What did Moses permit regarding divorce according to Mark 10:4? Setting the Scene - Jesus is in Judea, teaching crowds (Mark 10:1). - Pharisees test Him about divorce (Mark 10:2–3). - Their reply in verse 4 exposes what they relied on: Moses’ concession. The Key Verse “‘Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.’” (Mark 10:4) What Moses Permitted - A husband could • “write … a certificate of divorce” • “send her away” - The action was formalized, written, and unilateral—initiated by the man. Connecting to the Old Testament - Deuteronomy 24:1: “If a man takes a wife … and she finds no favor in his eyes… he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away.” - The certificate served as legal proof that the woman was free to remarry. Why the Permission Was Given - Jesus explains in Mark 10:5; Matthew 19:8: “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses wrote this precept.” - The allowance restrained reckless abandonment by forcing a legal process. - It was a concession, not the divine ideal. Jesus’ Higher Standard - Mark 10:6–9 recalls Genesis 1:27; 2:24: marriage is God-made, one flesh, not to be separated by man. - Malachi 2:16: “For I hate divorce, says the LORD.” - The Lord calls His people beyond concession to covenant faithfulness. Takeaways for Today - Scripture records both God’s ideal (permanent union) and His concession to human sinfulness (certificate of divorce). - Moses’ permission was limited, regulated, and never presented as God’s preference. - Jesus reaffirms the original creation mandate, urging believers to honor marriage as a lifelong, sacred covenant. |
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