How does Matthew 19:8 connect with Genesis 2:24 on marriage permanence? God’s Original Design for Marriage Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” – Marriage originates with God, not human custom. – “One flesh” indicates an inseparable, permanent union—physically, emotionally, covenantally. – The verse is presented as a timeless principle, given before sin fractured human relationships (Genesis 3). Jesus Recalls the Blueprint Matthew 19:4-6: “Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” – Jesus treats Genesis 2:24 as God’s authoritative word. – He re-states “one flesh,” underscoring permanence. – By adding, “What God has joined together,” He intensifies the divine origin: God Himself fuses the couple. The Hardness-of-Heart Concession Matthew 19:8: “Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.’” – Divorce legislation (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) was damage control, not divine ideal. – Hard hearts necessitated civil regulation to curb greater injustice. – Jesus contrasts concession with creation order: “from the beginning” takes us straight back to Genesis 2:24. Threads That Tie the Two Passages Together – Same Speaker: the Creator’s voice in Genesis is the authority Jesus cites. – Same Language: “leave…united…one flesh” appears in both texts. – Same Objective: protect covenant permanence. Any departure is a symptom of sin, never God’s design. – Same Warning: human attempts to dissolve what God joined are portrayed as working against Him (cf. Mark 10:9). Supporting Scriptures – Malachi 2:14-16: “the LORD is witness between you and the wife of your youth…He hates divorce.” – Ephesians 5:31: Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 to ground Christ-Church imagery in marital permanence. – 1 Corinthians 7:10-11: “A wife must not separate from her husband…a husband must not divorce his wife.” Living Out Marriage Permanence Today – View marriage as a covenant, not a contract. – Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23); hardness begins there. – Seek reconciliation quickly (Ephesians 4:26-27) to prevent bitterness that pressures toward divorce. – Draw on Christ’s redemptive power (Philippians 4:13) to embody the self-giving love that makes lifelong union possible. |
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