Another look at what the Bible says about divorce and remarriage

Editor: Throughout the books of Exodus and Leviticus, the first line of most of the chapters begin “And the Lord spake unto Moses saying.” The sixth chapter of Deuteronomy reads thus: “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord, your God commanded, to teach you ….”{{more}}

In Deuteronomy, chapter twenty-four, there is (contrary to what is religiously bandied about) a command to divorce and to remarry. Some teach that the guilty partner must not be allowed to re-marry; read verse two of the same chapter.

I do not agree with all forms of divorce. A man must not just put away his wife to marry another just because she may have become fat or because she cannot wear spandex or tight fitting clothes. Jesus listed one cause — unfaithfulness to the marriage vow, Matthew 19:9.

He also suggests that whosoever shall put away his wife without just cause, as is stated above, causes her to commit adultery. The sin therefore must be placed on the shoulders of both persons. There is also the traditional mumbo jumbo which states that God says that your first wife is always your wife. I suggest that such teachers read verses three and four of Deuteronomy chapter 24. For emphasis, read also Jeremiah three, verse one. There it is stated that returning to your first wife, in the case where you are married to another, is an abomination, and the warning comes not to cause the land to sin.

There are those who conclude that divorce is a sin. Who gave the command to divorce? Are you suggesting that God was forced into letting people sin because their hearts were hardened? I make bold to say that these preachers of righteousness are up in arms, not against divorce, but against marriage. Sometimes, it is mind-boggling to look at the ones who sometimes point fingers. No wonder the apostle Paul, writing to Timothy in 1Timothy 4, states: “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared as with a hot iron; (and the first of these devilish doctrines is) forbidding to marry…”

Don’t think for once that I am looking for an excuse here. I wish that I could have been as sinless as some of you who are only married once. Note I did not say who have one wife, because I have only one wife and absolutely no keepers (concubines). Maybe, just maybe, the Good God allowed my situation so that I can speak out for those whom society has placed on a list of having committed the unpardonable sin.

Thank God that my mother saw to it that I at least completed primary school, so that I can know that “whosoever” means anyone who is willing to respond. My faith is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Dennis Trant aka Dennis Scrubb