A Woman Divorcing Her Husband - Mark 10:12

Mark wrote how the “Pharisees” asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he said unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her”, and in chapter ten and verse twelve of his book, Mark shared how Jesus said what happens, “if a woman shall put away her husband” where we read:

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she commits adultery.

The verse reads, “And if a woman shall put away her husband, ...” Mark began with the words, “and if a woman” which means “and whether a female human being who is married to a man” “shall put away” or “will dismiss, bid depart, release and divorce” “her husband” which means “the woman's male spouse”. Mark shared how Jesus referred to a “woman” who “divorces” her own “husband”.

The verse continues, “... and be married to another, she commits adultery.” Mark added the words, “and be married” which means “and be given in marriage” “to another” which refers to “another man”, “she commits adultery” or “that wife engages in and perpetuates the sin of adultery”. Mark shared how Jesus referred to a “wife” who is “given in marriage” to another man actually “commits” the “sin of adultery”.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how the same idea of “divorce” applies to the “woman – wife” as with the “man – husband”. In either case, if they “divorce” their spouse and marry someone else, they have “committed” the “sin of adultery” against their former spouse. In other words, they continue to be “married” to their first spouse in Jesus' eyes. God loves people, and He was the One who performed the first wedding with Adam and Eve. They were to be spouses to one another till death passed them, and they were not to “divorce” and be married to anyone else. Jesus pre-dated Moses' law, and because He knew people would violate God's idea for marriage and “commit sin” for doing so, He sent His Son Jesus to “die on the cross” for their disobedience. Those who are wise will yield their lives to Him and receive “forgiveness” for their “sins”, even when the “sin” is “adultery”, so they may have “everlasting life” with God.

Next time Mark shares how, “they brought young children to” Jesus, 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. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".