Welcome to
Heaven's Point of View.
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Again, my name is
Dr. Senez Rodriguez
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and we're discussing the Series
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on Love,
Marriage, Sex, and Divorce
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according to the New Testament.
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Our special guest and
host is Dr. Tom Sheperd
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who is a Professor of
New Testament Interpretation
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at Andrews University Seminary.
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Welcome to our
program. Thank you.
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Now, I have a question for you,
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so, last time, we
started studying Matthew 19,
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where Jesus
disputed with the Pharisees,
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summarize, please, for
us, what we've discovered.
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Okay, we were looking...
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there was a dispute between
Jesus and these Pharisees
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about the question of Divorce.
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He often
confronted... was confronted by
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respected
religious leaders of His day
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over matters relating
to everyday life of Judaism
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and this was one
of those matters.
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Dealing with the
question of divorce,
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there were two
schools of thought
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the School of Shammai
and the School of Hillel
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and they approached
the question differently.
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Both of the schools agreed that
the important text of Scripture
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on this matter was Deuteronomy
chapter 24 verses 1 and 2,
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but they had different
opinions about what it meant.
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Depending on which part
of the verse you emphasized,
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the key phrase was
"a matter of indecency"
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okay, or,
"nakedness of a matter"
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depending on how
you want to translate it
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but so... "a
matter of indecency"
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and the School of Hillel
focused on that word, "matter,"
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and the School of Shammai
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focused on that
word, "indecency,"
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so the School of
Hillel might say,
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"Well, it's a
matter of indecency"
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and so, he can divorce
his wife for almost anything.
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You know, just... if
she has not pleased him
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or she's caused
problems, you know,
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he can get rid of her,
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one of them even said,
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"Even if you find
somebody that looks prettier"
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but that wasn't the
general... kind of a position,
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there was this
one guy, you know,
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I feel sorry for his poor wife,
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but the School of Shammai
focused on the word, "Indecency"
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so they said it was
"a matter of indecency"
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so you emphasize
the particular word,
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and for them,
that meant somebody
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about committing adultery
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or being unfaithful
to their marriage vows
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and sleeping with
somebody other than their spouse
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so these two schools...
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both agree that
divorce is acceptable
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see... it's just that
they're differing on the reasons
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so when they come
to Jesus, they say,
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"Can a man divorce
his wife for any cause?"
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Which sounds like the
position of the School of Hillel
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you know, anything, whatever...
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Jesus kind of surprises them
probably He... typically did,
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and He responds with a
discussion of Genesis 1 and 2,
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He talks about their
hardness of heart but
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He says that the Creation story
tells you a different idea,
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he said, in Genesis 1 says
that they are male and female
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Genesis 2 tells us that a
man leaves his father and mother
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he's joined to his wife
so they no longer are two,
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that is male and
female but now one,
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all right, so,
he responds to that
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and he emphasizes, it seems,
the maleness and the femaleness
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of the two and then...
that they've come together,
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he concludes
that... that there is
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something that God has
done when people get married,
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that He yokes them together,
He unites them together
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and people shouldn't
separate what God has joined,
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so, He has this... very counter
to their kind of perspective
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and you think, almost like
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further than what the
School of Shammai is saying,
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it really focuses,
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very fairly
similar to what we saw
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when we read last time
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from Malachi 2
that God hates divorce
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that God wants
you to be faithful
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to the wife of your youth.
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Now, did Jesus'
explanation satisfy the Leaders?
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Well, it usually didn't
and it didn't here either,
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so, what they do is,
they ask Him another question
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but the
Pharisees' two positions are
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either the divorce is
all right for any reason
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or it's all right
just for sexual immorality.
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Jesus' position seems
to reject both their ideas.
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The Pharisees immediately
challenge his position
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as out of step with Moses'
command concerning divorce, so,
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we really need to understand
what was the context of this
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and we have to go back
to Deuteronomy to do so.
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Deuteronomy 24 and...
while it's verses 1 and 2,
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we'll actually read
all the way through verse 4
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so you want to turn
over to Deuteronomy.
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Deuteronomy chapter 24 and
we want to start in verse 1
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and read all the
way through verse 4.
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Okay... "When a
man hath taken a wife,
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and married her,
and it came to pass that
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she find no favor in his eyes,
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because he hath found
some uncleanness in her:
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then let him write
her a bill of divorcement,
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and give it in her hand,
and send her out of his house.
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And when she is
departed out of his house,
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she may go and be
another man's wife.
