Marriage Law in the Old Testament

The older I get the more convinced I am of the importance of teaching regularly, privately
and from the pulpit, what God has to say about marriage, divorce and remarriage. I have
a fifteen year old son and a twelve year old daughter. Our family has spent a lot of time
discussing these issues recently and I dont know if theres anything more important that
we have done as a family. Satan sets so many traps along the way in this arena to knock
us down and even knock us out of the Christian race.
The reason more congregations dont hear more about this topic is because, lets face it,
its awkward. So many people have married outside the faith and suffered the
consequences. Some never convert their spouse. Others lose their children to the world, at
least in part, because of this. Others Christians marry weak and worldly Christians. This
presents some of the same problems as marrying someone in the world.
Many others have gone through the trauma of divorce. Other Christian marriages have
had to endure the pain of adultery and repair the damage done. Still other marriages could
be described as undivorced. These marriages are so dominated by selfishness, immaturity,
strife and turmoil that they mar the intended reflection of Christ and the church that their
marriage was designed to provide.

For all of these reasons, sermons on marriage, divorce and remarriage make preacher and
parishioner uncomfortable. But part of the problem were having today is that teachers,
preachers and parents have not probed this topic sufficiently nor preached on it frequently
enough. This has marriage-related problems among Gods people at epidemic
proportions. We cannot afford to leave it alone. More on this all-important issue, but first
enjoy our song

There are two extreme and erroneous approaches to the Old Testament. On the one hand,
well-meaning people treat the Old Testament as if it is just as applicable to the Christian
as is the New Testament. They fail to distinguish between these major divisions of the
Bible. On the other hand, some people treat the Old Testament as if it has zero relevance
for the Christian today. For these folks, there is almost no benefit in reading the Old
Testament at all. One subject that reveals the flaws of both of these attitudes toward the
Old Testament is marriage, divorce and remarriage. A key scripture to keep in mind is
Romans 15:4 which says, For whatever things were written before were written for our
learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Even in our brief study today, it becomes very obvious that there are some fundamental
differences in the teaching for Gods people in the three major eras since creation: the
Patriarchal age (the term Patriarch incidentally means father- ruler) anyway, the
Patriarchal age which covers the book of Genesis and the early chapters of Exodus from
Adam to Moses; the Mosaic age which begins with giving of the law of Moses after God
frees the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage until the death of Christ on the cross; and,
finally, the Christian age from the resurrection of Christ till the end of time.

One of subtle background detail that we should keep in mind is that the Law of Moses
was responsible for regulating the behavior of an entire nation who also happened to be
the people of God. Meanwhile, the law of Christ found in the New Testament does not
regulate any one secular national government, but only the spiritual kingdom of Jesus
Christ the church. Put another way, the Law of Moses was both civil and divine law,
while the law of Christ is only divine law. This may help explain some of the differences
in the marriage laws under Moses and those under Christ.

Lets notice some of the Old Testament legislation related to marriage, divorce and
remarriage. First of all, notice the biblical principle that God does not want his people
intermarrying with those of other religions. The great restorer wrote in Nehemiah 13:2328, In those days I also 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. So I
contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and
made them swear by God, 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 there was no king like him, who was
beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women
caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil,
transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"

Nehemiahs account emphasizes the confusion caused by marrying outside the faith, but
we know intuitively that God would not want us under the new covenant striking and
pulling out the hair of those who violated this teaching. The intense opposition to
marrying unbelievers is heightened in Ezra 10:1-3, 10-11, Now while Ezra was praying,
and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very
large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people
wept very bitterly. 2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up
and said to Ezra, "We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from
the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. 3Now therefore, let
us make a covenant with our God 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 God Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have

transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. Now therefore,
make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves
from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives."

The basic truth introduced in Nehemiah, Ezra and other Old Testament passages is
reestablished in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not be unequally yoked
together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness? This is seen, of course, in number of New
Testament Scriptures. However, after reiterating the truth confirmed in the New
Testament that Gods people are not to marry outside the faith; the Old Testament passage
in Ezra teaches that those who had married unbelievers were to divorce them.
Meanwhile, in the New Testament, while it is wrong to marry an unbeliever (literally, do
not BECOME unequally yoked with unbelievers according to A. T. Robertson, Alfords
Greek Testament, Expositors Greek New Testament, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown and
others) again, while its wrong to marry an unbeliever, once a Christian is married to an
unbeliever, he is NOT to divorce his unbelieving spouse, but to work on converting her.

The apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 7:12-16, But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If
any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him
not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to
live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children
would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a
brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For
how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O
husband, whether you will save your wife?

Why the change from mandatory divorce of unbelieving spouses in the Old Testament to
the Holy Spirits insistence in the New Testament to stay with the unbelieving spouse?
Paul writes in verse 14 that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing
spouse. Sanctified does not mean saved, but means that the marriage is sanctioned by
God and the children are holy and acceptable. The object is spelled out in verse 16 to
save the unbelieving spouse. This truth is reinforced in I Peter 3:1-2, Wives, likewise, be
submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without
a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste
conduct accompanied by fear.

Another Old Testament passage that raises our eyebrows living under the New Testament
is Deuteronomy 21:10-14: "When you go out to war against your enemiesand you take
them captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and
would take her for your wife, then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall
shave her head and trim her nails. She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in
your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to
her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. And it shall be, if you have no delight
in her, then you shall set her free, but you certainly shall not sell her for money; you shall
not treat her brutally, because you have humbled her. This casual attitude toward divorce
is certainly not countenanced under the New Testament.

We react the same way to the teaching of Exodus 21:7-11: "And if a man sells his
daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not
please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He
shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of
daughters. If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her
marriage rights. And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free,
without paying money. This tolerance of polygamy repulses us.

But, the Old Testament passage on marriage that really makes our head swim is
Deuteronomy 25:5-10, "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son,
the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her
husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a
husband's brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will
succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
But if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to
the gate to the elders, and say, "My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name to his
brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.' Then the elders of
his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, "I do not want to
take her,' then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove
his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, "So shall it be done to the
man who will not build up his brother's house.' And his name shall be called in Israel,
"The house of him who had his sandal removed.'

How would you like to have the responsibility of marrying your brothers wife if your
brother happened to decease? In Matthew 22:24-30, the Sadducees refer to this passage to
rebut the reality of the resurrection. They asked Jesus, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man
dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his
brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and
having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third,
even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose

wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her." Jesus answered and said to them,
"You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the
resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in
heaven.

Jesus did not deny the reality of this as part of the Law of Moses, but neither did He
promote this doctrine as part of the gospel of the kingdom.

Although there were significant changes to the Law of Moses when Jesus transitioned
His hearers into the doctrine of Christ on marriage under the new law, familiarity with the
Old Testament passages dealing with the subject is of extreme importance. For instance,
when the Pharisees questioned Jesus about the law on divorce and remarriage which was
equally controversial in that age, they said in Matthew 19:3, "Is it lawful for a man to
divorce his wife for just any reason?" They were referring to the teaching of Moses in
Deuteronomy 24:1-4: "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, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, (Notice:
There was no sin in divorce if the husband gave her a certificate of divorce.)

Verse 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man's
wife, (Still no sin after remarriage).

Verse 3: if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in
her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his
wife, (Still no sin!)

Verse 4: then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife
after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not
bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Did you catch that? According to the Law of Moses, the children of Israel could divorce
their wife for some uncleanness which was taken to mean just about any reason. They
could divorce and remarry repeatedly without sinning, but if they were to remarry one of
their wives whom they had scripturally put away they would be guilty of a sin classified
as an abomination.

Before we close its important to note that even under the Law of Moses where easy
divorce and remarriage was allowable, God did not like it.

We read in Genesis 2:18, 24, And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should
be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him Therefore a man shall leave his
father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Gods
original intent for marriage was clearly that one man and one woman spend their life
together as one flesh.

And what about divorce was God indifferent towards the rampant divorce of that day
and of ours? He sets the record straight in Malachi 2:13-16: And this is the second thing
you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He
does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet
you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been 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. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the
Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And
let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. "For the LORD God of Israel says
That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence, Says the LORD of
hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

If the Old Testament is written for our learning, what do we learn from this passage? We
learn that God hates divorce. How often have you heard that where you attend church? If
thats how God feels, shouldnt we know about that? Have you taught that to your
children and grandchildren? This certainly impacts what God allowed through Moses.
Jesus makes that clear in Matthew 19.

