“‘The man who hates and divorces his wife,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘does violence to the one he should protect,’ says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful” (Malachi 2:16).
Growing up, most of my friends had divorced parents. Out of all of my friends, only two or three actually had parents who were not divorced. This caused me to think it was a rite of passage for every married couple to get a divorce. Since it had become so normalized, I thought this was simply a normal part of life. Whenever my parents would get into an argument, which was often, I would often wonder if they would get a divorce.
Looking back now, this thought never actually scared me. Yet again, since I had seen it to be so common in my friend’s lives, I wasn’t scared of having divorced parents. My sister was much different, as the thought of having divorced parents terrified her. My sister is a year older than me, so maybe she had a better grasp of the issue, but nonetheless, she didn’t like the idea of divorce one bit.
Even though I became indifferent to the matter when I was younger, I now see how damaging divorce can be and how it goes against God’s design for marriage. God never intended for divorce even to be an option. When He brought Adam and Eve together, it was to be eternal. In the same way, each time a man and a woman get married, it is binding for this life. A man and a woman become one flesh when married, and they should never be separated (Genesis 2:24).
Unfortunately, despite God’s teachings in the Bible condemning divorce, it is still rampant. While it is biblical to get divorced if your spouse is unfaithful to you or they abuse you, it is not biblical to divorce your spouse for any and every reason. Instead, married couples need to know how to work through hard times, conflicts, and strife because they are now one together. What God has joined together does not need to be separated (Mark 10:9).
Divorce is a big decision for a couple, and it is one that is only permissible if one spouse has been cheated on or abused. If neither of these things has happened, you need to try to preserve your marriage. Even in the case of infidelity, you and your spouse can still repair the relationship if you both agree to do so. However, in the case of abuse, there is no reason to try to preserve the marriage, as your spouse will only hurt you again.
The Bible passage we are focusing on today instructed us to be on our guard and not to be unfaithful. Malachi 2:16 says, “‘The man who hates and divorces his wife,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘does violence to the one he should protect,’ says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.” As the Lord says in this passage, the man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect. These are weighty words the Lord is saying, and they should not be overlooked.
First, the Lord tells us that the man who divorces his wife hates her. This alone is enough to send a heartache to anyone. Secondly, the Lord says that the man who divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect. Husbands are supposed to protect their wives, yet when a husband divorces his wife, he commits violence against her. In other words, he was supposed to love, protect, and cherish her, yet he hates her and commits violence against her.
Husbands and wives, consider the words of the Lord. If you are thinking about getting a divorce, remember what this means. If you get a divorce from your spouse, you are making a public declaration that you don’t care about your spouse. Before anyone signs divorce papers, try to reflect on these words: “Be on your guard and be faithful.”
Your marriage can be preserved if both spouses want to do so. Strive for unity and peace as you work together. Even though many people think that it is okay to get divorced for any and every reason, it isn’t. Getting divorced for any reason is disobeying God, sinning against Him, and sending a clear message to the world. Rather than doing these things, be on your guard, be faithful, and truly love your spouse.
“Dear Lord, I have often thought about getting a divorce because of certain things my spouse does that irritate me. Please help me to reflect on Malachi 2:16 whenever these thoughts cross my mind. Help me be on my guard and to be faithful to my spouse and You. I give You all the praise. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.”
Vivian Brickerloves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.
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