[Danimal16]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Z-man
[B]What do I expect in return? Absolutely NOTHING.

Is that what I get? On the contrary, I get EVERYTHING I ever wanted, and THEN I get more!

ZMan,

You are right and you make a great explanation of the Covenant. I was discouraged by my wife because of her actions and eventual infidelity, but what the heck, I have worked through that part.

I would like to ad that the new testament provides us with the instructions for the relationship between a man and wife and I would offer that God has defined what we need and I do agree with it as it was abscent from my marriage. The instructions are from Ephesians 5:22-33:

Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

The Loss of Respect is Key for men and the need for love is key for women.

Just my 2 Cents worth, but heartfelt