It is an enlightening exercise to compare the Sinai covenant with the marriage covenant by interpreting the Ten Commandments as ten principles of conduct for married people. Paul Stevens has produced a most perceptive comparison between the two covenants by means of the following table:
| 1. No other Gods | 1. Exclusive loyalty to my spouse |
| 2. No graven image | 2. Truthfulness and faithfulness |
| 3. Not taking the Lord's name in vain | 3. Honoring my spouse in public and private |
| 4. Remembering the Sabbath day | 4. Giving my spouse time and rest |
| 5. Honoring father and mother | 5. Rightly relating to parents and parents-in-law |
| 6. No murder | 6. Freedom from hatred, destructive anger and uncontrolled emotions |
| 7. No adultery | 7. Sexual faithfulness; controlled appetites |
| 8. No stealing | 8. True community of property with the gift of privacy |
| 9. No false testimony | 9. Truthful communication |
| 10. No coveting | 10. Contentment: freedom from demands |
Marriage, to be stable and permanent, needs to be built upon the foundation of an unconditional, mutual covenant commitment that will not allow anything or anyone "to put asunder" the marital union established by God. To accept this Biblical view of marriage as a sacred covenant means to be willing to make total, exclusive, continuing, and growing commitments to our marriage partner. Such commitments are not easy or trouble free. Just as our covenantal commitment to God requires obedience to the principles embodied in the Ten Commandments, so our covenantal commitment to our marriage partner demands obedience to the principles of the Ten Commandments which are applicable to our marriage relationship.
There is no other way to enter into the joys of Christian marriage than by assuming its covenantal obligations. When we commit ourselves to honor our marriage covenant of mutual faithfulness "till death do us part," then we experience how God is able mysteriously to unite two lives into "one flesh." Honoring our marriage covenant is fundamental to the stability of our family, church, and society.
