The Ten Commandments – Part 7
06/02/18 (03/17) Video Broadcast
We are ready to begin our
study portion for today's
broadcast as we continue
our examination into the
10 commandments, are we
really keeping them?
Are we really keeping the
10 commandments. Most of us,
I would hope, would say
well, I think I got those
down pretty well, the
basics and now let's see
what else the word of
Yahweh has to say.
But as we've been
examining these
commandments if you
examine not just the
literal words that are
spoken but also the
principles behind them and
the intent in the spirit
of those commandments.
You find that there are a
very wide-ranging meaning,
in the previous segment we
had discussed the seventh
commandment you shall not
commit adultery and we
shared how one can
actually commit adultery
against Yahweh himself
through a friendship with
the world, making
themselves an enemy of
Elohim.
But then it's clear that
we should also address the
actual command in a
literal sense how one can
commit adultery against
the one they are
physically married to, one
flesh with their spouse.
Most of us understand that
the meaning is pretty
simple basically speaking
of a married person
choosing to have
intercourse with another
person they are
not married to.
Adultery is considered to
be a very serious matter
for which one could
receive the death penalty
according to the Torah,
according to the law of Yahweh.
Now it's hard for me to
say it but I think that
adultery is actually quite
common today and one of
the most common ways it's
practiced is when Yahushua
spoke of this in Matthew
chapter 5 verse 27 he
said; you have heard that
it was said to those of
old, you shall not
commit adultery.
But I say to you, that
whosoever looks at a woman
to lust for her has
already committed adultery
with her in his heart.
So these commands once
again Yahushua himself
looked at the principles
behind them and not just
the physical command.
His expectation is that
we do not commit adultery
with females or in the
case of a female toward a
male commit adultery
even in our hearts.
Many a man has struggled
with this sin and are
ridiculously immodest
culture and I will address
this more when we examine
the tenth commandment
which talks about the
dangers of covetousness.
And most of us have been
told what Yahushua came to
make the law even
harder to keep.
The reality is that it was
already written do not
covet your neighbor's
wife, do not desire your
neighbor's wife.
It was already in the 10
commandments it wasn't
something new he was
teaching at all.
And so we're gonna discuss
that as we examine the
tenth commandment when we
get to that in our study series.
Now today I want to focus
on the second and most
common way that the
command against adultery
is actually violated among
those who would consider
themselves believers and
that would be someone who
is involved in a marriage
that Yahweh actually calls
adultery.
The topic of divorce,
remarriage is one of the
most controversial topics
in the issue and issues in
the body of Messiah today
and one of the reasons why
it's so controversial is
the breakdown of the holy
institution of marriage
in our age today.
And with over half of
marriages ending in
divorce and some studies
indicating that their rate
may be even higher
in Christian homes.
It's no surprise there's
gonna be controversy and I
find controversy is
usually surrounding
something that people
don't want to do.
And so they look for other
ways to interpret it now
the understanding I have
come to on this topic is
probably unlike anything
you've ever heard before.
And I realize the gravity
of that but generally
there are 2 predominant
views on divorce
remarriage one says,
it's never acceptable to
divorce and remarry.
But the other one gives
the exception in the case
of adultery or marital
unfaithfulness.
I do not believe either of
those 2 understandings is
correct they're both
partly correct but they're
also both partly in error.
And it seems to me that
both beliefs tend to
ignore certain scriptures
that they don't want to
really fully address.
And I don't want to ignore
them there is a third
alternative that I will
bring that I believe do
bring all the scriptures
together on this issue
from both the Torah in the
very beginning Genesis to
Revelation.. And that's
one of my goals, is to
bring the word of Yahweh
together, to show one
cohesive clear standard:
righteousness for every
generation otherwise we
have a heavenly father on
the Day of Judgment who is
going to show partiality
and I don't believe
he would do that.
So I strongly encourage
you to listen to this
study portion and I want
to mention this is just
going to be a one video
examination of the topic
but this study requires a
lot more than one video.
So I'm not going to cover
all the different angles,
all the different
objections, all the
different ramifications
of this topic.
I'm just going to discuss
what I believe show you in
the scriptures why I
believe it and then you
prayerfully do your
examination of scripture
and see if you find
the same conclusions.
There's actually a study
on this website that is 7
videos long it's the
longest study I think I've
ever done on a
singular topic.
And so this is just a one video you know a summary I
guess you could say of the topic. Now in my mind to properly understand divorce remarriage we have to go back to the beginning and that's what Yahushua did, let's go back to the beginning and understand what the purpose of marriage is, the foundation has already been laid out for us in the very first few chapters here of Genesis. Genesis chapter 2 verse 23 says; and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and the mother, and be joined to his wife: and they shall become one flesh. Now according to scripture when a woman was created Yahweh ordained that man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. In light of the fact that she was taken out of men and they're joining together what will result of them being one flesh. And it's pretty evident that at this time there was no such thing as divorce, Adam and Eve were created to be together she was a gift to him, a blessing to him. And they were one flesh and there was no separation at all period. And in their unity Yahweh said to them be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea or the birds of the air over every living thing that moves on the earth. Now we are their children and we are therefore children of Elohim. So in light of the fact that we were created in the image of Elohim it's also evident that Yahweh would desire for us to multiply a seed of Elohim, a seed of Elohim. And that's what Malachi chapter 2 verse 15 says; but did he not make them one? Having a remnant of the spirit: And why one? He seeks (this translation NKJ says Godly offspring, the Hebrew reads seed of Elohim). So multiply the seed of Elohim that's what he wanted, he wants us to multiply the seed of Elohim. He's using us to bear his children that are our foundation. Now understanding these things is a foundation that will help us understand the various scriptures which deal with divorce and remarriage. Obviously divorce was never Yahweh's intent when he created man and woman. And so divorce is never Yahweh's ultimate will today, Yahweh's ultimate will is that we will love and we will serve him and that through marriage we will bear children who will do the same. And so when men and women of Yahweh are joined together as one flesh through marriage there is no divorce in that plan, it does not exist, period. And that was Yahushua's exact point in Matthew chapter 19:3 he says; the Pharisees also came to him, testing him, saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? And he answered and said to them, have you not read (like he's surprised they even asked the question, haven't you read), that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said, for this cause 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 Elohim has joined together, let not man separate.
Now notice Yahushua is saying hey what's wrong with you haven't you read the first part of Genesis right there? He indicated they should already have known the answer to the question if they had only read about it in Genesis. And so I'm going to work from the same premise we should already know the answer, just reading Genesis we should know the answer. And so I am going to go along with Yahushua's words what Elohim has joined together let not man separate. Now when Yahweh does something we should never try to change it any effort to change the things he has established is obviously not his perfect will for us. Now to this the Pharisees wondered why Moshe would ever permit divorce and not just say you can't do it. Well verse 7 continue to read; they said to him,
Why did then did Moshe command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?
He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. So he permitted them. Whereas, they said Moshe commanded to give a certificate of divorce, there's a difference interesting difference and I think it warrants an investigation as to whether this was something commanded or something that was permitted. The scripture in question here is Deuteronomy chapter 24 verse 1, I'm gonna read this from the King James Version. It says, when a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. Now there are two things that are being said in the King James Version if you don't like your wife just write her a bill divorcement and she can go marry somebody else, man that's what it's saying. It seems counter to the principles he taught in Genesis chapter 2 and 3 and Genesis chapter 1 so forth. So what's going on here? Well, what's going on here is a mistranslation, let
him write is actually the Hebrew word Wacatov; mean the W in beginning this means end, just end. So the let him shouldn't even be there, cross that out then let, it should just end okay. And other translations also correct this and the
same problem is down here in she may go, the word translated she may go is a mistranslation of what Halca which ignores the parkland junction just completely, it actually shouldn't be here okay. So here is how other versions correct it they see this mistake and they corrected, when a man takes a wife and marries her and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her: and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house. When she has departed from his house and goes and becomes another man's wife.
There's a difference there, a difference a huge
difference he's commenting on what ought to be done when this happens. And what's the comment the comment ultimately is on whether the man can take that divorced wife back after she married another man that's what's actually being taught okay. And I'm sorry I don't have the rest of that up there but the rest of it says, when she goes and becomes another man's and he died or he divorces her, he cannot take her back.
That's what the ruling is on, the ruling has nothing to do with what criteria do we use for determining when a divorce is okay and when is it isn't. It has everything to do with when this happens when a man divorces wife she married somebody else, I don't care after that she can't take her back that's what Yahweh is saying, that's what the ruling is actually saying. It's not saying here's a criteria for when divorce is allowed or not allowed and that's a huge difference people debate over Deuteronomy 24 ad nauseum and the only thing that Yahweh is doing is commenting on a situation that does occur in Israel he's not saying he approves of it. He is allowing it for a reason but he is not forbidding it outright for a reason I'll put it that way. So and it's interesting because there are some who believe once a marriage, always a marriage and so that divorce would not really be legitimate and therefore he should go back with her and be restored again to the original marriage. But Yahweh says you can't do that, you can't divorce somebody marries somebody else and then goes back to the first partner. That he says if you read the context is an abomination, now I am really really summing everything up. I got a lot more to say about that, okay? But I need to move on because this is just one video, there's another view recently suggesting that there's a difference between putting away and divorce in other words they believe Yahushua was actually addressing men who send their wives out of the house and do not give them a certificate of divorce meant and therefore they are unable to remarry anybody. But when you examine the actual Hebrew they see there's a difference between putting away and divorce there really is no difference. Take a look here Sherlock has to do with sending away okay I can buy that's putting away or sending away and then the other word is Karitu, which has to do with divorce, dismissal, literally means a cutting, separation, cutting off of a marital covenant. A marital covenant is separated if they've dismissed it, the marital covenant is no longer present. And if you look at those definitions yeah you might say well maybe there is a difference between the two but when you begin to look at where Sherlock is used
in various texts you have a little problem. Here's an example Deuteronomy 22 verse 18; a man, it's context here is a man is accusing a woman that he married of not being a virgin and it's found out that she is a virgin and he had proof she is a virgin which we're not gonna get into right now. But it says the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him and they still fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel and she shall be his wife, he cannot divorce her all his days. The word translated divorce here is Sherlock, he cannot send her out and put her in a condition where she cannot remarry all his days. That's how those who hold this view would look at that verse. Now the word divorce again comes from Sherlock, now the problem is by implication Yahweh is saying on other circumstances a man can Sherlock or send his wife out and not give her a bill of divorcement. And what that means is he's allowing women to be just oppressed in Israel and I don't believe Yahweh would allow women to be oppressed in that manner, it will basically mean he allowed the unjust treatment of women, yeah other marriages you can send them away and not give a bill of divorcement but in this marriage you can't send her away and not give her a bill of divorcement. You have to remain married to her so it's almost like he's saying well you know other cases go ahead and send her off and put her in a condition where she can't remarry. But in this condition you can't do that I would say in no condition can you do that, you're not loving your neighbor as yourself that is oppression of women and putting them in a position where they can never bear children and that's oppression. But if putting away and divorce are synonymous they are basically two ways of describing the same thing. Then Moshe yes did allow for divorce but he wasn't allowing for the oppressive treatment of women where they would have no one to take care of them until their dying days. So I don't believe in this difference between putting away and divorce and that's supposed to solve all the limits I don't believe it does.