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And if the
latter husband hate her,
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and write her a
bill of divorcement,
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and give it to her in her hand,
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and sendeth her
out of his house;
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or if the latter husband die,
which took her to be his wife;
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her former husband
which sent her away,
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may not take her
again to be his wife,
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after that she is defiled;
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for that is
abomination before the Lord:
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and thou shalt not
cause the land to sin,
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which the Lord thy God give
to thee for an inheritance. "
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Hmmm... hmmm... okay,
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thank you for
reading that passage.
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Now, we need to
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study Deuteronomy 24 to get this
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and to understand
this, we have to understand
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the different kinds of laws
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that were in the Old
Testament Pentateuch...
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that's the five books of Moses,
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there were
basically two kinds of laws.
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Now, I know, we
usually think in terms of...
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Adventists who'll
talk about the Moral Law,
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we'll talk about
the Ceremonial Law
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we'll talk about the Health Laws
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and Political Laws and so forth,
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we're not thinking
in those kinds of terms,
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we're thinking in terms
of category of "type of law"
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okay, so they're...
the two kinds of laws were
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Apodictic Law and Casuistic
Law isn't that beautiful?
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Apodictic Law and Casuistic Law,
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let me explain what
those two terms mean
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Apodictic Law is
absolute command law,
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this would be like
the Ten Commandments,
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you know, "Thou
shalt not commit adultery"
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"Thou shalt not
steal" it's not...
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it doesn't matter
when or where you are,
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you don't do those
things, you don't say,
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"Ah well, you can't
commit adultery on Tuesday,
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but it's okay on Thursday,
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you can't steal on Sunday
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but it's all
right on Wednesday. "
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No... no... this
is Apodictic Law,
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it's universal...
absolute command law,
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the other kind of
law... the Casuistic Law...
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is "case law,"
rulings on specific cases
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that become the precedent
for other decisions, okay,
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so the question
is, in Deuteronomy 24,
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which kind of law do we have?
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Is it Apodictic Law
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or is it Casuistic
Law, what do you think?
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That's a good
question, what do you think?
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Well, if it's Apodictic Law,
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it would be a law
that was universal
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for all time... for all
people in all situations,
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if it's Casuistic Law,
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it has to do with a particular
case or particular situation,
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the question we would have
is, "Are there any indications
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in the text, in Deuteronomy 24
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that would lead us
one way or another?"
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Let's look back
at the text okay?
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Read verse 1.
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Okay, "When a man
hath taken a wife,
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and married her,
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and it came to pass that
she find no favor in his eyes,
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because he hath found
some uncleanness in her:
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then let him write
her a bill of divorcement,
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and give it to her in her hand,
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and send her out of his house. "
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Okay, so let me put
the question this way,
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this talks about
a man taking a wife
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and about the man
divorcing the wife,
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okay, is this a universal
experience of all people?
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No... No.
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No... I mean there's some
people who never marry, right?
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So, Apodictic Law has to
apply to everybody at all times
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so this seems to be
clearly in the "Case Law"
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Casuistic... kind of a thing...
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there's another kind
of indication for that
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and that's the word,
"if" or the word "when"
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"if a man marries a woman
or when a man marries a woman,"
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you see, not all men will marry,
00:10:06.00\00:10:08.10
not all women will
marry, so this is limited
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to particular cases,
"if a man marries a woman,"
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okay... and that "if" statement
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then is usually
followed by a "then" statement
00:10:19.75\00:10:24.35
so if I were to say to you,
00:10:24.39\00:10:27.52
"Senez, if I go to town today,
00:10:27.56\00:10:30.63
then I will buy
you an ice cream. "
00:10:30.66\00:10:33.96
Thank you. You'd
say, "good", right...
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We could talk about the kind
of ice cream you might like.
00:10:37.27\00:10:40.24
Now, does that
mean I'm going to town
00:10:40.27\00:10:42.40
when I say that? No.
00:10:42.44\00:10:44.71
No, it's possible. Yeah.
00:10:44.77\00:10:46.98
It's a condition,
so that first part...
00:10:47.01\00:10:49.94
the "if" part of a sentence,
in a conditional sentence,
00:10:49.98\00:10:53.82
is called "the prothesis"
that's another beautiful word.
