If you would take your Bibles and turn with me to the gospel according to Mark. It's been a while since we have been preaching through this wonderful book. We took quite a break. I think we stopped in October, so it's been a while. I'm going to pick up where we left off, Mark chapter number 10. Mark chapter number 10. And we begin reading in verse number one. It says, Then he arose, that is Jesus, from there, and he came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to him again, and as he was accustomed, he taught them again. The Pharisees came, and asking him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife, testing him? And he answered and said to them, what did Moses command you? They said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her. And Jesus answered and said to them, because of the hardness of your heart, he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate. And the house His disciples also asked him again about the same matter. So he said to them, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. I want to speak to you this morning on this thought, the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of marriage. Let's pray together. Our Father, we give you, Lord, this hour, this time, Father, where we seek to grow from your word and hear from you. And Father, I pray as we deal with such a difficult topic, a topic that has affected nearly every family in this room one way or another. And Father, I pray that you would help me, Lord, to be faithful to your Word in preaching. And Father, we pray, Lord, for all that are here, that are listening. God, I pray that you would give those here a receptive heart, heart that is full of meekness, ready to receive your word. Father, we love you. We ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen. A little over a century ago, a Harvard professor and sociologist named Sorokin, he outlined what he believed to be the unraveling of the family within American society. He noted a significant stat. In 1910, a mere 10% of marriages concluded in divorce. Fast forward to 1948, and that percentage had surged to 25%. Zorkin's argument posited that even a 10% divorce rate, as low as that is, that even a 10% divorce rate was sufficient to absolutely undermine the very fabric of American civilization. And as many of you know, today our society paints a much grimmer picture. with over 50% of marriages ending in divorce. Now, when we factor in the prevalence of cohabitation, that is those who are living together outside of marriage, When we factor in the prevalence of same-sex marriages today, it becomes even more evident that we are entangled in a sinful society downgrade as the enemy targets the nuclear biblical family. There are, as we reflect on our society and culture, there are numerous factors that contribute to this epidemic of divorce. I think one being moral laxity. That is that we have become, over the years, desensitized to sin. And just that alone plays a significant role. I believe the impact of feminism has had a substantial impact on the divorce rate. I believe also the influence of humanism and secularism has had a tremendous impact, as well as the proliferation of the homosexual agenda that is bolstered by entertainment and Hollywood and pornography. Amplifying this crisis is the prevalence of no-fault divorce laws, effectively rendering divorce nearly as easy as marriage. And because of this, it's not surprising that a vast majority of civil cases, particularly custody battles, revolve around divorces. We see this in our day. We see the commonality of divorce. in our present day and we are tempted to view divorce as a problem that is only exclusive to our modern day times. However, that is simply not the case at all. Divorce is a subject that we encounter even at the opening chapters, in the opening chapters of the Word of God. We learn from Genesis, the beginning. That marriage itself is a sacred institution that is ordained by God himself. And because marriage is sacred and because marriage is ordained by God, we need to acknowledge that divorce does not then carry that same ordination. Nevertheless, As we look into the pages of God's word, we find the topic of divorce both acknowledged and addressed early on as soon as in the book of Deuteronomy. We will see in this message how Moses provided a framework for divorce. He laid out the parameters of divorce. Now, it's important to understand also that while Moses does not outright endorse divorce, he doesn't dismiss divorce either. Instead, Moses, he conscientiously legislates for divorce, permitting it under specific, orderly and exceptional circumstances. So it's very important to remember that. that God Himself does not turn a blind eye to divorce. And so this has given rise to debates and given rise to discussions within the realm of our understanding of divorce, prompting us to navigate this matter with careful consideration that we are guided by the principles found in God's Holy Word. So I say all this at the beginning to say this, you cannot oversimplify this thing of divorce. It's not just as cut and dry as we might think. There is a debate about it because the issues surrounding marriage and remarriage and divorce are somewhat