty much told him she'd leave "father and mother and cleave to him". (not in so many words, but that was the point...)

Say the girl afterwards doesn't want to move away, and the guy couldn't find a job down where she lived so they couldn't live down there. So she doesn't want to proceed with the wedding till he can get a job down there.

Now, did she really promise to marry the guy?? Or was it a promise under a condition? Does it matter???

I don't have all the answers on this one.

But, if they are already married and have kids... They should stay that way, and NOT do that kind of thing again.

Marriage and engagement are REALLY sacred things. WHY?? Because it's a natural type of something that takes place spiritually as well. Our Engagement and Marriage to Christ. God doesn't want us taking engagement/wedding lightly...but seriously...because we love him.

Angelo
06-02-2006, 01:30 PM
Let me share as scripture that we can use as referrence for this subject that I think can be applied to this situation:

Numbers 30:2-5 (King James Version)

If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

blessed
06-02-2006, 01:33 PM
Well that scripture answered the question... Engagement is something that should be done prayerfully pray about it before you say yes. Tell the guy you need some time to pray about it, make sure its God's will then you will not have to decline after....... unless you are going out of his will.

Angelo
06-02-2006, 01:45 PM
So the parents has a say with it too.

chocolateismybestfriend
06-02-2006, 07:44 PM
and what if they had already agreed to it, as i would expect a man should always ask the parents of the bride before asking the girl, and should consult with his own parents too.

maybe thats just me :|

joris
06-06-2006, 06:18 AM
I think doing a promise like engagement, as you tell each other, you want to get married, that really means you tell each other you long to stay together for the rest of your life - so... that is like, being married in His eyes, as a promise should, like, never be broken
Than the actual marriage is more about showing people, and celebrating together, this fact, that you two will stay together

Now... yes I guess that causes a lot of people to have committed adultery; fortunately we have Jesus whose sacrifise is there, also to wash us clean for the braking of relationships...
(Tell me if this is not a right way to view things :embarrassed: )

BroTrevor
06-06-2006, 01:20 PM
I think doing a promise like engagement, as you tell each other, you want to get married, that really means you tell each other you long to stay together for the rest of your life - so... that is like, being married in His eyes, as a promise should, like, never be broken
Than the actual marriage is more about showing people, and celebrating together, this fact, that you two will stay together

Now... yes I guess that causes a lot of people to have committed adultery; fortunately we have Jesus whose sacrifise is there, also to wash us clean for the braking of relationships...
(Tell me if this is not a right way to view things :embarrassed: )


I'm mostly in agreement there. Of course, there is a balance to the sacrafice being there. There's still the law of not getting married/divorced/remarried. Even if the blood of Jesus covers...you still can't go against the law.

joris
06-06-2006, 02:53 PM
Even if the blood of Jesus covers...you still can't go against the law.:confused: uhm; the sacrifice was there exactly because we fail to fullfill the law easily, no?
Yes ofcourse you should not brake up your marriage/engagement; but than again... we all know we are weak and such :embarrassed:
ok I'll shut up for a moment :y10:

BroTrevor
06-06-2006, 03:07 PM
:confused: uhm; the sacrifice was there exactly because we fail to fullfill the law easily, no?
Yes ofcourse you should not brake up your marriage/engagement; but than again... we all know we are weak and such :embarrassed:
ok I'll shut up for a moment :y10:


Right... but once you realize that God has forgiven you, the pardon brings purity. You wont do those things anymore.

But yes, there is Grace....

redeemed
06-07-2006, 12:20 AM
:confused: uhm; the sacrifice was there exactly because we fail to fullfill the law easily, no?
Yes ofcourse you should not brake up your marriage/engagement; but than again... we all know we are weak and such :embarrassed:
ok I'll shut up for a moment :y10:

i know it happens quite often in the world, and then if a person realises that it's wrong he can ask God to forgive him. Right?

BroTrevor
06-07-2006, 12:26 AM
i know it happens quite often in the world, and then if a person realises that it's wrong he can ask God to forgive him. Right?

Right... and then "go and sin no more"

AlanaH
08-26-2006, 02:51 PM
Agree completely, Bro. Trevor.