So why did Moshe not outright forbid divorce? Yahushua said it was because of the hardness of their hearts, we will address that question a little bit later. Now I want to start with underlying principle that you cannot and have a situation where a married
or a believer goes out and marries an unbeliever that is outright forbidden we know that's true right? A believer cannot marry an unbeliever says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? What concord has Messiah with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14. So it's not Yahweh's will for us to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers especially in marriage. Aside from choosing to believe in Yahweh it's probably the most important decision a person could ever make who are they going to marry and so when Yahweh made the promise to Abraham he would make a great nation of his children notice what he said about Abraham, for I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; that Yahweh may bring to Abraham that he has spoken to him. Because Abraham was married to a believer and he commanded his household to keep the law of Yahweh. Yahweh had assurance and knowledge that his children would be children he could make a great nation out of. Genesis chapter 27 verse 46 here's a contrast; Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth (like Esau did), like those who are of the dark deeds who were the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me? That's how strongly she felt about this. And the Torah actually forbids one from marrying daughters who were from specific nations particularly nations that were in the land already. In Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 1-2 says; When Yahweh you Mighty one brings you into the land which you go to possess, and its cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you. And when Yahweh your Mighty One delivers them over to you; you shall conquer them, utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them; you shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following me, to serve other mighty ones: so the anger of Yahweh be aroused against you, and destroy you suddenly. So Yahweh was very concerned about the family that would allow their children to intermarry with these 7 nations because he knew the influence it would have, his plan was for their marriages to produce the seed of Elohim. And therefore a righteous kingdom in Israel would be ruined through marriage to these heathen nations and their children would end up being children of the devil because their hearts are being trained by unbelievers. We don't have to look very far to find examples of this very thing happening in Israel although someone was the wisest of all kings he did not walk in his wisdom and it resulted in a lot of heartache and pain for his children. 1 Kings chapter 11 verse 1; but king Solomon loved many foreign women, together as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. From the nations of whom Yahweh had said to the children of Israel, you shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you: surely they will turn away your heart after their mighty ones: Solomon clung to these in love. And so Israel became split into 2 kingdoms in northern and southern tribes, Israel and Judah and the aftermath of Solomon's decision to marry unbelieving wives resulted in the introduction of idolatry to that generation causing much heartache and much pain in years to come. Solomon's son Rehoboam ended up forsaking Yahweh's law. Israel's king Jeroboam served idols in every succeeding generation of Israel chose to walk in idolatry there wasn't even a single king of Israel who was righteous they all went back to Solomon's choice to marry foreign women. Another example Ahab, 1 Kings 21:25 it says; there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of Yahweh, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. She was from a foreign land who worshiped Baal and it caused many problems and much turmoil in the land of Israel and Ahab seemed to have a fear of Yahweh but his wife would stir him up to do evil. And we read king Ahab had an alliance with Jehoshaphat in 1 Kings 22:3; the king of Israel said to his servants, do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we be hesitate, to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? So he said to Jehoshaphat, will you go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are my people as your people, my horses as your horses. And so sadly Jehoshaphat, an otherwise righteous king, sought to align himself with Ahab. He even was willing to align himself with Ahab in marriage. It says Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. And then what happened? Jehoshaphat's son married Athaliah daughter of Jezebel and all went downhill from there. Take a look 2 Kings 8:16; in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having being the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Israel. He was thirty-two years old when he became king; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as house of Ahab: had done for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of Yahweh. Because of an unbiblical marriage, marrying unbelievers in this case the daughter of unbelievers and what a disaster this became in Israel. Athaliah was in name of Jezebel's daughter and she
ended up taking the throne, killing I mean just awful things happened after that and you can read more about it if you go into those chapters. But we need to move on; I'm just illustrating some examples. Another example is in Nehemiah chapter 13 it says; in those days I (talking about Nehemiah) saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. Now notice he married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab: Moab was not among the forbidden nations in fact Ruth was a Moab's when she married became a great-grandmother to David. And so what's the real issue here? The real issue is they were unbelievers it's not so much to lineage it's the fact they were unbelievers. In fact Uriah the Hittite had a wife named Bathsheba, Hittites were still alive and well in Israel during David's day and they were probably marrying but they had converted and became followers of Elohim. Now I'm not gonna get into that too much but listen here he said; so I contended with them, and cursed them, struck some of them, and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by Elohim, saying, you shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his mighty One and Elohim made him, king over all Israel: nevertheless Pagan women caused even him to sin.
And so he is pointing out the dangers of this and they should have learned their lesson through this but they did not learn a lesson, they kept marrying Pagan women. And so he said should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our Mighty One by marrying pagan women? The issue was not the physical lineage; the issue was they were idolaters that were the issue. Now Ezra chapter 9 it says; when these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, with respect to the abominations, of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. These were not among the forbidden nations but they were forbidden by principle because they were marrying women who were idolatrous. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives themselves, and their sons: so that the holy seed (a seed of Elohim by the way) is mixed with the people of those lands: indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers have been foremost in this trespass. Now later in Ezra chapter 10 he says; Now therefore let us make a covenant with our Mighty One to put away all these wives, and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our Mighty One; and let it be done according to the Torah (the law). So here was a command to put away those wives and if they didn't they would be in big trouble. And so that's how they solved it, it solved the problem through a divorce that's how they solved it. Now an example in Malachi chapter 2 verse 10 Yahweh says; have we not all one father? Has not one Elohim created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned Yahweh's holy institution which he loves, he has married the daughter of a foreign Elohim (translated god).
What's the holy institution that he loves? What is this holiness that he loves? It is marriage he instituted marriage at the very beginning in the book of Genesis and they have turned it into an abomination by marrying unbelievers which is forbidden. And the way they solved it during this time period was divorce that's how they solved it. This is all Malachi, Ezra, Nehemiah are fairly contemporary in their time periods.
And this is the second thing you do, you cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping, and crying out, so that he does not regard the offering any more, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, for what reason? Because Yahweh has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously: yet she is your companion, and your wife by covenant. Now I wanna pause here for a minute and explain a marriage is a marriage through covenant. A marriage is basically two people agreeing to be married; a marriage already takes place when an engagement happens. It is consummated through intercourse but the marriage actually happens there when there's a covenant, an agreement to be married. So we have to understand what a marriage is and that's important okay. But did he not make them one? Having a remnant of the spirit: And why one? He seeks a seed of Elohim (in Hebrew).
Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For Yahweh, Elohim of Israel says that he hates divorce: for it covers one's garment with violence, says Yahweh of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously. I believe what was happening they were actually divorcing their believing wives during this time period and marrying unbelievers, and that was the height of abomination.
And Yahweh's eyes to divorce one who does believe was an act of treachery toward her. An act that he hates. Nevertheless, they were not only doing that but they were divorcing the ones who were believers and they are marrying the ones who were unbelievers. That was over the top and a violation of the
principal and the point of marriage not just companionship not just two people can love one another for a covenant that endures a lifetime, but also to help and be a part of working with Yahweh to produce a seed of Elohim. So looking at the hardness of hearts question let's
take a look Matthew chapter 19 verse 7; they say to him, Why did then Moshe command to give a certificate of divorce (which he never did command), and to put her away? He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Now the words translated hardness of heart, if you look this up in the Greek and the Greek word hardness of hearts is also used in the Septuagint which is the ancient translation of the old testament scriptures and it's translated, hear where he says; therefore you shall circumcise the hardness of your hearts and you shall not harden your neck. And if you go to the Hebrew we are looking circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiff neck. So hardness of heart is understood to be foreskins of the heart, their hearts were not circumcised that was the issue. And throughout scripture a person who has an uncircumcised heart is someone who will not repent, they will not turn toward the Elohim of Israel. And that's why Paul said; for he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; nor is circumcision that, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of Elohim. So the issue was there were a lot of unbelievers in the nation of Israel and so what do you do then? Oh, you will forbid the 7 nations for sure, but you have a lot of people who have an uncircumcised heart in Israel. And they're no better than a foreigner, so if he was to outright forbid divorce in all circumstances what
would happen is they would be believers who are married to unbelievers and can't get out of it. And they did not have the maturity to judge the difference you know between believer and unbeliever. In fact, in the book of Ezra when they went through these cases they went through this thing step by step, case by case it took months to complete. And to determine are these people really serving or they are not and so we have a situation where he allowed divorce because there were people who had uncircumcised hearts in the land of Israel. And he didn't want to outright forbid divorce because that would have caused the seed of Elohim goal to be compromised when you have a person who happens to be an Israelite in the flesh but is not an Israelite in the heart. The person who is a seed of Abraham: in the flesh, but see the devil in their heart.
