DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
Text- Malachi 2:13-16
Introduction
Tonight I would like us to consider a topic that is Not only devastating people's lives within the secular realm of our society but also within the religious. Christians and non-Christians alike are experiencing it at an ever increasing rate. At one time you never would have heard about this happening to a member of one of the Lord's churches, but today it is a frequent occurrence. The topic I’m talking about is divorce.
I know this is a very serious topic and one that has the potential for hurting people even more than they have already been hurt. I want to assure you that it is not my desire to hurt anyone with this message. I am not here to judge you and I would also ask that you not judge me for what I am going to say tonight.
I don’t believe anyone has all the truth concerning divorce. Not even me. I know people say they do, but really, no one can tell us with 100% accuracy how to apply what God says about divorce to our lives today.
So, with great humility I am going to give you what I believe the Bible says about divorce and how I believe it should be applied to our lives today. In doing that I want you to know that there are several beliefs I have had over the years concerning divorce that I have changed after learning more from the Bible as well as listening to some good Bible teachers. I want to remain open to God’s leadership on this topic and also stay sensitive to way I present this topic to you. I also want you to know that this message is not personally aimed at anyone. I had no one in particular in mind when I put this message together. My only intention is to simply try to understand what God says. So, with that said, let’s look at our text which is found in Malachi 2:13-16.
Malachi 2:13-16 “And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 "But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." (NASB)
We can not understand how God feels about divorce unless we first understand how he feels about marriage. We must understand how God defines the union of a man and women in marriage before we can understand how he views their separation.
Genesis 2:23-24 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (NIV)
The key phrase is found in the last part of verse 24 which says, "and they will become one flesh." That means that when a man and women get married they are indivisibly joined together: One is the indivisible number! When a man and women gets married they are one spiritually, socially and sexually.
The verb "cleave" used in verse 24 reveals the nature of the marriage bond and shows that there is no termination point in marriage. The meaning of the word has to do with being glued together and in marriage a man and women become stuck together.
This same principle concerning marriage is also found in the new testament.
Matthew 19:4-8 And He answered and said, "Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?" 8 He * said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. (NASB)
Notice in particular verse 6 which tells us, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." The word "separate" is the Greek word used in the New Testament to refer to divorce.
Jesus also shows us in verse 8 that from the beginning God always intended for marriage to be permanent.
In fact, this was so clear to the disciples that they responded in verse 10 by suggesting it would be better not to marry than to get into something you could never get out of.
Matthew 19:10 The disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry." (NASB)
Now, going back to our text in verse 16 we find God saying, "For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "And him who covers his garment with wrong," says the Lord of Hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously."
Along with divorce, God says he hates "him who covers his garment with wrong."
Try to picture someone who is painting something black but they are wearing something white and the black paint splatters onto their nice clean white garment. When someone gets a divorce their garments have become splattered with sin.
Let's look further now at what the Bible says concerning divorce and remarriage.