When we first began dating, we thought we were pretty similar people. But it didn’t take long for us to realise that we were, in fact, not.

Shem loves lazing in bed. Anthea loves packing her day with productive things.

Shem is passionate about food and alcohol (in moderation of course!). Anthea can’t tell if she’s eating pork or beef, nor tell her wines apart!

Shem scored 95% on extroversion. Anthea scored 55% and is always waiting for Shem to leave parties.

So we thought - as two rather different people, can this marriage thing work? Will we last as lifetime companions?

Interestingly, companionship, we learnt, is not the key purpose of marriage, according to the Bible. Then what is?

We turned back to the very first book of the Bible - called Genesis - to understand the foundations that God laid for marriage. The very first wedding God instituted was that between Adam and Eve when they were in the garden of Eden.

Genesis Chapter 2 Verse 18 reads “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him”. God then created a woman (Eve), and Adam and Eve became united as one in marriage.

This was Lesson #1 for us during our period of dating. God created Eve not to be Adam’s companion, but to be his helper in taking care of God’s garden. We learnt that God designed marriage primarily for husband and wife to be co-workers to serve in God’s world together, not just as companions.

Wow. We were certainly challenged by this!

Over the course of our marriage, we know that we will inadvertently hurt each other and fail in meeting each other’s expectations. Our marriage will certainly be far from the perfect “happily ever after”.

Thankfully, God promises a final, perfect wedding. From the first book of the Bible, we then turned to the very last book of the Bible - called Revelation - to understand this final wedding.

Revelation Chapter 21 Verse 2 reads “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.’’ Here, God gives us a beautiful snapshot of the wedding that is to come -- this will be a wedding between God’s people (i.e. those living in the “new Jerusalem’’) who is the bride, and Jesus who is the bridegroom.

This was Lesson #2 for us. Our marriage is only a miniature and imperfect shadow of the greater and perfect union that is to come. On that future day, the people of God will be united with Jesus in perfect love.

Too much to wrap your head around? Fret not, that is the same for us too! But the more we learn about God, the more He helps us to understand this final wedding better.

Look forward!