No More Two, But One Flesh - Matthew 19:6

Matthew the apostle wrote how, “The Pharisees also came unto” Jesus” tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh?”, and in chapter nineteen and verse six of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said, “they are no more two, but one flesh” where we read:

Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh.

What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

The verse reads, “Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh.”. Matthew began with the word, “wherefore” or “so that, insomuch, therefore, thus and then” “they are no more two” which means “the man and the woman are no longer two people”, “but” or “rather and moreover” “one flesh” which refers to “one single body or person”. Matthew shared how Jesus continued referring to the verse in Genesis by declaring how a married man and woman become as one person.

The verse goes on to say, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matthew continued with the word, “what therefore” or “that then and wherefore” “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “has joined together” or “has fastened, united, tied and conjoined”, “let not” which means “do not allow or permit” “man” or “human beings to” “put asunder” which means “separate, divide, part or place room between”. Matthew wrote how Jesus completed His answer with the charge that prohibits people from “separating” what God has conjoined.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus told the Pharisees that two people who are joined together in marriage are made as “one person”, and He gave warning and prohibition to any person dividing the two married people. God is serious about the relationship of marriage, and when a man marries a woman, they are one and no one is to divide them including the people who are married themselves. Because this rule of God is often violated, the need for Jesus and His grace is validated over and over again. May God be merciful to everyone who enters into a marriage relationship and toward those who have violated God's rule.

Next time Matthew shares how the Pharisees asked Jesus, “why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.