Who's idea divorce was, in the first place?

The origin of divorce contrary to general opinion was ordained by God! He was the originator and inventor of it, no matter if we like it or not. God, who is a loving God ordained it as the solution to the dilemma arising from the occasion of someone being unfaithful to his or her spouse. He did it for loving reasons as we will see further on.

Deuteronomy 24:1

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house.

This is part of the law of God. You may be shocked by reading this, especially if you are a churchgoer, but it's better to burst our bubbles of hypocrisy. God never opposed to divorce, and more to Christian divorce , on the contrary he is the originator of it.

I know that all the people who oppose it, by all means, do it in the name of the Lord, but we must use both our reason and God's word on divorce and not our own biased opinions.

The view that God is opposed to all divorce has a sad and bitter consequences. A vast number of married couples living together under severe conditions, unloving and unforgiving, full of bitterness, tensionand hate and most important of all having being or continue to be unfaithful to each other. Nervous breakdowns, ruined lives, insanity and sometimes even murders and suicides.

In our modern world some of the views held by the scriptures may sound old-fashioned or even cruel but we must see them both in their historical context and on the context of God's justice.

Read the verse again. What do you think?

If you are a man, you might even think "Wow, I like that, I don't favour HER aymore" - exactly what the Pharises said years after.

If you are a woman you might think "How cruel! what does he mean no favour in his eyes?"

Now think again...

What where the alteratives back then? to have your wife stoned to death,to throw you out of the house -with out the bill of divorcement- in a men's world, with the only alternative to support yourself being to work as a prostitute or a beggar.

What do you think uncleaness meant back then? that she did't clean the house well? we all know what it means...

The idea of divorce was originated by God for another reason - mixed marriages.

Let's see a example. Do not forget that this is still the Old testament, His people are under the Law.

Ezra 10:2-3

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, [one] of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

This incident happened during the times of one of Israel's awakening. After years of practicing error and dissobediance, in the days of Ezra, the people woke up. One of their matters of sinning was that of "the strange wives." God was very clear that the Hebrews should not marry pagan strangers. That was done in order to preserve the blood line of the coming Meshiah, so He had a pretty good reason for comanding so.

In the previous passsage Shechaniah prescribed divorce as the one and only solution, he actually called it hope! As you will see in the next verse God's wrath was hold because of the divorces. Those who belive that God is opposed to divorce should better think twice.

Ezra 10:14

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

God was very clear, He had forbidden His people to intermarry with the people of Canaan and especially His priests. They, as we usually do, disobeyed Him and that had as a direct consequence the departure of God's favour. The only thing they could do was to dissolute each and every one of these mixed marriages - divorce.

And that is what divorce is all about - the legal dissolution of a legal marriage.

Some things do not change... God still does not like mixed marriages.

In a portion of scripture that is addressed to believers - Christians

2 Corinthians 1:1a

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, unto the church of God ...

the Apostle Paul says

2 Corithians 6:14a

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Some things DO change, however. God does NOT demad divorce in our days. If the case is that you are married to a unbeliever, God does not command you to divorce, just in case you do though... He is not displeased. Let us read:

1 Corinthians 7:12-13

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

This is easy to understand. Just read it. If you don't get it at once, pray and read it again until YOU do.

If you have fanatics that preach hell over you, if you and he/her WANT to stay together let them with their falacy and let the peace of God rule in your heart.

If on the other hand you DON'T WANT to stay together and they preach that divorce is out of the question let them alone again and put the following verse in your heart:

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us to peace.

Please remember, under the law, divorce for infidelity was compalsory. You might forgave him/her but the divorce was on its way and there was no room for mercy. It was an absolute commandment. Take a look at

Mark 10:2-3

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away [his] wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

The Pharisees wanted to ensare Him to say the wrong thing, like many modern day Pharisees will do to you... follow the Lord's pattent in answering.

"Is it lowful to divorce?""what does the Bible say?"

answer them with questions...

What did He said though? "What did Moses COMMAND you?" and a commandmet is given to be obeyed, no room for personal opinions or views.

Let's see another incident that we can see that divorce was a command:

Mathew 19:7

They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

Do not let the verses confuse you. There was no alternative back then BUT there is now.We DO live in a day of grace. You and me can forgive and forget, we can divorce but only as a last resort, and that's ok with God. Just make sure that all other attempts to resolve the problems have been tried and failed, don't take it as a "licence to sin", or as an excuse for unfaithfulness.

Romans 6:1-2a

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid....

I do thank God that we do not live anymore under a merciless cold law. The power of the command to divorce is broken. We do have free will we just need to use it according to His standards

Romans 6:15

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

1 Corinthians 15:34

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame.

The command that we all must follow when troubles in marriage arise is one:

Colossians 3:18-19

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.

If most of the couples followed just this advice, there would be far less Christian divorces.

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

I believe by now that you do understand that the originator of divorce was God. That the divorce origins were ordained by Him. That there is a vast difference between then and now, which we will further see on this study.

And do not take my word for it, take God's word on divorce from His book.