Go Back to the Original Design

February 26

In Matthew 19, the religious leaders tried to set a trap for Jesus by asking Him about divorce. At the time, there were two basic ways of looking at the issue. One way, taught by Rabbi Shammai allowed divorce only in the case of adultery. The other, taught by Rabbi Hillel, allowed divorce for any reason at all. Think of a man divorcing his wife for burning the breakfast toast, and you have an idea of how selfish, trivial, and extreme this teaching was. Remember also that this was doctrine coming from a respected religious teacher of the day!

A group of Pharisees who subscribed to this teaching showed up at the feet of Jesus, asking Him if a man could divorce his wife for any reason. Rather than taking the bait that would entrap Him between these two factions, Jesus pointed them and the listening crowd to God’s original purpose of marriage. (Matthew 19:4–6; Genesis 2:24) What was that purpose?

Some argue that the purpose of marriage is procreation—making babies! But, Jesus didn’t go there. Quoting from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, Jesus, God in the flesh, asserted that God’s purpose in marriage was to make one union out of one man and one woman, and that no one should separate a couple who had joined in a marital covenant (thus, joined by God). (Matthew 19:6)

From the beginning, it was all about covenant relationship—a bond that would remain steadfast despite all time, all adversity, and all manner of testing. The marriage relationship is founded upon the Triune God Himself and the perfect unity revealed in His three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Further still, with Jesus coming to earth and declaring the Kingdom of God, the biblical pattern for marriage is fully embodied in the covenant relationship between Jesus and His Bride—the Church. (Ephesians 5:22-33)

Indivisible unity.

But, the bickering, self-serving religious leaders of that day (and certainly some in our day) looked for loopholes that would them to divide this holy union, tear it apart so that they could move right on up the road to the next woman. So, they asked Jesus if men could divorce their wives for any reason. In verse 6, He first told them, basically, “God joined you together; don’t seek divorce.”

The Pharisees then pressed the Lord as to why Moses had “commanded” for divorce under the Law. The Mosaic Law had indeed allowed for divorce in the case of adultery, but let’s be crystal clear: It never commanded divorce. Jesus pointed out that the Law only allowed divorce in cases of infidelity. Why? Because adultery had already violated the marriage covenant. The husband would give his wife a certificate of divorce, which granted her rights she wouldn’t have otherwise, including the right to remarry. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)

As we’ve seen already, though, the concept of marriage didn’t originate with Moses’ discussion of divorce in Deuteronomy 24. It began “in the beginning,” specifically, in the second chapter of Genesis—long before Moses arrived on the scene and delivered the Law to God’s people.

Marriage was God’s idea. He designed it, defined it, and blessed it as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. And, when divorce was finally discussed in Deuteronomy 24, it was merely allowed—not commanded. Nor was it ever recommended, rubber-stamped, etc. It was allowed, and Jesus stated plainly that it was allowed because the hearts of the people were hard. (Matthew 19:8) That was not a happy nod from God.

Wise King Solomon said, “Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.” (Ecclesiastes 5:5, CSB). Solomon may not have been directly pointing to marriage there, and he was certainly no model to follow. The truth and wisdom he utters here, however, speaks volumes as it applies to marriage. It is supposed to last because the Holy Trinity will always be undivided, and because Jesus will never abandon His Church.

Application

In recent years, we have witnessed a “redefinition” of marriage in western society. This redefinition came from humans and human courts—not God and His throne room. Like shifting sand, this redefinition continues to “evolve” or, really, devolve because people continue to reject God and His beautiful design for creation.

Again, God designed, defined, and blessed marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. And, when pressed by the Pharisees, Jesus didn’t talk about “redefinitions” of marriage that wouldn’t come for thousands of years. It wasn’t necessary. When asked about divorce, Jesus went back to God’s original design—the Maker’s Genesis Blueprint, and whenever we have questions or problems, so should we.

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman