The Year Ahead: Happiness or ‘Off to War You Go, Dear’?

“If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.” Deuteronomy 24:5

So much of our culture is rooted in the Bible — from things we war against now, to things with which no one has a real problem, and we can generally agree are good and healthy, like for instance: The honeymoon.

Deuteronomy is last of the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch, the books of The Law.

The honeymoon, while arguably shorter in our culture, is a Biblical concept. That a newly married couple is supposed to have time to establish themselves in marriage as a couple. The idea is not to take an expensive trip, the idea is that the rather socialist nature of a Biblically prescribed culture is not supposed to call upon the new couple for service so that they can establish a strong and secure bond with each other.

A newly married couple was given a year off from the demands of societal obligations so they could establish a strong bond and happy memories that would carry them through the times when they would be called upon. Something made infinitely more necessary in a culture where the married couple, if they even knew each other, didn’t live together…