F-21. DOES GOD HATE DIVORCE?

SPELLING EDITED

What does Malachi 2:26 TRULY mean? Some Bible translations read as if God HIMSELF hates divorce while other translations read that it is the HUSBAND which is the one who hates his WIFE and divorces her. Let us read some Bible translations where it is the husband who is that one who is doing the HATING and NOT that it is God who hates divorce.

New International Version

Malachi 2:16 from the NIV.

“ ‘The man who hates and divorces his wife,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘does violence to the one he should protect,’ says the LORD Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.”

English Standard Version

Malachi 2:16 from the ESV.

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Christian Standard Bible

Malachi 2:16 from the CSB.

“ ‘If he hates and divorces his wife,’ says the LORD God of Israel, ‘he covers his garment with injustice,’ says the LORD of Armies. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Malachi 2:16 from the HCSB.

“ ‘If he hates and divorces his wife," says the LORD God of Israel, ‘he covers his garment with injustice,’ says the LORD of Hosts. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously.”

Jubilee Bible 2000

Malachi 2:16 from the Jubilee Bible 2000

“He that rejects her, sending her away, said the LORD God of Israel, covers the violence with his garment, said the LORD of the hosts; therefore take heed in your spirit, and do not be treacherous.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation

Malachi 2:16 from the BST.

“But if thou shouldest hate thy wife and put her away, saith the Lord God of Israel, then ungodliness shall cover thy thoughts, saith the Lord Almighty: therefore take ye heed to your spirit, and forsake them not,”

Douay-Rheims Bible

Malachi 2:16 from the Douay-Rheims Bible.

“When thou shalt hate her put her away, saith the Lord the God of Israel: but iniquity shall cover his garment, saith the Lord of hosts, keep your spirit and despise not.”

So then, all of these Bible translations put the HATE on the human man or on the HUSBAND of the wife and NOT on God HIMSELF as hating “divorce”. In other words, some Bible translations read that it is the husband who is the one doing the HATING, And it is the WHO is being hated as opposed to the WHAT that God Himself hates. It is the husband who hates his WIFE and puts her away or divorces her. So then, from these Bible translations, we can see that it is not God's WILL or desire for a man and a woman to get a divorce but God does NOT HATE divorce. And from other verses of Scripture which we will get into later on in this study, we can see that God ALLOWS Christians married couples to get a divorce under certain circumstances.

Now, the King James Version does not translate the Hebrew word “shâlach” as “divorce” but rather uses the meaning of this Hebrew word as “putting away”. Here is how E-Sword defines the Hebrew word “shâlach”.

H7971

שָׁלַח

shâlach

shaw-lakh'

A primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications): - X any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).

Total KJV occurrences: 848

You can see that the word “divorce” is not in the definition of this Hebrew word but the ACT of “putting away” is what the word divorce means. There is another Hebrew word that is translated as “DIVORCE” and you have to ask yourself WHY the Holy Spirit inspired the author to use this particular Hebrew word “shâlach” as opposed to the other Hebrew word “kerı̂ythûth” that has the meaning of divorce in the definition of the word.

H3748

כְּרִיתוּת

kerı̂ythûth

ker-ee-thooth'

From H3772; a cutting (of the matrimonial bond), that is, divorce: - divorce (-ment).

Total KJV occurrences: 4

Also, the way this verse is worded in the KJV, the hating is being done by Almighty God and not by the husband. So the question that I have is does God hate “divorce” or does God hate the “PUTTING AWAY” of something else? I will explain what I mean by Almighty God hating the putting away of “something else” as we continue this study in God’s word. But first, let us read Malachi 2:17 from the King James Version.

Malachi 2:16 from the King James Version.

“For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”

So then, to me, many questions arise as to what Malachi 2:10-17 TRULY means in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. In other words, any interpretation that one concludes that Malichi 2:16 means must AGREE with the rest of God’s word. And any interpretation of Malachi 2:16 that disagrees or even contradicts any other verse of Scripture in the Bible then those interpretations are NOT SOUND Biblical interpretations.

Let us begin our search for the truth by examining the Hebrew words in Malachi 2:16 one at a time. The Hebrew word translated as “hate” also means “odious” or UTTERLY odious.

H8130

שָׂנֵא

śânê'

saw-nay'

A primitive root; to hate (personally): - enemy, foe, (be) hate (-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.

