Meaning of Wedding Vows
One common wedding ceremony for Christians comes out of a book called the Book of Common Prayer. Here, the couple offers wedding vows saying, “to thee I plight my troth.”
That’s archaic. What does it mean? A “plight” sounds horrible! Especially for wedding vows! And “troth” sounds like something pigs eat from.
But, when these vows were written, couples knew exactly these words meant, and they were severe. A “plight” meant a very severe oath promising to accept eternal damnation and misery should one fail to keep the wedding vows. And, “troth” meant “faithfulness” in marriage.
That is how people of honor take their wedding vows. Suddenly these vows receive serious meaning and marriage is not entered into lightly.
Why the Plight?
At the root of the wedding vow is protection of hearts, family, and society. When marriage is sincere, it makes sure children resulting from a sexual union can grow up in an honorable, stable, loving home.
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Honorable people do not offer wedding vows just to get their desires and needs met. They get their satisfaction and joy out of marriage serving, ministering, blessing, and joining together with another person to create a family and a beautiful legacy for future generations to come.
Wedding vows becomes a bond and an expression of great love and trust. You are trusting your children and their well being to that person.
Wedding Vows Have Serious Earthly Implications to Those Who Steal Spouses:
- A faithful spouse cannot be stolen.
- A vow is worthless that breaks an earlier vow.
Think for a moment what those two statements mean.
It means if you steal a spouse, you will get an unfaithful spouse because faithful spouses can never be stolen.
Also, if your stolen spouse ever repents and becomes faithful at heart, you will lose your stolen spouse immediately. This is absolutely certain. That is not a very happy prospect, is it?
Wedding vows cannot be removed from history by any religious or governmental decree or ceremony. God cannot lie and say we are faithful to our vows if we are not. A nation or a church may turn itself into a brothel with loose divorce and marriage laws, but God will never lower Himself to that level of dishonor. Neither should we.
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