As well notice in a future program, these details from the Old Testament explain much
about Jesus conversation with the Pharisees on marriage, divorce and remarriage and the
reaction of the disciples to Jesus teaching.

If you would like to get a copy of this message, stay with us and well tell you how you
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Until next week, goodbye and God bless.

TERJEMAHAN
UU Perkawinan dalam Perjanjian Lama

Semakin tua saya mendapatkan lebih yakin saya akan pentingnya pengajaran secara
teratur , secara pribadi dan dari mimbar , apa yang Tuhan katakan tentang pernikahan ,
perceraian dan pernikahan kembali . Saya memiliki putra berusia lima belas tahun dan
seorang putri berusia dua belas tahun . Keluarga kami telah menghabiskan banyak waktu
membahas masalah ini baru-baru ini dan saya tidak tahu apakah ada sesuatu yang lebih
penting bahwa kita telah melakukan sebagai sebuah keluarga . Setan set begitu banyak
perangkap di sepanjang jalan di arena ini untuk mengetuk kita turun dan bahkan
mengetuk kita keluar dari perlombaan Kristen .

Alasan lebih jemaat tidak mendengar lebih banyak tentang topik ini karena , mari kita
hadapi itu , itu canggung . Begitu banyak orang telah menikah di luar iman dan menderita
konsekuensi . Beberapa tidak pernah mengubah pasangan mereka . Lainnya kehilangan
anak-anak mereka ke dunia , setidaknya sebagian , karena ini . Lainnya Kristen menikah
Kristen yang lemah dan duniawi . Hal ini menyajikan beberapa masalah yang sama
seperti menikahi seseorang di dunia.

Banyak orang lain telah melalui trauma perceraian . Pernikahan Kristen lainnya harus
menanggung rasa sakit perzinahan dan memperbaiki kerusakan yang dilakukan . Masih
pernikahan lainnya dapat digambarkan sebagai undivorced . Pernikahan ini begitu
didominasi oleh keegoisan , ketidakdewasaan , perselisihan dan kekacauan yang mereka
merusak refleksi dimaksudkan Kristus dan gereja bahwa pernikahan mereka dirancang
untuk memberikan .

Untuk semua alasan ini , khotbah tentang pernikahan, perceraian dan pernikahan kembali
membuat pendeta dan jemaat tidak nyaman . Tetapi bagian dari masalah yang kita
mengalami hari ini adalah bahwa guru , pengkhotbah dan orang tua belum diperiksa topik
ini cukup atau berkhotbah tentang itu cukup sering . Ini memiliki masalah perkawinan
terkait antara umat Allah pada proporsi epidemi . Kita tidak mampu untuk
meninggalkannya sendirian . Lebih lanjut tentang masalah ini sangat penting , tapi
pertama-tama menikmati lagu kami ...
Ada dua pendekatan yang ekstrim dan salah pada Perjanjian Lama . Di satu sisi ,
bermaksud baik orang-orang memperlakukan Perjanjian Lama seolah-olah hal itu sama
berlaku untuk orang Kristen seperti Perjanjian Baru . Mereka gagal untuk membedakan
antara divisi utama dari Alkitab . Di sisi lain, beberapa orang memperlakukan Perjanjian
Lama seolah-olah memiliki nol relevansi bagi orang Kristen saat ini . Untuk orang-orang

ini , hampir tidak ada manfaat dalam membaca Perjanjian Lama sama sekali . Salah satu
topik yang mengungkapkan kekurangan dari kedua sikap tersebut terhadap Perjanjian
Lama adalah pernikahan , perceraian dan pernikahan kembali . Sebuah kitab suci kunci
untuk diingat adalah Roma 15 : 4 yang mengatakan , " Sebab segala sesuatu yang ditulis
dahulu, telah ditulis untuk menjadi pelajaran bagi kita , bahwa kita melalui kesabaran dan
penghiburan dari Kitab Suci mungkin memiliki harapan . "

Bahkan dalam penelitian singkat hari ini , menjadi sangat jelas bahwa ada beberapa
perbedaan mendasar dalam pengajaran bagi umat Allah dalam tiga era besar sejak
pembentukannya : usia Patriarkal ( Patriark istilah kebetulan berarti " penguasa ayah- " ) lagi pula, usia patriarki yang meliputi kitab Kejadian dan bab awal Keluaran dari Adam
sampai Musa ; usia Mosaic yang dimulai dengan pemberian hukum Musa setelah Allah
membebaskan orang Ibrani dari perbudakan Mesir sampai kematian Kristus di kayu
salib ; dan , akhirnya , usia Kristen dari kebangkitan Kristus sampai akhir zaman .