00:10:53.85\00:10:57.59
The prothesis, just think of it
as the "if" part of a statement
00:10:57.65\00:11:03.63
of a conditional statement,
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.03
the last part... the "then"
part has got the fancy name of
00:11:05.06\00:11:09.50
"Apotheosis" so there's the
prothesis and the apotheosis
00:11:09.53\00:11:13.23
the prothesis is the "if" part,
00:11:13.27\00:11:15.74
the apotheosis
is the "then" part,
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.14
somebody says, "Why don't
you just call it, if and then?"
00:11:18.17\00:11:19.97
Well, I don't know,
but linguists have these
00:11:20.01\00:11:22.68
special names and... you
know... makes you sound smarter
00:11:22.71\00:11:26.18
I suppose if you were saying,
00:11:26.21\00:11:27.55
"We are talking
about the prothesis
00:11:27.58\00:11:29.18
of the sentence today,
and we decided the apotheosis
00:11:29.22\00:11:32.05
didn't make sense,"
so, you know... but...
00:11:32.09\00:11:34.79
it's just technical
names that are used for it...
00:11:34.82\00:11:37.06
okay, so, this is
a typical Case Law...
00:11:37.09\00:11:40.40
kind of a statement
here, and it has a prothesis
00:11:40.43\00:11:44.33
and it has an apotheosis,
00:11:44.37\00:11:46.50
the prothesis is the "if" part
00:11:46.53\00:11:49.37
and the apotheosis is
the "then" part, okay,
00:11:49.40\00:11:53.07
so the question is,
"Where does the prothesis end?"
00:11:53.14\00:12:00.18
Hmmm...
00:12:00.22\00:12:01.95
Where does the prothesis...
now read your text again,
00:12:01.98\00:12:04.39
okay, the prothesis... remember
the prothesis is the "if" part.
00:12:04.42\00:12:06.96
Right... All right.
00:12:07.02\00:12:08.36
So where is the prothesis in?
00:12:08.39\00:12:09.72
Chapter 1 right? Hmmm... hmmm...
00:12:09.76\00:12:11.73
"When a man hath
taken a wife... "
00:12:11.76\00:12:13.70
It could also be
translated with "if. "
00:12:13.73\00:12:15.10
Right, "... and marry her,
00:12:15.13\00:12:17.27
and it came to pass that
she finds no favour in his eyes,
00:12:17.30\00:12:22.34
because he hath found
some uncleanness in her:
00:12:22.40\00:12:26.84
then let him write
her a bill of divorcement,
00:12:26.88\00:12:31.25
and give it in her hand,
and send her out of his house. "
00:12:31.28\00:12:36.22
Okay. That will be clearer here.
00:12:36.25\00:12:38.39
Yeah, the apotheosis...
the prothesis ends in verse 1
00:12:38.42\00:12:42.52
and the apotheosis
begins at the same place
00:12:42.56\00:12:47.36
then he gives her
the bill of divorce,
00:12:47.40\00:12:49.53
okay, my translation...
the ESV doesn't do it that way.
00:12:49.56\00:12:53.54
Yeah, I noticed that some
versions translate that verse
00:12:53.57\00:12:57.51
differently, why is that?
00:12:57.54\00:13:00.51
Yeah,
00:13:00.54\00:13:02.48
well, it's a
matter of relating to...
00:13:02.51\00:13:06.05
exactly in Hebrew,
where the prothesis
00:13:06.08\00:13:09.58
would come to a conclusion
00:13:09.62\00:13:11.25
and actually, that
relates to all the questions
00:13:11.29\00:13:14.79
that the Pharisees were asking.
00:13:14.82\00:13:16.16
The King James
Version that you read
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.46
illustrates where the
Pharisees of Jesus' day stood
00:13:18.49\00:13:21.90
on the meaning of this passage
00:13:21.93\00:13:23.26
the command from Moses,
00:13:23.30\00:13:25.43
starts at the writing
of the bill of divorce,
00:13:25.47\00:13:28.54
so, if he does this,
00:13:28.57\00:13:29.90
then he should put the
bill of divorce into her hand,
00:13:29.94\00:13:32.51
thus, they maintained
that Moses commanded divorce,
00:13:32.54\00:13:35.24
see, so they asked Jesus,
00:13:35.28\00:13:36.98
"Why did Moses
command us to do divorce?"
00:13:37.01\00:13:39.71
The difference was not over
00:13:39.75\00:13:41.62
if the divorce was
okay but on what grounds?
