God Always Has A Reason
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:2-12 (New International Version, NIV)
God has a reason for everything He does and says. In this passage, Jesus is teaching and some Pharisees come and test Him by asking Him a question about whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife. According to Matthew 19:9, Jesus said it was lawful only for the grounds of unfaithfulness. In this passage Jesus notes that Moses permitted it because the peoples’ hearts were hard. However, God had a reason for restricting divorce.
God’s original intent, or His original plan, is explained starting in verse 6. “At the beginning of Creation” points to God’s original intent. God will show us a truth about a subject or concept in the beginning of the Bible and that interpretation of the subject or concept can be used in each instance it is mentioned after that in the Scripture. It is called the Law of First Mention. As you follow that concept from the beginning of the Bible to the end, you get a full and consistent picture of God’s intention regarding that subject.
In verse 7, Jesus further explains God’s plan. He says, “For this reason,” which points to God’s intent regarding man and woman. He has the best intentions for us; His plans for us are always good. If we follow His instruction and adhere to His plan, it makes our lives better. His intent and plan was for man and woman to leave their parents and unite together as one. It showed that God brings us out and brings us into what He has for us. And it usually involves a process, similar to becoming one in marriage is a process.
The disciples asked Jesus about His answer, and He explained it further to them. If we will wait on God, He has an answer for us. God is not hiding things from us, but His desire is for us to understand His intentions for us. As we seek Him, His reasons often become clearer.
As we learn that God has a reason for all that He does and that His intentions are always good, we can trust Him to direct our lives. And as we go to Him for clarification and understanding, He is faithful to answer us. And His answers always give us insight and wisdom to have a good life.
