Mark 10:9 what GOD has joined together.....even for bad marriages?

Mark 10:9 "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”....even for bad marriages? I can understand any physical abuse, but if you just cannot stand the other person? Or their attitudes and habits are destroying the family? I know in the Old Testament there are protections for the wife, if she is being treated badly.

JohnB. Stop obsessing about sex and marriage. This is very unhealthy.

My comment wasn't about sex, it's about marriage. You seem to see sex in all of my post.

I think you have made it quite clear in your posts that for you, marriage is sex.

God because of the hardness of your hearts, gave you permission to divorce your wives for any reason in the Old Testament.

But from the beginning it was not so; and the New Testament understanding is that the only reasons you may divorce your spouse is if the spouse commits adultery or else abandonment.

Also, a wife can leave her husband (without divorcing him) in the case of physical abuse.

I wonder where that idea ever came from.

I have known people who have gotten into really bad marriages. Did GOD actually join them? even if it was a bad choice?

I've had attraction to some women. I was warned by friends to think twice about this. They told me the issues about them, that I did not know. I listened and backed off. Other times I was warned and told GOD I don't care, I'm picking her. Only to have things fall apart shortly after that. It seems sometimes GOD intervenes. The bad marriages, did GOD really join them?

It's about fidelity, John. When you make a vow, you are supposed to keep it. If you're not sure, then don't say the vow.
It's not like going to the mall and trying on lots of pairs of shoes. Get a good grip and contain yourself, my man. Don't be swayed by the pagan culture that surrounds you.

A bad marriage is the result of sin. There are marriage-ending sins, and there are many more sins that need not end the marriage. Don’t blame God for human sin, and don’t think that He can’t redeem even a terrible marriage.

Jesus did address the idea of woman divorcing her husband, in Mark 10:

NIV
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

KJV
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.


It seems women were somehow able to divorce back then, and it was a reality regardless of whether or not it was allowed. They were somehow able to divorce.

My question is, did GOD really join those people in bad marriages, who made terrible choices.

As the friendly oyster67 pointed out: Marriage is something you should stick with because you are making the marriage vows in front of God. So i'd say its a question of: Whenever two people decide to marry each other in front of God, God WILL join those people together as the two will become one flesh as the Bible teaches.

Unfortunately in some cases divorces happen, and in some cases you can remarry such as if adultery has taken place, then remarriage is allowed. But if you just get tired of each other or get on each other's nerves and argue and fuss about things, thats no reason for remarriage. If you still want to divorce you need to just stay single.

Strange rule makes no sense to me whatsoever, but I didn't make it up, so we just go with what Jesus said.

More pontificating on marriage from a man who has never been married.

Strange how he joins some people together and not others. Seems there is no punishment for remarriage.

I'm curious John, if I remember right you're 70. And you said you'd never marry someone you're not attracted to. So I'm wondering, what age range of woman are you looking for?

I have met women all through my life that I've found attractive, some I would have married. They chose someone else or GOD intervened. I could be in a room with 10 women. 9 of them I find very attractive, but it would be the one I'm NOT attracted to that hands me their number or shows an interest in me.

So age has no relevance.

I think that if the couple makes the promise before God, I can't understand why God wouldn't honor it and accept it as such. He might not think it was our best choice... but He would join them.

God isn't to blame for our foolish choices.

Ever since God joined Adam and Eve in marriage He has ordained that marriage is a permanent bond until death. Apparently that would apply whether a couple was saved or not. So from God's perspective no marriage is "bad", and the Bible says that God hates divorce. Which means if there is a willingness on both sides to make a marriage work, then the couple will remain married regardless of circumstances. The idea that people could simply walk away from a marriage on a whim is a rather recent Western aberration. It is rare in other cultures.