“The LORD of hosts”
was unwilling to regard or receive the offerings and sacrifices from
the priests and people of the nation of Israel because they handled
them with contempt and dealt with their wives treacherously. The Lord
desired a “godly seed” through the nation of Israel, and
because they were not acting as “one” in their marriages
and following the spirit of God to do so, not only would there be no
“godly seed” but the nation of Israel would not be “one”
as an example to the world of God's love. In Malachi chapter two and
verse sixteen, the prophet Malachi records even more strongly how
“the LORD” “hates putting away” or divorce. We
read:
For
the LORD, the God of Israel, says that he hates putting away: for one
covers violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts: therefore
take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.
The
verse begins, “For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that
he hates putting away:” The
Lord twice warned the people to “take heed”
or “guard, observe and take care of” dealing treacherously with
their wives. He gives another reason for His demand here - “For”
which means “because, in light of, on account of” “the
LORD, the God of Israel, says”
- making sure that his readers know from whom this next statement
comes, “that he hates putting away”.
The word “hates” is
the Hebrew word “sane'” which means “hate or be hateful”, and
“putting away”
means “to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over,
cast out, divorce or impel”. Very simply put, “God hates
divorce”.
The
verse goes on to say, “for one covers
violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts:” “The Lord of
hosts” exposes those who
believe they are hiding their treacherous ways. He says, “for
one covers violence” which
means “conceals or hides wrong, cruelty, and injustice” “with
his garment” which refers to
his “clothing, apparel, and raiment”. As though they could hide
anything from the Lord, they “put away” their wives in a
concealed manner by which they thought they could hide their
“violence” against
them.
Finally
the verse says, “ therefore take heed to your spirit,
that you deal not treacherously.” The
conclusion to “the LORD of hosts”
statements against divorce and concealing their violence is two fold.
First they are to “take heed”
to their “spirit”
or “mind, will and emotions”, and secondly that they “deal
not treacherously”. With the
Lord's third admonishment against dealing treacherously, perhaps the
people and us have the warning clearly known in our minds.
There
is much to be written about “putting away”
and what the Bible has to say about it, and there is not enough time
to address it here. Unfortunately today “divorce”
is as prevalent as breathing, and there are many who have known the
pain of the process. In the days of Malachi, there were some who
believed they could divorce their wives for any reason – from
adultery to cooking their eggs in a manner that was unpleasing to
them. “The LORD of hosts”
declared that “He hates putting away”,
and as strong as those words are, they do not say that He doesn't
“forgive divorce”. Jesus Christ came to the earth as the “godly
seed” through whom God would
save all who would believe in His death and resurrection, and
although they involve themselves in things He hates, His reason for
sending Jesus was to forgive them when they disobeyed His commands.
Perhaps the words to this verse have stirred some to think about what
the Lord says, and they will ask Him for His help in their marriages.
For others, perhaps these words will allow them to see what the Lord
says about “putting away”,
and they will look for His forgiveness and healing to all who are in
need. Let the word of the Lord stand, and may all take heed to both
the things that God loves and the things that He hates.
Next
time the Lord talks about how the nation of Israel has
“wearied”
Him,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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