DIVORCE: Breaking Agreements When He Moves(Part 1)
Sin can be detrimental, hazardous, and progressive, imagine sin in its many forms all within the confines of a marriage. While I am not advocating for divorce by no stretch of the imagination, I do believe that biblically there is cause for it, even though scriptures do not endorse or support it. Though some Christians may read scripture, and leave with an understanding as to when they can divorce, the Bible will not tell you that you should. That being said, neither will I.
Whether an agreement is written, simply spoken, or we have given signet and/or signature to it, God expects us as His children to honor it. The reason being is that is how God operates with all honoring His word. As sovereign over all, God has responded throughout scripture when there has been an agreement to do evil. Through much long-suffering, He has allowed sin to increase. Bringing momentary pleasure but inward unrest, never long-term satisfaction to the offender. As a result of sin, many people experience mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual trauma. Partially to soften their hard-heartedness toward God and lead one or both parties to repentance and restoration. However, when there is unrepentant persistent evil, then history teaches that for those in agreement, God has either separated or destroyed and sometimes both. Some Biblical examples worth researching would be The Tower of Babel, Sodom & Gomorrah, Israel’s alliances with wicked kings, foreign wives, and idolatrous practices, Ahab & Jezebel, and Ananias & Sapphira.
On the contrary, as He who has committed Himself to the welfare of His people, God has delivered many from bondage when they seemingly resisted evil, remained innocent in the midst of evil, or rejected evil, choosing instead to follow Him. Some examples worth researching would be: Jehoshaphat King of Judah and his alliances that brought him near death (See 2Chr. 19-22), Abraham, Sarah & Hagar; Lot & Wife, Abigail & Nabal; and the future deliverance identified in the New Testament for believers will come at the separation of sheep and goat; and tares and wheat. More specifically, when it comes to the marital agreement (vows) we take, there have been times when God has allowed the believer to follow their reoccurring lustful pursuit even to the wedding altar. To pursue that lust into marriage would mean bondage and affliction for them, only to bring them to a place of tearful surrender to Him so that He might deliver them out. They are then to walk in submission to Him alone. This behavior from our God is throughout Israel's history, and He has not changed how he deals with His own (See Jer. 29:11-14; Isa. 54:5-8). God’s deliverance happens in connection with one's repentance or where there is a sorrow of heart. Yet I am learning God never does a thing for only one reason, but all of His purposes are right. He reserves the right to be gracious and to operate in mercy toward us.
“God does not stop operating as God simply because you are married, He will always do what He says He will do.”
As far as the severing of marital agreements goes, scripture shows us a few ways in which one is released from this vow: Through the death of a spouse (See Rom. 7:2-3), or if one in the marriage is an unbeliever, therefore, choosing to no longer remain with their spouse (See 1Cor. 7:15), or I believe through the persistent sin of sexual immorality against a spouse and God, can raise an angry God to fight on behalf of the one who stands on the truth to deliver them, even in marriage (See Psalms 34:17-19; 2Pet.2:7-9). The marital vows are for us, not for God. Since man came into being, God has never failed in keeping his covenants, commitments, or promises. However, since the beginning, we have struggled to keep His word and our vows to Him and one another. This tells us that He does not stop operating as God simply because we are married. He expects us to acknowledge Him as God by keeping the vows we make before Him and to one another sacred. God hates divorce, even as He hates sin, yet in all wisdom is He able to use it even as he does marriage to advance His righteous cause? Yes, He is. Yes, He does.
On the contrary, there are some who were just as wicked in their marriages as the spouse they accuse and therefore have sought to deliver themselves out of such union. The scriptures say, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Not who God has joined, but what God has joined. You ask, what has God joined? The man and his wife. God is not just responsible for the two identified genders but has ordained that those genders would come together to form one party. What God has established through joining is the marital union. The union between a man and the woman in whom he takes to wife (See Gen. 2:21-25; Mt. 19:4-9). In the law of God, one cannot deliver themselves out of the marital joining through a divorce without sin being present, and to do so would cause one to sin. (See part two for details). Without contest, to put something asunder that God has put together, and even to directly disobey a command that says not to is indeed sin. In the Psalms, we read: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." (Ps. 2:2-3). The joining of man and his wife is a band placed around humanity by God for their benefit and blessing. Holy matrimony, if honored, would bring goodness throughout all the land. Blessings of purity, righteousness, and holiness, through a band mandated by God for all humanity who have purposed to wed. It is sad to see such a beautiful and wisely established band being tampered with through confusion of gender identity, gender roles, perversion, and the exaltation of societal preferences. (Please continue to Part Two)