So anyone in really the long-term implications would have been okay he didn't forbid divorce but those who had circumcised hearts could say but wait for a minute look back at the book of Genesis and this was Yahushua's expectations in Matthew 19, look back to the book of Genesis that gives you the answer. No there shouldn't be a divorce between two people who are producing being fruitful and multiplying a seed of Elohim, that should not happen. There should not be divorce. Look back at the principles, out of marriage the whole idea of marriage, how to get started to produce a fruit to be fruitful and multiply a seed of Elohim. And when you have two people who are married and one is a believer one is a non-believer it is very very very difficult to produce a seed of Elohim from that kind of union. Two people who are believers are more apt to do so in a much better scenario in which they can produce a seed of Elohim. Now the first time divorce is mentioned in scripture is when Yahweh actually forbids a priest from marrying a divorced woman, a woman divorced from her husband. In fact when divorce is mentioned in Deuteronomy 24 the remarried woman is called defiled, her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled. Those with ears to hear in Israel a clear impression; will be given divorce is not really part of Yahweh's original plan. And so it makes sense when Yahushua said can man divorce his wife, he was asked a question can a man divorce his wife for any reason he just said, why haven't you read, you should know, you should already know this. Why did Moshe allow it, well it was because there are unbelievers in Israel that's why there are uncircumcised people in Israel and it makes perfect sense to me and he's not teaching anything different than what the scriptures already taught in reality. He wasn't teaching something different than what the word of Elohim had already said, haven't you read? Very first book in the Torah, haven't you read it? You need to read that all right so I'm bringing the
word of Yahweh together. It's not contrary, okay. Yes, Moshe, allowed it but he was in a scenario where he couldn't outright just forbid it because they're uncircumcised people in Israel. Now we understand who is a believer who is a non-believer and the faith you know progressive revelation things have matured all right. And those who are Israel we understand are that who is Israel in the heart and that's what Paul was teaching in Romans 2, that's what Yahweh taught all along ultimately. But those who had a hardened heart were looking for reasons to divorce those who didn't have a hardened heart would say it's important not to marry an unbeliever and would never divorce a believing wife it's not loving your neighbor as yourself. Even in our own generation it's evident that those who would grow up in a broken home where the parents are divorced are far more likely to have children who rebel against their parent's way of doing things. And when these children see the Yahweh centered, peaceful, loving, secure homes of the righteous they will be compelled to want the same for their children. And so I see no reason why it is any different ancient Israel when we consider there was so many within the nation of Israel hardness uncircumcised hearts. We look at the options available and the ramifications of each, I can see why he would allow at that point, why he would allow it to you know let people go back to Genesis to see what he wanted and that's what Yahushua is bringing them back to. Now in Matthew 19 the so-called exception rule, the Pharisees also came to him, testing him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? He answered and said to them, Have you not read, that he who made them at the beginning 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 more two, but one flesh. Therefore what Elohim has joined together, let not man separate. Now Elohim would not join together a believer and an unbeliever that would not be a union he will bless, it got to be a union he would want, but the believer and believer yes and that's a union you should not separate, no exceptions.
They said to him, why did Moshe command a certificate of divorce, to put her away? He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. That's not what Yahweh wants and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication (and the Greek word is pernaia), and marries another: commits adultery: and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.
That's serious and that's why I'm bringing this up under this part 7 looking a commandment number 7 where it is forbidden to commit adultery that there are marriages among believers today that are actually not marriages in Yahweh's eyes because they are believers who married a believer, they divorced a believer and marry another believer you can't do that, you cannot do that. If you have done that you are in adultery, you are in adultery. Now what is this word pernaia talking about?
Most people think he's talking about something like adultery, now if he's talking about adultery
he's actually doing something that doesn't make any sense. Bear with me here if a man divorces his wife because of adultery he says the exception is adultery, right? So, if he divorces his wife and he marries another and therefore commits adultery with her then the marriage is canceled and the whole point he was making makes no sense you're not committing adultery anymore. Do you follow what I'm saying? A man, let's just say for instance his wife did not commit adultery but he went ahead just divorced her, married somebody else. Well that's adultery and that's adultery that cancels the original marriage is not adultery anymore and so it doesn't line up it doesn't make any sense and we see this happening among believers. They'll be married to a believer they divorce them and marry another believer well that's adultery well guess what it's okay because hey adultery cancels the first marriage. So why would he even say it's adultery? It's almost like O you've sinned once, O then you're free and clear I don't buy that, don't buy it at all. Now what does it mean pernaia? If you look at the Greek and you trace it back also to the Hebrew actually the most frequent uses of this word in Hebrew is not a physical adultery or harlotry between a man and a woman. But it's actually a spirit of harlotry against Yahweh for example Revelation 14:8; another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. This fornication is not talking about some physical fornication it's talking about harlotry against the most high that's why she calls the mother of harlots and it's talking about idolatry the same is true in Revelation chapter 17 which we don't have time to get into. Revelation chapter 19; she corrupts the earth with her fornication, she's a mother of a harlot she corrupts the earth with her pernaia. And the same is true in the Tanakh or Old Testament it says you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images. For you shall worship no other deity: for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous is a jealous Elohim. Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a harlot with their Mighty Ones, and makes sacrifice to their mighty ones. and one of them invites you to eat of his sacrifice; and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot (and the Hebrew word Zanuth) which pernaia is connected to in the Septuagint multiple and multiple times a day here's a list Genesis 38:24, Genesis 14:33, 2 Kings 9:22, Isaiah 47:10, Isaiah 57:9, Jeremiah 2:20, Jeremiah 3:2, Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 9, Jeremiah 13:27, Ezekiel 16:15, Ezekiel 22:25 and 23:36, 41, Ezekiel 23 verse 7, 11:14, 17:29, 35:43, Hosea chapter 1 verse 2, Hosea chapter 2 verse 4 and verse 4 and verse 6. Hosea chapter 4 verse 11 chapter 5 verse 4, chapter 6 verse 10, Malachi chapter 1 verse 7:9, Nehemiah chapter 3 verse 4. I have also studied Hebrew Matthew and the Hebrew Matthew 19:9 from the due to lay version is the Hebrew word Zanuth which in most instances is talking about a spiritual Horton, an unbeliever and
wouldn't that line up with Yahweh's original intent
and what he said in Ezra, divorced those women. Well, that's what they did, that was a righteous thing to do. Divorce those pagan women: that is not a biblical marriage that's a forbidden marriage. And so if you have a wife and she goes off and she commits spirit to harlotry against the most high and she decides she's not going to be a believer anymore. Then that is grounds for divorce or if you're married to someone who's not a believer that is grounds for divorce--that's consistent from Genesis to the very end it's consistent, a consistent standard throughout all of scripture. Playing the harlot is connected to the Greek word pernaia talking about spiritual harlotry against the most high and then Paul says the same thing in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Now to the married I command, yet not I, but the Master, a wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband (why, because that would be adultery is she marries somebody else): a husband is not to divorce his wife. The same thing between two believers there is no divorce.
So you see Paul is telling the Corinthians I'm not saying this, the master is saying this when the master says this back in Matthew chapter 19 he said what Elohim has joined together let no man separate. Elohim does join together marriages between believers right, and she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband if she divorced him they're calling it a divorce but Yahweh is not going it a divorce: they're still married that's why he said he can't marry anybody else. He either get married back, gets back together again, or he remains unmarried and you spend the rest your life alone. And that's what Yahushua taught, two are one flesh you can't separate. But then he says to the rest I'll pay very close attention, I not the master say; if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she is willing to live with him let him not divorce her. He's actually saying my opinion I'm saying this Yahushua is not saying this. What I'm saying try to stay together if she's not a believer why because you're already a believer and he's saying you don't know whether she's gonna convert. One who has a husband who is not a believer he's willing to live with her let her not divorce him. So the divorce apparently is permissible both men and women can divorce. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband otherwise your children will be unclean. But now they are holy now we're talking here about a situation where one marriage partner comes into the faith and the other marriage partner is not yet come into the faith, that's different than a situation where a believer just flat out marries an unbeliever okay. But what Paul is saying is if she's willing to live with you, they wanna live with you don't divorce yet because Yahweh may be bringing this thing around and he's not saying it's a command from the master he saying this is my thoughts on this and I agree with him. But he's not saying that they must stay together he's not, Yahushua is not he's saying well to you
don't know whether you're going to, you know, save. Now he says if he's willing live with her or if she is willing to live with him, in other words she is not or he is not outright opposing, fighting, going against everything you're trying to teach you to know okay. For everyone practicing evil hates the light does not come to light lest his deeds be exposed, right. In other words this person has no interest whatsoever in living in peace with you and that's why I think he's talking about. But even so the master does not command a believer to remain married to an unbeliever. So what Paul is saying here is completely optional in terms of what Yahushua commands all
right. He says, but if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but Elohim has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? How do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? And so he is saying give it a chance you know, give a chance you never know whether they will come around and in time a lot of times they do. But sometimes they won't they will just fight you every step of the way, they will corrupt your family, they will corrupt your children and they're not willing to live with you in this arrangement you're married together as believers they think that you have now gone off and now your devotion is there is something else besides them and they want no part of that. And they get jealous even sometimes he said they get jealous, and they'll hate it, that'll hate your faith because it's taking you away from them all right. So he's not commanding that a believer remain married to an unbeliever, at least Yahushua is not commanding that, Paul is suggesting it he's saying I'm not saying the master... So there must be a difference and the idea that once a marriage always a marriage. I mean if Yahushua is not commanding that a believer stays with an unbeliever and how can you say that once a marriage always a marriage regardless of whether the person is a believer or an unbeliever? That doesn't line up with that doctrine okay. And so that's what I always bring up when they say, well, once a marriage always a marriage, so why then would Paul not say well it is commanding, Yahushua does command you stay together? Well, he's saying, well, I'm saying stay together and why wouldn't he say, well the Master says, you must stay together if indeed once a marriage always a marriage regardless of whether they are believer and unbeliever. And so the understanding I'm putting forth here preserves the sanctity of marriage among believers, does not permit divorce under any circumstances among believers unless there are some other issues that can come forward say for instance ancient Israel here from a man married a believing woman and her sister that was forbidden. So in that case it's an unbiblical marriage and therefore divorce should be permissible or if a man married his sister or if a man married a woman and her daughter those would be 3 pernaia instances where physical pernaia would apply okay. But the rest, the real issue is this a marriage that Yahweh forbids? If it is, yes, divorce is permissible. If it's a marriage that Yahweh does not forbid it is a marriage he has joined together and therefore let no one separate and to me this understanding brings all the scriptures together on this topic while preserving the sanctity of marriage among believers. And this wife swapping business that goes on in congregations I mean think about this really think about what could happen if we just said well adultery cancels a marriage. It would be ridiculous because hey you could divorce and remarry whoever you want to. And when you did it's really no big deal and the reason why it's no big deal is because you only commit adultery one time and then you're home free, adultery cancels the marriage. You marry this other woman, adultery cancels the first marriage and the new marriage is sanctified by Yahweh. That simple. That flies in the face of what Paul said marriage between two believers. there's no divorce, now let's say that there was a situation where a spouse was a believer but failed the temptation and committed adultery. Would that be acceptable grounds for divorce? That depends on Matthew chapter 18 what does it teach us? It says if someone sins against you, you go to them privately: if they repent, you have won them back. But if they won't repent, bring with you one or two more, and then if they won't repent you bring the whole congregation against them. And then if don't repent you can keep treating them like an unbeliever, tax collector in a publican or whatever. So, at that point, yes, it is permissible to divorce if they are remaining in adultery and they're content to live in adultery only in that instance would that be a pernaia that is permissible for divorce to take place. But if they repent we are required to forgive the way Yahweh forgives I wonder how many times we have committed spiritual harlotry, spiritual adultery against Elohim and he has forgiven us and we're still in a relationship with him and he did not divorce us. You understand? So just adultery alone isn't the issue, the issue is that in adultery that they are repenting of they are turning away from and as hard as it may be if they repent we are commanded we must forgive and if we do not forgive then our sins will not be forgiven and that's what scripture teaches. And so the point is that we should uphold the sanctity of the assembly and we should not just you know O there is adultery I'm out of here. We should try to win them back that's what Yahushua goes and he seeks them he lives in 99 to seek the one that's lost and that's what we're supposed to do. Now I want to repeat this again think about this supposed two believers are married and if adultery alone was the only thing that separating and allowing for a person to divorce and remarry. Supposed two believers are married and the man decides to divorces his wife and marries another woman because he found someone prettier. Well then that's no grounds for divorce because no adultery was committed by the wife so Yahweh would not honor that divorce on the part of the man and we consider the new marriage to be an adulteress marriage. But the entire reason in marriage, adulterous marriage is it because Yahweh did not honor the divorce from the first wife right. They are still one flesh with the original wife and so because Yahweh did not honor that divorce they're still considered one flesh that's why he said you commit adultery, she commits adultery.
