The Hardness of Your Hearts - Matthew 19:8

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? Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?”, and in chapter nineteen and verse eight of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus answered the Pharisees question by referring to, “the hardness of your hearts” where we read:

He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

The verse reads, “He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives:”. Matthew began with the words, “he said” or “Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to the Pharisees”, “Moses” or “the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion whose name means drawing out” “because” which means “on account of and according” “of the hardness” or “destitution of spiritual perception” “of your hearts” which means “pertaining to the Pharisees destitution of spiritual perception” “suffered you” or “permitted, allowed and gave leave” “to put away” which means “to set free, dismiss” “your wives” which means “the Pharisees' female marriage partners”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the reason Moses permitted “divorce papers” and “putting away” was because people were “destitute of spiritual perception”.

The verse continues, “but from the beginning it was not so.” Matthew added the words, “but” or “nevertheless and nonetheless” “from the beginning” which means “at the origin, original commencement and at first” “it was not so” or “divorce papers were not thus and in this manner”. Matthew wrote how Jesus said from the “origin” of man there was not to be any “divorce papers” or “putting away”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus predated Moses' law concerning divorce. From the “beginning” of marriage, there was not to be any “divorce”, and the need for “divorce papers” was unnecessary. God desires for men and women to be married for life, and because they lack “spiritual perception” and have “hard hearts”, divorce often occurs. God forgives sin, and He is willing to forgive those who face the hardship of “divorce”. Although “divorce” was not in God's original plan, neither was sin, and He sent His Son Jesus to save people from their sins no matter what they are. Let all who read these words realize there is a loving God who cares for them deeply, and He is willing to “forgive” every sin for anyone who asks Him.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus said, “whoever shall put away his wife, … and shall marry another, commits adultery”, 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.