Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a one year honeymoon? In the early Bible days, God gave the Jews an interesting law. He declared that a newly married man did not have to work or even serve in the army during his first year of marriage. Deuteronomy 24:5 says, “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.”

It’s awesome that God knows the importance of starting off a marriage well. It’s almost like God realizes that the first year of marriage can be a difficult adjusting period between two different individuals. So he commands the Jewish newlyweds not to work but to spend a lot of time together. During this time, those newlyweds get to know each other mentally, emotionally, and physically. This extended time together allows them to bond and build a strong foundation for marriage. They’ll be ready when tough times come. They’ll be ready when little Junior is born. They’ll be ready when the husband has to work again. They’ll be ready when the in-laws seek to control them.

But is this one year honeymoon really possible in today’s busy world?

My sister at the Chick Lounge posted on this subject. She wrote:

I think a couple could live off of 1,000 dollars or less per month for a whole year, especially if they were traveling abroad. If they each saved 500 dollars each month for a year, they could have this in their savings. Yeah, 500 dollars is a lot of money considering most people live paycheck to paycheck.

Each person could save $500 a month for a year. That would be tough. If each person had a good job, it might be doable. (By the way, if you’re not motivated to save money, a one year honeymoon might just be the motivation you need).

What if the church subsidized part of the living expenses for newlyweds in their first year? Many Christians realize that divorce is rampant in the church and this subsidy could be a way for churches to encourage newly married couples to work hard on their marriages. However, some couples could abuse the subsidy.

I realize these solutions are very unlikely. Most people don’t have the capacity to save $500 a month for a year and I don’t know of any churches who will pay for honeymoon expenses. It looks like you have to have rich parents or be rich yourself before you could pull off this one year honeymoon.

But what about the principle that God is promoting? What is the principle God wants us to understand from His command? I think it has to do with newlyweds spending much time together early in marriage. God wants them to build a lifelong habit of spending consistent time with each other. It’s sad that many married couples today don’t spend much time together. And those couples bear the consequences of their busy lives in their struggling marriages. These couples experience lack of intimacy, lack of communication,and a general dissatisfaction with their marriage.

Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life:

It is not enough just to say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless… Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is “T-I-M-E.”