Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (KJV)
We are all born into a family. Our birth family can have many shapes, sizes and forms. We grow up with our family and learn how to interact with others. When we get married, our family takes on a new shape. We are to leave behind our birth family as the primary priority and focus on our newly created family. Our birth family is still important but no longer should they hold the number one priority. We are to cleave to our new spouse. We are to cling to our new family and give them our loyalty. As we leave behind the ties from the past as the primary focus, we grow together with our new spouse and we become one. Marriage is a separation from the past and clinging to the future.