God Of Divorce

One mess in Christiandom is the misconstrusion of scriptures. It’s dangerous! Because Believers literally live these misread scriptures.

On the 8th of April, 2022, social media reported the death of Osinachi, singer of the popular “ekueme” song. The carriers of her story assert she was in an abusive marriage and wouldn’t leave because “God hates divorce”.

I’ve never really paid attention to the “God hates divorce” teaching, and I can’t recall ever hearing it in any church service I’ve sat in. Maybe because I wasn’t conscious of the harms “God hates divorce ” has caused and is causing.

I thought I should start looking out. No sooner had I taken this decision than I heard a pastor say to a group of people, “God hates divorce when…………”

I was quite a distance away so I couldn’t hear his follow ups but apparently, “God hates Divorce” is popular in Christiandom. Apparently, Christians are enduring physically and emotionally abusive marriages because, “God hates Divorce”.  

They say scriptures weren’t originally written in chapters and verses and that, it was introduced later for easy referencing. What does this mean ? It means that, not every verse can stand alone and still retain the central message being discussed. It means that, when we isolate verses, we may end up with totally different, most often misleading doctrines.  It’s the case for the “God hates divorce” sentiment. 

Apparently, Jewish men were cheating on their Jewish wives who remained faithful to them regardless, they were divorcing their wives just so they can marry as the Message Bible reads; “foreign women who worship alien gods”. Verse 11, 14, 15 and 16 of Malachi 2 reads;

11. “Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.”

14. “You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows”

15. “Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his.[b] And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth”

16.  “For I hate divorce!”[c] says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,[d]” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

So the whole of Malachi chapter 2 was God addressing a specific issue ! And obviously, it was more of “guard against the things that cause divorce because I hate it” and not “even if you’re suffering in your marriage,  don’t leave! for I hate divorce!”

What would God have people in abusive marriages do ? Fast and pray? Or sow seeds that’ll change their abusers?

Same God who run away from being stoned, wants us to endure abusive marriages because He hates divorce ?

Sometimes, people do not outrightly lack a belief in God or Christianity, the doctrines from our pulpits birth their skepticism.

A.J Kwame