It's a life binding covenant

My Sermon on the Mount class yesterday was on Matt. 5:27-36, about immorality, adultery, marriage, and oaths. Something that I realized in a greater measure was the nature of the covenant (our sub-teacher was really emphasizing covenants). He was talking about how when two people get married they join into a covenant that lasts forever. They are agreeing that from that time forth there are 'no more options' for a spouse. They are with the only option. (he was talking about avoiding lust) We kept discussing it and how with all the Biblical covenants (Abrahamic, Noahic, Davidic, New Covenant, and Mosaic) they all were 'sealed' with the shedding of blood.

What hit me was that when people have sex (for married couples, consummating the marriage), they are making a covenant with each other with the shedding of blood. Whether they mean to or not, want to or not, know it or not, or realize it's happening. I'm realizing that this is why it's stronger than a crush, stronger than a soul tie, stronger than a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. It's a life binding covenant. That's why when two people have sex and then break up later why it is so hard and painful. They don't realize the covenant made.

Since this is my first time realizing this and pondering this concept, I don't have answers to my questions. Some of them include: so what happens when you have sex with someone you don't marry? My mom always told me that I don't have to marry someone just because I had sex with them or just because they got me prego. One mistake doesn't need to lead to two. Do you have to 'break' a covenant like you do soul ties? Can you break covenants?

This semester has been huge in my training as a missionary. One of the classes I had was Systematic Theology trying to figure out what I actually believe about God and foundations of Christianity. Then there was the death of my uncle and me wrestling with ideas of what it means to be dead, what true salvation is, who can be saved, what it means to be saved, lifestyles of righteousness and what it looks like, and much more. Then there was an issue of immorality someone confided in me about and me asking myself what I think about the situation. Was it right, was it wrong? Was it sin, or was it love? What does my culture say? Is my culture's thinking inside of me? What does this mean regarding the scriptures? What do they actually say? What is a covenant? What happens when the covenant is broken? How do you walk out healing and restoration?

This training has taken my 'head knowledge' and made it 'heart knowledge' because it isn't just stories and scenarios.....it's my real life. It's real people. And it affects my emotions. This is real missionary training. So even though this has been hard for me, I'm thankful God is taking me through this training and preparing me for the nations.