The two shall become one flesh
Two becoming one flesh happens during sexual intercourse. This is what consummates a marriage.
Consummate: to make a marriage complete by having sexual intercourse. "they did not consummate their marriage until months after it took place"
This can only take place between a man and a woman.
Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Matthew 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Mark 10:8 and the two shall become one flesh; so, they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Ephesians 5:31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
The man and woman become one flesh the first time they have sexual intercourse.
1 Corinthians 6:16 Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.”
Read the story of Jacob, in how he was tricked into taking Leah to be his wife, when he really wanted Rachel. How did this happen? Jacob was promised Rachel if he served Laban for seven years. After seven years of fulfilling his obligation, they had a big marriage celebration. That night Laban snuck Leah into Jacob’s tent causing Jacob to have sexual intercourse with Leah instead of Rachel. This consummated a marriage between Jacob and Leah, which caused Jacob to become angry. Why? Because Laban tricked him. Now Jacob had to serve Laban for another seven years in order to have Rachel.
Now here is the big question.
What if Jacob realized it was Leah, instead of Rachel, and refused to have sex with her? Would Jacob have to serve Laban for another seven years for Rachel? No, he would not because the marriage was not consummated.
You can read all about Jacob’s story here.
Genesis 29:16-30 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.” “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” So, Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.” So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.) But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?” “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.” So, Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So, Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.
Now, here is where so many young people are destroying their lives. A young man and woman meet and start dating. For years they were told that the words of the marriage are what consummates being married, but in reality, it’s the sexual act that does. What this means is that when a man becomes one flesh with a woman, they are consummating a marriage in the eyes of YAH. This means when they break up it's like a divorce, which carries all the negative emotional and physiological effects of a divorce. All this baggage can cause problems when they meet the one and only, they really want as a lifelong partner in the covenant of marriage. And we wonder why today’s families are so dysfunctional, and the divorce rate is through the roof.
Today, when you talk to young intimate couples about marriage they will say, “We’re not ready for a commitment.” They say this not realizing that the biggest commitment a man and woman can make happens when the two become one flesh. A virgin man and woman agreeing to have sex is not only an agreement (covenant) that consummates a marriage, it’s also a covenant made with blood.
Don’t be deceived…