1 Samuel 27:1

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

GOD, DIVORCE, AND APOSTASY
MALACHI 2:10-16

Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? ¹¹ Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. ¹² As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts.¹³ And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. ¹⁴ Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. ¹⁵ But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no onedeals treacherously against the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

Vs. 10Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? The commentators and the Jewish Rabbis came up with four individuals that could fill this term Father. The first man Adam from whom all the individuals on the earth came, or Abraham the father of the Jewish people, or Jacob the father of Israel, and God who is the Father of all by creation. This situation exists because some translations have the ‘F’ in father capitalized, and others do not (Father=God). I believe the context bares out that this is God and the ‘F’ should be capitalized. This does not imply the universal fatherhood of God or that God is going to save everyone—since we are made in the image of God we must deal honestly and faithfully with everyone. Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? Israel was a nation witheveryone related by blood, they had God’s commands and law as to how they were to live. The men were to marry Israelite women and the women were to marry Israelite men, this blood line was not to be broken. The Israelite men were divorcing their wives and marrying pagan women for various reasons. Treacherously means the covenant was being violated, allegiancy or faith pledged were being betrayed and trust was violated by divorce, the men were faithless that married foreign wives. This in turn would the nation into idolatry, the guilt of which brought Israel into the captivity they and their fathers had just experienced. Notice the opening rhetorical questions, do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? These questions set the stage for what is to follow, to generate a sense of covenant unity among the nation.

Vs. 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. By marring the daughter of a strange god, the man has cut himself off from the holy nation (Israel). He has broken the covenant and God will not own him as belonging to His nation. Consider, the marriage vow is the most solemn, official commitment that a man or woman can make. God established marriage when He brought Eve to Adam and told them to be fruitful. In the normal course of events the wife keeps the living quarters clean and livable, she does the necessary laundry, prepares the food for the family to eat, cares for the children and loves her husband. These daily chores keep her busy and they find their joy in being a wife and fulfilling the commitment they made in marriage. Now the man finds a younger woman who has not labored as his wife has, so he writes his wife a bill of divorce and her life is made very biter to her. She weeps in her distress; the marriage covenant is broken. All the years of married life are shoved aside, the joys she shared with her husband with a oneness are forgot, when he needed encouragement she was the one that gave it to him, all she has is tears as she sees everything she has worked for gone. This is truly treacherously as the LORD God and the wife have been betrayed and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 

Vs. 12 As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts. For the man breaking the marriage covenant, everything in his house shall be cut off. The Hebrew text is ‘him that is awake, and him that answers him that calls by name or watches’ in our translation is everyone who is awake and answers or who presents an offering to the Lord of armies (or hosts). Everyone, who is guilty, whether prince, prophet, or priest and shall be cut off to include scribes and lawyers so as to protect the commonwealth of Israel. We have already seen what this type of action accomplishes in Judah, it’s the means of bringing idolatry back into the people and must be dealt with, quickly and severely or corruption will follow.

Vs. 13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Malachi tells them God no longer has any regard for their offerings and will not have His altar covered with tears and sighing. But the divorced wives do weep on the altar before the LORD complaining over the injury that was done to them. The altar no longer has animals offered on them for sacrifice because the LORD refuses to regard the offerings anymore or receives it with good will. But the LORD takes notice of their actions and follows up accordingly.

Vs. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. The man and the wife are no longer two separate individuals they are one flesh. As Adam said of Eve, she was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. God observes the man and the wife of his youth, the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth. If you try to forget the marriage covenant made before God, He remembers. The wife is one flesh with her husband, she has been a partaker of what he has; a partner in adversity and prosperity; a companion in life and ought to remain married until death parts them. They worshiped together and whom God has put together let no man put asunder. To put her away is a breach of the marriage covenant, and God hates divorce.

Vs.15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring?   Take heed then about your spirit and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth. As I said earlier, Adam before, his fall, was joined to Eve in covenant relationship as God brought Eve to him. God made just one woman, Eve, for Adam and she was bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she hall be called woman, because she was taken out of man (Genesis 2:23). After his fall, Adam still had a remnant of the Spirit and Eve was still his life’s companion, they could freely talk to each other. After hearing from God about the woman’s Seed being able to crush the Serpents head, both Adam and Eve were seeking a godly offspring. Adam continued with Eve, we have no record of him taking another wife, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth. The men of Israel were warned against sin by history, which they all knew.

Vs. 16 “For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with wrong.” Says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. Because of the hardness of some men’s heart divorce was allowed, but not approved, For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel.” Divorce does open injury to the wife, even though the husband pretends it has all been according to the law.  His error is seen and just as plain as the garment on his back and him who covers his garment with wrong. Part of the marriage ceremony was for the man to cover his bride with his garment. Malachi then ends this with a severe warning, so take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

Is there Love after Marriage?

In our modern Western society, love in some description has the priority and seems to possess a certain power or authority and is considered unanswerable with many. “But we love each other!” is meant to express something that is powerful, unanswerable and final—whatever love means in such a context! The idea that a young person is to “follow his or her heart” in irrational.

In Oriental societies love was thought to follow marriage, and the married couple were to learn to love each other. Certainly, infatuation and romantic love before marriage is not the same nature or fulness as marital love. In our society both professing Christians and non—Christians have a 50% divorce rate. Evidently, in our society the discoveries which occur in a married love do not have the power of a romantic love.

Biblical love and marriage were meant to be very practical. The husband and wife became a working couple together under God. Children were born and wealth accumulated. When romantic love is divorced from married love, it reveals itself to be irrational, irresponsible and ultimately immoral. Extracted from Dr Downing’s writings

Catechism Question 50
Q: Which is the first commandment?
A:  The first commandment is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.