The history of marriage recorded in the Old Testament is not unlike the history of marriage through the centuries. What should have been a source of joy, freedom, and fulfillment has become, too often, a source of misery and despair. In his will, German poet Heinrich Heine offered his estate to the man who married his widow. The reason, he said, was that this way he'd be sure that there would be at least one person who mourned his death. One of the most devastating effects of sin has been its effect on marriage.