complicated Now, yes, we can say, as God said in Malachi chapter 3, or chapter 2, that God hates divorce. We can emphatically say that God hates divorce, but that's not all we can say. Because Jeremiah chapter 3 makes it very clear that God himself, and defends himself, that it is his holy prerogative to divorce Israel due to her spiritual adultery. So God hates divorce, yes. But God also hates the sin leading to divorce more. And how do I know that? Well, because God provides exceptions to allow for divorce in some cases. And so God hates divorce. Right? Can you say amen right there? God hates divorce, but he hates the sin leading to divorce more. God hates all divorces, but he does not hate all divorces the same way. God hates all divorces, especially, again, even the biblical legitimate divorces that are due, that can happen in some cases. So this is very important to discuss because it teaches us that God doesn't hate those who have been divorced, okay? And the church should not hate them either. Again, this is very important to discuss because I grew up in a realm, and many of you did, that those who were divorced growing up in a church were maybe treated differently in some area, some way or another. They were allowed to do certain things or not allowed to do other things. Now, an individual could have had a previous drug problem. He could have robbed a bank, and he could have served in various areas without question, but if he had a divorce, He couldn't do that. But let me tell you something, friend, I don't see that biblical at all. So I say this, that divorce is not the unpardonable sin. We should attempt, or we should not attempt to try to make it so. Because listen, as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be biblical. We are not called to be legalists. We're not called to be somehow more biblical than Jesus himself was. And we shall see that Jesus here addresses the issue of divorce with very clear terminology. which was very important because the reality is that those in Jesus' day, in that culture, struggled to understand the divorce debate and many today still struggle to understand this debate about divorce. But Jesus does not pull any punches. He's very clear. We see here in Mark chapter 10 that Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to be crucified. He is making Along the way, he's making strong claims for radical discipleship. We see here in our text, he is moving beyond really radical discipleship to personal piety. He spoke in chapter 9, if you will recall, about the idea of cutting off body parts or plucking out your eye if necessary to enter into the kingdom of God. Cutting off body parts or plucking the eye in order to pursue individual holiness. Jesus said if your eye offends you, hey, pluck it out. It's better to enter into heaven with one eye than enter hell with both eyes. Do what you have to do to follow Jesus Christ. That's the message. But now Jesus speaks about radical discipleship within the category of the home. And how you treat your spouse is a matter of personal piety. It is a matter of personal spirituality. In fact, to the degree that you pursue Christ will be to the degree you pursue a godly marriage. And so Jesus tells us here in chapter 10, verses 1 through 12, how we are to view our marriage, how we are to view our marriage. And then later on in this chapter, we're going to see in verses 13 through 16, he described how we are to view children. And then in verses 17 through 31, how we are to view our possessions. And so how are we to view marriage? How are we to view children? How are we to view possessions? And so the question is, do we want to be radical disciples of Jesus Christ? Do we want to be followers, close followers of Jesus Christ? Well, if so, then we must think through these issues. And Jesus begins with the issue of marriage. And as we shall see, Jesus lays before us a very high view of marriage as it relates to Christian discipleship. And in doing so, he sets the record straight on the divorce debate. I want us to notice, first of all, the Pharisees and their question. The Pharisees and their question. We see this in verse number one. We'll start there. Again, then he arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to him again, and as it was a custom, as he was a custom, he taught them again. So here in verse one, we find Jesus, he's on the move, he's transitioning to the region of Judea on the other side of Jordan. And as he travels to different regions, he is teaching them the profound truth of God. And everywhere Jesus went, even his teachings, a great crowd would gather. And that is the case here. A great multitude has gathered. And in the midst of that dynamic ministry, in the midst of him teaching, The Pharisees approached Jesus with a question on divorce that very well could be that Jesus may have been teaching on marriage. But they asked Jesus a question that was a very contentious question, especially in that day as it relates to divorce. We see this question in verse number two. The Pharisees came and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife, testing him? Well, first of all, Mark reveals who asked the question, the Pharisees. Who asked the question? It was