The world justifies an almost unlimited range of reasons for divorce, but the Lord is much more narrow-minded. In fact, the Lord only offered one just cause for divorce in Matthew 19:9. An excellent cross reference (Deuteronomy 24:1) indicates that the fornication mentioned involves an uncleanness found within the woman that took place prior to marriage. If this be true, even adultery fails to qualify as scriptural grounds for divorce. One might argue that the Lord broadened this scope when speaking of the unbelieving spouse leaving the believer, but even there the Lord said to the believing husband, “let him not put her away” (1 Corinthians 7:12) and to the believing wife, “let her not leave him” (1 Corinthians 7:13).
Because of the hardness of man’s heart, God permitted man to seek a divorce. The Pharisees, who generally sought to broaden the law’s reach and its application, sought to expand the justification for a divorce. The Lord never condoned this type of perversion of truth but quickly told the Pharisees that God never intended for marriage to have an escape clause when a man grew weary or discontented. God introduced the bill of divorcement because of the hardness of men’s hearts. Even then, the Lord indicated very limited grounds for a biblical divorce. Divorce was never intended to be an option for the masses, and even in those cases where a bill of divorcement was justified or allowed, the Lord still preferred reconciliation between the husband and wife.
Marriage involves a relationship between a man and a woman, but what constitutes a scriptural marriage? Scripturally speaking, it is not merely “flesh joining flesh.” This is plain in that a man could marry a wife only to find that she had been unfaithful with another man to whom she was not married (Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:32). It is also clear that Shechem defiled Dinah, but then asked if she could become his wife (Genesis 34:1-4). The woman at the well had an improper relationship with a man, but the Lord declared that that particular man was not her husband (John 4:16-18). Instead, marriage occurs when God joins a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Mark 10:9), and it is often established by a ceremony with vows given to each other (Matthew 22:1-13; John 2:1-2).
God instituted marriage and He alone has the right to establish the rightful candidates to join together in this or any other union. Man has no God-given right to interfere with the precepts of God. Everything in creation declares that marriage always includes only a relationship between one man and one woman. Additionally, the marriage bounds are not subject to popular vote of society nor subject to modification by any court or law of the land. Its conditions are set by the highest law and the highest court. God could have presented Adam with another man, but He did not. In God’s eyes, marriage is a specific relationship fulfilled only between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:21-23), and any deviation of this is unseemly and an abomination to God (Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27).
God tasks the watchman with some tremendous responsibilities. He has to remain alert for troubles at all hours of his watch and cannot slacken his resolve to stay attentive. Yet, we are told that if the Lord chooses not to intervene, all of the watchman’s worries and efforts are simply in vain. Interestingly, the watchman’s job is to worry! The fear of trouble keeps him up at night and causes him to rise up early in the morning to do his duty. Eventually, however, this worry produces physical ailments within the individual. With these negative outcomes, the worry and anxiety also provide no solution for the problems of this life. Worrying has deprived many good people of restfulness and sleep without offering the desperately sought after solutions. It is important to note that help has never come simply as a result of one’s worry, and no problems ever resolved themselves simply due to the magnitude of one’s worry. Bottom line: except the Lord intervenes in the problems at hand, no help will be forthcoming. Worry is vain!
Believers are commanded to “Be careful for nothing.” Contextually, the word careful means to be care full or full of cares. That being said, this is one of the most disobeyed commands in all of scripture. In Matthew 6:25, the Lord warned His disciples against dwelling upon or worrying about what they would eat, or drink, or how they would be clothed. The Lord’s rebuke implies that not even the necessities of life should serve as a source of worry for God’s people. It is important to note that worry and faith are at opposite ends of the spectrum because they do not and cannot coexist within the believer’s life and walk. A believer who is “careful” for things cannot and will not simultaneously trust God’s faithful provision. When a believer worries rather than trusting in God’s provision and protection, the believer’s actions deem God incapable to accomplish the matter without the individual contributing his “carefulness.”
