God Knows What He is Doing — Trust His Plan for Marriage Matthew 19:3-12

Introduction This issue is controversial. The goal is to listen to God: “Preach the word” (2Timothy 4:2). “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The goal is to know/do what the Bible says.

What if a person died on the way to the baptistery? He who believes and is baptized will be saved. He who believes and is not baptized will be saved. Which statement comes from God?

Introduction This issue is controversial. The goal is to listen to God. Everyone in the world is affected by divorce. What does the Bible say? Text: Matthew 19:3-12 (See Matthew 5:23 and Mark 10:6-9).

Matthew 19:3-12 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’

Matthew 19:3-12 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:3-12 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew 19:3-12 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Matthew 19:3-12 11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Matthew 19:3 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” The Pharisees had a reputation of wanting to trap Jesus in the issues of the day. We have to be careful of what we are trying to do (what is our motivation?).

Matthew 19:3 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

Matthew 19:4 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ Jesus moves past the issues of the day to the beginning of time (no culture, simply the way things were to be, restoration) [see verse 8]. God’s plan for marriage is between a man and a woman.

Matthew 19:5 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? God’s plan for marriage is for the couple to be joined in such a way they are considered ‘one flesh’ (KJV – “cleave”).

Matthew 19:5 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? The idea is glued, stuck together, joined, incapable of separation (body and soul or Christ and the church).

Matthew 19:6 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” God is the author (originator) of marriage, not man. Man has no business dividing what God has put together.

Matthew 19:7 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” We see the humanity of the disciples. We like to ask why.

Matthew 19:8 8 He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. “Suffered” – ASV, KJV; “Allowed” – ESV; Tolerated but not indorsed.

Matthew 19:8 8 He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Jesus appeals to the beginning – to God’s design for marriage [one man and one woman for life].

Matthew 19:9 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” When we remove the exception clause, we clearly see God’s plan for marriage is not to divorce. Marriage is for life (1Corinthians 6:9, Hebrews 13:4).

God Does Not Approve of Adultery 1Corinthians 6:9-11, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God….”

God Does Not Approve of Adultery 1Corinthians 6:9-11, “…And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

God Does Not Approve of Adultery Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Matthew 19:9 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” We clearly see God’s plan for marriage is not to divorce. What does ‘except’ mean? It is the one case divorce is allowed by God.

Matthew 19:9 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Porneia – A physical sexual act [‘fornication’ - KJV]. This would include adultery, homosexuality, bestiality.

Matthew 19:10 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” The disciples of Jesus’ day knew what you and I know – marriage is hard work!!! Thus, they questioned God’s plan for marriage.

Matthew 19:11 11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: Does the saying refer to verse 10 or verses 4-7? The final conclusions would be the same either way.

Matthew 19:12 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.” There are those who do not perform sexually. This is God’s plan for marriage.

One Man For One Woman For Life Conclusion One Man For One Woman For Life