THE OLD TESTAMENT ON
DIVORCE
Deuteronomy 24:1
“Suppose a man marries a woman and later decides that he doesn't want her,
because he finds something about her that he doesn't like. So he writes out
divorce papers, gives them to her, and sends her away from his home.
The old
testament gave a man permission to divorce his wife, if and only if he finds
something about her he doesn’t like… there is no perfect woman anywhere, this
simply means a man can marry as many women has he wants, he just divorces one
and re-marries another.
If any
man decides to follow this method of divorce and remarry, just because he feels
there is something about her he does not like, he will be married and divorced
more than 4 times in his life time.
But God
had something to say about divorce later in the scriptures…
Malachi 2:16
“I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel. "I hate it when one of
you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your
promise to be faithful to your wife."
This was a
straight forward statement made by God, why then do we like doing things God
hate??? If God our creator hates this thing, why do it?
God’s purpose for marriage
Malachi 2:15
Didn’t God make you one body and spirit with her? What was his purpose in this?
It was that you should have children who are truly God's people. So make sure
that none of you breaks his promise to his wife.
God’s reason
for marriage is to have GODLY PEOPLE… Children grow up in the knowledge of God,
to become his people…
Researchers
claim that not only does divorce adversely affect children during and
immediately affect children during and immediately after their parents
separation it continues to affect their mental stability well into adulthood…
will a child who has problems with metal stability grow up to be a good
ambassadors of God?
For all the
things God hates he always has a punishment for them for example
Malachi 2:13
This is another thing you do. You drown the Lord's altar with tears, weeping
and wailing because he no longer accepts the offerings you bring him.
Malachi 2:14
You ask why he no longer accepts them. It is because he knows you have broken
your promise to the wife you married when you were young. She was your partner,
and you have broken your promise to her, although you promised before God that
you would be faithful to her.
There is nobody
who doesn’t want his prayers answered, in the passage above God stopped
answering their prayers because they broke their promises to their wife’s.
let’s learn from the scriptures.
THE NEW TESTAMENT ON DIVORCE
Matthew 5:31
“It was also said, 'anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice
of divorce.'
Matthew 5:32
But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her
unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries
again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also.
This was quite
straight to the point….
Reasons for the Old Testament decision on
divorce
Matthew 19:7
The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to
hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?"
Matthew 19:8
Jesus answered, "Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because
you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation.
Matthew 19:9
I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than
her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman."
For those who are already married
1Corintians 7:10
For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife
must not leave her husband;
1Corintians 7:11
but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband;
and a husband must not divorce his wife.
1Corintians 7:12
To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife
who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not
divorce her.
1Corintians 7:13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man
who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on
living with her, she must not divorce him.
I want
we young people, to take our time before marriage… like someone said if you
rush into marriage you will rush out. Know God’s plan for your marital life, So
that you won’t say you made a mistake 5, 10, 20 years after marriage, and then
consider divorce. Whoever you get married to, it is for life, be it a
prostitute, witch etc. once you have made the promise in front of God and his
people, you can’t go back on it. DON’T
GET DECEIVED!!!
