13 And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand.
Malachi 2:13-16(AMP)
14 Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows].
15 And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth.
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate].
Bottom line: Divorce is NOT of the Lord.
Teaching
The scripture here talks about divorce and the Lord’s mind about it.
Indeed marriage is a good thing and he who finds a wife has found a good thing and has obtained favor from God, but on the other hand, the man who puts away his wife (divorce) and causes her to cry on God’s alter has his prayers and offerings to God rejected. The Lord says he hates divorce. This means that divorce is not an idea that comes from the Lord.
In the book of Matthew 19:1-9, some Pharisees asked Jesus the divorce question. They asked why Moses permitted them to send away their wives with a written note, and Jesus replied,
8 Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.
Matthew 19:8-9 (NIV)
It wasn’t God’s original idea.
In the book of 1 Corinthians 7, Paul an apostle of Christ expresses the mind of the Lord about this same issue;
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
1 Corinthians 7:10, 12 (NIV)
In every case, we see here that divorce is not the will of God, but of the devil. The bible says the devil come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). So we must avoid it at all cost. If it must happen anytime, you should not be the one who moved out or sent your wife away. Live at peace with all men (Romans 12:18), including your wife. The marriage covenant is too holy to be broken. God sees you too as one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Remember that this covenant involves not only your wife and you, but the Lord also, is the third party. So what the Lord has joint together in covenant, no one, not even you has the right to put asunder. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by the Spirit of the Lord], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly with your marriage mate.
Further study
- Matthew 5:31-32 [It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ]
- Mark 10:8 [and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.]
Reflection
- Do you know anyone who has suffered the experience of a divorced marriage before?
- What are some of the effects of divorce on children?
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of Marriage. Lord I pray that you take any spirit of divorce away from my family and loved ones in the name of Jesus. Amen.
