When looking at the verses in the Bible that cover divorce and remarriage it seems to be a rather simplistic view to say that God hates divorce, except in the case of adultery or abandonment. We all too often focus on the exceptions while ignoring the full message of the Bible.

What I’m talking about is the whole book of Hosea, where Hosea continues to faithfully love, provide for and cherish his unfaithful adulterous wife who has even had illegitimate children.

Or what about the love exhibited by the Lord to His unfaithful, abandoning people.

If marriage is the picture of Christ’s relationship to His bride the church, what does a divorce even if due to adultery say to others about Christ? See if you believe that the Bible says that we were bought with a price and that the Lord will keep His own you begin to run into difficulty. The marriage relationship is a deep mystery that shares much theology.

So how can it be reduced to an act of adultery will break the bonds of marriage and that what the Lord hates – divorce, then becomes acceptable. Where is the grace or mercy? Where is the love despite our sin? Does the Lord put a number on it? After so many acts of adultery then divorce is acceptable or after so many years of adultery or abandonment then divorce is acceptable? Does the Lord put a number on our sins such that if we sin ten times we are no longer forgiven?

Wow, see the issues here.

So I was wondering how to better explain the deeper theological ramifications of divorce and the picture of marriage representing Christ and the church. I honestly had never heard a sermon that did not allow for divorce in the exception clauses although honestly I have never heard very many sermons on divorce in any manner.

Julius mentioned a sermon of Voddie Baucham’s yesterday in his comment. Turns out I had this sermon on my computer already but had not listened to it until yesterday. Thanks for pointing it out Julius. Mark also mentioned a paper of John Piper’s that I plan to read as soon as possible.

So if you truly want to glorify God in all you do and you understand that Scripture is provided to show us the way to do so, listen to the sermon below.

It will stretch your mind and your understanding of Scripture.

Like other portions of Scripture you may just throw it off to the side and say this can’t be.

The Lord can’t truly want this to be our attitude about divorce and remarriage.

This is too hard. This is unfair.

But prayerfully consider the message in light of all of Scripture and not just a few selected verses on divorce and remarriage. I recommend listening to it a couple of times if the thought is totally new to you.

Voddie Baucham – The Permanence View of Marriage

These are just my notes from listening to the sermon.

Jesus said several times “…you’ve heard this … but I say this ….”

Divorce and Remarriage; a Permanence View. Jim Eliff

Divorce and wrongful remarriage are forgivable sins. We want to start here, at the heart of our faith in Christ. When Jesus died, He did not fail to atone for the misdeeds of His people in this critical area. Even the person who has acted as wrongly as possible in this matter may be fully forgiven, and may have a fulfilled life of service to God after repentance. Also, God mercifully blesses many second marriages that began sinfully. This is a mystery for which we can all be extremely grateful.

Matthew 5:31-32
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ESV

Deuteronomy 24:1- 5
1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,
2 and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife,
3 and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife,
4 then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. ESV

Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees …

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ESV

• Permanence – No divorce, no remarriage under any circumstances – Boice, Piper
• Semi – Permanence – Allows divorce, no remarriage –
• Permissive – Allows divorce, allows remarriage – MacArthur, Carson 
  Adultery only
  Adultery, Abandonment of believing spouse by an unbelieving spouse
• Liberal – just about anything

1) One flesh permanent until death

Matthew 19:1-9

1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”
4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”
8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” ESV

2) Initiating a divorce is never lawful

Matthew 19:7-9
7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”
8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” ESV

Never does the Bible say it is lawful to divorce.

3) Remarriage after divorce is adultery if a former spouse is living

Romans 7:2-3
2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. ESV

Mark 10:10-12
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.
11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her,
12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” ESV

Luke 16:1-18
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. ESV