Most of us would not consider ourselves to be gullible or naïve, yet Scripture often reminds us, "Do not be deceived." (e.g., James 1:16, Gal. 6:7). In truth, we are easily deceived, and we so often latch on to a piece of "worldly wisdom" that sounds good to us and justifies our actions, even if it is not at all based on the truth of God's word. Our very hearts fool us and hinder us from seeing situations clearly or accurately. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

We now come to the beginning of the Lord’s ministry in Judea (v. 1). As in Galilee, it is characterized by teaching the people. The first subject to be addressed in this section is the much-troubled question of divorce and remarriage. We see here, as elsewhere, the close connection between the two great commandments.

"And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again . . ." (Mark 10:1-16).

I felt condemned for being divorced. Well-meaning comments from acquaintances like, "Divorce is a sin, but God forgives," and "When there is a divorce, both parties are at fault." trivialized the endless agony that goes into the divorce of a Christian.

Instruction from the pulpit on the topic of divorce is either nonexistent or inconsistent.

"For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is His Name" (Is. 54:5).When young women make their wedding vows, they are seldom pondering how they will prepare for widowhood. And yet, many women, sooner or later, do become widows. My neighborhood is filled with large, older homes that house lonely little widows.

Our Lord obviously had a tenderness for widows; we see His concern for them in His condemnation of hypocrites. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation" (Matt. 23:14).

As this is a bridal issue, it seemed good to write about the civil government's role in marriage. That's why this article is on divorce. No bridal issue would be complete without an article on divorce. Even in our day, there is no more solemn covenant entered among men than marriage. Yet the civil government has made it the easiest covenant to break.

An important part of our Christian responsibility is the prevention of divorce. God hates divorce, and so should His servants. Divorce divides what God has united. As an act of rebellion on someone's part, it has cascading destructive consequences—and the children are usually at the bottom of the avalanche.

A. At the beginning of human history, prior to man's sinful condition, there was no just ground for divorce.

1. "He said to them, With reference to your hard-heartedness Moses authorized you to divorce your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning" (Matthew 19:8).

2. "From the beginning" (Matt. 19:8) alludes to man's situation when God "made them male and female" (Matt. 19:4) - when God instituted marriage with the words of Genesis 2:24 (Matt. 19:5).