I find it especially interesting that there is a commandment of "The Ten" that specifies "Thou shalt not commit adultery", but there isn't one specifically addressing divorce.
Here's the short list of the details of the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20:3-17:
Thou shalt not have other gods before God, worship false idols, take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness against thy neighbour, or covet thy neighbour's house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, foot, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.
The first 5 occurrences of the 30 times the word "adultery" is used in the KJV clearly say don't do it:
Ex 20:14 Thous shalt not commit adultery.
Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with [another] man's wife, [even he] that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Deut 5:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Prov 6:32 [but] whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he [that] doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
The New Testament says:
Matt 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery;
Matt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
I found this in the Old Testament regarding divorce:
Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house.
24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's [wife].
24:3 And [if] the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth [it] in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her [to be] his wife;
24:4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that [is] abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.
24:5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: [but] he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
Paul said:
1 Cor 7:6 But I speak this by permission, [and] not of commandment.
1 Cor 7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
1 Cor 7:8 I say therefore tot he unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1 Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
1 Cor 7:10 And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from [her]
husband.
1 Cor 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his] wife.
1 Cor 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. <a name="13">
1 Cor 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
1 Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
1 Cor 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us to peace.
Jesus said:
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying,
Matthew 22:36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Matthew 22:39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
I've always believed that if we're living according to the great commandments Jesus taught here, that we won't violate the Ten Commandments God gave the people back in Moses' day. Today I got to wondering if it's worse in God's eyes to commit adultery than it is to divorce.
Anyone done any study on this subject?