the Pharisees. Well, the Pharisees had been, as we have seen preaching through the book of Mark in previous chapters, trying to trap Jesus over and over again. And here they're doing the same thing. There are two questions found by the Pharisees in chapter 2, where they try to trap Jesus. Then there's questions in chapter 3. There is questions in chapter 7, chapter 8, where they are asking Jesus from a sign from heaven to test Him, to try to tempt Him. And so, listen, that's exactly what is happening here. And so the question is not asked with a pure motive, Because of who is asking the question? The Pharisees. They had an ulterior motive. Another question that we must answer is, why did they ask this question? Well, Mark tells us why. In order to test him. They wanted to trap Jesus in order to discredit him in the public's eye. Some believe that a reason that the Pharisees asked Jesus says this question in this region is because that they were in the region of Perea, and Perea was ruled by Herod Antipas. And you remember what happened in chapter 6 of this book, where the Bible tells us that John the Baptist went to Herod Antipas, and he called Herod Antipas out on sin, the sin of adultery. and how it was unlawful for Herod to divorce his wife to marry Herodias. And of course you know the story, what happened to John the Baptist ultimately because he stood for that, or he stood against Herod and his sin. John the Baptist lost his head because of it. But that happened right here in this region. And so perhaps the Pharisees are asking Jesus this question because they want Jesus to come out and give out a very strong word against divorce so that maybe he will also lose his head like John the Baptist did. Well, another question we need to ask is this. What was it that they asked exactly? Is it lawful for man? to divorce his wife. Now notice that they're posing this question in the negative. They're not posing this question in the positive. For example, they're posing the questions here, they're not asking, Jesus, how do I keep my marriage from falling apart? Or Jesus, how do I stay very close to my spouse so that we do not divorce? No, rather they are asking, how can I get rid of the person that I am married to? That's how they approach the question. But not only that, this was a loaded question because there was a longstanding theological debate among two schools of rabbi. The school of Shammai, which would be the conservatives. And then there was a school of Hillel. That would be the school of the liberals. So Shammai, the rabbi there, his teachings had a more conservative view of marriage, where Hillel had a very liberal definition of marriage and divorce. So there were two different schools of thought in that day. And they were oftentimes conflicting one with another because one was a conservative, one was a liberal. You had these two schools of thought. It would be like in today's time in Conway, where you have Central Baptist College, conservative, versus Hendricks College, liberal, very liberal. If you've never looked at their website, You ought to go out there and look at the website and just see how liberal they are. Nasty. But the school of Shammai and his disciples believed that divorce was permissible, but only on the grounds of sexual immorality. That's it. And the Pharisees in that day, most of them, followed not Shammai, but they followed Hillel, and his followers, his teaching on divorce, which made divorce easy. And the Pharisees wanted to keep it that way. Well, the trap that they were trying to create for Jesus was a trap that in their minds, no matter what Jesus said, they thought he would divide the listening crowd and turn them against him. Now the popular view of that day, by the way, was from the school of Hillel. That's what most Jews held to. So if Jesus appeared to support the liberal view of divorce, he would drive away the more conservative people, the ones who are more likely to follow him. And if he came out appearing as if he was a supporter of the more conservative, definition of divorce, then he would estrange a large segment of his potential followers. So in the minds of the Pharisees, either way, he's going to cause division. But again, what I want you to note is that the way a question is framed oftentimes reveals the motives behind asking it. And again, the Pharisees are not seeking, they're not asking this question in order that they might seek God closer or follow His law closer. No, they're asking, they're seeking how close they can get to sin, not how far they can stay away from it. But is it not ironic that the Pharisees who were so strict in every area, were so liberal in this area. Most of the Pharisees married and divorced as it pleased them. But again, this of course is the way of the legalist. They always find loopholes to allow the flesh to be gratified. There's a documentary that I encourage you to watch, and adults need to watch, It is called Let Us Pray. Let Us Pray, and that word pray is spelled P-R-E-Y. It's a documentary, I believe you find it on Paramount Plus, whatever that is, but documentary that outlines the IFB, the Independent Fundamental Baptists, and how though strict they were, how they would add man-made laws to