Divorce - The Biblical Perspective

In my last blog The Sanctity of Marriage we learned that ‘Monogamy is God’s order; one man with one wife, until death breaks the marriage bond.’  Divorce also breaks the marriage bond between a man and a woman. It is legally binding.

Collins concise dictionary defines divorce as:

1.       The legal dissolution of marriage.

2.       A judicial decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved.

3.       A separation, esp. One that is total or complete.

Matthew 19:5, 6 tell us, (5) “...’For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Divorce, the legal dissolution of a marriage is not God’s will.

The Pharisees in Matthew 19:3 asked the Lord Jesus Christ this question.

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? We already have the answer in verses 5 and 6 above.

The Pharisees then asked Him another question. Matthew 19:7, “...Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

The Lord Jesus’ answer is found in verses 8 and 9. “(8)...Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (9) And I say to you whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

What is adultery? Collins concise Dictionary states that it is, ‘Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and partner other than the legal spouse’

1.       The act of adultery breaks the marriage bond. It is illicit sexual intercourse. The person creating a sexual union with someone who is not their spouse has in effect dissolved their marriage. This illicit act is in violation of God’s “one flesh” union of the married couple. It is a breakdown of the family unit.

2.       The Lord Jesus informed the Pharisees that if they divorced their wife for any other reason than adultery; and they married another woman – they were committing adultery! If the divorced wife married again – her new husband was guilty of adultery!

3.       So even if the married couple were not unfaithful to each other; if they were divorced and subsequently married new partners – they would commit adultery!

This is a solemn and serious warning! “...what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

In Deuteronomy chapter 24 more instructions are given about divorce. If a man divorced his wife, he gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. If she then marries another man; her original husband was not allowed to remarry his former wife if her new husband died or divorced her.

Deuteronomy 24:4, “Then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord...”

Divorce is a breakdown of the family unit. This is not God’s will, nor is it in the best interests of any society, or nation. It is always the children of divorced parents who suffer! Look at the mess we have in our so called Western democracies. High divorce rates everywhere. People don’t even bother to get married, and just live together out of wedlock. Governments, in attempts to find quick fixes often make the situation worse. Sexual morals sink lower and lower.

Don’t think that God has turned a blind eye to all of this. Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Hebrews 9:27, “...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement.”

Are you caught up in any of this morass? Are you involved with sexual immorality? Such things as pre-marital sex, casual sex, one night stands, adultery, same sex liaisons, or other even more debasing and degrading acts; God will judge every single defiling occurrence! 

God is willing to forgive you and save you from your wicked ways. If you are willing to take God at His word; if you are willing to turn your back on your way of life – you can be saved! The very fact that you are a sinner qualifies you for God’s offer of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:14, 15 states, “(14) And as Moses lifted up the servant in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  The Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up on a cross at Calvary on your behalf to pay the price of your sins.

He is willing to save you just as you are, just where you are – right now!

Jon Peasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version]