DIVORCE       

 

Bible Passage: Matthew 19: 3-13.

Memory Verse:  “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." Matth. 19: 9. ( NIV)

 

LESSON OBJECTIVE  

We should, at the end of the Study, understand the dangers associated with divorce.

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

Divorce simply means putting away one’s wife for one reason or the other.

But what room is there for divorce among those who submit to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour?

 

LESSON OUTLINE 1: IS THERE ANY SCRIPTURAL GROUND FOR DIVORCE?

i). What provision was made for divorce in God’s original plan for His children? Matth.19: 4-5.

ii). What is God’s attitude towards divorce? Matth. 19: 6; Mal. 2: 13-16; I Cor. 7: 10-11.

iii). Why then did Moses permit it? Matth. 19: 7-8.

iv). God commands us to forgive all sins. Matth. 18: 21-22.

How do we reconcile that with the leeway given us in respect of the treatment of marital unfaithfulness in Matth. 19:9? 

The question really is, What is the basis of forgiveness? How does God treat the penitent sinner? I John 1: 8-9; Rom 6: 1-2.

In the same way when the guilty partner confesses and genuinely repents, he/she should be forgiven instead of being put away.

 

What sins are we commanded not to forgive? Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13.

 

LESSON OUTLINE 2: SOME QUESTIONS THAT ARE SOMETIMES ASKED

 i). How long is the marriage contract?

Till death parts the two. Matth. 19: 6; I Cor. 7: 39. This is the reason why it is so important, before marriage, to ask yourself the question, Is this the man or woman I would like to spend the rest of my life with? If you have doubts in this regard, then do not go forward. Marriage is more than just the honeymoon.

ii). If a divorced woman marries another man who later dies, can she return to her first husband?                           The Scriptures say, No – see Deut. 24: 1-4.

iii). May the innocent party in a divorce re-marry?

If the person in question is a Christian and he satisfies God he is indeed innocent, it does not look like a re-marriage is prohibited. This answer is based on deduction from Scripture – the latter is more concerned with keeping the first marriage intact, than in dealing with re-marriages.

iv). Why should divorce be avoided like the plague?

The primary reason is that it is against God’s design for our lives. The troubles and negative impact that a broken home exerts on the ex-husband, the ex-wife, the children, and by extension, society as a whole, are terrible experiences the Lord would spare us from.

They do not bring glory and honour to His Name. I Cor. 10: 31; Isa. 43: 6-7.

 

LESSON OUTLINE 3: WHAT PRINCIPLES SHOULD THE COUPLE CONSIDER WHEN THEIR MARRIAGE IS SHAKY?

i). They should spend time in prayer, and take necessary corrective action, as they seek to get right with God as individuals and as one flesh. Matt. 19: 5-6.

ii). They should seek to pattern their home in keeping with the Lord’s way. (See  the previous Study on “The Christian Home”.)  As no one party is ever 100% right or wrong, each of the parties to the marriage should perform his or her role in love and holy submission. Eph. 5:21.

iii). And how about their renewing their marriage vows so they can better appreciate how much ground they have given to the evil one in their home?

 

SUMMARY

God is love, and therefore He expects His children to love one another without limit – for love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4: .