The Biblical Controversy
Divorce is not an option for me as a Christian. But, you may say, the Bible says that there is a just cause for divorce, does it not? Yes, true enough it does, but in close examination of what the Bible says about divorce, I would have to say that this subject is the closest it gets to a biblically controversial subject.
What does the Bible say about divorce?
Malachi 2:16 - “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.”
A law in Deuteronomy says that if an Israelite finds something indecent about his wife, he may write up a certificate of divorce and send her away. The Jews asked Jesus about this, and his answer was that “Moses permitted you to divorce because your hearts were hard, but it was not this way from the beginning.” He said in the beginning that “God created them male and female.” and “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Then he said, “What God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Matthew 19:9 - “Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 5:23 - But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become and adulteress and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Why does the man divorcing his wife cause her to be an adulteress? That doesn’t seem fair. I think the reason is the same reason why marital unfaithfulness is seen by Jesus as the only exception to the rule.
(There is one other exception for divorce besides marital unfaithfulness, but it is a misnomer because it only occurs when one spouse is not a Christian and wants out of the marriage 1 Corinthians 7:15).
Why is marital unfaithfulness the exception if God hates divorce? It is because marriage is a covenant relationship. It is a two way promise to live and love for the rest of their lives. It is important because God made a covenant relationship with Israel, and through Christ with us as Christians. In a covenant relationship, if one member breaks the covenant then the other is no longer beholden to it. If one breaks it, the other is no longer bound to it. That is why it is justifiable to divorce if there is marital unfaithfulness, because one partner or another has broken the covenant. Why Matthew 5:23 says to divorce makes an adulteress is probably because to divorce without marital unfaithfulness is an act of adultery in itself, and whether it be the man or the woman’s fault, it makes adulterers out of them both and anyone who tries to marry them afterwards.
But this is not the end of the issue as I see it. The legalistic matter is closed. It is within ethical bounds to divorce if and only if marital unfaithfulness has occurred, but I for one will not for any reason divorce my wife (unless it be of her will) even if there is unfaithfulness involved and I will tell you why. There was a man named Hosea who lived around 750 B.C. He was a prophet of God to the land of Israel. Many times God would tell these prophets to do or live as an example or lesson to the Israelites of what is going to happen or what is happening. Hosea was told to do something, and I think it reveals Gods heart for His people.
Hosea 1:2 - “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”
So he did, and he had a couple of children through her. The Bible is unclear as to what happened, but what is clear that there apparently was a falling out between Hosea and his wife, but that is where God’s heart shines through...
Hosea 3:1 - The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
So Hosea went and bought his wife back, from whom we do not know, but as far as we know from the Bible, Hosea was reunited with his wife and lived with her the rest of their days.
The importance is this, God’s people have been unfaithful to Him, yet he loves us so much that he does not give up on His covenant with us but wishes that his people return to Him and be reconciled back to Him. Another reason this is so important to me is because I can replace “God’s people” with “I”. I have been unfaithful to Him, yet He welcomes me back when I repent of my unfaithfulness and return to Him. That is why I will never divorce my wife, not when God has been so forgiving towards me.
This is the controversial side of it. Yes, it does seem that God has allowed divorce to happen in the case of marital unfaithfulness, but He does not seem to recommend it. Jesus said it is because our hearts are hard that divorce was conceded to us. God hates divorce. It is as if God is saying, I despise the idea of it, but if you must, then you are only justified in doing it if there is adultery (marital unfaithfulness) involved, but I’d rather you not.
This is what I would call biblically controversial. I for one agree with my God. I hate divorce.
Jared Williams
What does the Bible say about divorce?
Malachi 2:16 - “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel.”
A law in Deuteronomy says that if an Israelite finds something indecent about his wife, he may write up a certificate of divorce and send her away. The Jews asked Jesus about this, and his answer was that “Moses permitted you to divorce because your hearts were hard, but it was not this way from the beginning.” He said in the beginning that “God created them male and female.” and “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Then he said, “What God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Matthew 19:9 - “Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 5:23 - But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become and adulteress and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Why does the man divorcing his wife cause her to be an adulteress? That doesn’t seem fair. I think the reason is the same reason why marital unfaithfulness is seen by Jesus as the only exception to the rule.
(There is one other exception for divorce besides marital unfaithfulness, but it is a misnomer because it only occurs when one spouse is not a Christian and wants out of the marriage 1 Corinthians 7:15).
Why is marital unfaithfulness the exception if God hates divorce? It is because marriage is a covenant relationship. It is a two way promise to live and love for the rest of their lives. It is important because God made a covenant relationship with Israel, and through Christ with us as Christians. In a covenant relationship, if one member breaks the covenant then the other is no longer beholden to it. If one breaks it, the other is no longer bound to it. That is why it is justifiable to divorce if there is marital unfaithfulness, because one partner or another has broken the covenant. Why Matthew 5:23 says to divorce makes an adulteress is probably because to divorce without marital unfaithfulness is an act of adultery in itself, and whether it be the man or the woman’s fault, it makes adulterers out of them both and anyone who tries to marry them afterwards.
But this is not the end of the issue as I see it. The legalistic matter is closed. It is within ethical bounds to divorce if and only if marital unfaithfulness has occurred, but I for one will not for any reason divorce my wife (unless it be of her will) even if there is unfaithfulness involved and I will tell you why. There was a man named Hosea who lived around 750 B.C. He was a prophet of God to the land of Israel. Many times God would tell these prophets to do or live as an example or lesson to the Israelites of what is going to happen or what is happening. Hosea was told to do something, and I think it reveals Gods heart for His people.
Hosea 1:2 - “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”
So he did, and he had a couple of children through her. The Bible is unclear as to what happened, but what is clear that there apparently was a falling out between Hosea and his wife, but that is where God’s heart shines through...
Hosea 3:1 - The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
So Hosea went and bought his wife back, from whom we do not know, but as far as we know from the Bible, Hosea was reunited with his wife and lived with her the rest of their days.
The importance is this, God’s people have been unfaithful to Him, yet he loves us so much that he does not give up on His covenant with us but wishes that his people return to Him and be reconciled back to Him. Another reason this is so important to me is because I can replace “God’s people” with “I”. I have been unfaithful to Him, yet He welcomes me back when I repent of my unfaithfulness and return to Him. That is why I will never divorce my wife, not when God has been so forgiving towards me.
This is the controversial side of it. Yes, it does seem that God has allowed divorce to happen in the case of marital unfaithfulness, but He does not seem to recommend it. Jesus said it is because our hearts are hard that divorce was conceded to us. God hates divorce. It is as if God is saying, I despise the idea of it, but if you must, then you are only justified in doing it if there is adultery (marital unfaithfulness) involved, but I’d rather you not.
This is what I would call biblically controversial. I for one agree with my God. I hate divorce.
Jared Williams
