Read Malachi 2 Priests and Infidelity

For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers ones garment with violence. Says the LORD of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously. (Malachi 2:16)

Marriage is a covenant made before God. He hates divorce because it breaks a solemn vow and destroy what God instituted.

Gods heart desires repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation in marriage when faced with challenges and mistakes made. God gives permission for divorce in two circumstances. Sexual immorality is valid grounds (),

Significantly, misery, unhappiness, poverty, or incompatibilities are never given as grounds for divorce. Where there is danger or abuse separation is often in order in accordance with (), but the separated couple must live in complete faithfulness to their marriage vows, though they live as separate. God regards them as still married and any subsequent relationship is considered adultery ().

It covers ones garment with violence: Part of the marriage ceremony in Bible times involved the husband covering his wife with his garment as a symbol of the protection he brought her. But now, their garments were covered with violence. When a wife is forsaken or mistreated the man covers his own garment with violence.

This was Pauls point in : So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. Simply said, when you love your wife, you benefit yourself. Perhaps it is better to put it in the negative: when you neglect your wife, you neglect yourself, and it will come back to hurt you.

The reason why the priests dealt treacherously against their wife is that they did not take heed to their spirit. They allowed their hearts to become hard, critical, and embittered against the woman they were supposed to regard as their special, God-given companion in oneness.

Prayer: Lord Thank You for been with me through my marriage life. You have sustained me though I have fumble numerous times.

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