Total KJV occurrences: 146

The X utterly means odious multiplied or magnified to the extreme meaning of the word odious. And the English word “odious” means extremely unpleasant; repulsive. And here are some similar utterly strong meanings of the word “odious”. Revolting, repulsive, repugnant, disgusting, offensive, vile, abhorrent, detestable, abominable, monstrous, appalling, deplorable, insufferable, intolerable, unacceptable, despicable, unspeakable, noxious, obscene, gruesome, horrendous, heinous, atrocious, ghastly, beastly, and disgustful.

Now, I chose the harsh meanings of the word hate because hate is a STRONG word for something that is displeasing. I did this for a reason because there is, indeed, something that God strongly hates in verse 16 which has to do with a husband dealing “TREACHEROUSLY” with his wife. So let us take a closer look at the Hebrew word translated as “treacherously” in the King James Version. Here is how E-Sword defines the Hebrew word “bâgad”.

H898

בָּגַד

bâgad

baw-gad'

A primitive root; to cover (with a garment); figuratively to act covertly; by implication to pillage: - deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress (-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful (-ly, man), X very.

Let us look at the meaning of the English word to PILLAGE. It means to ROB someone using VIOLENCE and a similar word used to define pillaging is the word RAPE. Now, we all know what the word rape means but in some Gentile pagan cultures it is not wrong in their society for a husband to rape his wife. NOT SO in the eyes of God. God HATES the sin of rape.

Now, what I believe as one valid and possible meaning of Malachi 2:12-17 is that SOME of the children of Israel learned from the pagan culture was that some of the pagan husbands raped their wives and this pagan practice sounded appealing to some of the men of Israel. BUT their “spirit” would not allow some of them to force their wife to pleasure them so they turned the truth of God into a lie by calling that which God hates as being good and not a sin. In other words, they reasoned away their sin of pillaging or raping their wives using violence and fear.

But I ALSO believe that there is yet another sound Biblical interpretation of Malichi 2:16.

Let us now read the ending context of chapter 2 to see this other sound Biblical interpretation by reading Malachi 2:17 from the KJV and then we will do some cross-referencing of this verse to compare Scripture with Scripture. By the way, the context of Malachi 2:16 actually CONTINUES into Malachi chapter 3 which we will cover shortly.

Here is Malachi 2:17 from the King James Version.

“You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you SAY, Everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?”

Please notice that Yahweh is wearied with or by their WORDS. Also, notice what some of the husbands were saying. They were calling their sin GOOD and they were saying that God would not judge them for doing what they felt was good and natural for them to do. Now let us compare Scripture with Scripture to verse 17 in Malachi chapter 2.

Please read Isaiah 5:18-20.

“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19. That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

20. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Also, read Ecclesiastes 8:11.

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

Now read Zephaniah 1:12.

“And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

And then read part of the CONTEXT of Malachi 2:16,17 in Malachi chapter 3.

Please read Malachi 3:13-15.

“Your words have been stout against me, says the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken so much against you?

14. You have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

15. And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.”

Now, after comparing Scripture with Scripture, we can see that some of the children of Israel, even though they knew in their heart that what they were doing unto their wives was a sin in the eyes of God, they reasoned away their sin of pillaging or raping their wives calling that which is evil in the eyes of God as being good. And by NOT obeying their spirit telling them that it was wrong to do, they continued to rape their wives and abuse their wives with VIOLENCE saying that God will not judge them because the pagan Gentiles are not being judged.

And when you understand these verses in this way you can see that God hates the PUTTING AWAY or the CUTTING OFF of the WICKED who make excuses for their sins.

Please read Ezekiel 33:11.

“Say unto them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have NO PLEASURE in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

God is begging the children of Israel to turn from their wicked ways. We know that God partially BLINDED his chosen people Israel during this present age so that he can at least save a REMNANT of the children of Israel by PROVOKING them to jealousy by providing salvation to the pagan Gentiles. This pushing away or causing blindness in part of his chosen people is not pleasing to God. Yahweh takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Now let us read Malachi 2:16 in this LIGHT of God hating the destruction, as in, the cutting off of the wicked on the Day of Judgment. First, we will read the King James Version and then I will paraphrase verse 16 using some other meanings of the Hebrew words in verse 16.

Malichi 2:16 from the King James Version.

“For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that he hates PUTTING AWAY: for one covers violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts: THEREFORE take heed to your spirit, that you deal not TREACHEROUSLY.”

