God’s View of Divorce
"For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously." (Malachi 2:16)
God hates divorce. No matter how cavalierly men may undertake it, no matter how our society may excuse it, no matter how simple the civil government may make it, God hates divorce. The act of divorce separates that which God has joined, a severance that Jesus strictly forbids. When the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"…He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matt. 19:3-6)
Under the Old Testament law God permitted the Israelites to divorce their wives, but He rebuked them when they did so maliciously and irreverently. (cf. Mt. 19:7-8) When Jesus came to earth He restored marriage to its original design by emphasizing its permanence and allowing only one cause for divorce with God’s approval. Jesus said, "…whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." (Matthew 19:9)
Many modern churches have surrendered the fight over divorce and remarriage. Many seem more interested in supporting and encouraging the divorcee than taking steps to prevent divorce and preaching against it as sinful. There is no question that we need to help those who have gone through a divorce, but there similarly should be no dispute that divorce, unless sought because of the infidelity of one’s spouse, is contrary to the purpose and teaching of God, and ought to be avoided by those who seek to be followers of Christ. –Joel Ellis