And whoever marries her who's divorced commits adultery. Now if Yahushua his exception for divorce and remarriage was really adultery it seems to me he's contradicting himself because if the man is over there committing adultery in a second marriage why couldn't she marry somebody else isn't he committing adultery? And in fact since the man is committing adultery wouldn't he cancel his first marriage. You can have adultery for one person not the other it's, and when I present this scenario to people who believe that adultery alone cancels the marriage they say well its just adultery the first time and then after that the marriage is sanctified by Elohim, I say that's nonsense. Now because then you can basically divorced and remarry for any reason and a new marriage is adultery cancels the old marriage and the whole thing is just awash. I mean then you can literally have wife swapping in the assembly, brother Sam and sister Sue get divorced for any other reason then brother Jack and sister Jane get divorced for any reason. Sam marries Jack's wife, Jack marries Sam's wife and since Sam and Jane's adultery against their spouse's reason to remain marry their former spouses can marry one another without committing adultery at all. First it has to be adultery but then it's easy just repent of that, you can't repent of that until you stop. But end of that scenario wife swapping and the body Messiah is okay, the problem is that it's not okay the first time, that it's okay. Okay you got moral debauchery now and that's what you see in our congregations explain to Jack's children that sister Sue is real mommy now and the real mommy sister Jane seated 2 rows behind you is married to sister Sue's old husband brother Sam: this kind of wicked world standard would be a horrible witness to our children not to mention the community and this is going on in some churches today. Listen marriage is honorable among all and they've been defiled by fornicators and adulterers Elohim will judge.
It's a serious matter you don't take it lightly my
point is not to condemn anybody and if you're in one of these scenarios my heart goes out to you. You may have children together it's gonna hurt
but let me say that there are scenarios where you
know the physical part and the physical union had to stop but the parenting didn't. And both can parent in peace of one another as friends but not as marriage partners because
that would be adultery and the sad thing is you can't go back to the first one. Biblically speaking, you just can't. Now I want to say something else. Too often people are willing to just toss the wife or toss her husband and just say you're an unbeliever and judge that by themselves and say that they're not a believer because they are on the blank. Some sin there involved in a real believer wouldn't do this but tell you what I've seen believers commit some of the most awful heinous things. But when they repent, I mean Peter denied the Messiah, David committed adultery and murder but was still accepted don't just judge by that alone
you got to get into the hard issue are there repentant believer in the Messiah Yahushua and just because they don't know or accept the Sabbath but they only accept the Torah or don't see the things you see in your walk doesn't make them an unbeliever. They could be a believer just at a different spot than you are in don't judge them an unbeliever just because they don't embrace the Torah and the Sabbath and the feasts and eating clean and you know that's not the only criteria you've got to look at the heart, are they truly repentant people, goodwill people doing their very best to serve Elohim but maybe have a different understanding than you do. I would not want to judge someone an unbeliever if they were sincere in their beliefs and we're doing the best they knew how. It is not one man's judgment anyway Yahushua taught us and must go before a congregation and the congregation decide they're not a believer because you're not repenting. And when I say repenting don't just pick something like you know a difference in understanding you know you don't take your sister or your brother to a Matthew 18 proceeding over a difference in understanding of how scriptures should be applied. This is an investigative effort to try and determine whether these people who are committing unknown, well known, everyone sin, and everybody know is a sin and kind of sin like adultery and willing to repent of that. And if they're not willing to repent of something they themselves know was wrong and they themselves recognize is a sin then they can't be a believer because repentance and faith in Yahushua are required. Romans chapter 2 verse 4 says; the goodness of Elohim leads us to repentance and if we don't repent we are trudging up for ourselves wrath on the day of wrath. So we got to choose something that everybody knows is a sin, it's clearly a sin ; they know its a sin, you know it's a sin and only in that circumstance should it be brought before a congregation and determine whether this person has a genuinely repented heart or not. And some of these scenarios are very very difficult, very involved so many indifferent marriages, what was legitimate, what wasn't? In other cases you just not gonna figured out, we are so far removed from this holy standard that Yahweh gave us that we're just in a big mess. We've gotten ourselves into this tangled web but I can tell you this the last thing you want to be hearing on judgment day is that the marriage you're in was adultery. You do not want to hear that it's important that you find out for sure, I will leave you one final comment on this topic. A man contacted me years ago she was married to a believer and she divorced him and she married another believer the man himself had not ever married before but his wife had and she was confronted by multiple people at different churches she attended saying that she was in an adulteress marriage. I think they had different reasons for that but she
became very bitter toward anyone who would say that she was in the wrong. Her marriage she felt was so wonderful, so fulfilling, so amazing she could not fathom that her marriage will be an adulteress marriage. You see sometimes the enemy allows you those who are in adulterous marriages he leaves them alone he doesn't even try stirring up. He wants see them divorced and so they live together in peace but they're really in adultery. The reason why they are in peace because the enemy is not turning against each other why because you're living in adultery he's already got them. So just because you're living in peace with somebody and everything seems wonderful hunky dory it does not mean that you're in a Yahweh ordained marriage. It could just being the enemy is leaving you alone because he's already got you and I hate to be the one to break it to you, I know it hurts, and I know it's not pleasant to think about. But we have a holy standard that Yahweh wants us to uphold and we need to be willing to follow it, to heed it, to uphold it. Anyway this family, this couple you know she became very bitter about the whole thing to the extent that she would say it every once in a while, I would not serve a God who calls my marriage adultery. That's were her exact words and she says it
often, and one morning they were eating breakfast
and she said it and then they got in the car and they were driving down the road and she said it again. She said I could not serve a God and she got that far
when their car was t-boned and she was killed instantly in mid-sentence and this man was calling
me he was asking or email me he wanted to know did I think she was going to hell, did I think that she would be a believer? I said it doesn't look good friend, it doesn't look good. I'm not gonna judge the soul of the man that's Yahweh's decision. He did beg me, beg me to tell him what I thought, I couldn't do it: I couldn't go there my answer kept saying it doesn't look good it's a serious matter not one you take lightly and once you know, you know and you have to take it seriously. I want to say this also there is a full 7 part video series on this topic eliyah.com/family/divorce remarriage.html, it addresses all the objections I'm aware of at the time it was back in 2012 and there's a full written study does not go near the detail the videos go into.
I've had a few people watch those videos and they just jump to conclusions that well yep my former spouse is an unbeliever because the didn't keep Torah or they didn't do this. Listen you need to talk to an elder and I can put you in touch with an elder, contact me disciple@eliyah.com and let the elder hear the situation and give his judgment on it. But if you're in one of these scenarios even if you're not just read this and I believe it brings all the scriptures together, there is no contradiction between old and new testaments Christians are entirely comfortable with those contradictions I'm not. I say Christians I mean here every day traditional Christian, I do not come for that contradiction I don't believe Yahweh contradicts himself shows partiality, his one standard in the Torah and one standard for us. He is one standard for all from the very beginning and that's what Yahushua was bringing this to. So marriage is not just about enjoying who we want
to be married to it's also about honoring covenants that are made between us, our spouse and Yahweh.