Another meaning of the Hebrew word translated as violence is the word “WRONG or UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”.

H2555

חָמָס

châmâs

khaw-mawce'

From H2554; violence; by implication wrong; by metonymy unjust gain: - cruel (-ty), damage, false, injustice, X oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong.

Total KJV occurrences: 60

And another meaning of the Hebrew word translated as “with” is the word “AGAINST”.

H5921

עַל

‛al

Properly the same as H5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural, often with a prefix, or as conjugation with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications: - above, according to (-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through (-out), to, touching, X with.

Total KJV occurrences: 5683

And another meaning for the Hebrew word translated a “garment” is the word “WIFE”.

H3830

לְבֻשׁ לְבוּשׁ

lebûsh lebûsh

leb-oosh', leb-oosh'

From H3847; a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wife: - apparel, clothed with, clothing, garment, raiment, vestment, vesture.

Total KJV occurrences: 32

The word “deal” is NOT in the original text. And another meaning of the Hebrew word translated as “treacherously is the word “TRANSGRESS”.

H898

בָּגַד

bâgad

baw-gad'

Total KJV occurrences: 49

Let us now read verse 16 with these other meanings of the Hebrew words.

Malachi 2:16 from my own paraphrased version.

“For the LORD, the God of Israel says that he hates PUTTING AWAY: (Or the cutting off of Israel) for one COVERS the WRONG AGAINST his WIFE, (Or BRIDE) says the LORD of hosts: THEREFORE take heed to your spirit, that you not TRANSGRESS.”

The focus of this verse is on God hating the putting away of “PEOPLE” because OF their TRANSGRESSIONS. The word “THEREFORE” to avoid the putting away you must TAKE HEED to your spirit to NOT TRANSGRESS the ONE who is to die for your sins. Then verse 17 talks about the judgment of God which some of the children of Israel were dismissing as not going to happen. Let us read verse 17 to refresh your memory.

Here is Malachi 2:17 from the King James Version.

Remember all the verses of Scripture we compared with verse 17 as to how that children of Israel were calling that which is evil as being good and how God does not see their sin? Now let us continue with the CONTEXT of verses 16 and 17 by reading Malachi 3:1,2.

Malachi 3:1,2.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, (Speaking of your MESSIAH, the ONE who covers the WRONG or the UNRIGHTEOUSNESS AGAINST his WIFE) whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, says the LORD of hosts. (So to me, Malachi 2:5-17 is a hidden PROPHECY of the Messiah who is prophesied to come throughout the Old Testament. And what God HATES is that He must JUDGE all sinners. YES! God dislikes divorce but, to me, that is NOT what Malachi 2:16 is teaching us. And you will see why I say this as you continue reading this study in God’s word. Verse 1 teaches us that some DELIGHT in the coming of the Messiah which we, as Christians, now understand to be the FIRST coming of Jesus to cover our sins to become his bride and at his second coming to become his wife. But in verse 2, we see that warning of the WRATH of the Messiah at his second coming)

2. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:”

Take HEED, THEREFORE, that you do NOT TRANSGRESS against HIM that covers the WRONG or the unrighteousness AGAINST his WIFE lest you be CUT OFF and destroyed on the Day of Judgment which some of you weary me by your saying that I will not judge you.

Now, you may not agree with this interpretation of Malachi 2:16 because of the translations that say that the God of Israel hates DIVORCE. I can hear some of you now saying, “My Bible says God HATES DIVORCE and that means God HATES DIVORCE because that is what my Bible says”. Well, to me, if so be that God HATES DIVORCE then why did Almighty God himself DIVORCE Israel?

Please read Jeremiah 3:6-10.

“The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.

7. And I said AFTER she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of DIVORCE; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

10. And yet for all this, her treacherous sister Judah has not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, (Or some have not TRULY turned to me by obeying only the New Covenant to fully trust in Jesus as their true Sabbath rest) says the LORD.”

Also, if so be that God hates divorce then why did Almighty God command his Son Jesus to teach us that divorce is allowed under certain circumstances.

Please read Matthew 19:3-9.

“The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4. And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8. He says unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning, it was not so. (So God’s perfect will or desire is that there are no divorces but God’s permissive will is that God allows divorces in certain cases or under certain circumstances. Please read the study “IS DIVORCE A SIN?”)

9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoso marries her which is put away commits adultery.”