Salah satu detail latar belakang halus bahwa kita harus diingat adalah bahwa hukum
Musa bertanggung jawab untuk mengatur perilaku bangsa seluruh yang kebetulan juga "
umat Allah . " Sementara itu , hukum Kristus ditemukan dalam Perjanjian Baru tidak
mengatur salah satu pemerintah nasional sekuler , tetapi hanya kerajaan spiritual Yesus
Kristus - gereja . Dengan kata lain, Hukum Musa adalah baik hukum perdata dan ilahi ,
sedangkan hukum Kristus hanya hukum Tuhan . Ini mungkin membantu menjelaskan
beberapa perbedaan dalam hukum perkawinan di bawah Musa dan orang-orang di bawah
Kristus .
Mari kita melihat beberapa dari undang-undang Perjanjian Lama yang berhubungan
dengan pernikahan , perceraian dan pernikahan . Pertama-tama , perhatikan prinsip
alkitabiah bahwa Allah tidak ingin umat-Nya kawin campur dengan orang-orang dari

agama-agama lain . Pemulih besar menulis dalam Nehemia 13 : 23-28 , " Pada waktu itu
aku juga melihat orang-orang Yahudi yang memiliki wanita menikah Asdod , Amon , dan
Moab . Dan setengah dari anak-anak mereka berbicara bahasa Asdod , dan tidak bisa
berbicara bahasa Yahudi , tapi berbicara sesuai dengan bahasa satu atau orang lain . Jadi
saya bertengkar dengan mereka dan mengutuk mereka , melanda beberapa dari mereka
dan menarik rambut mereka , dan membuat mereka bersumpah demi Allah, katanya , "
Anda tidak akan memberikan anak-anak perempuan sebagai istri untuk anak-anak mereka
, atau mengambil anak perempuan mereka untuk anak-anak Anda atau diri . Bukankah
Salomo, raja Israel berdosa dalam hal ini juga di antara banyak negara tidak ada raja
seperti dia , yang dikasihi Allah -nya ; ? . dan Allah mengangkat dia menjadi raja atas
seluruh Israel Namun wanita kafir menyebabkan bahkan dia dosa Haruskah kita .
kemudian mendengar melakukan segala kejahatan yang besar ini Anda , melanggar
terhadap Allah kita dengan menikahi perempuan kafir ? "

Akun Nehemia menekankan kebingungan yang disebabkan oleh menikah di luar iman ,
tetapi kita tahu secara intuitif bahwa Allah tidak ingin kita di bawah perjanjian mencolok
baru dan menarik keluar rambut mereka yang melanggar ajaran ini . Oposisi yang kuat
untuk menikahi orang-orang kafir akan meningkat dalam Ezra 10 : 1-3 , 10-11 , "
Sementara Ezra berdoa , dan sementara ia mengakui , menangis , dan membungkuk di
depan rumah Allah , perakitan sangat besar laki-laki , wanita , dan anak-anak berkumpul
untuk dia dari Israel ; bagi orang-orang menangis sangat pahit . 2dan Sekhanya bin Yehiel
, salah satu dari bani Elam , angkat bicara dan berkata kepada Ezra , " Kami telah berdosa
kepada Allah kita , dan telah mengambil istri kafir dari orang-orang di tanah , namun
sekarang ada harapan di Israel meskipun ini . 3Apakah Oleh karena itu , marilah kita
membuat perjanjian dengan Allah kita akan mengusir semua istri ini dan orang-orang
yang telah lahir mereka, menurut nasihat tuan dan orang-orang yang gemetar karena
perintah Allah kita ... Lalu Ezra imam berdiri dan berkata kepada mereka , " Engkau telah
melanggar dan telah mengambil istri pagan , menambah kesalahan orang Israel . Maka
sekarang , membuat pengakuan kepada TUHAN, Allah nenek moyangmu , dan

melakukan kehendak-Nya ; memisahkan diri dari penduduk negeri , dan dari istri kafir . '
"