Yahweh is a covenant keeper and I'm so glad he is, but he expects us to be the same. Let's pray, Heavenly Father Yahweh great and mighty Elohim Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh be your great name. Thank you father for your loving kindness and your mercies and your compassion, I pray father Yahweh that you would strengthen us and you give us your wisdom that you would expose evil where it is in terms of marriages and things that are really adulteress but are not real marriages in your eyes. I pray father that when it's revealed that you would cause repentant hearts to truly repent and turn away from the thing they're doing and that you will cause righteousness to flow like a river. Let things be handled with wisdom and delicate manner with love being in the forefront of all things. We know you are a loving Elohim, you lead gently we pray that you would have mercy upon the children who were involved, the parents are involved in this. I pray for your compassion and your wisdom to be used in these kind of situations. We know you are merciful Elohim and yet you have a high standard you expect us to abide by and we thank you for that. And truly yours is the kingdom, power and glory and majesty forever, in Yahushua's great name, Amein. I want to also say there may be some listening today who are not really believers at all and I
don't know if you've ever heard the good news and the good news is if we repent and we turn away from our sins and we receive the Messiah Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin we will have eternal life awaiting us.
If we do not repent and or we do not believe in the Messiah Yahushua we only have the fearful expectation of judgment awaiting us. We will have no intercessor on our behalf on the Day of Judgment when Yahweh judges all men for the wrongs they've done. The truth is every single one of us has failed to love Elohim and love one another as we're supposed to. And so every single one of us cannot be saved by our own good deeds, when you go before an earthly judge they don't check and see how righteous you've been the past they simply judge you by the crime you have committed. When you face a heavenly judge he will not say we've done enough good out of your way you're bad. He will simply judge the evil you've done and your punishment will be like a fire, you don't want to go there. So I call on you to choose life, abundant life the enemy only comes to steal kill and destroy Yahushua came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Maybe you're a young person growing up in your parents are believers but you've never really made a decision for yourself that you're going to serve Elohim, you're going to be following Yahweh all the days of your life. And you want to live forever, if you've never made that decision make that decision, some quiet moment in your heart, go to a prayer closet somewhere go before Yahweh and say I accept the Messiah for the forgiveness of sin. I turn away from all sin I've ever committed I want to commit my life to serving Yahweh; I want to commit my life to walking in the ways of Elohim. And declare that to our father in heaven and he says when we do that we confess our sins, we put our faith in Messiah Yahushua, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness and I encourage you to do that.
And so this is just a one video you know a summary I
guess you could say of the topic. Now in my mind to properly understand divorce remarriage we have to go back to the beginning and that's what Yahushua did, let's go back to the beginning and understand what the purpose of marriage is, the foundation has already been laid out for us in the very first few chapters here of Genesis. Genesis chapter 2 verse 23 says; and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and the mother, and be joined to his wife: and they shall become one flesh. Now according to scripture when a woman was created Yahweh ordained that man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. In light of the fact that she was taken out of men and they're joining together what will result of them being one flesh. And it's pretty evident that at this time there was no such thing as divorce, Adam and Eve were created to be together she was a gift to him, a blessing to him. And they were one flesh and there was no separation at all period. And in their unity Yahweh said to them be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea or the birds of the air over every living thing that moves on the earth. Now we are their children and we are therefore children of Elohim. So in light of the fact that we were created in the image of Elohim it's also evident that Yahweh would desire for us to multiply a seed of Elohim, a seed of Elohim. And that's what Malachi chapter 2 verse 15 says; but did he not make them one? Having a remnant of the spirit: And why one? He seeks (this translation NKJ says Godly offspring, the Hebrew reads seed of Elohim). So multiply the seed of Elohim that's what he wanted, he wants us to multiply the seed of Elohim. He's using us to bear his children that are our foundation. Now understanding these things is a foundation that will help us understand the various scriptures which deal with divorce and remarriage. Obviously divorce was never Yahweh's intent when he created man and woman. And so divorce is never Yahweh's ultimate will today, Yahweh's ultimate will is that we will love and we will serve him and that through marriage we will bear children who will do the same. And so when men and women of Yahweh are joined together as one flesh through marriage there is no divorce in that plan, it does not exist, period. And that was Yahushua's exact point in Matthew chapter 19:3 he says; the Pharisees also came to him, testing him, saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? And he answered and said to them, have you not read (like he's surprised they even asked the question, haven't you read), that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said, for this cause 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 Elohim has joined together, let not man separate.
Now notice Yahushua is saying hey what's wrong with you haven't you read the first part of Genesis right there? He indicated they should already have known the answer to the question if they had only read about it in Genesis. And so I'm going to work from the same premise we should already know the answer, just reading Genesis we should know the answer. And so I am going to go along with Yahushua's words what Elohim has joined together let not man separate. Now when Yahweh does something we should never try to change it any effort to change the things he has established is obviously not his perfect will for us. Now to this the Pharisees wondered why Moshe would ever permit divorce and not just say you can't do it. Well verse 7 continue to read; they said to him,
Why did then did Moshe command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?
He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. So he permitted them. Whereas, they said Moshe commanded to give a certificate of divorce, there's a difference interesting difference and I think it warrants an investigation as to whether this was something commanded or something that was permitted. The scripture in question here is Deuteronomy chapter 24 verse 1, I'm gonna read this from the King James Version. It says, when a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. Now there are two things that are being said in the King James Version if you don't like your wife just write her a bill divorcement and she can go marry somebody else, man that's what it's saying. It seems counter to the principles he taught in Genesis chapter 2 and 3 and Genesis chapter 1 so forth. So what's going on here? Well, what's going on here is a mistranslation, let
him write is actually the Hebrew word Wacatov; mean the W in beginning this means end, just end. So the let him shouldn't even be there, cross that out then let, it should just end okay. And other translations also correct this and the
same problem is down here in she may go, the word translated she may go is a mistranslation of what Halca which ignores the parkland junction just completely, it actually shouldn't be here okay. So here is how other versions correct it they see this mistake and they corrected, when a man takes a wife and marries her and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her: and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house. When she has departed from his house and goes and becomes another man's wife.
There's a difference there, a difference a huge
difference he's commenting on what ought to be done when this happens. And what's the comment the comment ultimately is on whether the man can take that divorced wife back after she married another man that's what's actually being taught okay. And I'm sorry I don't have the rest of that up there but the rest of it says, when she goes and becomes another man's and he died or he divorces her, he cannot take her back.
That's what the ruling is on, the ruling has nothing to do with what criteria do we use for determining when a divorce is okay and when is it isn't. It has everything to do with when this happens when a man divorces wife she married somebody else, I don't care after that she can't take her back that's what Yahweh is saying, that's what the ruling is actually saying. It's not saying here's a criteria for when divorce is allowed or not allowed and that's a huge difference people debate over Deuteronomy 24 ad nauseum and the only thing that Yahweh is doing is commenting on a situation that does occur in Israel he's not saying he approves of it. He is allowing it for a reason but he is not forbidding it outright for a reason I'll put it that way. So and it's interesting because there are some who believe once a marriage, always a marriage and so that divorce would not really be legitimate and therefore he should go back with her and be restored again to the original marriage. But Yahweh says you can't do that, you can't divorce somebody marries somebody else and then goes back to the first partner. That he says if you read the context is an abomination, now I am really really summing everything up. I got a lot more to say about that, okay? But I need to move on because this is just one video, there's another view recently suggesting that there's a difference between putting away and divorce in other words they believe Yahushua was actually addressing men who send their wives out of the house and do not give them a certificate of divorce meant and therefore they are unable to remarry anybody. But when you examine the actual Hebrew they see there's a difference between putting away and divorce there really is no difference. Take a look here Sherlock has to do with sending away okay I can buy that's putting away or sending away and then the other word is Karitu, which has to do with divorce, dismissal, literally means a cutting, separation, cutting off of a marital covenant. A marital covenant is separated if they've dismissed it, the marital covenant is no longer present. And if you look at those definitions yeah you might say well maybe there is a difference between the two but when you begin to look at where Sherlock is used
in various texts you have a little problem. Here's an example Deuteronomy 22 verse 18; a man, it's context here is a man is accusing a woman that he married of not being a virgin and it's found out that she is a virgin and he had proof she is a virgin which we're not gonna get into right now. But it says the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him and they still fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel and she shall be his wife, he cannot divorce her all his days. The word translated divorce here is Sherlock, he cannot send her out and put her in a condition where she cannot remarry all his days. That's how those who hold this view would look at that verse. Now the word divorce again comes from Sherlock, now the problem is by implication Yahweh is saying on other circumstances a man can Sherlock or send his wife out and not give her a bill of divorcement. And what that means is he's allowing women to be just oppressed in Israel and I don't believe Yahweh would allow women to be oppressed in that manner, it will basically mean he allowed the unjust treatment of women, yeah other marriages you can send them away and not give a bill of divorcement but in this marriage you can't send her away and not give her a bill of divorcement. You have to remain married to her so it's almost like he's saying well you know other cases go ahead and send her off and put her in a condition where she can't remarry. But in this condition you can't do that I would say in no condition can you do that, you're not loving your neighbor as yourself that is oppression of women and putting them in a position where they can never bear children and that's oppression. But if putting away and divorce are synonymous they are basically two ways of describing the same thing. Then Moshe yes did allow for divorce but he wasn't allowing for the oppressive treatment of women where they would have no one to take care of them until their dying days. So I don't believe in this difference between putting away and divorce and that's supposed to solve all the limits I don't believe it does.
