Mt. 19:3-9

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Mt. 19:3-9

Marriage and Divorce

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Background

• Jesus begins his ministry beyond Jordan

• This was the country lying east of the Sea of Galilee and Jordan river

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Mt. 19:3

• The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

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1. Divorce for any reason?

• At that time there was a controversy on the proper grounds for divorce

• That battle is still being fought today

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Mt. 19:4-6

• And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

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• Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

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2. The Lord’s Answer

• Have ye not read? = Their answer was in the Scriptures which they should have known

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• He made them at the beginning = God made man and woman in the beginning – male and female – different and yet compatible

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Gen. 1:26-27

• And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,

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• and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

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• Leave and cleave = cleave – “to glue together, fasten, cement”

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Acts 11:23

• Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord

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• “Those properly joined together in marriage are to leave all others and are to cleave to each other.” Roy Deaver

• The man is to bind himself more closely to his wife than he was to his father and mother

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• One flesh = two different individuals with distinct personalities

• United in common love for each other

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• They are one in goals, aims and purposes

• They seek the common good of each other

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• What God has joined, man is not to put asunder = persons who are scripturally married are joined by God – God recognizes the marriage

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• “Since it is God who did the joining, it is only God who can disjoin the marriage” Bob Winton

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Mt. 19:7

• They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away

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3. Why Did Moses…”

• Moses granted the Jewish man the right to put away his wife by giving her a writing of divorcement

• If the man found some uncleanness in her he had to give her a writing of divorcement

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Mal. 2:16

• [16] For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

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Mt. 19:8

• He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

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4. The Lord’s answer

• Hardness of your hearts = Moses only permitted or allowed divorce – he did not command it - this was to protect the wife

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• From the beginning it was not so = The Lord goes back to the original plan for marriage

• What had been allowed under the Law of Moses was to end

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Mt. 19:9

• And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

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5. Except for fornication

• Verse 9 applies to men living today

• Buy I say = authority of Christ• Whosoever = applies to all men

everywhere

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• Shall put away his wife = divorce his wife

• Except it be for fornication = fornication is the only ground upon which a valid divorce and remarriage may be obtained

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• Fornication = any kind of unlawful sexual relations

• The innocent party can remarry but the guilty party is not free to remarry

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• And shall marry another = reference to a second marriage

• Committeth adultery = if one unlawfully puts away a spouse and remarries he commits adultery – literally keeps on committing adultery

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• Marrieth her who is put away = if a man marries a woman who was divorced because she committed adultery he sins – he who marries her is guilty of adultery

• Applies to man as well as woman

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•Lessons

311. Never consider divorce an option

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2. Learn to forgive

• Col. 3:13• “Forbearing one another, and

forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

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3. Don’t be overly critical

• Prov. 19:11• “The discretion of a man

deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”

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4. Learn to communicate

• Prov. 18:13• “He that answereth a matter

before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

355. Don’t compare your mate to someone else

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6. Pray for your marriage

• Phil. 4:6• “Be careful for nothing; but in

every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”

377. Center your marriage on the Bible

• Ps. 119:105• “Thy word is a lamp unto my

feet, and a light unto my path.”

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Conclusion

• God’s plan for marriage is simple and yet so wonderful

• God hates divorce because of all the misery it brings upon his children

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References

• Marriage and Divorce, Kerry Clark, 28th Annual Southwest Lectures, April 2009.

• Outlined Commentary on Matthew, Bob Winton