Matt. 19:4-6 is often quoted to defend the no-divorce teaching. "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore Yahweh hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
The problem with the no-divorce teaching is that it assumes that all marriages are ordained of Yahweh. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Just because you are involved in a flesh relationship does not mean you are joined by Yahweh to the man or woman that He has ordained for you. As for being married according to the laws of the state, WHEN DID YAHWEH GIVE THE SECULAR GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT TO ORDAIN MARRIAGE?
The vast majority of so-called marriages are ordained by lust, sanctified by the state, and are totally out of the will of Yahweh. In my opinion, these people are living in sin, with or without a license from a state government. Yahweh has a plan for the life of every person that He calls and that plan includes the choice of a mate. Just because people marry does not mean that Yahweh joined them together! Haven't you ever wondered why the world is absolutely obsessed with sex? Satan very much desires to get each of Yahweh's chosen ones yoked up with a tare so that their children will be tares and thus thwart the plan of Yahweh for these people to bear godly seed.
Matt, 13:24-39, "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.... The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil;" (The wicked are full of children, Psa. 17:8-14. Also see Psa. 21: 8-10.) Satan has been very successful with this horror.
Gen. 6:9, "These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, (and) perfect in his generations: Noah walked with Yahweh." Yahweh is a genetic engineer and is working to produce godly children by choosing the proper mate for each of His children. Noah was chosen by Yahweh to repopulate the earth because he was righteous and because he was genetically pure according to Yahweh's plan.
Not many who have been mixed up with a tare in marriage ever find the right mate, but Yahweh does work miracles for some and woe be unto the preacher that hinders those whom Yahweh wants joined together.
Divorce is one of the most devastating and life shattering experiences in the human realm; however, there are cases where it is necessary. In Mark 10:11-12, Yeshua basically forbids divorce; however, in Matt. 5:32 and in 19:9, Yeshua allows one exception to that rule and that is fornication. Yeshua uses both the words adultery and fornication in these scriptures, plainly showing he meant two different things. Also see Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; Gal. 5:19. The word adultery means sexual uncleanness by a married person. The word fornication obviously means something other than sexual uncleanness by a married person. In the scriptures fornication is used to describe two things. 1. Sexual uncleanness by an unmarried person, Col. 3:5, (which could not pertain at all to their divorce since they are unmarried,) and 2. spiritual uncleanness, which definitely does affect the marriage relationship, Rev. 17:2.
This is, evidently, the way Paul interpreted Yeshua's meaning, as he allowed divorce in the case of an unbelieving mate who wished to depart in 1 Cor. 7:15-17. (The words bondage and bound in 1 Cor. 7:15, 7:27, and 7:39, are from the same root word in the Greek. [Strong's # 1210, # 1401, # 1402]).
This is in line with his statements in 2 Cor. 6:14-18, where we are commanded not to be yoked together with unbelievers, (tares or backsliders), and to come out from among them and be separate from them. Also in 1 Cor. 5:11-13; and 2 Thess. 3:6 we are commanded not to keep company with a fallen saint, not to eat with them, and to put them away from us. Paul made no exception for a spouse. The marriage partner is not under bondage in such cases, Matt. 5:32, 19:9, 1 Cor. 7:15. That some people would have to separate from family, for the sake of the Kingdom, is shown in both Old and New Testaments, Luke 18:29; Mark 10:29-30; Jer. 12:6-7. Divorce for any other reason is plainly forbidden by the Scriptures, Matt. 19:5-12, 1 Cor. 7:39, Mark 10:1-12, Luke 16:18. This would also forbid preachers from separating Yahweh's children who have been divorced and remarried for scriptural reasons, 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 7:23-27. What authority do you have to cast out or separate those whom Yahweh has accepted as man and wife, Matt. 19:6? Would Yahweh accept them if they were living in sin?
2 Cor. 6:14-18, "Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Yeshua with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of Yahweh with idols? For we are the temple of the living Yahweh as Yahweh said, 'I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'"
1 Cor. 7:15-27, "But if the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For Yahweh has called us to peace... Only, let every one lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and in which Yahweh has called him. This is my rule in all the churches... Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. But if you (DIVORCED PERSON) marry, you do not sin, and if a girl (UNMARRIED PERSON) marries she does not sin."
In the above scriptures it is plain that we are not to stay married to tares or Yeshua rejecters; it is also plain that it is not a sin to remarry if that is Yahweh's will for your life.
I cannot leave the Doctrine of Marriage without dealing with a subject that is a big issue for many oof Yahweh's children around the world - the practice of Polygamy. I find myself in the position of being unable to condemn Polygamy using only the Word of Yahweh. IF I AM TOTALLY HONEST WITH THE WORD OF YAHWEH (AND I HAVE TO BE TOTALLY HONEST OR MY OWN FAITH IS IN VAIN), I must state that Polygamy is a true Doctrine, and to condemn it is adding to the Word of Yahweh. Like the Doctrine of Celibacy among the Catholic Priesthood, which has led to a multitude of sexual sins, so also rejecting Polygamy in the name of religion has led to many horrors among the children of Yahweh. In many parts of the world, families have been torn apart by mislead ministers, not to mention the multitude of single parent families that could have a father figure if Polygamy was acknowledged to be a legitimate form of marriage.
To those who call Polygamy adultery, I must refer you to the biblical definition of adultery, as opposed to the modern religionist definition, since Biblical adultery is the coveting of another man’s wife, not having more than one wife yourself. As I said at the beginning, if we are to judge by the Word of Yahweh, and not by man’s tradition, then we must embrace Polygamy as a biblical form of marriage.
To those who will take issue with this, as I did at first glance, there is no scripture condemning or even calling into question Polygamy in the Bible; in point of fact, there are scriptures giving instructions as to the treatment of a first wife when a man takes a second wife in the book of Exodus 21:10. While it is not for everyone, there are those whom Yahweh has called to this relationship, and to reject them because of plural marriage is to reject Yahweh's will. Polygamy (bigamy) is illegal in the U.S.; however, it is legal and practiced in 85% of the world’s countries, including France.
If we call the practice of polygamy adultery, then we must reject the following: Moses, who wrote the Ten Commandments and who obviously did not consider polygamy adultery. One might well consider what happened to Miriam after she spoke against Moses for taking a second wife. Also, if polygamy is adultery, then Jacob was an adulterer and the four women he had children with were adulteresses and therefore their children are bastards and all of Israel (The Chosen People) therefore are descended from bastards. Not to mention that Yahweh himself had two wives Sophia and Asherah. We must also reject all those in the following list:
ABRAHAM – 5 or more
Gen. 11:29, 16:3
Gen. 25:1,6
Sarah barren
Hagar, Ketura
And concubines
JACOB – 4 wives
Gen. 29:23, 28
Gen. 30: 4
Gen. 30:94
Leah
Rachel
Rachel’s maid, Bilhah
Leah’s maid, Zilpah
ESAU – 5 wives
Gen. 26:34, 28:9, 36:25
Judith, Basemath – Hittites
Mahalath – Ishmael’s
Daughter
Adah - Hittite
Aholibamah – Hivite
MOSES-2 wives
Exodus 2:21-22; 18:1-7
Numbers 12:1-15
Zipporah
Ethiopian woman
DAVID (a man after God’s
own heart) – 18 or more
1 Sam. 18:27, 2 Sam. 3:2-5
2 Sam. 11: 27, 15:16
JUDAH – 2 wives?