00:13:41.65\00:13:44.75
And we've already said
00:13:44.79\00:13:46.29
that the School of Shammai
said, "only for adultery"
00:13:46.32\00:13:48.96
and the School of Hillel
said, "almost anything. "
00:13:48.99\00:13:52.03
Jesus stresses instead
the permanence of marriage
00:13:52.06\00:13:55.06
and His statements go along
00:13:55.10\00:13:56.93
with the Shammai
School more closely,
00:13:56.97\00:13:58.83
but as we'll see,
Jesus even goes further,
00:13:58.87\00:14:02.64
now, the steps in the prothesis,
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.34
if you read a
modern translation,
00:14:05.37\00:14:06.78
it goes like this,
00:14:06.81\00:14:08.14
"If a man takes a
wife and dwells with her,
00:14:08.18\00:14:10.75
and if she does not
find favor before him
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.55
because he found some
shameful matter in her
00:14:13.58\00:14:16.08
and if he writes
her a bill of divorce
00:14:16.12\00:14:18.92
and puts it into her
hand and sends her away
00:14:18.95\00:14:23.32
and if she remarries another man
00:14:23.36\00:14:26.26
and if her last
husband hates her
00:14:26.29\00:14:29.16
and he writes
her a bill of divorce
00:14:29.20\00:14:32.03
and he gives it into her hand
00:14:32.07\00:14:34.04
and he sends her
away from his house
00:14:34.07\00:14:37.24
or if he dies... who
took her to be his wife...
00:14:37.31\00:14:40.81
then... then the former husband
00:14:40.84\00:14:44.55
cannot take her
back to be his wife.
00:14:44.58\00:14:46.31
That's the way
it's usually translated
00:14:46.35\00:14:47.98
in modern translations today,
that's the way it is in the ESV,
00:14:48.02\00:14:50.59
the School of Hillel
held that the prothesis
00:14:50.65\00:14:53.66
ends after the
number 2 point that I made
00:14:53.69\00:14:58.29
she doesn't find
favor in his eyes
00:14:58.33\00:14:59.83
and he found some
shameful matter in her.
00:14:59.86\00:15:02.26
Then the rest of the points
would be: part of the command.
00:15:02.30\00:15:05.37
Thus, divorce should
be commanded by Moses,
00:15:05.43\00:15:07.60
the reason given... is at
the end for not remarrying
00:15:07.64\00:15:10.34
"she is defiled and
would be an abomination,
00:15:10.37\00:15:12.44
you must not defile the land. "
00:15:12.47\00:15:14.11
It's important,
however, to understand
00:15:14.14\00:15:16.34
more about Deuteronomy 24,
it's clearly Casuistic Law,
00:15:16.38\00:15:22.35
you know, it's got
this "if" "then" statements,
00:15:22.38\00:15:24.45
the Case Law here assumes that
divorce is already occurring,
00:15:24.49\00:15:30.39
"If he does
this... if he does this,
00:15:30.43\00:15:32.76
if he divorcing her and
he sends her away, then... "
00:15:32.79\00:15:35.06
That is listed as
part of the prothesis
00:15:35.10\00:15:37.77
of the conditional statement
00:15:37.83\00:15:39.17
since the
prothesis is conditional,
00:15:39.20\00:15:42.44
it obviously is not commanding
that such matters must occur
00:15:42.47\00:15:46.68
so, the divorce
was part of the "if,"
00:15:46.71\00:15:49.18
it was part of the condition
of what was already around,
00:15:49.21\00:15:51.55
the first steps
in the case occur
00:15:51.58\00:15:54.08
before the ruling of
the Case Law takes place
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.65
or takes effect, the prothesis,
00:15:56.69\00:15:59.02
that "if" part of
that looooong sentence
00:15:59.05\00:16:01.79
simply indicates
a series of events
00:16:01.82\00:16:04.03
that evidently
were already in place,
00:16:04.06\00:16:06.16
the allowance of divorce,
the reason for the divorce,
00:16:06.19\00:16:09.63
the giving of
the bill of divorce,
00:16:09.66\00:16:11.23
the sequence of
events that follow it
00:16:11.27\00:16:12.77
were all part of the Case Law.
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.60
The statement of the
Case Law specifies strongly
00:16:14.64\00:16:17.61
that the woman must be
handed a bill of divorce.
00:16:17.64\00:16:20.58
This is proof of her release
00:16:20.61\00:16:22.84
from the marriage
of the first husband
00:16:22.88\00:16:24.25
and that was very important
because if she didn't have
00:16:24.28\00:16:28.25
that Bill of Divorce, she
could be accused of adultery
00:16:28.28\00:16:32.25
if she married somebody else.
