It's Simple...God Hates Divorce!

Facebook is becoming a major factor in marriage breakdowns and is increasingly being used as a source of evidence in divorce cases, according to lawyers.

The social networking site was cited as a reason for a third of divorces last year in which unreasonable behaviour was a factor, according to law firm Divorce-Online.

The firm said it had seen a 50 percent jump in the number of behavior-based divorce petitions that contained the word ‘Facebook’ in the past two years. Mark Keenan, managing director of Divorce-Online, said: ‘Facebook has become the primary method for communicating with friends for many people.‘People contact ex-partners and the messages start as innocent, but lead to trouble.

Thirty-three percent of the 5,000 behavior petitions filed with the firm in the past year mentioned the site.
-Matzav.com Newscenter, January 2, 2012

Got your attention? Here's another attention-grabber for you. A troubling trend was revealed by a recent survey from The Barna Group. It said that born again Christians are just as likely to divorce as as non-Christians. Among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce. That figure is identical to the outcome among married adults who are not born again: 35%. Barna's figures show that nearly one-quarter of the married born agains (23%) get divorced two or more times! - cf. The Barna Group (http://www.barna.org)

The apparent reason? Evidently many do not believe divorce can be sinful. Although Bible scholars and teachers point out that Jesus taught that divorce was a sin unless adultery was involved, few Americans buy that notion. Only one out of every seven adults (15%) strongly agreed with the statement "when a couple gets divorced without one of them having committed adultery, they are committing a sin." A majority of both Protestants (58%) and Catholics (69%) disagreed that divorce without adultery involved the commission of sin. - ibid.

A survey like this reveals the need for a constant reminder of what God has spoken concerning divorce. God hates divorce, and the reasons why He has made that clear are first revealed to us in the Old Testament. Let's begin with how they are implied in the OT by Moses. Note carefully Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Moses forbid the first husband taking his wife back after she had remarried (even if her second husband died). The reason: despite the bill of divorce from the first husband, marriage to the second husband had 'defiled' her (Deuteronomy 24:4)!

Notice these comments by Keil & Delitzsch... "The second marriage of a woman who had been divorced is designated by Moses a defilement of the woman...a moral defilement, i.e., blemishing, desecration of the sexual communion which was sanctified by marriage, in the same sense in which adultery is called a defilement in Leviticus 18:20 and Numbers 5:13,14..."

"Thus the second marriage of a divorced woman was placed implicit upon a par with adultery, and some approach was made towards the teaching of Christ concerning marriage (Matthew 5:32)..." In the words of Moses, we begin to see why God hates divorce: it can lead to moral defilement akin to adultery!

Now let's have a look at what God said about divorce as it is declared in the OT through Malachi. Note carefully Malachi 2:13-16. God did not receive the sacrifices of the priests because they had divorced their wives. God makes it clear that He hates divorce, and gives the reason why (Malachi 2:16. God hates divorce because:

a. It covers one's garment with violence;
b. It treats one's spouse with treachery.

In the words of God Himself, divorce is a violent and treacherous act; to which many innocent spouses and the children of divorce can testify! Christians do well to seriously consider these words in the OT (cf. Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Even more so, they should pay careful heed to what God has said about divorce as it is revealed in the New Testament. First, we will examine this through the teachings of Christ. Note carefully Matthew 5:31-32. Many scribes and Pharisees taught that divorce was permissible for any reason, as long as a certificate of divorce was granted Jesus taught that divorce led to adultery, unless fornication was the cause of divorce.

Next, note carefully Matthew 19:3-9 (cf. Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). The Pharisees thought that divorce was permissible, as long as a certificate of divorce was granted. Jesus first explained that Moses' permitted divorce because of the hardness of their hearts, but it was not God's will from the beginning (of creation). Jesus then provides the only ground for divorce without it leading to adultery: if the innocent spouse puts away his or her spouse for fornication (Matthew 19:9). Jesus allows only one reason for divorce: when a spouse is guilty of fornication!

Secondly, let's continue to examine God's NT feelings about divorce in the Epistles of Paul. Note carefully Romans 7:1-4. Here Paul is using what the Law taught on marriage for the purpose of illustration. Even the Law taught that a woman was bound to her husband for life. Even if she legally divorced her husband, she became an adulteress when she remarried.

Now, note carefully 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. Paul reminds them of what the Lord Himself taught (1 Corinthians 7:10-11): A wife is not to depart her husband; a husband is not to divorce his wife. If a wife leaves her husband, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled.

In addition, Paul reveals more concerning marriages with unbelievers in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16. First, that believers are not to divorce unbelieving spouses if they are willing to live with them. And that if unbelieving spouses depart, believers are not in bondage (to fulfill their marital obligations, in my opinion). Paul reinforced Jesus' teaching on divorce, and permitted separation only when initiated by an unbeliever!

In closing, from what we have briefly considered, the following can be gathered:

a. God intends for marriage to be for life;
b. God hates divorce, for it is a violent and treacherous act;
c. He does not release the married from their marriage simply because they get a divorce;
d. Unless divorce is for the grounds of fornication, any remarriage results in adultery!

And we do well to remember what is said about fornicators and adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).

So what can be done to stem the tide of divorce? It requires commitment to the following:

a. Obeying God's Word concerning marriage and divorce (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46);
b. Loving the spouses of your youth (Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 5:18);
c. Applying commands concerning husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:4).

Otherwise, it will be fruitless to claim to be followers of God (cf. Psalm 50:15-23). If we are guilty of causing adultery by divorcing, or are in an adulterous marriage, there is forgiveness for those who repent (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), though it may require celibacy (cf. Matthew 19:10-12)!

Prayer:

God, create within us a hunger and a desire for each other and to surrender all that we are and all that we have to one another. Give us a heart to seek only after You and serve You all the days of our lives. I ask that we would love and obey Your Word, building our lives, marriage, and family on its truth forever. Amen
(Genesis 2:24-25; Proverbs 5:19-20; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 119:97)

May God bless you always,

Jeanine