So why did Moshe not outright forbid divorce? Yahushua said it was because of the hardness of their hearts, we will address that question a little bit later. Now I want to start with underlying principle that you cannot and have a situation where a married
or a believer goes out and marries an unbeliever that is outright forbidden we know that's true right? A believer cannot marry an unbeliever says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? What concord has Messiah with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14. So it's not Yahweh's will for us to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers especially in marriage. Aside from choosing to believe in Yahweh it's probably the most important decision a person could ever make who are they going to marry and so when Yahweh made the promise to Abraham he would make a great nation of his children notice what he said about Abraham, for I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; that Yahweh may bring to Abraham that he has spoken to him. Because Abraham was married to a believer and he commanded his household to keep the law of Yahweh. Yahweh had assurance and knowledge that his children would be children he could make a great nation out of. Genesis chapter 27 verse 46 here's a contrast; Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth (like Esau did), like those who are of the dark deeds who were the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me? That's how strongly she felt about this. And the Torah actually forbids one from marrying daughters who were from specific nations particularly nations that were in the land already. In Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 1-2 says; When Yahweh you Mighty one brings you into the land which you go to possess, and its cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you. And when Yahweh your Mighty One delivers them over to you; you shall conquer them, utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them; you shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following me, to serve other mighty ones: so the anger of Yahweh be aroused against you, and destroy you suddenly. So Yahweh was very concerned about the family that would allow their children to intermarry with these 7 nations because he knew the influence it would have, his plan was for their marriages to produce the seed of Elohim. And therefore a righteous kingdom in Israel would be ruined through marriage to these heathen nations and their children would end up being children of the devil because their hearts are being trained by unbelievers. We don't have to look very far to find examples of this very thing happening in Israel although someone was the wisest of all kings he did not walk in his wisdom and it resulted in a lot of heartache and pain for his children. 1 Kings chapter 11 verse 1; but king Solomon loved many foreign women, together as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. From the nations of whom Yahweh had said to the children of Israel, you shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you: surely they will turn away your heart after their mighty ones: Solomon clung to these in love. And so Israel became split into 2 kingdoms in northern and southern tribes, Israel and Judah and the aftermath of Solomon's decision to marry unbelieving wives resulted in the introduction of idolatry to that generation causing much heartache and much pain in years to come. Solomon's son Rehoboam ended up forsaking Yahweh's law. Israel's king Jeroboam served idols in every succeeding generation of Israel chose to walk in idolatry there wasn't even a single king of Israel who was righteous they all went back to Solomon's choice to marry foreign women. Another example Ahab, 1 Kings 21:25 it says; there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of Yahweh, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. She was from a foreign land who worshiped Baal and it caused many problems and much turmoil in the land of Israel and Ahab seemed to have a fear of Yahweh but his wife would stir him up to do evil. And we read king Ahab had an alliance with Jehoshaphat in 1 Kings 22:3; the king of Israel said to his servants, do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we be hesitate, to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? So he said to Jehoshaphat, will you go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are my people as your people, my horses as your horses. And so sadly Jehoshaphat, an otherwise righteous king, sought to align himself with Ahab. He even was willing to align himself with Ahab in marriage. It says Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. And then what happened? Jehoshaphat's son married Athaliah daughter of Jezebel and all went downhill from there. Take a look 2 Kings 8:16; in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having being the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Israel. He was thirty-two years old when he became king; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as house of Ahab: had done for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of Yahweh. Because of an unbiblical marriage, marrying unbelievers in this case the daughter of unbelievers and what a disaster this became in Israel. Athaliah was in name of Jezebel's daughter and she
ended up taking the throne, killing I mean just awful things happened after that and you can read more about it if you go into those chapters. But we need to move on; I'm just illustrating some examples. Another example is in Nehemiah chapter 13 it says; in those days I (talking about Nehemiah) saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. Now notice he married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab: Moab was not among the forbidden nations in fact Ruth was a Moab's when she married became a great-grandmother to David. And so what's the real issue here? The real issue is they were unbelievers it's not so much to lineage it's the fact they were unbelievers. In fact Uriah the Hittite had a wife named Bathsheba, Hittites were still alive and well in Israel during David's day and they were probably marrying but they had converted and became followers of Elohim. Now I'm not gonna get into that too much but listen here he said; so I contended with them, and cursed them, struck some of them, and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by Elohim, saying, you shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his mighty One and Elohim made him, king over all Israel: nevertheless Pagan women caused even him to sin.
And so he is pointing out the dangers of this and they should have learned their lesson through this but they did not learn a lesson, they kept marrying Pagan women. And so he said should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our Mighty One by marrying pagan women? The issue was not the physical lineage; the issue was they were idolaters that were the issue. Now Ezra chapter 9 it says; when these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, with respect to the abominations, of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. These were not among the forbidden nations but they were forbidden by principle because they were marrying women who were idolatrous. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives themselves, and their sons: so that the holy seed (a seed of Elohim by the way) is mixed with the people of those lands: indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers have been foremost in this trespass. Now later in Ezra chapter 10 he says; Now therefore let us make a covenant with our Mighty One to put away all these wives, and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our Mighty One; and let it be done according to the Torah (the law). So here was a command to put away those wives and if they didn't they would be in big trouble. And so that's how they solved it, it solved the problem through a divorce that's how they solved it. Now an example in Malachi chapter 2 verse 10 Yahweh says; have we not all one father? Has not one Elohim created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned Yahweh's holy institution which he loves, he has married the daughter of a foreign Elohim (translated god).
What's the holy institution that he loves? What is this holiness that he loves? It is marriage he instituted marriage at the very beginning in the book of Genesis and they have turned it into an abomination by marrying unbelievers which is forbidden. And the way they solved it during this time period was divorce that's how they solved it. This is all Malachi, Ezra, Nehemiah are fairly contemporary in their time periods.
And this is the second thing you do, you cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping, and crying out, so that he does not regard the offering any more, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, for what reason? Because Yahweh has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously: yet she is your companion, and your wife by covenant. Now I wanna pause here for a minute and explain a marriage is a marriage through covenant. A marriage is basically two people agreeing to be married; a marriage already takes place when an engagement happens. It is consummated through intercourse but the marriage actually happens there when there's a covenant, an agreement to be married. So we have to understand what a marriage is and that's important okay. But did he not make them one? Having a remnant of the spirit: And why one? He seeks a seed of Elohim (in Hebrew).
Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For Yahweh, Elohim of Israel says that he hates divorce: for it covers one's garment with violence, says Yahweh of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously. I believe what was happening they were actually divorcing their believing wives during this time period and marrying unbelievers, and that was the height of abomination.
And Yahweh's eyes to divorce one who does believe was an act of treachery toward her. An act that he hates. Nevertheless, they were not only doing that but they were divorcing the ones who were believers and they are marrying the ones who were unbelievers. That was over the top and a violation of the
principal and the point of marriage not just companionship not just two people can love one another for a covenant that endures a lifetime, but also to help and be a part of working with Yahweh to produce a seed of Elohim. So looking at the hardness of hearts question let's
take a look Matthew chapter 19 verse 7; they say to him, Why did then Moshe command to give a certificate of divorce (which he never did command), and to put her away? He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Now the words translated hardness of heart, if you look this up in the Greek and the Greek word hardness of hearts is also used in the Septuagint which is the ancient translation of the old testament scriptures and it's translated, hear where he says; therefore you shall circumcise the hardness of your hearts and you shall not harden your neck. And if you go to the Hebrew we are looking circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiff neck. So hardness of heart is understood to be foreskins of the heart, their hearts were not circumcised that was the issue. And throughout scripture a person who has an uncircumcised heart is someone who will not repent, they will not turn toward the Elohim of Israel. And that's why Paul said; for he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; nor is circumcision that, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of Elohim. So the issue was there were a lot of unbelievers in the nation of Israel and so what do you do then? Oh, you will forbid the 7 nations for sure, but you have a lot of people who have an uncircumcised heart in Israel. And they're no better than a foreigner, so if he was to outright forbid divorce in all circumstances what
would happen is they would be believers who are married to unbelievers and can't get out of it. And they did not have the maturity to judge the difference you know between believer and unbeliever. In fact, in the book of Ezra when they went through these cases they went through this thing step by step, case by case it took months to complete. And to determine are these people really serving or they are not and so we have a situation where he allowed divorce because there were people who had uncircumcised hearts in the land of Israel. And he didn't want to outright forbid divorce because that would have caused the seed of Elohim goal to be compromised when you have a person who happens to be an Israelite in the flesh but is not an Israelite in the heart. The person who is a seed of Abraham: in the flesh, but see the devil in their heart.
So anyone in really the long-term implications would have been okay he didn't forbid divorce but those who had circumcised hearts could say but wait for a minute look back at the book of Genesis and this was Yahushua's expectations in Matthew 19, look back to the book of Genesis that gives you the answer. No there shouldn't be a divorce between two people who are producing being fruitful and multiplying a seed of Elohim, that should not happen. There should not be divorce. Look back at the principles, out of marriage the whole idea of marriage, how to get started to produce a fruit to be fruitful and multiply a seed of Elohim. And when you have two people who are married and one is a believer one is a non-believer it is very very very difficult to produce a seed of Elohim from that kind of union. Two people who are believers are more apt to do so in a much better scenario in which they can produce a seed of Elohim. Now the first time divorce is mentioned in scripture is when Yahweh actually forbids a priest from marrying a divorced woman, a woman divorced from her husband. In fact when divorce is mentioned in Deuteronomy 24 the remarried woman is called defiled, her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled. Those with ears to hear in Israel a clear impression; will be given divorce is not really part of Yahweh's original plan. And so it makes sense when Yahushua said can man divorce his wife, he was asked a question can a man divorce his wife for any reason he just said, why haven't you read, you should know, you should already know this. Why did Moshe allow it, well it was because there are unbelievers in Israel that's why there are uncircumcised people in Israel and it makes perfect sense to me and he's not teaching anything different than what the scriptures already taught in reality. He wasn't teaching something different than what the word of Elohim had already said, haven't you read? Very first book in the Torah, haven't you read it? You need to read that all right so I'm bringing the
word of Yahweh together. It's not contrary, okay. Yes, Moshe, allowed it but he was in a scenario where he couldn't outright just forbid it because they're uncircumcised people in Israel. Now we understand who is a believer who is a non-believer and the faith you know progressive revelation things have matured all right. And those who are Israel we understand are that who is Israel in the heart and that's what Paul was teaching in Romans 2, that's what Yahweh taught all along ultimately. But those who had a hardened heart were looking for reasons to divorce those who didn't have a hardened heart would say it's important not to marry an unbeliever and would never divorce a believing wife it's not loving your neighbor as yourself. Even in our own generation it's evident that those who would grow up in a broken home where the parents are divorced are far more likely to have children who rebel against their parent's way of doing things. And when these children see the Yahweh centered, peaceful, loving, secure homes of the righteous they will be compelled to want the same for their children. And so I see no reason why it is any different ancient Israel when we consider there was so many within the nation of Israel hardness uncircumcised hearts. We look at the options available and the ramifications of each, I can see why he would allow at that point, why he would allow it to you know let people go back to Genesis to see what he wanted and that's what Yahushua is bringing them back to. Now in Matthew 19 the so-called exception rule, the Pharisees also came to him, testing him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? He answered and said to them, Have you not read, that he who made them at the beginning 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 more two, but one flesh. Therefore what Elohim has joined together, let not man separate. Now Elohim would not join together a believer and an unbeliever that would not be a union he will bless, it got to be a union he would want, but the believer and believer yes and that's a union you should not separate, no exceptions.