00:16:32.29\00:16:33.62
Or she could be stoned.
00:16:33.66\00:16:35.16
Or she was going to be
stoned, exactly, right,
00:16:35.19\00:16:38.33
so the Case Law limits
actually what can be done
00:16:38.36\00:16:41.40
to her, in a very specific
way, the only case covered here
00:16:41.43\00:16:46.84
was a woman
experiencing two divorces
00:16:46.87\00:16:49.80
or a divorce and remarriage
with the second husband dying.
00:16:49.84\00:16:55.04
In this case, the first husband
could not remarry the woman.
00:16:55.08\00:17:00.22
Hmmm...
00:17:00.28\00:17:01.62
So we sometimes
wonder well, why not?
00:17:01.65\00:17:06.55
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:17:06.59\00:17:08.12
Why couldn't he remarry her?
00:17:08.16\00:17:09.49
The text simply states
that she has been defiled
00:17:09.52\00:17:12.86
and that it would be an
abomination to the Lord...
00:17:12.89\00:17:16.26
before the Lord
for her to be remarried
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.80
and it would defile the land.
00:17:18.83\00:17:21.94
But the question is,
00:17:22.00\00:17:24.31
"Okay, so, what in the
world does that suggest?"
00:17:24.34\00:17:28.51
First we can say
that the Case Law
00:17:28.54\00:17:31.81
protects the woman
from being treated like
00:17:31.85\00:17:35.78
so much luggage,
we've been talking in these
00:17:35.82\00:17:39.72
in these studies... we
will continue to talk about
00:17:39.75\00:17:43.22
the importance in not treating
a person like a "thing,"
00:17:43.26\00:17:47.43
all right, this Case
Law that Moses came up with
00:17:47.50\00:17:51.03
or that God gave him to give...
00:17:51.07\00:17:53.00
this Case Law protects the
woman she's not like luggage
00:17:53.03\00:17:56.87
that she shift back
and forth between men.
00:17:56.91\00:17:59.21
She is granted the right
of receiving a Bill of Divorce
00:17:59.27\00:18:02.91
as sad and tragic
an event as that is
00:18:02.94\00:18:07.78
and it sets her free from the
marriage to the first husband
00:18:07.85\00:18:11.99
and protects her
from the first husband
00:18:12.02\00:18:14.16
never charging her with adultery
if she remarries another man.
00:18:14.19\00:18:17.56
The same is true
with the second husband,
00:18:17.59\00:18:19.33
she is released
from the marriage
00:18:19.36\00:18:21.86
the husband in each case
00:18:21.90\00:18:23.23
no longer has
relationship with her,
00:18:23.26\00:18:25.73
no longer has control over her
00:18:25.80\00:18:27.80
nor can he bring charges of
00:18:27.84\00:18:29.77
adultery against
her... she is free.
00:18:29.80\00:18:32.04
So actually the woman did
have protection under the Law.
00:18:32.07\00:18:37.55
Exactly, you know,
this Law protected the women
00:18:37.58\00:18:41.42
and so many times,
in Society, in divorce,
00:18:41.45\00:18:45.49
we know that women...
and to divorce today...
00:18:45.52\00:18:49.52
we know that women's power to...
00:18:49.59\00:18:52.86
economic power goes
down, the difficulties increase
00:18:52.89\00:18:56.26
and the protections
are important for...
00:18:56.33\00:19:00.40
particularly for women...
00:19:00.44\00:19:01.80
for men too but it seems to
be more of an issue for women
00:19:01.84\00:19:06.41
protecting them and
their economic status
00:19:06.47\00:19:08.44
so, the Law all the way
back there... was a protection.
00:19:08.48\00:19:13.42
That's an important
kind of point to make
00:19:13.45\00:19:16.55
that this Casuistic Law...
this Case Law was primarily
00:19:16.58\00:19:20.86
involved with protecting women.
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.72
All right, now, however, we
must address the question of
00:19:22.76\00:19:26.26
how the woman is
considered "defiled"
00:19:26.29\00:19:29.46
and why it would
be an abomination
00:19:29.50\00:19:32.57
for the first husband
and the woman to marry again.
00:19:32.60\00:19:36.64
Well, Commentators disagree
over exactly what it means
00:19:36.67\00:19:40.71
but here are several options...
00:19:40.74\00:19:43.65
I have four options
that I've come across.