women that in order to be a chaste woman, a pure woman, you need to wear dresses, you only need to wear skirts, no pants, you need to always dress modest. But yet these same preachers and pastors were sexually assaulting young ladies, raping young ladies. And it's come out and it's absolutely heartbreaking. But it's typical of a legalist who creates laws and absolutely underpins the people that is under him in order that he can control them. And so I encourage you to look at that. It's very eye-opening and very sad. A lot of those names, I knew those names of preachers and it's so sad. But we look at this question that the Pharisees asked that leads us to Jesus and his explanation. That's the second thing, Jesus and his explanation. When Jesus here, he avoids the trap. by going straight to the authoritative source of Scripture. And he does this first by showing us on one hand the negativity of divorce. He shows us how divorce in and of itself is a negative, not necessarily a positive. So Mark chapter 10 and verse 3, we see And it says, and he answered and said to them, what did Moses command you? But what I want you to notice here is how Jesus turned the tables. They're trying to test him, but he in turn tests them. They are trying to question him, but he questions them. They are trying to trap him. But he gets out of that trap and he traps them and they fall right into it. Mark chapter 4, or Mark chapter 10 verse 4, it says, they said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her. Now what they're referring to here is Deuteronomy chapter 24. And what verse 4 reveals is that they thought scripture supported what we would call no-fault divorce, that is, divorce for any reason whatsoever. Looking at Deuteronomy chapter 24, in verse 1 is what it says, when a man takes a wife and marries her, And it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce. So that's what they were focusing on. And so Jesus here exposes their view by asking a question that led him straight to the text that they used to argue for any sort of divorce. Specifically that phrase, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness or indecency in her, that that justifies all divorce. Well, the question is this, how far could that uncleanness, how far could that indecency word be pushed? What constitutes something as indecent? Well, the Pharisees took that as anything. If a woman burnt the biscuits, that was indecent, and she could be divorced for it. If she did something that was very frivolous, that was something that they could use as a reason for divorce. The problem with the Pharisees was that they did not interpret Scripture within the context They use it as a proof text and as a pretext for permission to divorce for any reason whatsoever. And so Jesus begins to correct their line of thinking. Verse 5, he says, and Jesus answered and said to them, because of the hardness of your heart, he wrote you this precept. Simply put, Jesus is saying Moses writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit provided legislation to regulate divorce. But this is not an endorsement for divorcement as much as it is a restriction of it. In other words, Jesus is saying God allowed divorce, and He even implemented divorce laws to protect the situation from getting out of control, as He says there. Why? Because of the hardness of your heart, because of your sinful rebellion. That's why Moses wrote that. And so divorce laws, under Mosaic legislation, were not meant to reinforce the hardness of man's heart of sin, but to restrict how far that hard heart would go. And so God instituted laws which set boundaries and set limitations on the practice of divorce, ensuring that it occurred within certain ethical and moral parameters. In other words, they sought to place restrictions on the process and prevent it from becoming so arbitrary and unjust. But here's the thing I want you to notice as we think about this thought. We need to understand mosaic laws were given in a context where divorce was already rampant. It was rampant. It was common. And so these laws were intended to bring a measure of justice and fairness to the situation. But the laws that God laid down to prevent divorce had twisted into laws permitting divorce for selfish and illegitimate reasons. Now going back to Deuteronomy chapter 24, that was in the context of covenant keepers who valued the law. That's who it was written to. Well, guess what? The Pharisees didn't value the law, even though they said they valued the law. They were always looking for loopholes. And so when Moses gives the leeway to write a certificate of divorce, that was meant to prevent someone who was a covenant-keeping, law-abiding man from making a hasty, foolish, selfish decision by getting rid of his wife. It was putting some reasoning to the situation, some accountability, and some protection, because it was a very big step. If you divorced your wife, as we shall see, and she remarried another and divorced again, or if her husband died, well, Deuteronomy 24 says you can't marry her again, so you better think about this. Because if you do it, it's over. It's done. So Deuteronomy chapter 24 was a step to protect marriage. But the Pharisees, they used Deuteronomy 