They said to him, why did Moshe command a certificate of divorce, to put her away? He said to them, Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. That's not what Yahweh wants and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication (and the Greek word is pernaia), and marries another: commits adultery: and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.
That's serious and that's why I'm bringing this up under this part 7 looking a commandment number 7 where it is forbidden to commit adultery that there are marriages among believers today that are actually not marriages in Yahweh's eyes because they are believers who married a believer, they divorced a believer and marry another believer you can't do that, you cannot do that. If you have done that you are in adultery, you are in adultery. Now what is this word pernaia talking about?
Most people think he's talking about something like adultery, now if he's talking about adultery
he's actually doing something that doesn't make any sense. Bear with me here if a man divorces his wife because of adultery he says the exception is adultery, right? So, if he divorces his wife and he marries another and therefore commits adultery with her then the marriage is canceled and the whole point he was making makes no sense you're not committing adultery anymore. Do you follow what I'm saying? A man, let's just say for instance his wife did not commit adultery but he went ahead just divorced her, married somebody else. Well that's adultery and that's adultery that cancels the original marriage is not adultery anymore and so it doesn't line up it doesn't make any sense and we see this happening among believers. They'll be married to a believer they divorce them and marry another believer well that's adultery well guess what it's okay because hey adultery cancels the first marriage. So why would he even say it's adultery? It's almost like O you've sinned once, O then you're free and clear I don't buy that, don't buy it at all. Now what does it mean pernaia? If you look at the Greek and you trace it back also to the Hebrew actually the most frequent uses of this word in Hebrew is not a physical adultery or harlotry between a man and a woman. But it's actually a spirit of harlotry against Yahweh for example Revelation 14:8; another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. This fornication is not talking about some physical fornication it's talking about harlotry against the most high that's why she calls the mother of harlots and it's talking about idolatry the same is true in Revelation chapter 17 which we don't have time to get into. Revelation chapter 19; she corrupts the earth with her fornication, she's a mother of a harlot she corrupts the earth with her pernaia. And the same is true in the Tanakh or Old Testament it says you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images. For you shall worship no other deity: for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous is a jealous Elohim. Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a harlot with their Mighty Ones, and makes sacrifice to their mighty ones. and one of them invites you to eat of his sacrifice; and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot (and the Hebrew word Zanuth) which pernaia is connected to in the Septuagint multiple and multiple times a day here's a list Genesis 38:24, Genesis 14:33, 2 Kings 9:22, Isaiah 47:10, Isaiah 57:9, Jeremiah 2:20, Jeremiah 3:2, Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 9, Jeremiah 13:27, Ezekiel 16:15, Ezekiel 22:25 and 23:36, 41, Ezekiel 23 verse 7, 11:14, 17:29, 35:43, Hosea chapter 1 verse 2, Hosea chapter 2 verse 4 and verse 4 and verse 6. Hosea chapter 4 verse 11 chapter 5 verse 4, chapter 6 verse 10, Malachi chapter 1 verse 7:9, Nehemiah chapter 3 verse 4. I have also studied Hebrew Matthew and the Hebrew Matthew 19:9 from the due to lay version is the Hebrew word Zanuth which in most instances is talking about a spiritual Horton, an unbeliever and
wouldn't that line up with Yahweh's original intent
and what he said in Ezra, divorced those women. Well, that's what they did, that was a righteous thing to do. Divorce those pagan women: that is not a biblical marriage that's a forbidden marriage. And so if you have a wife and she goes off and she commits spirit to harlotry against the most high and she decides she's not going to be a believer anymore. Then that is grounds for divorce or if you're married to someone who's not a believer that is grounds for divorce--that's consistent from Genesis to the very end it's consistent, a consistent standard throughout all of scripture. Playing the harlot is connected to the Greek word pernaia talking about spiritual harlotry against the most high and then Paul says the same thing in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Now to the married I command, yet not I, but the Master, a wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband (why, because that would be adultery is she marries somebody else): a husband is not to divorce his wife. The same thing between two believers there is no divorce.
So you see Paul is telling the Corinthians I'm not saying this, the master is saying this when the master says this back in Matthew chapter 19 he said what Elohim has joined together let no man separate. Elohim does join together marriages between believers right, and she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband if she divorced him they're calling it a divorce but Yahweh is not going it a divorce: they're still married that's why he said he can't marry anybody else. He either get married back, gets back together again, or he remains unmarried and you spend the rest your life alone. And that's what Yahushua taught, two are one flesh you can't separate. But then he says to the rest I'll pay very close attention, I not the master say; if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she is willing to live with him let him not divorce her. He's actually saying my opinion I'm saying this Yahushua is not saying this. What I'm saying try to stay together if she's not a believer why because you're already a believer and he's saying you don't know whether she's gonna convert. One who has a husband who is not a believer he's willing to live with her let her not divorce him. So the divorce apparently is permissible both men and women can divorce. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband otherwise your children will be unclean. But now they are holy now we're talking here about a situation where one marriage partner comes into the faith and the other marriage partner is not yet come into the faith, that's different than a situation where a believer just flat out marries an unbeliever okay. But what Paul is saying is if she's willing to live with you, they wanna live with you don't divorce yet because Yahweh may be bringing this thing around and he's not saying it's a command from the master he saying this is my thoughts on this and I agree with him. But he's not saying that they must stay together he's not, Yahushua is not he's saying well to you
don't know whether you're going to, you know, save. Now he says if he's willing live with her or if she is willing to live with him, in other words she is not or he is not outright opposing, fighting, going against everything you're trying to teach you to know okay. For everyone practicing evil hates the light does not come to light lest his deeds be exposed, right. In other words this person has no interest whatsoever in living in peace with you and that's why I think he's talking about. But even so the master does not command a believer to remain married to an unbeliever. So what Paul is saying here is completely optional in terms of what Yahushua commands all
right. He says, but if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but Elohim has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? How do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? And so he is saying give it a chance you know, give a chance you never know whether they will come around and in time a lot of times they do. But sometimes they won't they will just fight you every step of the way, they will corrupt your family, they will corrupt your children and they're not willing to live with you in this arrangement you're married together as believers they think that you have now gone off and now your devotion is there is something else besides them and they want no part of that. And they get jealous even sometimes he said they get jealous, and they'll hate it, that'll hate your faith because it's taking you away from them all right. So he's not commanding that a believer remain married to an unbeliever, at least Yahushua is not commanding that, Paul is suggesting it he's saying I'm not saying the master... So there must be a difference and the idea that once a marriage always a marriage. I mean if Yahushua is not commanding that a believer stays with an unbeliever and how can you say that once a marriage always a marriage regardless of whether the person is a believer or an unbeliever? That doesn't line up with that doctrine okay. And so that's what I always bring up when they say, well, once a marriage always a marriage, so why then would Paul not say well it is commanding, Yahushua does command you stay together? Well, he's saying, well, I'm saying stay together and why wouldn't he say, well the Master says, you must stay together if indeed once a marriage always a marriage regardless of whether they are believer and unbeliever. And so the understanding I'm putting forth here preserves the sanctity of marriage among believers, does not permit divorce under any circumstances among believers unless there are some other issues that can come forward say for instance ancient Israel here from a man married a believing woman and her sister that was forbidden. So in that case it's an unbiblical marriage and therefore divorce should be permissible or if a man married his sister or if a man married a woman and her daughter those would be 3 pernaia instances where physical pernaia would apply okay. But the rest, the real issue is this a marriage that Yahweh forbids? If it is, yes, divorce is permissible. If it's a marriage that Yahweh does not forbid it is a marriage he has joined together and therefore let no one separate and to me this understanding brings all the scriptures together on this topic while preserving the sanctity of marriage among believers. And this wife swapping business that goes on in congregations I mean think about this really think about what could happen if we just said well adultery cancels a marriage. It would be ridiculous because hey you could divorce and remarry whoever you want to. And when you did it's really no big deal and the reason why it's no big deal is because you only commit adultery one time and then you're home free, adultery cancels the marriage. You marry this other woman, adultery cancels the first marriage and the new marriage is sanctified by Yahweh. That simple. That flies in the face of what Paul said marriage between two believers. there's no divorce, now let's say that there was a situation where a spouse was a believer but failed the temptation and committed adultery. Would that be acceptable grounds for divorce? That depends on Matthew chapter 18 what does it teach us? It says if someone sins against you, you go to them privately: if they repent, you have won them back. But if they won't repent, bring with you one or two more, and then if they won't repent you bring the whole congregation against them. And then if don't repent you can keep treating them like an unbeliever, tax collector in a publican or whatever. So, at that point, yes, it is permissible to divorce if they are remaining in adultery and they're content to live in adultery only in that instance would that be a pernaia that is permissible for divorce to take place. But if they repent we are required to forgive the way Yahweh forgives I wonder how many times we have committed spiritual harlotry, spiritual adultery against Elohim and he has forgiven us and we're still in a relationship with him and he did not divorce us. You understand? So just adultery alone isn't the issue, the issue is that in adultery that they are repenting of they are turning away from and as hard as it may be if they repent we are commanded we must forgive and if we do not forgive then our sins will not be forgiven and that's what scripture teaches. And so the point is that we should uphold the sanctity of the assembly and we should not just you know O there is adultery I'm out of here. We should try to win them back that's what Yahushua goes and he seeks them he lives in 99 to seek the one that's lost and that's what we're supposed to do. Now I want to repeat this again think about this supposed two believers are married and if adultery alone was the only thing that separating and allowing for a person to divorce and remarry. Supposed two believers are married and the man decides to divorces his wife and marries another woman because he found someone prettier. Well then that's no grounds for divorce because no adultery was committed by the wife so Yahweh would not honor that divorce on the part of the man and we consider the new marriage to be an adulteress marriage. But the entire reason in marriage, adulterous marriage is it because Yahweh did not honor the divorce from the first wife right. They are still one flesh with the original wife and so because Yahweh did not honor that divorce they're still considered one flesh that's why he said you commit adultery, she commits adultery.