Gen. 38:2, 6, 26,
Daughter of Shua,
Canaanite
Tamar, daughter-in-law
MA’CHIR- 2 wives
Ma’a-chah
Ze-lo’phe-had
CALEB – 3 or more
1 Chron. 2:46, 48
Ephah, concubine
Concubine Maachah
GIDEON- many, 70 sons
Judges 8:30
JAIR – many, 30 sons
Judg. 10:3-4
IBZAN – many, 30 sons, 30 daughters
Judg. 12:9
ABDON – many, 40 sons, 30 grandsons
Judg. 12:14
ELKANAH – 2 wives
1 Sam. 1:22
Peninnah, Hannah (Samuel)
SAUL – 2 or more
2 Sam. 21:11
Aiah, concubine
MICAH - 6 wives
Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Hagith, Abital, Eglah, Bathsheba, 10 concubines?
SOLOMON – 1000; 700 wives, 300 concubines
1 King 11:3
REHOBOAM – 2 wives
2 Chron. 11:18- 212
Mahalath, Abihail
ABIJAH – 14 wives, 22 sons
2 Chron. 13:21
JOASH – 2 wives
2 Chron. 24:2-32
TRIBE OF ISSACHAR – many wives and sons
1 Chron. 7:4-5
HOSEA – 2 wives
Hos. 1:3, 3:1-2
Gomer – prostitute?
Another prostitute
ASHUR – 2 wives
1 Chron. 2:48
JARAHMEEL – 2 wives
1 Chron. 2:26
SHAHARAIM – 2 wives
1 Chron. 8:8
There is one scripture, which the modern religionists quote in defense of monogamy, claiming that it forbids more than one wife, but if we look closely we find that it says just the opposite.
(KJV) 1 Tim. 3:2, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”
(SIM) 1 Tim. 3:2, “An overseer must be above suspicion, must be a faithful, MARRIED MAN, must be sensible, must have self-control, must be organized, must love people enough to invite them into his home, must be a good teacher,”
(KJV)1 Tim. 3:12, “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”
Either this scripture means that ministers can only have one wife as opposed to the general congregation who can have no wives or plural wives, or it means simply that no man can be a minister to the church, which consists of families, unless he is a married man, and therefore experienced in family life and needs. It is also of note that the Greek word ONE used here means FIRST, in essence meaning that a minister must have at least a FIRST WIFE to be qualified for the ministry.
Also, contrary to popular teachings, we believe that a marriage begins at the moment a man and a woman, in obedience to the leading of Yahweh's Spirit, make the commitment to Yahweh and to each other to become man and wife. This should be done only after prayer and confirmation by parents and/or other trusted brethren. As far as a ceremony, this is strictly a personal preference, as in the word of Yahweh we find marriages without any ceremony at all, Gen. 24:64-67, "And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel, and said to the servant, 'Who is the man yonder, walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." We also find marriage ceremonies mentioned in the scriptures, John 2:1-2, "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of (Yeshua) was there: And both (Yeshua) was called, and his disciples, to the marriage."
Marriage is a beautiful experience if it be "in the Lord". Eph. 5:22-33, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Yeshua is the head of the church: Therefore as the church is subject unto Yeshua, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands love your wives, even as Yeshua also loved the church, so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Yeshua and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."
NO DISCUSSION OF MARRIAGE WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT MENTIONING THAT, BECAUSE OF REBELLION, ALMOST ALL MODERN MARRIAGES ARE CARRIED ON IN DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE TO YAHWEH'S WORD.
We need look no further than the first marriage to find the problems with marriage today. In the Garden of Eden, we find the first wife being led of Satan to disobey her husband, as he had instructed her not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2:15,22-25; 3:1-7. Next, we find the first husband, as most men today, following the wife in disobedience to Yahweh's word.
In 2 Cor. 2:9, Paul writes "For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.” Also, in 2 Cor. 10:5-6, “We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of Yahweh, and take every thought captive to obey Yeshua, ---.” Here we find that obedience to Yahweh's word is required; not our personal preferences, but rather total obedience to Yahweh's word.
In 1 Cor. 14:34, “ Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
It is written in 1 Tim. 2:7-14, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. In like manner, also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach , nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
In Titus 2:3-5, “The aged woman likewise, that they be in behavior as become holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discrete, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of Yahweh be not blasphemed.”
