Good morning,
Having laid the foundation of the message in the summary statement of the Beatitudes, Jesus now proceeds to show the superiority of His message to that of the law of Moses. He makes it clear that He had not…come to destroy the law. That is, the New Testament gospel is not contradictory to the Old Testament law; rather it is the ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual intention of the law. Where the law had degenerated into legalism among the Pharisees, Jesus now takes the law beyond mere outward observance to the inner spiritual intention of God.
This week we will look at the contrast between the outward behavior demanded by the law and the inner attitude of the heart desired by God. The law versus the Spirit.
On divorce Divorce vs Commitment (31-32)
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
“It has been said is again a reference to the Old Testament commandment of the Mosaic regulation (Deut. 24:1) The normal custom of the ancient Near East was for a man to verbally divorce his wife. In contrast, the ancient law of Israel insisted on a writing of divorcement or a certificate of divorce. This written statement gave legal protection to both the wife and the husband. Jesus explains elsewhere (cf. Matt. 19:8) that Moses’ concession was not intended to be taken as license. The only exception given by Christ is for the cause of fornication, meaning sexual unfaithfulness. These statements make clear that adultery or fornication is a legitimate grounds for divorce. The responsibility of divorce is clearly laid upon the one seeking the divorce.”
On oaths Oath-taking vs Speak the truth (33-37)
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
“The basis of the Old Testament swearing, or oath-taking, is found in Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; and Deuteronomy 23:21. To forswear means to swear falsely or to perjure oneself. Oaths taken in the name of the Lord were looked upon as binding, and perjury of such oaths was strongly condemned by the law. By the time of Christ, the Jews had developed an elaborate system of oath-taking, which often formed the basis of actual lying. In other words, there were stages of truth and thus also falsehood within the system of taking oaths. All such oath-taking, Jesus announced, was unnecessary if one was in the habit of telling the truth. Thus His command was swear not at all. The disciple is to speak the truth in such a way that his “yes” means yes and his “no” means no.” (Excerpts from the Liberty Study Bible, 1988, page 1419)
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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