Musing – Does the Bible Prohibit Divorce?

Hebraic Musing – Does the Bible Prohibit Divorce?

What did God mean when Malachi recorded “’I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel,…” Mal.2:16 NIV  Considering the impact on broken homes and broken lives, no wonder Malachi, the prophet used such strong language!  Frequently, the word translated as “hate” often means “love less”; but in this case the underlying Greek word “sane” could have been translated “Odious” or “Enemy”.

I believe our marriages here on earth are to be a living foreshadowing of the LORD’s promise to His people – “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.” Hos. 2:19-20     Is this what Paul was telling the church in Ephesus?  “‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’  This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Eph. 5:30-32   Who is ultimately going to be our Bridegroom?

Interesting, God actually required divorce under certain circumstances – “Then Ezra the priest … said to them, ‘You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt.  Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will.  Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.’” Ezra 10:10-11   A powerful argument for pre-marital counsel and equal yoking!

And Moses anticipated Divorce, Separation and plural marriages when he authored the Torah -- “If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.  If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.” Ex 21:10-11   And Moses also said “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, …  she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and …, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled.” Deut.24:1-4

What did Jesus say on the topic of divorce?  “Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"    "What did Moses command you?" he replied.    They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."     "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.’ ‘ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."  
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.  He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.  And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."  Mark 10:2-12   

But Matthew remembered the rest of Jesus’ answer.  “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." Matt. 19:9 

A conservative Jewish approach* understood “unfaithfulness, abuse or abandonment” as the only valid grounds for divorce.  Thus Jesus rejected the idea of divorce for any reason which was taught by the Pharisees of the liberal house or school of Hillel; instead, Jesus sided with divorce only in stringently defined situations which was the view held by the Pharisees of the house of Shammai and the Essenes. 

Points to ponder  &   RSVP

How important is an equal yolk in marriage?   How important is Marriage Counseling? 
(I still remember lessons from our Pre-Cana conference 60 years ago which resulted in
 52 years of marriage before she left me for the perfect husband, Jesus Christ.)

In case of unfaithfulness, abuse or abandonment, would forgiveness be the Godly alternative?

And we did not discuss the damage done to children as a result of divorces!

Just because divorce might seem justified, does God like it?

♫  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ♫  Col 3:13

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                  September 10, 2019

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*  Note – Inspired by & excerpted from “Jewish Insights Into Scripture” by Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, p.18