For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (Romans 7:2-3)

Marriage, Divorce, And Remarriage

When God finished creation, He looked upon the world filled with nature, animals, and Adam and Eve and said, “It is very good.” He designed the world in perfect harmony. God created man and woman to complement one another and bring God glory. The purpose of creating one man and one woman was to unite them as one. This was the will of God. He is displeased when men change His will.

Sin destroyed the relationship between God and man. It also began to change the law of marriage ordained by God. Fornication and adultery transgress the law of God, specifically the law of marriage. The Lord has always hated divorce (Malachi 2:14). It was never his intent that Adam and Eve live with hatred, anger, and distrust. Marriage is sacred because God ordained it. Divorce is contrary to the will of the Lord. God allowed for divorce in the Law of Moses, but it was very restrictive. Jesus reminded the Pharisees that from the beginning, it was not the will of God.

Jesus taught one man for one woman for life in Matthew 19:1-9. He knew many would not like this law (Matthew 19:11-12). Divorce was a subject Jesus did not hesitate to discuss when pressed by the Pharisees about the teaching of Moses’ law. The aim of the Jewish leaders was not to find some truth about marriage and divorce but to entrap Jesus in a legal quagmire of doctrinal inconsistencies. Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trap him with the question of whether a man could divorce his wife for any reason. Appealing to the law, Jesus took the Pharisees back to the Garden of Eden, showing that God had created Adam and Eve and that the marriage bond was created in that union. What God had joined together was not to be separated.

The first answer Jesus gave the Pharisees was the law of marriage. God intended for the man and woman to be married to one another and remain faithful to their union. In the creation, the Father established the law of marriage as a binding covenant. There were going to be challenges in marriage. One of the purposes of Satan’s coming to the garden was to bring division between the woman and the man. He has succeeded throughout the ages as marriage is ignored as a divinely established covenant. The philosophy of human wisdom is that marriage is not sacred, and sexual immorality and divorce are accepted norms. Men and women fight and argue and are unfaithful to one another, and Satan smiles. The devil has won a victory when the marriage is dissolved and couples divorce, but God hates divorce.

After Jesus answered the Pharisees, a second question was given: the trap the religious leaders had hoped for. They knew what Jesus would answer whether a man could divorce his wife under the Law of Moses. Hearing Jesus answer correctly, they pressed the Son of God to explain why Moses would say in the law that a man could give his wife a divorce and send her away. This misrepresented the true nature of the law, but Jesus did not flinch. He put the blame squarely upon the hearts of men who had hardened themselves against the pattern of God’s will.

Moses permitted divorce because of the people’s hard hearts, but from the beginning – IT WAS NOT THE WILL OF GOD! The Son of God then declares that divorce can only be granted for one reason and one reason alone: infidelity. He further commands that any marriage ending in divorce for any other reason than sexual immorality is sinful. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. The only exception is for the cause of sexual immorality.

The teaching of Jesus stunned the disciples. Their response to what Jesus said about marriage and divorce left them speechless. They responded that if what Jesus said was true, it would be better for a man and woman to remain unmarried. The eternal consequences of marriage and divorce had never been considered as serious as Jesus taught when questioned by the Pharisees. Jesus knew what He taught would not be popular with a world craving self-satisfaction.

Divorce was common in the days of Jesus and is common today. What men fail to see is the teaching of Jesus has not changed. Not everyone would accept the will of God two thousand years ago, and sadly, the teaching of Jesus on marriage and divorce is not readily accepted today.

Jesus knew not everyone would believe His teaching on divorce. There is only one reason for divorce. Incompatibility is not a reason, falling out of love is not a reason, and not liking one another is not a reason; in the eyes of God, the only reason for divorce is sexual immorality. Not everyone will accept this teaching, but it does not change the will of God. There are many lives turned upside down because of divorce.

It will take the courage of a devoted man or woman to follow God’s will; in some cases, the person may have to remain unmarried for the rest of their life. What is that compared to the eternal destiny of those who refuse to accept the teaching of Jesus? Divorce is a tragedy of sin. From the beginning, God made man and woman to be united as one. What God has joined together, let no man dare to separate.