And whoever marries her who's divorced commits adultery. Now if Yahushua his exception for divorce and remarriage was really adultery it seems to me he's contradicting himself because if the man is over there committing adultery in a second marriage why couldn't she marry somebody else isn't he committing adultery? And in fact since the man is committing adultery wouldn't he cancel his first marriage. You can have adultery for one person not the other it's, and when I present this scenario to people who believe that adultery alone cancels the marriage they say well its just adultery the first time and then after that the marriage is sanctified by Elohim, I say that's nonsense. Now because then you can basically divorced and remarry for any reason and a new marriage is adultery cancels the old marriage and the whole thing is just awash. I mean then you can literally have wife swapping in the assembly, brother Sam and sister Sue get divorced for any other reason then brother Jack and sister Jane get divorced for any reason. Sam marries Jack's wife, Jack marries Sam's wife and since Sam and Jane's adultery against their spouse's reason to remain marry their former spouses can marry one another without committing adultery at all. First it has to be adultery but then it's easy just repent of that, you can't repent of that until you stop. But end of that scenario wife swapping and the body Messiah is okay, the problem is that it's not okay the first time, that it's okay. Okay you got moral debauchery now and that's what you see in our congregations explain to Jack's children that sister Sue is real mommy now and the real mommy sister Jane seated 2 rows behind you is married to sister Sue's old husband brother Sam: this kind of wicked world standard would be a horrible witness to our children not to mention the community and this is going on in some churches today. Listen marriage is honorable among all and they've been defiled by fornicators and adulterers Elohim will judge.
It's a serious matter you don't take it lightly my
point is not to condemn anybody and if you're in one of these scenarios my heart goes out to you. You may have children together it's gonna hurt
but let me say that there are scenarios where you
know the physical part and the physical union had to stop but the parenting didn't. And both can parent in peace of one another as friends but not as marriage partners because
that would be adultery and the sad thing is you can't go back to the first one. Biblically speaking, you just can't. Now I want to say something else. Too often people are willing to just toss the wife or toss her husband and just say you're an unbeliever and judge that by themselves and say that they're not a believer because they are on the blank. Some sin there involved in a real believer wouldn't do this but tell you what I've seen believers commit some of the most awful heinous things. But when they repent, I mean Peter denied the Messiah, David committed adultery and murder but was still accepted don't just judge by that alone
you got to get into the hard issue are there repentant believer in the Messiah Yahushua and just because they don't know or accept the Sabbath but they only accept the Torah or don't see the things you see in your walk doesn't make them an unbeliever. They could be a believer just at a different spot than you are in don't judge them an unbeliever just because they don't embrace the Torah and the Sabbath and the feasts and eating clean and you know that's not the only criteria you've got to look at the heart, are they truly repentant people, goodwill people doing their very best to serve Elohim but maybe have a different understanding than you do. I would not want to judge someone an unbeliever if they were sincere in their beliefs and we're doing the best they knew how. It is not one man's judgment anyway Yahushua taught us and must go before a congregation and the congregation decide they're not a believer because you're not repenting. And when I say repenting don't just pick something like you know a difference in understanding you know you don't take your sister or your brother to a Matthew 18 proceeding over a difference in understanding of how scriptures should be applied. This is an investigative effort to try and determine whether these people who are committing unknown, well known, everyone sin, and everybody know is a sin and kind of sin like adultery and willing to repent of that. And if they're not willing to repent of something they themselves know was wrong and they themselves recognize is a sin then they can't be a believer because repentance and faith in Yahushua are required. Romans chapter 2 verse 4 says; the goodness of Elohim leads us to repentance and if we don't repent we are trudging up for ourselves wrath on the day of wrath. So we got to choose something that everybody knows is a sin, it's clearly a sin ; they know its a sin, you know it's a sin and only in that circumstance should it be brought before a congregation and determine whether this person has a genuinely repented heart or not. And some of these scenarios are very very difficult, very involved so many indifferent marriages, what was legitimate, what wasn't? In other cases you just not gonna figured out, we are so far removed from this holy standard that Yahweh gave us that we're just in a big mess. We've gotten ourselves into this tangled web but I can tell you this the last thing you want to be hearing on judgment day is that the marriage you're in was adultery. You do not want to hear that it's important that you find out for sure, I will leave you one final comment on this topic. A man contacted me years ago she was married to a believer and she divorced him and she married another believer the man himself had not ever married before but his wife had and she was confronted by multiple people at different churches she attended saying that she was in an adulteress marriage. I think they had different reasons for that but she
became very bitter toward anyone who would say that she was in the wrong. Her marriage she felt was so wonderful, so fulfilling, so amazing she could not fathom that her marriage will be an adulteress marriage. You see sometimes the enemy allows you those who are in adulterous marriages he leaves them alone he doesn't even try stirring up. He wants see them divorced and so they live together in peace but they're really in adultery. The reason why they are in peace because the enemy is not turning against each other why because you're living in adultery he's already got them. So just because you're living in peace with somebody and everything seems wonderful hunky dory it does not mean that you're in a Yahweh ordained marriage. It could just being the enemy is leaving you alone because he's already got you and I hate to be the one to break it to you, I know it hurts, and I know it's not pleasant to think about. But we have a holy standard that Yahweh wants us to uphold and we need to be willing to follow it, to heed it, to uphold it. Anyway this family, this couple you know she became very bitter about the whole thing to the extent that she would say it every once in a while, I would not serve a God who calls my marriage adultery. That's were her exact words and she says it
often, and one morning they were eating breakfast
and she said it and then they got in the car and they were driving down the road and she said it again. She said I could not serve a God and she got that far
when their car was t-boned and she was killed instantly in mid-sentence and this man was calling
me he was asking or email me he wanted to know did I think she was going to hell, did I think that she would be a believer? I said it doesn't look good friend, it doesn't look good. I'm not gonna judge the soul of the man that's Yahweh's decision. He did beg me, beg me to tell him what I thought, I couldn't do it: I couldn't go there my answer kept saying it doesn't look good it's a serious matter not one you take lightly and once you know, you know and you have to take it seriously. I want to say this also there is a full 7 part video series on this topic eliyah.com/family/divorce remarriage.html, it addresses all the objections I'm aware of at the time it was back in 2012 and there's a full written study does not go near the detail the videos go into.
I've had a few people watch those videos and they just jump to conclusions that well yep my former spouse is an unbeliever because the didn't keep Torah or they didn't do this. Listen you need to talk to an elder and I can put you in touch with an elder, contact me disciple@eliyah.com and let the elder hear the situation and give his judgment on it. But if you're in one of these scenarios even if you're not just read this and I believe it brings all the scriptures together, there is no contradiction between old and new testaments Christians are entirely comfortable with those contradictions I'm not. I say Christians I mean here every day traditional Christian, I do not come for that contradiction I don't believe Yahweh contradicts himself shows partiality, his one standard in the Torah and one standard for us. He is one standard for all from the very beginning and that's what Yahushua was bringing this to. So marriage is not just about enjoying who we want
to be married to it's also about honoring covenants that are made between us, our spouse and Yahweh.
Yahweh is a covenant keeper and I'm so glad he is, but he expects us to be the same. Let's pray, Heavenly Father Yahweh great and mighty Elohim Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh be your great name. Thank you father for your loving kindness and your mercies and your compassion, I pray father Yahweh that you would strengthen us and you give us your wisdom that you would expose evil where it is in terms of marriages and things that are really adulteress but are not real marriages in your eyes. I pray father that when it's revealed that you would cause repentant hearts to truly repent and turn away from the thing they're doing and that you will cause righteousness to flow like a river. Let things be handled with wisdom and delicate manner with love being in the forefront of all things. We know you are a loving Elohim, you lead gently we pray that you would have mercy upon the children who were involved, the parents are involved in this. I pray for your compassion and your wisdom to be used in these kind of situations. We know you are merciful Elohim and yet you have a high standard you expect us to abide by and we thank you for that. And truly yours is the kingdom, power and glory and majesty forever, in Yahushua's great name, Amein. I want to also say there may be some listening today who are not really believers at all and I
don't know if you've ever heard the good news and the good news is if we repent and we turn away from our sins and we receive the Messiah Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin we will have eternal life awaiting us.
If we do not repent and or we do not believe in the Messiah Yahushua we only have the fearful expectation of judgment awaiting us. We will have no intercessor on our behalf on the Day of Judgment when Yahweh judges all men for the wrongs they've done. The truth is every single one of us has failed to love Elohim and love one another as we're supposed to. And so every single one of us cannot be saved by our own good deeds, when you go before an earthly judge they don't check and see how righteous you've been the past they simply judge you by the crime you have committed. When you face a heavenly judge he will not say we've done enough good out of your way you're bad. He will simply judge the evil you've done and your punishment will be like a fire, you don't want to go there. So I call on you to choose life, abundant life the enemy only comes to steal kill and destroy Yahushua came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Maybe you're a young person growing up in your parents are believers but you've never really made a decision for yourself that you're going to serve Elohim, you're going to be following Yahweh all the days of your life. And you want to live forever, if you've never made that decision make that decision, some quiet moment in your heart, go to a prayer closet somewhere go before Yahweh and say I accept the Messiah for the forgiveness of sin. I turn away from all sin I've ever committed I want to commit my life to serving Yahweh; I want to commit my life to walking in the ways of Elohim. And declare that to our father in heaven and he says when we do that we confess our sins, we put our faith in Messiah Yahushua, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness and I encourage you to do that.