Good Morning Friends,
“Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’s
altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your
offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, ‘Why?’ It is
because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth,
because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of
your marriage covenant. Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit
they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard
yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. ‘I
hate divorce,’ says the LORD God of Israel, ‘and I hate a man’s covering
himself with violence as well as with his garment,’ says the LORD Almighty. So
guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.” (Malachi 2:13-16)
The people of Judah were guilty of turning their
backs on their commitments. They had turned their backs on their commitment to
the Lord, seeking other gods and worshiping them.
They had turned their backs on their
commitments to other people, not being concerned about their needs and taking
advantage of them.
They had turned their backs on their
commitment to their wives, divorcing them to take new wives that pleased them
more.
God was not pleased with the breaking of
their commitments. God considers commitment to be a serious thing. A marriage
commitment is a vow made to another human being and a vow made to God. God
hates it when that commitment is cast aside. He hates divorce because of the
pain it brings to people, because of the damage it brings in the culture, and
because of the disregard it shows for the vow that was made.
Divorce is not the unforgivable sin and those
who have already divorced can find mercy and grace in the Lord. But even better
than finding mercy and grace would be to find strength to repair a marriage
before it ends. God’s advice – “guard yourself in your spirit.” Divorce is caused
by a spiritual problem, a heart not guarded, a spirit not surrendered to the
Lord.
Spiritual health and growth is the best
protection from divorce, and any other breaking of faith.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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