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QUESTION 28:
If a divorced person marries a person who has never been married, are they married in the sight of God?

ANSWER:
It is the mind of God that a man find a wife and cleave to that wife until death. Read Genesis 2:24, and Matthew 19:8. Putting away or divorcing a wife is never pleasing to God. He says, "He hateth putting away," Malachi 2:16. The context of this statement is that of men putting away their wives. The most binding of all earthly union is that of marriage.

The home it produces, is the substance and strength of society. Though there will be no marriage relationships in heaven, the concept is there. Christ is said to be the bridegroom, (John 3:29) and the church will be the wife. (Revelation 19:7). He does not have many or other wives, only one. This gives us the proper concept of marriage. The relationship of the church to Christ is eternal and the same is true of marriage - it is life-long.

In Romans 7:1-3, its duration is until death. In 1 Corinthians 7:39 it is the same. The question asked does not state whether the person divorced is the male or female. I believe the teaching of scripture would make a difference here. We only read once of a woman divorcing a man, Mark 10:12. This is because it was written to the Roman public that practiced such. It is not approved by God.

We only read once of a divorced woman marrying and that was because of her need, Deuteronomy 24:1. This is likewise the only place where a man married a divorced woman. The priest of Israel was not to marry a divorced woman. He was to take a wife who was a virgin. Leviticus 21:13-14. This ought to be the guidelines for all people of God. We never read of a case of a man marrying another mans wife, unless she was a widow. If a man marries an unmarried woman, that is a marriage just as much in the sight of God, even though, he is divorced. It doesn't mean that God approves of it, but He tolerates it. King David had several wives, 2 Samuel 3:1-5. God regulated a man having two wives Deuteronomy 2:1-15. He does not approve of such, but acknowledges it. BUT HE NEVER SEEMED TO ACKNOWLEDGE TAKING ANOTHER MANS WIFE. This was adultery. When a man who is divorced marries, he then has two wives. One he has put away, the other his present wife.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen