"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 sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus further explains the true meaning of the commandment against adultery. It not only applies to sexual desires and sexual relationships outside of the marriage union; it applies to breaking the marriage union by divorce. Though Moses, because of the hardness of men's hearts, permitted a man to divorce his wife by writing her a certificate of divorce and sending her away (Deuteronomy 24:1ff.), such was never God's intent when He created the woman for the man and brought her to him (Genesis 2; cf. Matthew 19:3-9).
The words of Jesus are unquestionably clear: "I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."
It is as Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-6: "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
Even though God made provision for divorce because of man's sinfulness -- as do civil governments yet today -- it was never God's intent that a marriage end in divorce. In fact, God says He hates divorce and warns against such treachery (Malachi 2:14-16). And since God's original design and intent in creation was for one man and one woman to be and remain one flesh -- one family unit -- one who divorces his or her spouse not only commits adultery, but causes his spouse to commit adultery by not continuing in the marriage union. Even the one who marries a divorced spouse commits adultery because he or she takes one whom God intended to continue in a marriage to another (cf. Mark 10:11-12).
God's command against adultery, therefore, requires much more of us than outward sexual fidelity to our marriage partner. It forbids evil thoughts and desires and divorce as well. God's provisions for divorce (cf. Matthew 19:3-9; 1 Corinthians 7:15) are there only because of human sinfulness -- as a way to clean up the mess we make of our lives by our own sinfulness.
How far short we have come! Who has kept this commandment as God intends and requires?
How thankful we can be that God sent His Son to fulfill all righteousness for us! That Christ Jesus suffered and died for our sins and rose again! How thankful we can be that God is merciful to us sinners and grants us forgiveness, pardon and peace! And that He has made provision for us to pick up the pieces and live our lives anew for Him!
O almighty God, our Creator and our Redeemer, forgive our sin and wickedness for Jesus' sake, create in us clean and undivided hearts to seek after You and Your perfect will, trusting always in the shed blood of our Savior for eternal salvation. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Community on 09/16/2015