00:19:43.68\00:19:47.02
The first husband...
here's the first option...
00:19:47.05\00:19:49.98
The first husband found
something indecent in her
00:19:50.02\00:19:52.92
okay, if he
wants to take her back,
00:19:52.95\00:19:55.79
he's a hypocrite, all right,
00:19:55.82\00:19:59.19
since he called
her "unclean" before
00:19:59.23\00:20:01.36
how can he call her "okay" now?
00:20:01.40\00:20:05.43
He should abide by his
word and not be a hypocrite.
00:20:05.47\00:20:08.44
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:20:08.47\00:20:09.80
Number two, here's
another possibility,
00:20:09.84\00:20:11.94
perhaps the woman
would be considered
00:20:11.97\00:20:14.31
a part of the
first husband's family,
00:20:14.34\00:20:16.71
you know, she was
married to him before
00:20:16.75\00:20:19.01
and thus to marry her
again, would constitute marrying
00:20:19.05\00:20:23.25
a prohibited relative
like marrying your sister.
00:20:23.28\00:20:25.99
You know, that's prohibited.
00:20:26.02\00:20:27.59
We prohibit that today,
00:20:27.62\00:20:29.66
perhaps that was the
idea, that seems a little...
00:20:29.72\00:20:33.36
less likely to me
but... you know, perhaps.
00:20:33.40\00:20:36.03
Number 3, perhaps
remarrying the first husband
00:20:36.06\00:20:38.47
would make the second marriage
into an adulterous relationship
00:20:38.50\00:20:42.60
and would then
bring... would make it possible
00:20:42.67\00:20:45.11
for charges of adultery
to be brought against her
00:20:45.14\00:20:47.58
who had been shared by two men.
00:20:47.61\00:20:50.88
The fourth possibility is
actually the more likely one.
00:20:50.91\00:20:55.58
The Law is meant to
prevent the first husband
00:20:55.65\00:20:59.52
from profiting twice
from the woman's dowry.
00:20:59.55\00:21:03.32
The Ketubah...
the promissory note
00:21:03.36\00:21:06.49
that a man made
when marrying a woman
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.56
that if a divorce took place
00:21:09.63\00:21:10.97
for reasons other
than indecency or adultery,
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.07
that he would pay a
certain sum of money.
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.14
So, if he paid it
out when she left,
00:21:15.20\00:21:17.97
or if they had some
dowry that he took with him
00:21:18.01\00:21:21.34
when she went to the other guy,
00:21:21.38\00:21:22.94
she ended up
maybe with some more...
00:21:22.98\00:21:25.41
especially if he died,
she goes out with that...
00:21:25.48\00:21:28.42
now he gets it all back,
so, in the first marriage
00:21:28.45\00:21:31.45
because she was
divorced for indecency,
00:21:31.49\00:21:33.29
she did not get to
take the Ketubah with her,
00:21:33.32\00:21:35.92
she didn't get to
take that extra with her,
00:21:35.96\00:21:38.16
but in the second
marriage, she would get it,
00:21:38.19\00:21:40.33
okay, this law prevented
the husband from profiting twice
00:21:40.36\00:21:44.63
getting to keep
her first Ketubah,
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.87
her first price or first dowry
00:21:46.90\00:21:49.04
and then
receiving the second one
00:21:49.07\00:21:50.54
by remarrying the woman.
00:21:50.57\00:21:52.07
So, you know, it
prevents against this idea that,
00:21:52.11\00:21:56.14
"Ah, well, maybe
really what he's after
00:21:56.21\00:21:59.35
is not her... but the money. "
00:21:59.38\00:22:02.12
See, so again... it's
protection of the woman.
00:22:02.15\00:22:05.29
Now, a question... what
about the hardness of heart
00:22:05.32\00:22:07.72
that Jesus
described in verse number 8
00:22:07.76\00:22:10.73
what is He talking about here?
00:22:10.76\00:22:13.06
Let's go back to that passage,
let's go back to Matthew 19
00:22:13.09\00:22:16.97
and maybe we should
read verses 7 and 8 and 9.
00:22:17.00\00:22:23.04
Okay, Deuteronomy...
00:22:23.07\00:22:25.47
No, not
Deuteronomy but Matthew...
00:22:25.51\00:22:27.34
Okay.
00:22:27.38\00:22:28.71
Matthew 19, verses 7, 8 and 9.
00:22:28.74\00:22:34.22
Seven, eight and
nine. Hmmm... hmmm...
