GOD HATES DIVORCE!... WELL NOT ALWAYS!
How many times have you heard preachers shout or print in
bold large letters, GOD HATES DIVORCE!! Then they usual quote
Malachi 2:16.
Well BEFORE Malachi, if you are reading your Bible from
start to finish, you have the book of EZRA!
Ezra is weeping and casting himself down before the house of
God, and there assembled until him out of Israel a very great
number of men, women, and children, and they were all weeping
also. One fellow speaks up and says to Ezra, "We have TRESPASSED
against our God, and have TAKEN STRANGE wives of the people of
the land, yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Now let us make a COVENANT with our God to PUT AWAY all the
wives, and such as are BORN of them, according to the counsel of
my lord, and those that tremble at the commandments of our God;
and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for the matter
belongs to you...." (Ezra 10:1-4).
Ezra arose and did not eat or drink water; for he mourned
because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
Ezra finally stood up and said to the people, "YOU HAVE
TRANSGRESSED and have taken STRANGE WIVES, to increase the
trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord
God of your fathers, and DO HIS PLEASURE: AND SEPARATE YOURSELVES
FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, AND FROM THE STRANGE WIVES. Then all
the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, 'As you
have said, so must we do!" (verses 5-12).
Well Ezra and others, chief ones, of each house of their
fathers, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the
tenth month to examine the matter. And it is written they made an
END with all the men that had taken STRANGE WIVES by the first
day of the first month. It took a little while to see where they
had gone wrong.
Among the priests also had they taken strange wives, and
they gave their hands that they would put away their wives.
Now, for those who want to argue that "children" somehow
cement a marriage together, it would seem God foreknew this
argument for it is written in this same chapter, verse 44, "All
these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom
they had children!"
Now, do not misunderstand, in a perfect world, with perfect
child-rearing, perfect dating, perfect selection of mates, God
would have marriage "till death do you part." BUT the fact is we
are not living in a perfect world, under perfect law, with all
people of all nations serving and doing God's will from the
starting blocks.
The Jews under Ezra, had made mistakes, they had "strange
wives" - not that those wives had a physical blemish, or a
different color skin. The law of the law as given under Moses,
had no bearing on the color of skin; it was a much deeper matter
than that. The command is found in Deuteronomy 7:1-4. If you note
verse 4, you will understand the truth of the matter concerning
this law of "no marriage."
The Jews had fallen short. And in this particular situation
under Ezra, God saw fit to inspire what those Jews with "strange
wives" needed to do about it.
Now, yes this maybe a particular situation of the time that
needed to be put straight, and it does not teach that divorce can
be for just any reason that people "think" they have a "strange"
wife. I need to say this because sure enough some out there will
make the Bible say anything THEY want it to say, for their own
ends as to when they think their ends need to come first.
Yet at the same time, it must be observed that SOMETIMES God
does not HATE divorce!!
So what about Malachi 2:16.
Well I have covered all of it in depth in my study
called "Divorce and Re-marriage."
Now, maybe you need to go and study that study, and get to
know God a little better.
You'll find that study on this blog---- scroll back
......................
Keith Hunt (March 2009)
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