In what ways does Mark 10:3 connect to Exodus 20:14 on marriage? Setting the Scene in Mark 10 • Pharisees come testing Jesus about divorce (Mark 10:2). • Jesus answers with a question: “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3). • By directing them to Moses, He signals that any discussion on divorce and marriage must rest on God’s revealed law. Jesus Points Back to Moses (Mark 10:3) • The phrase “Moses command” gathers the whole Mosaic witness on marriage—both the specific divorce regulation in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and the moral foundation laid in the Ten Commandments. • Jesus’ question forces His hearers to recall the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14). • He will soon show (Mark 10:11-12) that unjustified divorce produces adultery, making the commandment highly relevant. Moses’ Command against Adultery (Exodus 20:14) • Written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18), this command protects the exclusive, covenantal union of husband and wife. • It forbids every act that breaks marital faithfulness, whether physical, emotional, or legal. • The command assumes marriage is permanent; adultery violates the one-flesh bond established at creation (Genesis 2:24). Tying the Two Passages Together • Both texts locate marital ethics in God’s revealed law through Moses. • Mark 10:3 draws the conversation back to Moses so that Jesus can connect divorce with the adultery prohibition. • Exodus 20:14 supplies the moral absolute Jesus applies when He concludes: – “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Mark 10:11) – Divorce without biblical grounds = adultery, directly transgressing Exodus 20:14. • The seventh commandment establishes the sanctity of the marriage covenant; Mark 10:3-12 clarifies how that sanctity is to be honored under the new-covenant Lordship of Christ. • Thus, Jesus does not contradict Moses; He uncovers Moses’ original intent, moving past legal loopholes to God’s heart for lifelong fidelity. Implications for Marriage Today • Marriage is a divine covenant, not a human convenience (Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:16). • Any decision about divorce must be weighed against the seventh commandment’s call to covenant faithfulness. • Christian couples should pursue reconciliation and forgiveness as first responses (Ephesians 4:32). • The church upholds purity by honoring marriage and resisting all forms of adultery (Hebrews 13:4). |
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