Beth-El Baptist Church
10/23/05
Greg Tomlinson
Under what conditions can a Christian seek a divorce?
Currently the law in the United States regarding divorce and remarriage is wide open and available to all for any case. Divorce and remarriage is occurring at the same rate as or perhaps even at a higher rate within the church then outside of the church. The issue of divorce within the church needs to be clear.
Over the next couple of sessions the issue of divorce and remarriage will be looked at to understand what God has to say about divorce.
1. What reasons does the Bible list for getting a divorce?
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Moses identifies divorce given because of “uncleanness”. Her subsequent remarriage and later attempt to be reconciled with her first husband is considered an “abomination” because she is “defiled”. It is the second marriage that results in her becoming defiling. Therefore there is fundamentally something wrong with the original divorce in the first place.
2. What does “uncleanness” mean?
Genesis 9:22-23 – nakedness
Leviticus 18:6-19 – nakedness
Leviticus 20:11, 17-21
Deuteronomy 23:12-14 - unclean
Isaiah 20:4 – shame
Ezekiel 16:8, 36-37 – nakedness
Hosea 2:9 – nakedness
Uncleanness in its primary usage has to do with nakedness or sexual immorality. The picture that Moses gave was divorce as the result of grave sexual defilement. This would most likely be associated with adultery.
3. What does the New Testament say about adultery?
Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-9
Mark 10:2-12
Jesus raises the bar on divorce. The practice had come to the point that people were divorcing simply because he no longer liked her or found favor in his eyes. This would be equivalent to they “fell out of love”. The clause “saving for the cause of fornication” is often used to explain that divorce in the case of adultery is acceptable and well within Biblical grounds. However the scripture could be understood as not advocating divorce due to adultery but identifying the source of adultery. The association is that getting divorced is essentially equivalent to committing adultery, if there is a remarriage. The exception to divorce resulting in adultery is if adultery was already committed in which case the sin of adultery has already taken place. Getting a divorce will not be the occasion for the adulterous relationship. The reality remains though that adultery is the result of divorce and is not to be expected as the cause of divorce.
4. What does God think about divorce?
Malachi 2:16
God hates divorce. God likens divorce to someone who has committed a heinously violent crime and then tried to cover it up.
5. Did God ever sanction divorce?
Isaiah 50:1
Ezra 10:1-3
There are several places where God advocates “divorce”. The first case is where God divorced Israel. Note the reason for the divorce. Israel, the wife, played the “harlot” or prostitute with many lovers. This is not a one-time deal but a long methodical activity by Israel. She did not have only one lover, but many lovers.
Jeremiah 3:1-8
Hosea 1:2
Even for all of her harlotry, God still wanted her to return to Him. The separation and divorce between God and Israel was not because God wanted to get rid of Israel, for He still loved her, but it was Israel that wanted to be rid of God.
6. When should a Christian seek a divorce?
1 Samuel 8:7
Ephesians 5:31-33
1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 15
This question is always bothersome. Just the raising of the question carries the sense of self-justification. The desire for divorce is already in the mind, the only question is how to get out of the relationship and be considered ‘justified’ in so doing. Just as God’s view of his bride Israel was so is the Christian’s view of his/her spouse to be. To seek a divorce is equivalent to being unable to trust God to repair what is broken. It is the unbeliever that seeks for a divorce for their interest is in themselves and not in the other.
From a Biblical stand point, the only “justifiable” reason for divorce that people give is in the case of adultery. Even this case is questionable given the history of God and His people. The “divorce” was granted not because God wanted to give it, but Israel had a long history of illicit affairs and essentially demanded the divorce. They were divorced not because of the adulterous relationship but because Israel refused to leave the adulterous relationship and wanted to be separated from God as demonstrated by her actions toward God.
The breaking apart of a marriage by divorce is to be viewed as equivalent to breaking up the relationship between Christ and His church. They are to be inseparable. As people, we are imperfect and we have weaknesses, but to tear apart a marriage does not solve the problem but creates new ones. The Christian is to seek to lean on and trust God in all things, even relationships that are poor. It is important for the Christian couple to remember that they are one and as such when one marriage partner has a problem, both have the same problem. They need to humble themselves and seek to correct the problem.
Future time will be given to looking at how to respond and react to some problems that occur in a marriage.