TEXTS:                                 Gen. 2:21-24; Mk. 10:6-9; Mtt. 19:4-6

In this study we want to look into some more details one of the fundamental issues in a sound marriage relationship; the issue of Leaving And Cleaving.

 

 (Gen. 2:24; Mtt. 19:4-5). 

 

The principle of leaving and cleaving is one principle that was pronounced when the marriage was originally instituted.  It has to be noted that to cleave, one has to leave.  Put in another way, one has to leave in order to cleave.

 

In some quarters, wives claim that the instruction was given to the husbands only Gen. 2:24.  To this end such wives find it difficult to detach themselves from their pre-marriage relationships.  The role of leaving and cleaving applies to both husbands and wives as follows:

 

The Wife

 

The wife by marriage physically leaves her parents (the maiden home) to live in with her husband.  The husbands house becomes her actual and bonafide home (Gen. 24:50-57, 58-61, 66-67).  By this principle the woman on account of marriage necessarily leaves her maiden home to join her husband in his own house.  The wife having done as above needs not be enjoined again to leave.  She should however understand, that bringing her relations to interfere in her marriage after she has left them, will be like returning again to her maiden home after marriage which is prohibited by the LORD (Mk. 10:9).  It contradicts the principles of leaving and cleaving.  It will also be foolishness to have a wife leave her parents and other relations and not cleave to her husband.  Naturally the leaving begets the cleaving.

 

The Husband

 

The husband is expressly instructed to leave his parents and other relations to cleave to his wife (Gen. 2:24; Mk. 10:6-8).  This is because the husband does not leave his home physically to join his wife, rather the wife leaves to join him. (Gen. 24:62-67), the husband’s side is more vulnerable the tendency of parental interference than the wife’s, hence the express injunction to the husbands (Gen. 2:24).

 

Neglecting this rule will simply man challenging the authority that instituted marriage (Mk. 10:9; Mtt. 19:6).  Leaving parents and failing to cleave to wife is simply unnatural.  Where there is a genuine leaving there will of necessity be a consequent cleaving naturally.