DCLM Daily Manna 15 September 2021 — Divine Command Against Divorce
TOPIC: Divine Command Against Divorce (DCLM Daily Manna 15 September 2021)
TEXT: Matthew 19:1-12
1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
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?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 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?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
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.
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.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
KEY VERSE: “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.” – (Matthew 19:9)
MESSAGE:
Due to man’s disobedience to God’s original plan and standard on marriage, cases of divorce and remarriage are on the increase worldwide. Many are merely enduring the marriage they are expected to be enjoying. Marriage vows are flagrantly broken with impunity. This has led to broken homes, frustration, sorrow and suicide.
In today’s text, we could see the legalistic Pharisees trying to set a trap for Jesus so that they could accuse Him of inconsistency and violation of the law of Moses on marriage. Jesus carefully pointed their attention to God’s original standard for marriage which is one man, one wife; and that the man and the woman should have a union independent of their parents and stay together permanently and lovingly until death separates them.
Jesus told the Pharisees that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of heart of the Jews. He said that fornication was the only reason that could cause divorce to happen. The Greek word ‘porneia’ translated “fornication” is a twin sister of adultery, which is a generic word meaning perversion of marriage through immorality. This may include homosexuality or sodomy, lesbianism and infidelity.
For New Testament believers, there is no room for divorce. It is surprising to see some so-called believers who often forget the clause “for better for worse” in their marriage vows. They forget that God has made them one and therefore no challenge or problem should separate them.
All marital challenges can be resolved through prayers of agreement and faith of the couple. Violators of this commandment are to seek quick restitution through reconciliation for eternity’s sake. Believers who are single and searching for a life partner must seek the face of God before going into marriage.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
No excuse for divorce, please!
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 139-150
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
