Hardness of Heart

24. February 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Today, we are still on the subject of divorce.

Here is the text:

Matthew 19:3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” 4 ”Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 7 ”Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.

Yesterday, we talked about the reasons that Jesus gave for not getting a divorce.  After his response the Pharisees then asked why Moses allowed the people to get a divorce if it was never intended to be.

Jesus responded; “because of the hardness of your hearts.”  In other words, because people refused to obey God’s word.  The scripture is clear on what the relationship of a husband to wife should be.  We know that the husband is supposed to love the wife as Christ loved the church.   Let’s look at some examples of how Christ loves the church.

(1)     Christ died for the church.  He paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

(2)     Christ is an intercessor for  the church

(3)     Christ protects and provides

(4)     Christ gives vision, direction, and guidance

(5)     Christ loves unconditionally

(6)     Christ nurtures, builds up, encourages

 And the list goes on and on and on.   Wives are instructed to submit to their husbands.   Please tell me who would not submit to that.  If the husband loves the wife as Christ loves the church, I don’t think any woman would have a problem with submitting to that.     Then there are other scriptures which talk about that spouses are suppose to submit one to other so the submission is not just on the wife’s part.  

Now, because this was not happening concerning both the women and the men then Moses allowed divorce because of disobedience so that people would not have to suffer in relationships where they were being mistreated.   But the original plan from God is that God’s people would obey his word and we would treat each other and love each other according to God’s plan but sin caused divorce to be necessary.   I’m simply doing a short response to these issues because we have covered divorce in detail earlier last year when Matthew first addressed it.  Those lessons can be pulled up should you want further clarity.  Also there are free lessons on my website concerning this issue on divorce, marriage, and living single which are under the media section.

Tomorrow, we will deal with the disciple’s response to Jesus’ teaching on divorce.

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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