No one knows how divorce began. The Biblical record shows that, unlike marriage, divorce was not instituted by God. There is no indication in the Bible suggesting that God introduced and institutionalized divorce after the Fall as part of His order for human society. Divorce is man-made, not divinely ordained. It represents human rejection of God’s original plan for the indissolubility of the marriage bond. Divorce was not instituted by Moses, nor was it approved as an intrinsic right of the husband. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 indicates that Moses sought to curb the evil of divorce by requiring the husband to give a bill of divorcement to his wife to protect her after her marriage to another man. The Mosaic concession does not alter God’s original plan for marriage to be a sacred, permanent covenant. It simply provides protection for the divorced wife when sinful hearts violate God’s original plan for marriage. Verse 15 is difficult to translate and interpret. If one follows the marginal reading of the Revised Standard Version (Has he not made one?), the text would refer to the original institution of marriage when God made and united two beings into one (Gen 2:24). In other words, God intended that marriage be the covenant union of one man to one woman in order for them to raise up godly offspring. Divorce, then, threatens not only the institution of marriage but also the security needed to raise a godly family. In verse 16, Malachi concludes by expressing God’s attitude toward divorce: For I hate divorce, says the Lord the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless. It is noteworthy that God hates divorce and not the divorcèe. As Christians, we should reflect Christ’s caring and compassionate attitude toward those who have experienced the trauma of divorce. Christ dealt graciously with the Samaritan woman who had been married five times (John 4:6-26). Malachi strongly emphasizes that divorce violates not only God’s original plan for marriage but also the sacred marriage covenant to which the Lord Himself is a witness. Divorce is a grievous sin which God hates because it represents a betrayal of life’s most intimate companion, a betrayal profoundly affecting the well-being of the family and community.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 20:01:03 +0000
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