Divorce in Gods Persfective By: Rev. Jesse Amiel A. Ramoso

Divorce in Gods Perfective

                  Due to divorce practices of a few ministers in the West, we wonder what the position of God regarding divorce is; is He Anti or Pro Divorce. For me God is Anti-Divorce because it is in His very Nature to be faithful and committed to us, Jesus His Son also faithful to His Bride "THE CHURCH".  This is the absolute promises of Jesus to his Bride, the Church. If Gods view is pro-divorce then we will expect that God will divorce us once we fail him, if thats the case then we will not also qualified to heaven.  Therefore, when God ordained first marriage in the garden of Eden, he said that the two shall become one and no one can put asunder in whatsoever circumstances or situations; Matt19:6.  Jesus commented the issue of divorce during the arguments with Pharisees and expert of the Law in the Temple. Mat 19:4  He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, Mat 19:5  and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? Mat 19:6  So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." But the Pharisee insisted using the reference that that there was a divorce reference in Deu 21:13-14  ...But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her. The Jesus answered in Mat 19:8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Jesus added in Mat 19:9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." Why Jesus said “because of your hardness of your heart”? There are at least more than two reasons for me to see in the scripture, let’s find out. First we need to understand that this passage “Deut 21” has a context, second during the time of Moses they don’t have separation of church and state, therefore the Law of the God and the Law of State was centralized and the Supreme Court was led by Moses alone, third the context of the term divorce is problematic.

              We can encounter in the Bible that the Law of the Lord “Ten Commandments” and the Law of Moses "constitution/Torah" is entirely different.  There must be a separation of Divine Law and Legal/Ethical Law. These two different laws complicate our understanding of the entire law of God. The Law of the Lord basically address to Ten Commandment, and this is what Jesus always refers in the book of Luke 10:27 and Matt 22:34-40 over the Greatest Commandment, the greatest dispute of the Law in Jesus time. Jesus summarized this into two commandments, Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbors as yourself. The Law of Moses is the reference always for the Pharisees and the expert of the law for legal transaction. That is why we always encounter the term “the Law of Moses and the Law of the Lord” in the New and Old Testament books. Example in the book of Jos_22:5  Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." Joshua classify the Law of the Lord and the Law of Moses, it means this is entirely different. The divorce case is not under the "Ten Commandments" because if thats the case then we will include commandment number eleven "Thou shalt divorce you wife when marriage does not work. Is this not conflicting to the sovereign will of God?  

            The passage of Duet 21:14 was the provision of those who were a hard headed men who wants to get a wife apart from Israelites women, this is already a violation of Gods law. Isaac took his cousin Rebekah as a wife, Jacob took his first cousins as his wives, therefore Israelites expected to do the same thing. Getting none a Jewish wife is a violation in Gods perspective, that is why today we are commanded to be unequally yoke with unbelievers “of the Words of God” because this is unfair for us; we follow the Word of God then our partners not? That is why to be tied up with unbeliever is unequally yoke, this means that if in extreme case what if your husband or partner committed adultery or immorality can you still be his/her partner? This is what it means unequally yoke, your partner does not fear God and you fear God, then this unequally yoke. You follow God God and your partner not, then this is living a hell on earth even you are a children of God.  That is why, this provision Duet 21:12-14 is exclusive and isolated only to those who were married to none Jewish women or foreigners, as Moses amended the law exclusively for these case to those “hard headed” people for them to divorce their wives, because in the first place this is not the will of God for them.

                 However Jesus made it clear that there is no divorce that is willed of God. It means, no exchange and return of partner once you are ordained a marriage vow. In Matt 19:9 this statement it sounds like Jesus approved the divorce from one exemption, and this is “except for sexual immorality”. Now this became a reference to many of our respected theologians in nineteenth century as I guess. But why Jesus said this passage in Matt 19:9? When he said it’s okay to divorce then it sounds like we will have a divine approval of divorce. Wait, the term divorce here that Jesus used was not patterned to our generation the way we understood the term divorce. There was a pending case of divorce in the Bible, and this is none other than the case of Mary and Joseph. Joseph plan to divorce Mary after he learned that Mary conceived a child. If we check the Greek meaning of (espoused^G3423 ) in Matt 1:18 it mean engage, therefore Marry and Joseph was that time engaged only.  Now Joseph in verse 19, wants to “DIVORCE” Mary. The context of divorce here is exclusively applicable to engagement level only, because Mary and Joseph was not yet registered and ordain marriage to during that time. That is why Joseph was supposed to be legally capable of divorcing Mary if the angel din not intervened. However if Joseph divorce Mary, Mary will be stone to death According to the Law of Moses Deut 22:20-21 because is guilty of the sin called immorality in the sense.      

           As we understand Biblical Divorce, we understood what comes to mind of God about divorce. Divorce in the Bible is not intended to re-marry or for division of conjugal properties and to be legally capable of being single. The Biblical perspective of divorce in the Old Testament result of stubbornness and mercy for those who live like hell with their marriage partners and Moses allowed divorce for them to restore the original plan of God to each family. Therefore do we agree on divorce today as this is already been suggested to the congress? When it comes to marriage we Filipino has the only unique law for these, ANNULMENT is worst than divorce. Why? Because in annulment you been declared as never been married in divorce you’ve declared divorced and meaning you have a former family and legally been married before. Annulment is lying and never assumed of the former family the annulled person been with.

             My personal position on this divorce is this; if you want to divorce for personal security against brutal partner then you can do this, but if your main intention is to re-marry then you are guilty of sinning the adultery and immorality. We can do divorce on legal aspect but this does not mean we are not guilty of adultery in God’s sight, because God is the pioneer of anti-divorce advocate. I am so sorry for those who are divorced and re-married I don’t have intention to attack you; I am just speaking in behalf of God’s word. Mal_2:16  The LORD God All-Powerful of Israel hates anyone who is cruel enough to divorce his wife. So take care never to be unfaithful!
         
               My personal advice to those who are experiencing a problem in marriage is first get spiritual, psychological counselors for marriage then if you still want divorce after counseling then ask this question; FOR WHAT? For what, if your answer is re-marriage then this is what God hates, if for protection and provision then I think you can do this without divorce. In this way you still give a chance for each of you to get together once you realized that you still love one another.

             That is why I advice always to singles who want to get married is that “if you cannot afford to love him/her to the point that you to die because of him/her, then go”, because when this question occur to the real life situation then you are determined to be faithful to unfaithful, loving to unloving, and caring to uncaring person till death do us part…

               Do not go to a legal procedure or divorce because this will not give an avenue of a second chance when time you realized that you still both love each other. Jesus will never divorce his wife “The Church” even His church is unfaithful. Therefore, as Jesus modelled the marriage life by giving his own life to the cross for his wife “The Church”, then as a husband you should love your wife even to the death, which is why marriage phrase known as “is till death do us part” is originated from God. God modelled this phrase before He commanded us, if God is pro-divorce then He might not send his Son to die for us “The Church” He rather divorced us. But the love of God cannot be overwhelmed by any amount of sin to His people, His still love us inspire; therefore when it comes to marriage love will rescue everything and divorce destroys everything even our own souls to hell.

Special thanks to the following:

1. Norman Holmes and Dr. Brian Bailey Zin Ministerial Institute New York and Philippines for the idea of Divorce case for Mary and Joseph.