Christian Sophistry – Part 2
Thus says the Lord, “Where is the certificate of divorce by which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away [Isaiah 50:1].
Jesus charged head on at the religious sophistry of His day, whereby divorce was justified with an allusion to how the Lord divorced Israel. Yesterday we stopped there. Today we will begin there.
Jesus’ rebuttal was to emphasize that the Lord NEVER commanded anyone to get a divorce. Rather, He recognized its frequent practice and regulated it for the benefit of the women of that time. The Lord didn’t tell the Israelites, “Get a divorce!”
Contrary to such a preposterous notion, Jesus noted that, from the beginning of man’s creation, the Lord made humans male and female, and that when a man and a woman married they became one. Then He added, “What God has conjoined, let no man separate. The words “no man” apply to women too. Jesus was referring to divorce as the means by which spouses were separated.
So much for the context. Now let’s get to the second point, viz., reading the entire verse. Jesus’ exception to this law against divorce is specified by the words except for the reason of unchastity. The word unchastity in this context means “adultery”. And that is the same thing Isaiah emphasized to the Israelites in Isaiah 50:1. The Lord sent His wife Israel away (i.e., divorced her) because of her “iniquities” and “transgressions” (i.e., her adultery).
Israel was unfaithful to the Lord by bringing idols into her religious practices. This was spiritual adultery. Physical human adultery always follows the practice of idolatry, dear friends. Consequently, adultery was rampant in the backslidden Israel of Isaiah’s day. But the Isaiah referred to Israel’s idolatry against the Lord as the reason for the Lord divorcing Israel. Israel was sleeping around with all the idols in town!
So Isaiah identified spiritual adultery as the Lord’s justifiable reason for divorcing His wife, Israel. Jesus identified physical adultery as man’s justifiable reason for divorcing his wife (or vice versa). Let it be added, though, that the Lord bore with Israel’s unfaithfulness for next to forever! He didn’t run out and divorce Israel the first or second or seven hundredth time Israel was unfaithful. He bore with Israel for centuries, attempting to work out the issue of her adultery within the context of His relationship with her.
So, too, should we spouses who face infidelity from our mates try to resolve the matter within the context of our marriage, rather than immediately terminate the marriage with a divorce. If a cheating spouse refuses to repent and snarls at his mate when she attempts a resolution; if he refuses to stop and continues being promiscuous—in that case divorce is absolutely justifiable.
If the cheating spouse repents, but then falls into the sin again—well, I cannot set a specific limit on the number of times to forgive such a one. Each person will have to decide for himself. Pray about it and have a heart to glorify the Lord by your decision.
But please, let’s get this issue right in the church. Divorce is sin! God hates divorce! Practically speaking, an adulterous spouse has already divorced his/her mate. A legal divorce in such a case is simply the acknowledgment of this reality, rather than creating the reality.
Let’s be in prayer about this issue. Pray for the people of God to stop living for self and start living for the Lord. If we return to the Bible in spirit and in truth, divorce will disappear of itself. May the name of the Lord Jesus be praised!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Jesus charged head on at the religious sophistry of His day, whereby divorce was justified with an allusion to how the Lord divorced Israel. Yesterday we stopped there. Today we will begin there.
Jesus’ rebuttal was to emphasize that the Lord NEVER commanded anyone to get a divorce. Rather, He recognized its frequent practice and regulated it for the benefit of the women of that time. The Lord didn’t tell the Israelites, “Get a divorce!”
Contrary to such a preposterous notion, Jesus noted that, from the beginning of man’s creation, the Lord made humans male and female, and that when a man and a woman married they became one. Then He added, “What God has conjoined, let no man separate. The words “no man” apply to women too. Jesus was referring to divorce as the means by which spouses were separated.
So much for the context. Now let’s get to the second point, viz., reading the entire verse. Jesus’ exception to this law against divorce is specified by the words except for the reason of unchastity. The word unchastity in this context means “adultery”. And that is the same thing Isaiah emphasized to the Israelites in Isaiah 50:1. The Lord sent His wife Israel away (i.e., divorced her) because of her “iniquities” and “transgressions” (i.e., her adultery).
Israel was unfaithful to the Lord by bringing idols into her religious practices. This was spiritual adultery. Physical human adultery always follows the practice of idolatry, dear friends. Consequently, adultery was rampant in the backslidden Israel of Isaiah’s day. But the Isaiah referred to Israel’s idolatry against the Lord as the reason for the Lord divorcing Israel. Israel was sleeping around with all the idols in town!
So Isaiah identified spiritual adultery as the Lord’s justifiable reason for divorcing His wife, Israel. Jesus identified physical adultery as man’s justifiable reason for divorcing his wife (or vice versa). Let it be added, though, that the Lord bore with Israel’s unfaithfulness for next to forever! He didn’t run out and divorce Israel the first or second or seven hundredth time Israel was unfaithful. He bore with Israel for centuries, attempting to work out the issue of her adultery within the context of His relationship with her.
So, too, should we spouses who face infidelity from our mates try to resolve the matter within the context of our marriage, rather than immediately terminate the marriage with a divorce. If a cheating spouse refuses to repent and snarls at his mate when she attempts a resolution; if he refuses to stop and continues being promiscuous—in that case divorce is absolutely justifiable.
If the cheating spouse repents, but then falls into the sin again—well, I cannot set a specific limit on the number of times to forgive such a one. Each person will have to decide for himself. Pray about it and have a heart to glorify the Lord by your decision.
But please, let’s get this issue right in the church. Divorce is sin! God hates divorce! Practically speaking, an adulterous spouse has already divorced his/her mate. A legal divorce in such a case is simply the acknowledgment of this reality, rather than creating the reality.
Let’s be in prayer about this issue. Pray for the people of God to stop living for self and start living for the Lord. If we return to the Bible in spirit and in truth, divorce will disappear of itself. May the name of the Lord Jesus be praised!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
No comments have been added yet.
