It is a delight to be the spouse of a hard working, joy-filled, dedicated man.



Monday, September 8, 2008

Did God Say?

Was God quoted in Malici as saying "I hate divorce when children are involved," "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment when children are involved," ?

Or did Matthew and Mark quote Jesus as saying, "and the two will become one flesh after the baby arrives,"?

Ahhh I didn't think so. The correct verses are:

"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. Malichi 2:16

Matthew 19:3-9 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."


Mark 10:3-12 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of 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 reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

If we are not allowed to change the written Word to fit our circumstance or culture, why do we change it with abandon in our hearts?

People get all worked up over verb tenses and proper translations when it is hardly recognizable that there is any difference from the original intent yet in our hearts we completely rewrite the word of God until it is hardly recognizable as the word of God and that's okay, we support one another's complete foolishness?!?!?!.

Attend to the Word of God and lean not on our own understanding and if a good friend is subverting the word of God love them enough to step in and show them their error, but be careful lest the doo hit you.

4 comments:

Dr.John said...

The Christian is always caught in the tension between the call of God to testify and the danger of self righteousness which is not of God.

Ralph said...

Well said, but we so like to change the Word to fit our needs. That is the problem.
Thanks for your comment on my recent post - I really appreciate it.
Ralph

Ted M. Gossard said...

Excellent thought, Lanny. Not sure I've ever heard it, or at least heard such a thought put that way.

We do read Scripture in a way at times like Eve seemed to when she added on to what God said in her initial response to the serpent. This does reflect something of our hearts, and we need to be aware of that first in ourselves, and then to help another.

Gattina said...

I think every case is different and people should do what they think is the best for them.
I am still married since 39 years ! I am the first one to be surprised, lol !