LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 5:31-31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexually immorality causes her to commit adultery and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”   Jesus

 

When was the last time you heard a sermon on divorce?  Can’t remember? Me neither.  It is not a popular topic, but it is a topic Jesus addresses in one of the six statements during the Sermon on the Mount.

 

In Deuteronomy 24:1-4 the Law of Moses addressed the issue of divorce.  The entire teaching on divorce was to control it.  At this time men had little regard women; the result was a man could get rid of his wife for any unworthy reason.  It is interesting that Jesus addressed this issue right after addressing lust.  Lust was usually at the center of “unworthy reasons”.  The Law of Moses limited divorce to natural, moral or physical defects discovered in the wife (Lloyd-Jones).  The law forced a man to give his wife a bill of divorcement which said she was dismissed for one of the causes already mentioned.  He could not change his mind and remarry her which allowed her to marry someone else.  This was to be followed so people could not walk in and out of marriage as they pleased.

 

The teaching of the Pharisees and scribes was much different.  They said the law of Moses commanded someone to divorce their wife when certain conditions existed.  Finding a woman in an adulterous situation resulted in her being stoned to death.  The issuing of the bill of divorcement continued to be done but no reason for the divorce needed to be given in it. It is easy to see how the entire situation got out of control. 

 

The Lord Jesus spoke here and again in Matthew 19:3-9 to correct this error.  In Matthew 19, He gave more teaching to emphasize the sanctity of marriage.  He went back to the teaching in Genesis to remind the people (and us) that when a man and woman married, they became “one flesh” and it should never be torn apart because God had joined them together.  Very simply, marriage was not to end in divorce.  Jesus explained that the Law of Moses was given because of the hardness of man’s heart.  It is important to understand that Jesus was not advocating divorce, He was regulating it.  Jesus taught that there was no legitimate reason for divorce except sexual immorality – one being unfaithful to the other.  The “one flesh” principle had been broken because one person united with another. (Lloyd-Jones).

 

I must admit that verse 32 is a little confusing.  Jesus said that if anyone divorced his wife for any reason other than sexual immorality it would lead her to commit adultery.  How?  It is because any other reason does not break the bond of “one flesh”.  If she remarries the one sending her away made her break the bond and commit adultery.  Jesus made divorce for adultery legitimate and the one divorcing was free to remarry.

 

These verses are certainly viewed from the point of view that the woman has committed the adulterous act.  Be sure to put the context of what is being said into the context of the time.  Today, this could certainly be viewed from the man’ committing adultery and the woman divorcing him.  It is also important to say that divorce is a terrible sin; it is not the unpardonable sin.  I have had discussion over the years with a few who want to believe and argue that God does not forgive those who divorce.  That is simply not true.  All sin except what is considered the unpardonable sin can be forgiven when true repentance is brought before the Lord.  When it is, He is faithful and just to forgive us, to pardon the one involved. 

 

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