24 as a pretext and proof text that would give them permission to divorce for any reason that they claimed. So all it took for a Pharisee to divorce his wife was just the stroke of a pen. And Jesus here is correcting them from that era. Interestingly, Jesus doesn't argue long with the Pharisees on the negativity of divorce. He moves to the positive of marriage. Marriage is positive. And for this, Jesus He goes back much further than Deuteronomy to show the positivity of marriage. He goes all the way back to the beginning, the book of Genesis. Here, Mark chapter 10, verse 6. Verse 6, he says, but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. and the two shall become one flesh. So then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together Let no man separate. So Jesus goes all the way back to the beginning. He goes all the way back to the book of Genesis, and Jesus is saying, hey, it's correct that Deuteronomy 24 provides legislation for divorce, but you absolutely misinterpret that. You took it out of context. So let me go back to Genesis and tell you how much God values marriage because that'll take care of your questions then regarding this thing of divorce. And I love what Jesus says here in verses 6 through 9 because he gives us three reasons why marriage between one man and one woman should always be valued by Christians. Andrew Smith breaks it up this way. Number one, in verse six, we see that marriage is creational. Marriage is creational. Verse six, Jesus says, but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. Now listen, he did not make them male and female for them to go their own lives, live their own lives, have their own careers, and live independently from one another. No, He made them, as verse 7 and 8 tells us, to be joined together, to be married. So listen, marriage is built into the fiber of a godly society because He made male and female to go together, as verse 6 tells us. So therefore, marriage is to be embraced. Marriage is to be celebrated. Now Matthew chapter 19, the parallel passage of Mark chapter 10, Jesus mocks these religious leaders with sanctified sarcasm, and he says to them this question, have you not read, have you not read, have you not read Genesis, that in the beginning this marriage thing was creational, something that came out of the hand of God? But you see, the problem of the scribes and the Pharisees is that they prided themselves in knowing the laws and the legislation for divorce, but they were shamefully ignored the foundational providence of marriage in the very beginning. So verse 6 is clear. God created what? He created male and female to be joined together in marriage, heterosexual marriage that was instituted by God. And notice verse 6 is very clear that this was true from the beginning of creation so that Adam and Eve formed, listen, a paradigm for marriage, a pattern for all life from the very beginning. Adam and Eve were created not to live forever as single, but they were created to live together. The second thing we learn about the fact that marriage is between one man and one woman for all life, and why we should value it, not only because marriage is creational, but marriage is normal. Marriage is normal. Verse 7. For this reason, what reason? Because he created male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. This is normal. This is creational. This is how God instituted it. This is how God ordained it. And therefore, this is the normal way of life. Homosexuality is not normal. It's not. As a matter of fact, singleness is not normal. It's exceptional. Notice. However, singleness is biblical if you're called to it. Paul is very clear on this. 1 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul says, if you're called to singleness, that's wonderful. He goes on to say, I wish that everyone were like me and single because the ministry would be a whole lot easier. Paul didn't have a wife to care for, he didn't have children to care for, all that goes with that. But he also says in that same passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, he asks this question, are you bound to a wife? Well, if so, then you do not seek to be released from her. Why? Because it's not a bad thing to be married. It's a normal thing to be married. It's a creational thing to be married. This is the way that God designed it because the normalcy is seen in verse 7. A man shall leave his father and mother. We notice that it does not say that a man could leave his mother and father or a man may leave, but rather a man shall leave. Why? Because it is the norm. And it is the exception or expectation that a man will leave the authority of his mother and father and hold fast to his wife, creating then another family, another sphere of authority. That is the norm. And notice it says, he shall, he will be joined to her. And here Jesus is quoting Genesis chapter two, verse 24. The Hebrew word that is used here in Genesis 224 for joined indicates the strongest bond possible. It could literally be translated stick together or to be stuck. So Lionel Richie's 1984 hit song that he wrote, I'm stuck on you, was biblical, okay? Now you have that song in your head while I'm preaching. Well, listen, why did Paul