The message of Malachi – God hates divorce
The following passage from Malachi describes God’s attitude to divorce.
Another thing you do: you flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, ‘Why?’ It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. ‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ‘and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,’ says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 2: 13–16).
The idea of covenant is a biblical concept used to describe the relationship between God and his people. It has been defined as an unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the conditions of their relationship.
3. There are two parties to a covenant, God and man; but man cannot negotiate with God, or change the terms of the covenant; he can only accept the obligations of the covenant or reject them. The prophet makes it clear that God sees marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. It is a relationship of personal obligation. Both husband and wife have given their word that they will be faithful to each other; they are committed to live together for life. As John Richardson writes in Sex, God and Marriage (1998), ‘This helps explain why divorce was so hated by God, since the term “covenant” also describes the relationship between God and his people. Moreover, the covenant between God and Israel in the Old Testament is itself pictured as a marriage.’
4. According to Malachi, Israel was concerned that God was no longer blessing them. Their prayers were not being answered because of God’s displeasure with their attitude towards marriage; they were breaking their marriage covenants and divorcing their wives. God was displeased and said, ‘You have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant’ (Malachi 2:14), thereby highlighting the underlying cause of all divorce. God told his people that unfaithfulness, which is a wider term than adultery, is the root cause of all broken marriages and the sin that leads to divorce. The prophet explains why breaking faith with their wives was such a terrible sin—because they had promised lifelong commitment to their marriage covenant, and God was the witness.
The underlying cause of all divorce is always the result of one or both partners being unfaithful to their marriage vows. In public they promise to be faithful whatever the circumstances, but because of selfishness they fail to keep the promises they made when they entered into the marriage covenant. So human waywardness and unfaithfulness lie at the centre of all marriage failure. According to Laney, ‘divorce is not only a violation of God’s original plan for marriage, it violates the marriage covenant to which the Lord is a witness. Divorce is treachery against life’s most intimate companion and is a grievous sin which God hates.’
5. Yet contemporary society sees divorce as if no one is at fault; it is no longer fashionable to speak of faithfulness to one’s marriage partner. Many people feel little compunction in breaking their vows when it is no longer convenient to keep them. There is no longer a belief that loyalty to a marriage partner through thick and thin, for better for worse, is important. Those ideals are portrayed as old-fashioned and outmoded. Instead when a husband or wife feel they no longer love their marriage partner, or the marriage goes through a difficult time, or they fall in love with someone else, then divorce becomes an option. There is little acknowledgement that human unfaithfulness is at the heart of all divorce. Yet the Bible is quite clear on this point and warns, ‘Do not break faith with the wife of your youth’ (Malachi 2:15).
God’s attitude towards divorce is clearly stated by the prophet Malachi. ‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ‘and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence...’ (Malachi 2:16). The God of the Bible, who instituted marriage for the good of mankind, hates divorce. Faithfulness is central to the character of God, he is faithful to all his promises and is faithful to his people. ‘If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself’ (2 Timothy 2:13). Even though we are unfaithful, God remains faithful to us. Marriage is a covenant promise to live together as man and wife for life, and faithfulness is the knot that binds husband and wife together. Implicit within the marriage covenant is the promise to be faithful to our children, to love and care for them. Divorce breaks the covenant promise of faithfulness to those who are nearest and dearest. Because it is the ultimate expression of human unfaithfulness, it is repulsive to the divine nature and God hates it.
Malachi goes on to explain that in the mind of God divorce and violence are linked. In God’s eyes, divorce is violence directed against our own family; it is violence against our own flesh and blood, violence against our husband or wife, violence against our children. There can be no more brutal act than perpetrating violence against our marriage partner and children who are dependent on our love and protection. The spectacle of the terrible violence unleashed by divorce is clearly visible to all around. Because divorce is violence against the family, it is hateful to God. He hates divorce because of what it does to the families involved; the devastation and suffering that result are highly displeasing to him.
In particular, God hates the suffering of the children involved in divorces. God hates it when a home is broken and a family shattered. God hates it when children are deprived of father or mother by divorce. God loathes the heartbreak of the children, and the loneliness experienced by the divorced husband and wife. It is not good for man to be alone and divorce results in loneliness. It is not good for children to be deserted by their parents, and divorce results in deserted children. It is unthinkable that God could have any other attitude to divorce. The message of Malachi is that God hates divorce.