00:22:34.28\00:22:39.55
"They say unto Him,
why did Moses then command
00:22:39.59\00:22:44.19
to give a writing of
divorcement and to put her away?
00:22:44.23\00:22:49.03
He saith unto them,
Moses because of the hardness
00:22:49.06\00:22:53.47
of your heart suffered
you to put away your wives:
00:22:53.50\00:22:57.87
but from the
beginning it was not so.
00:22:57.91\00:23:01.44
And I say unto you,
00:23:01.48\00:23:03.48
Whosoever shall
put away his wife,
00:23:03.55\00:23:06.41
except it be for fornication,
and shall marry another,
00:23:06.45\00:23:11.15
committeth adultery:
and whoso marrieth her
00:23:11.19\00:23:14.82
which is put away
doth commit adultery. "
00:23:14.89\00:23:18.09
Okay, so now, we want
to look at this and see
00:23:18.13\00:23:21.26
they have raised the question,
"Why did Moses command?"
00:23:21.33\00:23:24.20
They're
interpreting Deuteronomy 24
00:23:24.23\00:23:26.60
to say that the
prothesis... the "if" part,
00:23:26.63\00:23:30.47
ends with him sending her
that he finds indecency in her
00:23:30.51\00:23:35.84
then he is to give
her the bill of divorce,
00:23:35.88\00:23:38.51
so they're
interpreting it that way.
00:23:38.55\00:23:39.88
They said, "Why did
Moses command us to do that?"
00:23:39.91\00:23:42.68
And Jesus says,
00:23:42.72\00:23:44.62
"Because of your
hardness of heart,
00:23:44.65\00:23:47.09
Moses permitted or allowed... "
00:23:47.16\00:23:50.06
your
translation says "suffered,"
00:23:50.09\00:23:52.93
but we don't use the word
"suffered" much that way anymore
00:23:52.96\00:23:55.86
so, he permitted
or he allowed you
00:23:55.90\00:23:58.50
to divorce your wives
00:23:58.53\00:23:59.87
"but from the
beginning, it was not so. "
00:23:59.90\00:24:02.64
He draws to...
he points them back
00:24:02.67\00:24:04.51
to creation again you know he...
00:24:04.54\00:24:06.37
Jesus is against divorce
00:24:06.41\00:24:08.11
you know, and that
kind of comes through
00:24:08.14\00:24:10.15
loud and clear here that...
00:24:10.18\00:24:11.85
he says it wasn't
that way in the beginning
00:24:11.88\00:24:13.58
and it was the
hardness of your heart...
00:24:13.62\00:24:14.95
but it wasn't like
that in the beginning.
00:24:14.98\00:24:16.32
And he's calling people
back to that original pattern
00:24:16.35\00:24:20.16
that was given in
the Creation stories.
00:24:20.19\00:24:25.09
Now, so the question though is
00:24:25.16\00:24:26.93
"hardness of heart"
whose hardness of heart...
00:24:26.96\00:24:30.73
Jesus clearly
links the Casuistic Law
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.74
of Deuteronomy 24
00:24:33.77\00:24:35.44
to the hardness
of heart of the Jews,
00:24:35.47\00:24:38.04
of the Israelites at
the time, we would say,
00:24:38.07\00:24:40.68
the terminology is actually
a little ambiguous here.
00:24:40.71\00:24:45.01
What hardness of
heart is this talking about?
00:24:45.05\00:24:48.12
So, again, there are
several possibilities.
00:24:48.15\00:24:51.09
Number one, the
hardness of heart is the woman,
00:24:51.12\00:24:53.66
she was stubborn
00:24:53.69\00:24:55.42
and so divorcing her was
allowed on these grounds,
00:24:55.46\00:24:58.73
well, it says, "Your
hardness of heart... "
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.86
well... you know,
00:25:01.90\00:25:03.23
is it really the
woman's stubbornness?
00:25:03.26\00:25:04.77
The hardness of
heart is the Israelites
00:25:04.80\00:25:06.43
who were stubbornly demanding
that Moses allow them to divorce
00:25:06.47\00:25:10.01
that seems a little more likely.
00:25:10.04\00:25:11.61
The number 3 option,
00:25:11.64\00:25:13.58
the hardness of
heart... is the Israelites were
00:25:13.61\00:25:16.14
stubbornly refusing to
give divorce certificates
00:25:16.18\00:25:18.38
to their former wives,
00:25:18.41\00:25:19.75
now that would
be a serious matter
00:25:19.78\00:25:21.12
because, if you don't
give her a divorce certificate,
00:25:21.15\00:25:24.35
she is at great risk of
being charged with adultery.
