Divorce & Remarriage Pt. 1 Series

Malachi Series

Divorce & Remarriage Pt.1

July 14, 2013

Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction:

A God hates divorce . . . but He doesn’t hate the divorce’.

1 Divorce, at least in certain churches/circles, disqualifies people from ministry (typically being a pastor/deacon.)

a Other questions being?

aa Can a divorced person remarry in the eyes of God?

bb Should a woman leave her unfaithful, unbelieving husband?

cc What about abandonment? Abuse & Physical danger?

dd What are the biblical guidelines for divorce/remarriage?

ee Implications for the church?

b Anytime divorce & remarriage are studied/preached it can be counted on to be 1) Controversial 2) Emotional.

aa Divorce writes its misery on the partners, children, church.

bb Divorce has its own fruits (guilt, emptiness, loneliness, frustration)

cc Also, uncertainty (future relationships, ministries.)

2 Today, I do not want to look at what the traditions are of this church, but rather I would like to look at Scriptures, God’s Word has to say about divorce, remarriage.

a Malachi 2:10-16 (NASB) 10 "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 awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of hosts. 13 "This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with 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 one deal 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."

aa The men of Israel had began to divorce their lil’jewish wives because some other filly had caught their eye.

bb The fillies were “daughters of a foreign god.” v. 11

cc Paul in 2 Cor. 6.14-16, would call this unequally yoked. (Not about black/white/latino/hispanic/Asian . . . Lost/Saved.)

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NASB) 14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

b v.10, God made men & women for each other, establish marriages for the good of the human family.

aa What Israel was doing was contrary to what God wrote in the nature of His covenant!

bb As a result of their disposable view of marriage, God said these men were “cut off rom the tens of Jacob.” (2.12) Lit. Excommunicated from the rest of the assembly!

cc They were still going to “church”, offering sacrifices . . . but they weren’t happy (v.13)

dd I suggest they weren’t crying because of the sorrow for their sin but because God didn’t accept/ give blessing to their sin.

c God desired the Jews to be different that other people. Why?

aa Israel was called by God to be the channel for bringing the Messiah into the world, and anything that corrupted that stream would work against His great plan of salvation.

bb By marrying pagan brides, they were having kids that were spiritually confused, not loving/following YHWH.

B The Jewish men in Malachi’s day had broken their vows to God & to their wives.

1 They were treating their vows at if they meant nothing. (Sounds familiar)

2 I want to spend today & tonight looking at divorce & remarriage.

a Tonight is perhaps the more controversial of the two because it will deal with more specific guidelines than I will give this morning. (Adultery)