ask this question in 1 Corinthians chapter 7? Are you bound to a wife? And if so, do not seek to be released from her. Well, the answer to that is because you cannot rip apart what is glued or stuck together without causing horrible damage. That's why. You've seen it. And as a pastor, I have seen it and witnessed it, sadly, time and time again. But the Pharisees were guilty of ripping marriages apart, the marriages that God had brought together because they interpreted Deuteronomy 24 wrongly and instituted no-fault divorce laws so that the vast majority of Jews thought that they could get married today and divorce tomorrow for any reason and still be considered godly and righteous in the eyes of the Lord. And Jesus here is blowing all of this apart. Here they're trying to trap him, but really he's trapping them. So Jesus wants us to see the positive side of marriage. Marriage number one is creational. Marriage number two is normal. Number three, marriage is covenantal. Marriage is covenantal. We see this in verses eight and nine, and the two shall become one flesh. So then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate. So Jesus says that two become one. And listen, that's exactly what happens in one's covenant with God. That through Christ we are united with Him. We become one with God through Jesus Christ. The body of Christ is one. And so too in marriage, when two people get married, the two somehow, someway, miraculously become one flesh. And in fact, God does not even view them as two. He sees them as one flesh. So the question is this, how can you separate two that has become one? How do you separate something that has become one? Well, you have to cut it in half. and you cut that in half, you're going to create a lot of hurt. You're going to create a lot of damage. Again, the scripture tells us, so then they're no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate. In other words, God has done this. This is covenantal. This is God's blessing. This is God's sanction. The two become one. You say, Brother White, how is this oneness manifested? How is this oneness illustrated? Well, it's illustrated in children. It is illustrated, it is seen in the children that those two bear. The children who bear physical and personal qualities of the two people are all wrapped up in one. And it's a marvelous thing to see the blending of two people in one. It's a gracious reminder, as God gives us children, it's a gracious illustration by God that this couple is meant to stay together. At least for the sake of those children that reflect the image of those parents, that they reflect not just one, but two. Jesus says here that God brings husband and wife together, verse nine, and therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. That is, it's best not to try to play God. and try to break apart and separate what God has brought together. And I believe the man spoken of in verse 9 may very represent the husband or the wife within the marriage that is seeking divorce unlawfully. That takes us to Deuteronomy chapter 24 in verse 1. I want to focus on this a bit more. It says, when a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house. When she has departed from his house and goes and becomes another man's wife, if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies, who took her as his wife, then her former husband, her first husband, who divorced her, must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled. For that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God has given you as an inheritance." And so we see here, he says that there must be, first of all, a certified bill of divorce. There must be an official document. Now why is that? Well, the point of writing out the reason for the divorce is that that requires what? It requires forethought. It requires you not to be hasty in your decision. You're having to think through this. It's not easy to write out the reasons why you want to divorce your spouse. It should cause the person writing this to ask this question, do I really want to go through with this? Because it's not going to be fun for anyone involved, and it's going to take a lot of time. But you see, beloved, listen, God is being gracious with this law. So first of all, he must write a certificate of divorce. Second, we read in the scripture that the certificate must be served. It must be put in her hand. which makes this a very personal thing. This is not some certificate that's a certified letter that some attorney gives to the spouse. No, if you want to divorce your spouse, you write out the reasons and you must hand it to her yourself. You therefore had to have a conversation as to why you're doing it. You're to look her in the eye. But the point is that when this happens, the offended party has time to reflect and maybe through that will repent if she has done anything wrong. Or it just allows more time to transpire that allows other individuals who know about the situation to mediate it. But again, Deuteronomy 24 assumes a godly covenant keeper who has a sensitive conscience to the life-altering prospect of divorce. That's the point. It's not to be viewed lightly. So the bill is written, their certificate is served. The third