Matthew 5:31-32
~4 min read
… “This was not God’s design and plan for marriage. Marriage is permanent…”
As Jesus was speaking about the sin of committing adultery, He wanted to correct the wrong teaching of the rabbis of His days. The rabbis were the religious teachers. In those days, the rabbis had taught that the people could divorce their wives for any reason. That was why Jesus said, It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement (Matthew 5:31). The phrase it hath been said was a reference to the common misconception of the rabbis.
Then Jesus said, “This was not God’s design and plan for marriage.” Marriage is permanent, till death do they part! The only allowance for divorce is when one party has committed adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery (Matthew 5:32).
Why did God allow divorce on the ground of adultery? When a couple got married, they were making a vow before God. Adultery defiles the marriage, and breaks the marriage covenant. It was a very serious sin! In the Old Testament, when the people committed adultery, they had broken their marriage vows before God to be pure and faithful, and they would be stoned to death. But God was gracious, and He wanted to spare the people from the death penalty and to free the victim from the marriage covenant. It was because of the hardness of man’s heart that God allowed divorce on the ground of adultery.
Except for the sin of adultery, if any man divorced his wife for any reason, when she got married to another man, she had committed adultery with him. And the man who married her, had committed adultery with her.
Dear children, God willing, you will grow up and get married. God’s design and plan for marriage is that it is permanent, till death do they part! Even if there is the sin of adultery, you must forgive and pray for reconciliation. Adultery should not be an option for any reason.
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