“There is Nothing New Under the Sun”

by Joe R. Price

“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been in ancient times before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10).

Solomon wants us to view life on earth from an eternal vantage point. There is nothing new under the sun. What will be has already happened somewhere to someone. Sure, technologies advance, discoveries are made. But, the essence of life itself, its course, its parameters, its purposes – these have remained constant since the beginning of the creation (to coin a phrase from Jesus, Mark 10:6). Solomon saw the never-ending cycles of life in the circuit of the sun, the courses of the wind, and the evaporative equilibrium of the rivers and seas (Eccl. 1:3-7). Even our endless desires testify to the ultimate futility of life under the sun, since “the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Eccl. 1:8). Ultimately, a life lived without fearing God and obeying His commandments fails to fulfill its fundamental purpose (Eccl. 12:13). The cycles of the earth and of life on this planet will continue for us until death comes (Eccl. 12:1-8). After that comes judgment and eternity (Heb. 9:27). “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14). Are you ready?

Jesus’ Teaching on Divorce

by Jeff Curtis

     In Matthew 19:1-12, Jesus expressed several truths about marriage, divorce and remarriage.

     First, He said that God’s original plan was one man for one woman for one lifetime (19:3-5; Gen. 2:18-25). He reminded His listeners that God made two sexes, male and female, for precreation and companionship. God made woman for man and man for woman, and any alteration in that design is deviant behavior (Rom. 1:26-27). God joined Adam and Eve together, in effect performing the first marriage ceremony. He meant for the marriage relationship to be permanent.

     Second, Jesus said that God joined Adam and Eve together as a pattern for all future marriages (19:6). God joined them, and only He has a legitimate right to separate them, or to prescribe a reason for them to separate. Tampering with God’s design brings disastrous results. The landscape of marriage in our world today is scattered with broken lives, destroyed homes, and troubled children.

     Third, Jesus encouraged the stability of marriage (19:7-8). Men were using Moses’ original instructions, designed to honor marriage, to provide an escape from their commitments. Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” (19:7). Jesus’ answer was that their hearts were hard (19:8). Although divorce was not part of God’s original plan, people were violating that plan. Therefore, God allowed Moses to give instructions to regulate what was being done, so as to protect marriage (Deut. 24:1-4). Malachi 2:14-16 informs us that God hates divorce. Nothing in the New Testament indicates that He has ever changed His mind on the subject. Jesus looked back to the beginning to explain God’s original purpose for marriage.

     Finally, Jesus emphasized the sanctity of the marriage relationship (19:9). He said that no one should seek a divorce, except for the reason of sexual immorality (fornication) committed by a spouse. If one who puts away a companion for another cause marries again, he is guilty of adultery. Jesus added that anyone who marries the wife who has been put away is also guilty of adultery.

     The apostles recognized this as a difficult statement (19:10), but Jesus did not try to soften what He had said. Rather, He said, in effect, that it would better to be a eunuch than to violate God’s plan for marriage (19:12). If people can be taught this truth before getting married, they may think more seriously about the marriage commitment and then try harder to make the marriage work instead of divorcing quickly over some matter that could be resolved.