HOFC Sermon Archive: Gospel of Mark Part 55: God Hates Divorce

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SERMON TIMELINE

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

25. Parable of the Mustard Seed

26. Benefits of Private Teaching

27. Jesus Calms the Storm

28. Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29. The Touch of Jesus

30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

31. Principles of Evangelism

32. Weakness in the Seat of Power

33. The Need for Rest

34. Feeding 5000

35. Jesus Walks on Water

36. Healings at Gennesaret

37. The Danger of Traditions

38. The Source of True Defilement

39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith

40. He Has Done All Things Well

41. Jesus Feeds 4000

42. Jesus Sighs

43. Beware of Leaven

44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida

45. Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?

46. Mindful of the Things of God

47. The Cost of Discipleship

48. The Value of a Soul

49. Ashamed of Jesus and His Word

50. The Transfiguration

51. The Disciples ask Questions

52. The Unclean Spirit

53. The Way to Greatness

54. Principles of Discipleship

55. God Hates Divorce

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 10:1-12

“And standing up, He *went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds *gathered around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more began to teach them.

²And some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. ³And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴And they said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” ⁵But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote for you this commandment. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. ⁷For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

¹⁰And in the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. ¹¹And He *said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; ¹²and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

INTRODUCTION

One of the more damaging attacks of Satan on the world in the last 100 years is divorce. The purposeful destruction of the union God ordained to represent Christ and the Church.

Satan hates how Christ loves the church, and if he cannot destroy that love directly, he works to destroy the very symbol of it, marriage. There are many ways he tries to destroy the symbolic meaning of what marriage, as God ordains, represents.

Through selfish acts and motivations, pornography, adultery, and even by perverting the very meaning with polygamy, homosexuality, or even the insanity of people who marry inanimate objects, or even themselves!

Kesha, Adrianna Lima, Sophie Tanner, Grace Gelder, and even the Chicago Bulls' own Dennis Rodman! This is called Sologamy.

When I was in first grade in 1975, I remember the shock of finding out one of our classmates' parents had divorced. This was rare, and with the next five years, the divorce rate would continue to climb to a historic record of 5.3 per 1000.

What caused the rise of divorce, which began in the 1960s?

· The introduction of no-fault divorce, which allowed divorce without providing proof of adultery, cruelty, or abandonment.

· Women’s Independence Movement and women’s lib

· The “sexual revolution” where morals were abandoned for “free love,” sexual exploration and perversion in books, movies, and the explosion of pornography, pushing one of Satan’s greatest weapons against men. The abandonment of morals for pleasure.

· With the decline in morals, the media's loose portrayal of divorce and celebrity and public figures divorcing and remarrying all the time, there was no longer a social stigma attached to divorce.

Today, nearly 45% of first marriages end in divorce.

Judith Wallerstein wrote Second Chance (Ticknor & Fields, 1988) about the effect of divorce on families.

· Almost 50% of the children from divorced families enter adulthood with anxiety and worry, underachieving, self-deprecating, and sometimes angry young men and women.

· Half grew up where the parents continued warring with each other after the divorce.

Parents are not left unscathed either.

· Margaret Atwood (Marriage Partnership, Vol. 7, No.4) wrote, “A divorce is like an amputation: You survive, but there is less of you.”

The problem arises when people are married without God, if they are not both Christians, or God has not called them to be together, even if they are both Christians. Or, when people divorce “unlawfully” in God’s eyes and remarry. God is not part of that covenant, just as He is not part of marriages between people He did not call to be together, non-Christians, homosexuals, or people like the guy in Japan who married a Barbie doll.

The first thing anyone wants to quote when the discussion of divorce arises is what God says in Malachi 2:16 “For I hate divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says Yahweh of hosts. “Be careful then to keep your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

Divorce is contrary to God’s original institution. It is a direct attack on the sacredness of the home and family and what they represent, Christ and the Church.

Does God hate divorce? Yes. However, listen to these verses.

Jeremiah 3:8 “…I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce…”

God divorced Israel, and He hated doing it, because God hates divorce.

What did God divorce Israel for? For the adulteries of faithlessness.

This act draws from the Mosaic provision for divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1. Though Israel cannot physically commit adultery against God, they were faithless and broke the covenant by abandoning Him.

Hosea 2:2 “Contend with your mother, contend, For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; And let her remove her harlotry from her face And her adultery from between her breasts,”

God had divorced the Northern Kingdom of Israel in this Covenant Lawsuit language for their harlotry and adultery…faithlessness with God. Again, this adultery is not a sexual, physical act, but a faithlessness turning away from God and a breach of covenant.

Going into today’s lesson, we need to remember;

· God hates divorce

· A breach of covenant is grounds for divorce.

· This breach is adultery, faithlessness, abandonment or desertion, or because of being unequally yoked (I Corinthians 7:1-6), and we will cover that.

I. THE PHARISEES’ QUESTION JESUS

a. To test Him, not to be taught by Him

i. Many times, we see the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees question Jesus, not because they want enlightenment, but because they wish to trap Him in His answer.

ii. They sought the Word (Jesus) for their own purposes, not to seek the truth

iii. How many do this today, searching the Word of God to “prove” they are right about something, or searching for loopholes to continue in behavior they know in their spirit is wrong?

iv. Jesus says, “Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.”

v. Only those who seek truth will find it.

b. Any answer Jesus gave would offend someone.

i. Though the Sadducees and the Pharisees were religious leaders in the community, they had different beliefs. Many times, they would frame their questions to Jesus in a way that one or the other would be offended and in a position to fight or argue their case with Jesus.

ii. However, Jesus always answered in a way with the wisdom of God to expose them for their wicked hearts and evil agendas.

