But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s gar-ment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. You have wearied the Lord with your words; yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?” Malachi 2:15–17
The devil wants to destroy our homes, and he is not content to break up new homes; he is even going after the decades-long marriage that has always been happy, for he would be happiest of all to tear asunder such a home as this (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12). As we consider this topic, let’s set aside our own feelings about divorce and consider God’s. When the Jews returned from the exile, they fell again into the trap of marrying idolaters (Ezra 9; Nehemiah 13:26–27) and were even divorcing their Jewish wives to contract these illicit marriages (Malachi 2:11, 14). God told these Jews that He hates divorce (v 16). Why does He hate it so much?
“Did He not make them one?” (Malachi 2:15). God hates divorce because it is, according to Jesus, a severance of two things that God has joined together (Matthew 19:6) and because it mars one of the most beautiful things He created. When God made the universe, the only thing that was not good was man’s solitude (Genesis 2:18). When God created woman and brought her to the man, He Himself joined them (v 24) in a union that He hallowed and blessed. Malachi calls marriage “the Lord’s holy institution which He loves” (Malachi 2:11), one which Judah shamelessly profaned. God hates divorce because it destroys the very fabric of society. One of the most important roles of marriage is to provide a safe place to bring children into the world (Malachi 2:15; 1 Corinthians 7:13–14). One who casts away his wife wears garments covered with violence (v 16), for he has deprived her of all the good that He promised to provide.
What can we do to protect our marriages from divorce? Here are some suggestions: (1) Avoid anything that could harm this intimate relationship, including secrets (cf. Genesis 2:25), excessive debt (Proverbs 22:7), and close relationships with members of the opposite sex. (2) Put your focus where it needs to be––on God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). (3) Make sure your relationship is balanced, never neglecting the spiritual dimension (1 Peter 3:7) while you give all your attention to the physical and emotional. Remember that God loves marriage. It is always worth protecting and fighting for!
Just as the Jews’ enemies did in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 4:6–9), the devil will try to defeat our efforts when we get a mind to build. Some will mock us when we challenge the rules and mores of society. Some will treat us with contempt and even threaten us with social discipline. If we will have the moral fortitude to which Nehemiah inspired the Jews under his command and if we will put our undying trust in the Lord, we might just be amazed at what we can accomplish. When we learn to value our homes the way that God does, He will fight for us.