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Breaking Faith or Bearing Fruit?: Looking Inward
Breaking Faith or Bearing Fruit?: Looking Inward
D
ivorce. It is an ugly
word… a sad word.
It is about something
breaking or fracturing
and can involve neglect, bruising or a
break in the wall of unity. It is a viola-
tion of someone or something that was
once whole. We in the Christian world
have primarily used the word for the
end of a marriage in the courts of law
and have taken the words of Malachi
and said, “God hates divorce.” Which,
indeed, He does. However, I would
suggest that we have not understood
our God clearly in this area. We have
severely limited His words to us and
in doing so have limited our obedience
to Him.
Most certainly, since the beginning, world… and it was good. In Genesis times can a wall of protection be
our God created man and woman in 2, we get some more information. destroyed before it cannot be built
relationship. God said, “Let us make Aloneness was declared bad, and a again? We have lost sight of the fact
man in our image, after our likeness: corresponding helper was needed. In that our God hates divorces of all sizes
and let them have dominion over… essence, we have two servants joined and kinds.
the earth” (Genesis 1:26). He created together to produce and bear fruit, Is it divorce to hide away every
a “them”—single, yet plural—which both living under the government evening while looking at pornography
means relationship. They were different of God. Instead, humans ignored behind a shut door and ignoring both
and yet they were one. He told them the governance of God in their lives wife and family? Is it divorce to batter
together to bear fruit—which certainly and put themselves in the place of a spouse with objects, fists or words?
means across all spectrums of human power. They took it upon themselves Is it divorce to bar your spouse from
life, not just children. Multiply—make to rule their choices, decisions, and any access to money? Is it divorce to
more of the beauty, the good that I each other. As a result, multiplying pour out rage and humiliation on
have made… make more in My like- and bearing fruit of any kind became your family and deceitfully present
ness. Fill the earth with My likeness. painful for all. By putting themselves a different face at church? Have you
Take care of it and command it for in the place of God—seeking what not, in the words of Malachi, broken
good. They were blessed abundantly they wanted rather than what He faith with your spouse and acted both
by God so they, in turn, might bless wanted—the joining of two as one is treacherously and deceitfully?
each other, the earth, and succeeding now marred. Divorce, wearing many God says, “For I hate sending
generations… multiplying the likeness different faces, entered the world. away… and he who hath covered
of God everywhere they went. Let’s do a bit of a word study. The violence with his clothing…” (Malachi
God directed humans to rule the word divorce means disunion (the 2:16). Do not all of the previously
earth and the creatures on it but said breaking of something) or a breach (a mentioned involve a sending away?
nothing about ruling each other. violation). It means to sever or separate Where did we get the idea that the
Ruling was for things outside the something or to neglect or cause a gap only thing we can call divorce is a
relationship, done jointly, and the in the wall. “Little” divorces happen piece of paper provided by a secular
outcome was to be fruit and a subdued all the time in many marriages—for court?
and nurtured world. Power was used years. How many times can skin be Years ago, I had a phone conver-
to bless both each other and the ruptured and still heal? How many sation with a pastor about a woman