step is the person divorced must be sent from the home. And so he puts it in her hand and he sends her out of the house. And she departs. Now what sounds like Cruelty to the woman, as we shall see next week, is actually a favor to her. But what we do see here very clearly is that the home is absolutely ruptured. Everything is public. The notice is public. It's handed publicly. More than likely, there are children there. The home is ruptured. She leaves. History even tells us that perhaps these bills, these certificates of divorce, some of them had Hosea chapter 2 verse 2 that said in part, for she is not my wife and I am not her husband. So those are strong words. But the point of Deuteronomy chapter 24 is this, that this is a very serious matter. The point of Deuteronomy 24 is to drive home the permanency of divorce, that once it's finalized, it's over. It's served as a legal process with a public record that can be brought back to the person because they're not allowed to remarry the person they divorced if that divorced person is divorced a second time or that second spouse dies. So the point being is this, only God through his law can dissolve a marriage. God institutes marriage and only God can dissolve it. You cannot hastily just choose out your own discretion for any reason that you're going through because you want to divorce your spouse. If you think that there is biblical ground for you to have a divorce, you need to see your pastor. You need to talk with me. I have talked to several, even the past year, who have come to me saying that they want to divorce their spouse. And I asked them, OK, tell me what's going on. And they tell me, well, I'm just not happy. Really? That's not going to cut it. That is not biblical reason for divorce. But if you are going through marriage difficulty, seek out counsel. Do not make a hasty decision. You see in Deuteronomy 24, this is a very ordered process. It's not an individual thing. And I said this at the beginning, I'll say it again, God hates divorce not because there are never legal grounds for it, but because He loves marriage as a creational, normal, covenantal union. Divorce laws are not an indication of God's love for divorce. No, divorce laws are an indication of God's love for marriage. and his desire for people to think through what they're getting ready to do because it causes devastation that is long-lasting and even generational. Going back to that sociologist that wrote almost 100 years ago stating that just 10% of divorces would be detrimental to the American society, because he knew that that 10% would grow with each generation. And that is what it has continued to do. And though marriage, the divorce rates have plateaued. It's not because somehow the marriages in America are somehow better, it's because less and less people are getting married. More and more people are just shacking up, just furthering the and lowering the sanctity of marriage. You say, Brother Wade, are you going to define the divorces that are not sinful, that are legitimate? Yes, I am. But I'll do that next week. So you have to tune in, same station, same time, and hear what God says that are legitimate reasons for divorce. And listen, our principles, our foundation for what we deem is legitimate and illegitimate is not what society thinks. It's not how the secular worldview has somehow molded our thinking. Our thinking has to be biblical, okay? That's the whole key here, and I'm trying my best to show us in Scripture what God said about marriage and why God allowed divorce for certain reasons. Let's pray together. Our Father, Lord, we thank you, Lord, for your love and goodness to us. And Lord, what a difficult topic today to discuss. And Lord, I'm so thankful that in your word, You are not silent at all about this issue. You have given us many principles, many verses to meditate on and to learn from. And Lord, I pray that this message, Lord, would be used to the furtherance of your kingdom. And Lord, those who are married or those who are not married, that they would see the sanctity and the value that you put on marriage. Lord, I pray that for every married couple here, that they would value the marriage more so as they see it, as for what it is. It is a picture of our covenantal union between Christ, your dear son. Lord, that is marked by sacrificial love and unyielding love. I pray, Lord, that for those that are here this morning who have never trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, I urge them to trust him today. I pray that they would understand through the impartation of the gifting of your spirit that they are a sinner. separated from a holy God. But there is a way of salvation, and that is through your son, Jesus Christ. I pray that today that many would trust Christ. And that may our marriages, those of us who are married, be a testament to the transformative work of the gospel. And may our trust in you be the cornerstone upon which our unions are built. Father, we pray for godly homes, godly families. We've seen such an attack in the decades that have really ramped up in the last few years against the home Lord, I pray for your protection against those within this church family that we would seek you in all things.