Matthew 5:31-32 (ESV)
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.

The statement made by Jesus in Matthew 5:32 was made because, once again, the Law of God was being perverted. During the days of Jesus, one of the leading schools of theology (the school of Hillel), was teaching that a man could put away his wife for any cause. That view became very popular due to the popularity of Hillel himself, who was the president of the Sanhedrin from 30 B.C. – 10 A.D. It was this approach towards divorce that lead to the Pharisees asking Jesus, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” (Matthew 19:3)  Of course, the Pharisees were just testing Jesus because, while they sided with Hillel, they knew that there were many Jews who did not; thus, they thought Jesus would get into trouble no matter how He answered the question. Jesus, however, answered them by quoting Genesis 2:24, which says, “Whatever, therefore, God has joined together, let man not separate.” So, the answer is no, it is not lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause.

The Pharisees, not being satisfied with scripture, questioned why Moses allowed it in Deuteronomy 24, to which Jesus told them it was due to the hardness of their hearts (Matthew 19:8). This led Jesus to make a statement in Matthew 19:9 that is almost identical to the one He made Matthew 5:32, correcting the misinterpretation of Deuteronomy 24. The mistake the Pharisees made with Deuteronomy 24 was assuming that God was approving divorce, but such was not the case. The truth is, there is no passage in the Bible that finds God approving divorce. Deuteronomy 24 is simply an attempt to regulate a situation that might occur, namely a man putting away his wife. We call that contingency legislation, but it was never God’s will. In fact, Jesus said from the beginning it had not been so ((Matthew 19:8b).

The teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 5:32, as well as 19:9, sets forth what God’s will has been from the beginning. Marriage is to be a permanent arrangement. Once you are scripturally married, you must remain married as long as your spouse is alive. If your spouse commits adultery, then you may put him or her away for that cause. We must be clear about this! Adultery is the only scriptural ground for divorce. If fornication is not the cause for the divorce, and remarriage occurs, those involved enter into an adulterous relationship. Whether it be the one who did the putting away or the one who is put away, adultery occurs. Jesus even said that the one who marries the put away spouse commits adultery (ver. 32). This should always remind us of the seriousness of marriage. There are not six or seven reasons for divorce, as some are now teaching; there is just one, and that is sexual immorality. Many souls will be lost because they do not adhere to the will of God on this matter. If you are married, stay married. If you are planning to get married in the future, make sure you realize that it is God’s will that what He joins together, He never wants to be separated. If you have been divorced and the fornication committed by your spouse was not the cause, do everything you can to be reconciled with your spouse, but if that is not possible, make sure that you remain unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

The loose attitudes toward marriage, divorce, and remarriage is a part of what is destroying the moral fabric of our society. Let us determine not to be a part of the problem. There is nothing greater in this life than a strong marriage and a happy home, and anything less than that is not pleasing to God.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.