1. Genesis 2:21-24.

I. Leave his father and mother.

A. Leave – to relinquish, desert a covenant (Wilson’s). When a man marries, his relationship with his wife is more important than his relationship with anyone else on earth. Consider Ephesians 5:25-29.

B. When is a person old enough to get married? Consider the "four ages of man" – chronological, physical, intellectual or mental, and emotional. But also consider the spiritual development. A man ought not get married until he is old enough to leave his father and mother (Matthew 19:5).

C. There may be times when it is wise for young people, after they are married, to go to their parents for advice. But no one should get married and expect his (or her) parents to make their decisions for them, or to support them financially. Someone wrote: "If he ain’t got nothin’, and she ain’t got nothin’, don’t wed. Cause nothin’ plus nothin’ makes nothing’, and that don’t chew like bread." Consider I Timothy 5:8.

II. Cleave unto his wife.

A. Cleave – to stick, as things that are glued together.

B. Not just "joined by man," but by God (Matthew 19:6-9). Who can be married in the eyes of God? Those persons who have never been married, those persons whose spouses have died (Romans 7:3-4), and those persons who are innocent of fornication but have put their spouse away for fornication (Matthew 19:9).

C. Marriage is permanent in its duration (I Corinthians 7:39).

III. They shall be one flesh.

A. They shall be one flesh in terms of their sexual relationship. Consider I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Corinthians 7:2; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8.

B. How else do they become one flesh? In name, in interest, in goals, etc.

C. Contrast the illustrations of "mixing paint" and "threads of a garment."

1. Three steps to a happy marriage:

a) Leave father and mother.

b) Cleave to one another.

c)  Become one flesh.

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