74. What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?
God forbids divorce except for marital unfaithfulness (adultery and malicious desertion). Tragically, adultery and malicious desertion can destroy the lifelong one-flesh union that God has given. The Bible allows for the possibility of divorce and remarriage in these circumstances. Because divorce always involves sin, it requires repentance and forgiveness. Whenever a husband and wife experience conflicts and sins that threaten their marriage, the ultimate goal is always reconciliation and forgiveness.
Matthew 19:7-9 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
Read Mark 10:6-12 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 15. See also the sotry of David and the wife of Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 and that of Herod taking his brother's wife in Mark 6:18.
Note: Sadly, divorce cannot be avoided in many circumstances of domestic abuse, which constitutes a form of malicious desertion.
Eventual commentary
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