By Wendell Tenison
God’s spiritual law (not Moses) of adultery to the Hebrews:
When it comes to the mind of God and men, there is no comparison. The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men, 1Cor.1:25. We shall see the great mind of God verses the weakness of Moses regarding the return of wife that has been put away. In this case, the spiritual return of a defiled wife to God as compared to the literal return of a defiled wife to her husband under the law of Moses.
In the following reading, God alludes to Deut.24:1-4 at the very beginning of the verse, the fact that the land would be polluted if the first husband took his wife back after she had been defiled by being married to another man. The first two words of the verse reads, "They say" and this phrase has to do with the law of putting away a wife and not just hear-say.
Jeremiah 3:1 "They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD."
Now to the heart of the matter: under the law of Moses, a wife could not return to her first husband, otherwise, the land would become polluted which was abomination in the sight of God. However, God wanted his children to return from their spiritual adultery and defilement, but the land would not be polluted.
Next:
(Jeremiah 3:8 "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."
God put away his adulterous wife Israel and gave her a bill of divorcement. Her treacherous sister Judah learned nothing from what God did and played the harlot also.
Next:
Jeremiah 3:14 "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:"
God made it very plain that he was married to Israel and he wanted her back.
Next:
Jeremiah 3:20 "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD."
Conclusion:
With the spiritual law of adultery, the return and repentance of Israel was sought by God. Under the law of Moses, the door of reconciliation was closed to the wife.
In our next segment we shall see the wisdom of God in the law of Christ, how it parallels his spiritual law of reconciliation to the Jews in the matter of marriage.