To find the true intended purpose of anything, you need to return to the person who invented it.

In the creation story, we see the first marriage and its purpose.

God created man and woman in His image to be like him, to rule the Earth and fill it with more of mankind who are like Him. (Genesis 1:26-28) This was God’s intended purpose for humanity, male and female alike. When Adam was created, God recognized man’s need not to be alone and his need for a partner, a helper, one to compliment him. So, God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs.

At last, the man exclaimed, “This one is bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. - Genesis 2:23-24

Both males and females are created in God’s image with the purpose of reflecting Him on this earth. And according to God, they can fulfill His purpose better together than apart. So, marriage is two becoming one to help each other complete the purpose God has for them.

Part of that purpose is to “increase and multiply.” A biblical marriage provides the environment for children to grow and find their purpose and identity in the Lord. They can be raised to be the image of God and the reflection of Him on earth.

In the book of Ephesians, the writer quotes the scripture about the two becoming one showing us that marriage is a beautiful picture of Jesus and His church. Jesus left his Father in heaven to be joined with humanity giving his life up for us. That is how a man should love his wife. He leaves his childhood behind to daily lay down his life for his wife and family. Loving her the way Jesus loves His church. He then is charged with leading his wife in holiness with the word of God. As a man leads his wife in God’s ways out of this sacrificial love, his wife, like the church, will love, honor, and respect him and follow his lead. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This means that because of your honor for the Lord, you will lay down your life for each other. What a wonderful picture of how Jesus laid down his life for the Church, and we now have given our lives to Him.