Other Scriptures you may wish to research with respect to this subject:
Gen.2:18-25; Deut.24:1-4; Mt.19:1-12; Mk.6:14-29; Mk.10:1-12; Lke.16:18;
Rom.7:1-4; 1 Cor.7:1-40; Eph.5:22-33; Col.3:18,19; 1 Pt.3:1-7
This is another complex subject, but not from God's standpoint. With God - it is simple - DON'T DO IT! However, man has a way of messing things up, and so it has been for a very long while
with this particular moral aspect of life. From committing the act to trying to reason it out, man has been more inventive in finding ways to try to go around what God says, excusing it, dismissing it or outright avoiding it.
Jesus makes a point in Matt.19:8 "...from the beginning it was not so." With regard to legislation of it, God first speaks it in the law in Ex.24:14. It is further elaborated on in Dt. 24:1-4 and in the Law he makes provision for divorce or disollution of a marriage. Jesus elaborated on this in Mt.5:27-30 "Ye have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery, but I say unto you..." So, let's look at the core of the matter according to Jesus.
The meaning of adultery from the Hebrew is to commit adultery, always with the spouse of another(1). The Greek word means to commit adultery with, have unlawful intercourse with another's spouse (2). Yet, Jesus elaborates further "...that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." This was in contrast to the common Jewish teaching in their Mishnah where one Rabbi Akiba explains, "[he may divorce her] even if he finds another woman more beautiful than she is, as it says, it cometh to pass, if she find no favour in his eyes." Notice that Jesus states that adultery is "already" in the heart when one looks upon another to lust after them. The intent of the looking is "..to lust after..(3)" to lust after, covet, used of those who seek things forbiddenThis reveals the intent of heart behind the looking, which contradicts three particular scriptures (Ex.20:17; Deut.5:21; Prov.5:15-19). "...adultery already..." - Here is the further intent of the looking. It is not looking because the other is an attractive person. The looking is with lust to the intent of imagining sexual relations with them in the mind (i.e.,heart). His teaching regarding this if you find yourself in this situation? Control your desires and keep them pure.And when these tendencies arise in your heart and life, get at the root of what is causing the sinful desire and purge it from you. Better to do without the "pleasure" thought to be given by such desires, than to be cast into hell.
But what about divorce? Jesus comments in Mt.5:31,32 "It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement but I say unto you..." Jesus is not disputing here, the statement made by Moses in Dt.24:1-4. He is disputing the Rabbinical interpretation (4) and teaching regarding Dt.24:1-4. He elaborates "...that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery." Then as now, there were people who wanted to divorce for just any reason, and the teaching of the Rabbi's condoned it. Jesus in following up with the fact that God DOES NOT LIKE this, states that there is one cause that is "allowed." Fornication(5) is "illicit sexual intercourse, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse, with animals etc." What can we glean from Jesus' teaching here? Jesus teaches that righteousness and love do not look beyond one's spouse, to lust after another. In the same respect, righteousness and love does not put away a spouse unless immorality has been involved. Righteousness and love, honor commitments and responsibilities. The warning that He gives is that when I hold no honor for the commitments or responsibilities I have made, I not only place stumbling blocks in my own path, but, may very well cause another to sin as well.
Who is right? Who is wrong? Who is an innocent party - who is not? I do not have all of the answers, to all situations. This can only come, when you take your particular situation and compare it to the scripture's teaching. This study shows us that what is sin on the surface, starts with minute fissures beneath. The admonition of the passage is more with regard to keeping our hearts and actions pure. If the thoughts and actions are stopped before they begin, then we do not have to worry about the outcome.
Jim
________________________________________________REFERENCE CITATIONS
(1) Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, Word # 5003 na'aph, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890.
(2.) IBID Strong's Greek Dictionary Word # 3431 moicheuo
(3.) IBID Strong's Greek Dictionary Word # 1937 epithumeo
(4) Beth Shammai say: a man should not divorce his wife unless he has found her guilty of some unseemly conduct, as it says, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her. Beth Hillel, however say [that he may divorce her] even if she has merely spoilt his food, since it says, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her. R. Akiba says [he may divorce her] even if he finds another woman more beautiful than she is, as it says, it cometh to pass, if she find no favour in his eyes." .
(5) Strong's Greek Dictionary Word # 4202 porneia, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890.
No comments:
Post a Comment