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would not be divorce and its atten–
dant unhappiness.
Marital partners can learn how to
have a workable, happy marriage
relationship based on sound mar–
riage principies from the Bible. A
couple would then enter into mar–
ríage, knowing from the start that
their marriage was bound for life.
Divorce
would
not even be a consid–
ered alternative when marital diffi–
cultíes arise.
Don't Divorce!
If you are thinkíng about divorce,
consider this: Perhaps you did
marry too young. Also, perhaps a
baby soon carne along, tying you
down before you wanted to be.
Maybe you've made otber regretful
mistakes. Whatever the reason, di–
vorce is not worth the frustration
and heartache you'll have to go
through.
Maybe divorced friends say di–
vorce is nol all that bad, and you're
willíng to try it. Even so, there is a
more serious reason why divorce is
not the solution. To casually divorce
or sunder a marriage God has
joined and then remarry is to com–
mit sin (Matthew
5:31-32).
So says
the Holy Bible. For those marriages
that are really in such sad shape as
to be unlenable, separation, as pro–
vided by instructions gíven by Paul
in
1
Corinthians
7:
10-15,
is tbe only
alternative, not divorce.
God Never lntended
Divorce
When God made the first man
and woman and brought them to–
gether, he gave an unequivocal
command: "Therefore shall a man
leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife: and
they
sha/1 be one flesh "
(Genesis
2:24),
not an easily divided, easily di–
vorced two!
Jesus confirmed this. In his day,
people were divorcing just like they
do today, for any cause or reason.
Justas today, authorities felt marital
couples had a right to divorce. So
we read: "The Pharisees also carne
unto him [Jesus], tempting him."
PLAIN TRUTH May 1974
They hoped he would compromise
God's standard for the more popu–
lar idea that it's all ríght to divorce.
So they asked him, " Is it lawful for a
man lo put away his wife for every
cause? And he answered and said
unto them, Have ye not read, that
he which made them at the begin–
ning made them male and female,
and said, For this cause shall a man
leave father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife: and they twain
shall be one fles h? ... What there–
fore God hath joined together, let
not man pul asunder" (Matthew
19.:3-6).
But tbe religious leaders of that
'fhe basic
cause
of di–
varee
is
not knowing, not
understanding, and not
bel ieving that marriage
is
God-ordained for life.
day were not going to lel it go just
like that. "They say unto him, Why
did Moses then command to give a
writing of divorcement, and to put
her away? He sai th unto them,
Moses because of the hardness
[stubbornness] of your hearts suf–
fered [permi tted] you to put away
your wives:
butfrom the beginning it
was not so."
"And," further states Jesus to
show the seriousness of lhis,
"I
say
unto you, W.hosoever shall pul away
his wife, except it be for fornication,
and shall marry another, com–
mitteth adultery: and whoso mar–
rieth her which is put away doth
commit adultery" (Matthew
19:7-9).
Divorce is not the right solution
toan unhappy marríage. Those who
say il is believe contrary to the Bible
and principies of God.
God Hates Divorcing
God absolutely bates the world's
permissive, loose attítude toward
marriage. Human beings are not
animals. God never intended us to
be like animals, mating here and
there, with any and everybody.
There is a heavy indictment on
the world, particularly those nations
claiming to be Christian, yet prac–
ticing what the experts call serial
monogamy - marrying, divorcing,
remarrying. God thunders: "How
shall 1 pardon thee for this? Thy
children have forsaken me ... when
1
had fed them to the fu ll, they then
comrnitted adultery, and assembled
themselves by troops in the harlots'
bouses.
"They were as fed horses in the
morning: every one neighed after
his neighbour's wife.
"Shall
1
not visit for these things?
saith the Lord: and shall not my
soul be avenged on such a nation as
this?" (Jeremiah
5:7-9.)
Any nation that deliberately and
continually ftaunts God's laws, par–
ticularly a nation that calls itself
Chris tian, is flirting with dísaster.
How long can a people continue
to disregard the laws and values of
God in something as importan! as
marriage and get by with it?
Marriage is a covenant. Marriage
is God-ordained. Two of the ten
commandments, the backbone of
the law of God, deal directly with
preserving the sanctity of marriage:
" Thou shalt not commit adul–
tery . . . . Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's house, thou shalt not
covet thy neighbour's wife [or hus–
band] . .." (Exodus
20: 14, 17).
Jesus even magnified the law
against adultery: "But
1
say unto
you, That whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath com–
müted adultery with her already in
his heart" (Matthew
5:28).
Marriage was meant to be a lov–
ing, binding relationship between a
husband and a wife for life, sym–
bolic of the loving, binding relation–
ship between Christ and bis church.
The very purpose of human life is to
qualify for a marr iage relationship
as God, with God, in the Kingdom
of God. Please ask for our free
booklet,
Why Were You Born?
lt
will explain this purpose of life in
detail. Marriage is signi1icant and
extremely meaningful. God doesn't
take it lightly. Neither should
we. O
11