March 1999 Issue

MDR...

God's Desire.....

By Drew Hall

If you wanted, and cared enough, to know what someone thought about something, how would you find out what they thought? Surely we would all recognize that the easiest way to know what someone else thinks, or wants, is to ask that person and let them tell us. The same is true with GOD. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 the apostle said, "God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." In other words, we can know what GOD wants because GOD has already told us. Let us look and find what GOD desires with regards to the subjects at hand - marriage, divorce and remarriage.

In the long ago, in the garden of Eden, GOD created the first marriage. "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. ... And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2:18, 21-24). It was GOD that made marriage. The Bible tells us that "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4). GOD made marriage a good thing for men and women. It pleases GOD when a man and woman, who have the right to scripturally marry, become husband and wife. More and more in our society, men and women are taking this beautiful relationship that GOD created and are destroying it by divorce.

"For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away (divorce - dph):" (Malachi 2:16). Jesus the Christ said, "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? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:5-6). Can there be any doubt how GOD views divorce among His creation? We all need to realize that when divorce occurs sin occurs. Again, our Lord, while on this earth, said, "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away (divorce - dph) 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). The apostle Paul said, "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from (divorce - dph) her husband:" (1 Corinthians 7:10). GOD has only allowed for divorce on one condition - "Whosoever shall put away (divorce - dph) his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matthew 19:9). The only divorce that does not "cause" someone to commit adultery is the divorce that was caused by adultery. The only married person whom GOD has ever given the right to divorce their spouse is the person whose spouse has been unfaithful (having had sexual relations with someone other than their marriage partner). Scriptural marriage is honorable among all people. All divorces, except in the case where one spouse divorces the other spouse because they have been unfaithful, are against GOD's will, and are sin. After many divorces, maybe most, a remarriage occurs. When there is a remarriage after a divorce, sin is very likely to occur.

What makes a remarriage sinful? Let's recall some verses of scripture we have already looked at and let GOD answer this question. "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." (Matthew 19:9). "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4). When a marriage ends in divorce and one, or both, of the people remarry, adultery can occur. Anyone that is guilty of the sin of adultery will be judged - punished - by GOD. As in the case of divorce, the only person who may remarry after a divorce is the person who divorced his or her spouse because that spouse was being unfaithful. Again Jesus said, "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." (Luke 16:18). GOD will's for remarriage, in general, is that it should not occur. It results in adultery and is therefor sinful. The only exception given in scripture is when a person has divorced their spouse for being unfaithful and marries another. This is the only remarriage after a divorce that is not sin.

There are other verses in the Bible we could look at, but the ones we have mentioned are enough for us to know what GOD's desire is. Marriage - honorable in all who have a right to marry. Divorce - wrong in all cases except when a person divorces their spouse for being unfaithful. Remarriage -wrong in all cases except when a person divorces their spouse for being unfaithful. GOD has shown us what is His desire for marriage, divorce, and remarriage. We must dedicate ourselves to understanding what GOD's desire is and abiding by His wishes for us.

[Editor's Note: Thanks to Drew Hall for the article! He can be reached at: 198 Airport Road, Lacey's Spring, AL (205) 883-7416, d112hall@aol.com ]

Email the Editor at markjward@yahoo.com