Gen. 3:16, “To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, AND HE SHALL RULE OVER YOU.”
In Eph. 5:22-24, “Wives submit yourelves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as (Yeshua) is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject to (Yeshua), so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
In Col. 3:18, “Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.”
In 1Cor.11:8, “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.” In Adam Clark’s commentary we find. “For the man does not belong to the woman , but the woman to the man.”
One of the weaknesses of monogamy is that, in many cases, the woman takes possession and thereby controls the man and thereby falls from Yahweh's order. In a Godly polygamous marriage the sister wives must share the man, which greatly reduces the chance of ”man ownership”.
In 1Pet. 3:1-7, “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also without the word be won buy the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of Yahweh of great price. For after this manner in the old times the holy women also, who trusted in Yahweh, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:”
The tremendous increase in the divorce rates can, in many cases, be blamed on the refusal of women to submit to their husbands. This same spirit of rebellion, by causing the breakup of so many homes, and the ensuing confusion in authority figures, has played a large role in the increase of homosexuality among the young people of today.
1Cor. 11:3, “…the head of every man is Yeshua; and the head of the woman is man; and the head of Yeshua is Yahweh.”
Isa. 4:1, “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach”.
Whether you believe in a ceremony or not, whether you believe in one wife or polygamy, as the women in the above scripture, it does not matter if you are not found in submission to Yahweh's law concerning your husband. I don’t care how spiritual you may think you are, if you are a wife and you are not in submission to your husband then you are out of Yahweh's order and you will not be in that number that attains to eternal life. Even if your husband is a sinner, if you choose to remain with him, then you are to submit to him in all things, unless he asks you to sin, then in that thing you do not have to obey him.
YAHWEH HAS AN ORDER, AND IN THAT ORDER, YAHWEH IS THE HEAD OF YESHUA, YESHUA IS THE HEAD OF MAN, AND MAN IS THE HEAD OF WOMAN.
THERE IS A HUSBAND OR A FATHER OR A KINSMAN SOMWHERE THAT YOU ARE TO SUBMIT TO AND OBEY; AND THAT MAN IS YOUR HEAD IN YAHWEH'S ORDER AND HE IS RESPONSIBLE TO YAHWEH FOR YOU. LIKEWISE, MEN ARE TO BE SUBMITTED TO YESHUA, AS HE IS THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN MAN AND YAHWEH. IF YOU ARE OUT OF YAHWEH'S ORDER, THEN YOU ARE LIVING IN SIN, AND YOU WILL NOT BE AMONG THOSE THAT ARE ACCEPTED OF YAHWEH FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM.
“The woman is the glory of the man. There is no doubt that the woman is a distinguished ornament of the man: for it is a great honor that Yahweh has appointed her to the man as the partner of his life, and helper to him, and has made her subject to him as the body is to the head. For what Solomon affirms to as a careful wife – that she is a crown to her husband, (Prov.12:4,) is true of the whole sex, if we look to the appointment of Yahweh, which Paul here commands, showing that the woman was created for this purpose – that she might be a distinguished ornament of the man.”
John Calvin’s commentary
“Being a submissive wife to our Yahweh-given husband brings a great peace, contentment and security, knowing that we are in our Yahweh appointed calling. When we are submissive to our husband, all of his decisions and choices for our children and us are his responsibility. We are to love, honor and obey him. As Yahweh will look to him for the condition of our spirits on Judgment Day. He does not have an easy job and we are to stand behind him in love and trust, as a helpmate instead of attempting to bend him to our own will. We all have our places in Yahweh's perfect order and any other position only brings confusion and chaos. It is the same for the man, he has his place in Yahweh, to fulfill, and for him to rise above it trying to be Yahweh or below it, in the woman’s place only brings shame and destruction upon him. Yahweh's order is perfect and when we are all in obedience to this order there comes a beautiful peace, love unity and respect that you cannot find anywhere else.”
Arielle Box
Prov. 31:10, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”
Prov. 31:30-31, “Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”