II. JESUS RESPONDS TO THE PHARISEES

a. Jesus asked what Moses taught

i. “What did Moses command you?”

b. It was not what God had in mind from the beginning

i. Paul clarifies some of the confusion about divorce in I Corinthians 7:1-16

1. …each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

2. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife

3. and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4. if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband…Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not enslaved in such cases, but God has called us to peace.

- Men, keep to your own wives. Women, keep to your own husband.

- To remain faithful in covenant, men, fulfill your duty to your wife.

· The husband’s love is sacrificial, protective, and nurturing, modeled on Christ’s love for the church. (Ephesians 5:25-28)

· Love must be consistent and free from harshness, resentment, or domination. (Colossians 3:19)

· Husbands must demonstrate understanding and honor, recognizing the spiritual equality and dignity of their wives. (1 Peter 3:7)

· Mutuality in the marital relationship, including intimacy, care, and respect. (1 Corinthians 7:3-4)

· The principle of covenantial unity and responsibility implies that the husband must prioritize his marriage. (Genesis 2:24)

· Husbands are encouraged to celebrate and delight in their wives, fostering affection and marital joy. (Proverbs 5:18-19)

· Faithfulness and conventional commitment are core duties; betrayal violates God’s design for marriage. (Malachi 2:14-16)

- Women, fulfill your duty to your husband.

· Wives are called to a willing and respectful submission to their husbands, modeled on the church’s submission to Christ. This is not servitude but conventional alignment in leadership and care. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

· Emphasizes that respect is to be exercised within a Christ-centered framework, honoring God in the marriage relationship. (Colossians 3:18)

· A wife’s behavior can be a powerful testimony, reflecting godliness and a gentle, respectful influence over her husband. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

· The Proverbs 31 woman exemplifies diligence, wisdom, and moral excellence. Her care for the household and her family demonstrates active love, not mere obedience. (Proverbs 31:10-12; 27-28)

· Wives are instructed in practical godliness: love, purity, sensibility, and diligent service, all within a posture of respect for their husbands. (Titus 2:3-5)

According to scripture, God does not want faithlessness, adultery, fornication, or anything else to break the covenant of marriage.

In marriage, God creates the union (Mark 10:8; Genesis 2:24), and what God joins, let no man separate. (Matthew 19:6)

Yes, God hates divorce. But he also hates covenant breakers and will have no union with them.

I once counseled a woman who refused to leave her husband, though he was beating her, and choked her unconscious, was a raging alcoholic, and abused her and her children.

She refused to leave because “God hates divorce.”

Saying this in this situation is saying, God hates divorce more than you and your children being beaten and abused.

I heard a woman on a documentary say the same about why she didn’t leave her abusive sexual predator husband.

Does God not hate for those who are His to be physically, mentally, and sexually abused? Do you really think God demands you stay in that situation or with a child abuser?

Don’t forget one of our scripture references from last week!

Jesus said in Matthew 18:6 “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

· God hears the cries of those abused or cheated. Unjust treatment of workers and the vulnerable provokes divine judgment. James 5:4-6

· Abuse of spiritual authority is incompatible with God’s will. 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6

· Jesus explicitly condemns the exploitation and abuse of the vulnerable, promising severe judgment. Matthew 23:13-14

· Harming or obstructing the innocent is taken very seriously by God. Luke 18:16-17

· God hears the cries of those who are oppressed or killed unjustly and promises vindication. Revelation 6:10

Does God hate divorce? Yes, among other things that are done against those who belong to Him.

Do not allow yourself or your children to suffer at the hands of physical or sexual abuse, or the adulteries of a faithless one under false piety of thinking you’re being holy because “God hates divorce.”

God desires sincerity, not display. Acts of devotion or suffering performed for attention are spiritually empty. Matthew 6:1-4

Religious externalism is condemned. Appearing pious for social recognition is directly opposed to Christ’s teaching. Matthew 23:5-7

Jesus contrasts genuine humility with outward displays of piety. The Pharisee’s self-inflicted rituals and public fasting are condemned because they were performed for admiration rather than repentance or devotion. Luke 18:9-14

God opposes religious practices done to impress others or gain recognition, not for genuine faithfulness. This principle extends to any ritualized suffering or displays of asceticism performed for status or admiration. Galatians 6:12-13

We are not called to stay in dangerous relationships or to keep our children in harm's way because of an ideology that is misinterpreted.

CONCLUSION

What is the purpose of a godly marriage?

· It’s ordained by God.

· God puts those together who are to be married

· It’s a covenant between a man, a woman, and God

· It is symbolic of Christ and the Church

· Man must NOT separate what God joins together (Mark 10:9)

The only biblical reasons one can divorce

· Fornication, Adultery, Faithlessness, Broken Covenant, Desertion

· Or, you are unequally yoked

If you are outside of the Kingdom of God, these rules and laws do not apply to you or your marriage. Your union is not recognized by the Kingdom as legitimate, regardless of the situation.

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

Gospel of Mark Part 55: God Hates Divorce

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