00:25:24.39\00:25:27.82
Or, perhaps the most likely,
00:25:27.86\00:25:30.29
the hardness of heart is
the stubbornness of the person
00:25:30.33\00:25:33.56
who has
committed sexual immorality
00:25:33.60\00:25:36.13
who refuses to
repent of their sin,
00:25:36.16\00:25:38.43
that parallel is actually
the Israel's stubborn refusal
00:25:38.47\00:25:42.40
to turn back to God, Jeremiah 3
00:25:42.44\00:25:45.17
and in Jeremiah 4 verse 4,
00:25:45.21\00:25:48.08
the last option may
be the correct one here
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.95
because it
parallels Jesus' statement
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.41
in Luke 17 verses 3 and 4
about forgiving your brother
00:25:52.45\00:25:55.98
if he repents... even
seven times in one day,
00:25:56.02\00:25:59.65
though option 2 is also possible
00:25:59.69\00:26:02.02
that the
Israelites were stubborn
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.33
they demanded that
Moses allow them to divorce,
00:26:04.36\00:26:06.90
that's usually, I
think, the more common
00:26:06.93\00:26:08.60
position that people take
00:26:08.63\00:26:10.23
that this is because of
their stubbornness of heart
00:26:10.27\00:26:13.10
and they were insisting
that they be able to divorce
00:26:13.13\00:26:15.90
and Jesus says, you know,
00:26:15.97\00:26:17.91
"That's not what God wanted,
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.81
He wanted you to be
faithful to your wives,
00:26:19.84\00:26:22.88
and you just kept
insisting and insisting
00:26:22.94\00:26:25.95
so in order to
protect the woman,
00:26:25.98\00:26:27.92
in order to keep her from
being charged with adultery
00:26:27.95\00:26:32.55
or fear of losing all
material support whatsoever,
00:26:32.62\00:26:37.19
he says, "Okay, look, you can...
00:26:37.23\00:26:39.76
you can give her a divorce
00:26:39.79\00:26:41.30
because that gives
her an option to remarry,
00:26:41.33\00:26:43.16
and she can have material
support in another marriage. "
00:26:43.20\00:26:48.70
So, it seems as though the
Law that Moses had developed
00:26:48.77\00:26:54.24
or that God had
given Moses, should we say,
00:26:54.28\00:26:58.01
to protect the
women had been twisted
00:26:58.05\00:27:02.22
to now...
again... harmed the women
00:27:02.25\00:27:05.15
and to cause problems for them
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.19
so the original intent
that God had given them all...
00:27:08.22\00:27:11.56
it wasn't being
used that way anymore,
00:27:11.59\00:27:13.63
and so Jesus says,
"Wait, you've got this wrong,
00:27:13.66\00:27:16.13
you need to go
back... back to Creation...
00:27:16.16\00:27:18.57
you need to think
about the Creation Order
00:27:18.63\00:27:21.00
and you need to follow the way
00:27:21.04\00:27:23.07
that God
originally set things up,
00:27:23.10\00:27:25.07
"What God has joined together
let man not put asunder. "
00:27:25.14\00:27:28.71
We come back to
that same idea...
00:27:28.74\00:27:30.95
God hates divorce,
00:27:30.98\00:27:32.58
God wants our
marriages to be happy,
00:27:32.61\00:27:34.78
He wants us to stay together.
00:27:34.82\00:27:36.18
Well, this has been a
wonderful discussion today,
00:27:36.22\00:27:40.19
I'm sorry that we don't
have more time to continue
00:27:40.22\00:27:44.16
on this topic,
00:27:44.19\00:27:45.53
but I am sure that this
will give you a good opportunity
00:27:45.56\00:27:49.00
to go back into your own Bible
00:27:49.03\00:27:51.93
and reading and
meditating about that.
00:27:51.97\00:27:54.84
We invite you for
the next opportunity
00:27:54.87\00:27:57.71
when we will have
here... Dr. Sheperd
00:27:57.74\00:28:00.54
with this interesting insight.
00:28:00.58\00:28:03.41
Thank you very much
00:28:03.45\00:28:04.78
and we will see you
in the next Program.
00:28:04.81\00:28:06.75
Thank you.
00:28:06.82\00:28:08.15