Again, if so be that God hates divorce then why did Almighty God command his Son Jesus to teach us that divorce is allowed under certain circumstances. For you see, according to John 12:47-50, every word Jesus spoke was given to Jesus by the commandment of Almighty God, the Father.

John 12:47-50.

“And if any man hears my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

49. For (Or BECAUSE) I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. (So, if so be that Malichi 2:17 means that God hates divorce then why would Yahweh command his Son, Jesus, to ALLOW divorce under certain circumstances? I say certain circumstances because Jesus taught the Apostle Paul MORE circumstances in which divorce is allowed. Again, please read the study “IS DIVORCE A SIN?”)

50. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

So to me, Malachi 2:16 is speaking about God hating the “putting away” or his divorcing Israel because of their transgression. But putting away the children of Israel by CONCLUDING them all to be under sin was the only way for God to show his mercy and grace to SAVE Israel. God hates his divorcing Israel because he knows many of the children of Israel will NOT receive their Messiah, Jesus.

Now, let us read the whole CONTEXT of verse 16 by reading Malachi 2:5-17 so that you can see that this whole passage of Scripture is a hidden PROPHECY of the Messiah, Jesus to SAVE Israel from being CUT OFF and destroyed on the Day of Judgment.

Malachi 2:5-17.

“My covenant was with him (Or My New Covenant which I will establish by way of my Messiah will be) of life and peace; and I gave them to him, for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name. (Or because my Messiah, Jesus, feared me to obey all that I commanded him I gave them, whosoever believe in him, to him)

6. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. (Clearly, anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear can see that this entire passage of Scripture is a hidden PROPHECY of Jesus. Yahweh sometimes hides prophecy by speaking in the past tense because God calls things that are not yet as though they already are)

7. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. (Remember that the context continues into the next chapter, Malachi chapter 3 which all Christians agree is a prophecy of the Messiah which we know to be Jesus our high priest)

8. But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; (Speaking of the Jewish Judaizing Christians that are subverting Christians to keep the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES that were ABOLISHED at the cross, according to Ephesians 2:15) you have CORRUPTED the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. (Speaking of the Jewish Judaizing Christians who are CORRUPTING the New Covenant of our high priest, Jesus. The name Levi is being used as a metaphor referring to Jesus as our priest or more specifically as our high priest under the New Covenant. God uses history to prophesy the future. And sometimes history prophesies of TWO future events)

9. Therefore, have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as you have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. (This happened in history under the Old Covenant. This happens again under the New Covenant with the Jewish Judaizing Christians who PARTIALLY keep the New Covenant by trying to keep BOTH the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. And, thereby they CORRUPT the New Covenant by NOT obeying the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ)

10. Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (In other words, the children of Israel are saying, How is it or in what way are we corrupting the covenant? Then the prophet Malichi answers their question in the following verses)

11. Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved,(Or Judah has SLAIN the Holy One of Yahweh whom he LOVED) and has married the daughter of a strange god. (Meaning that because of the children of Israel rejecting Jesus as their Messiah they placed themselves under the dominion of Satan the god of this present world system)

12. The LORD will cut off the man that does this, (And God hates the death or the putting away of the wicked who transgress the commandments of his Messiah)

the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, (Or out of the seed of Jacob) and him that offers (Or him that is to BE) an offering unto the LORD of hosts. (Remember that Yahweh is using the HISTORY of the children of Israel going after strange gods to PROPHESY the crucifixion of his Messiah and the punishment for disobeying the words of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. God speaks in the past tense the history to prophesy future events)

13. And this, have you done again, (Or this you shall do again) covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regards not the offering any more, or receives it with goodwill at your hand. (Speaking of God no longer accepting the sacrifices for sin under the Old Covenant)

14. Yet you say, Wherefore? (Or how will we do this AGAIN? How will we cover the altar of Yahweh again with tears and crying out to him?) Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth,(Or between the woman in the singular of your YOUTHS in the plural) against whom you have dealt treacherously: yet is she your companion, and the wife of your covenant. (Again, God is using the husband and wife relationship as being one flesh to show the children of Israel That the covenant God made with them is like a marriage between a man and a woman. God is showing the children of Israel that they were UNFAITHFUL to that COVENANT that God made with them and that the covenant should be like a husband is to his wife and that they dealt treacherously with God’s COVENANT, the Law of Moses)

15. And did not he make one? (Or did not Yahweh make one covenant FIRST as an ORDINAL covenant?) Yet had he the residue of the spirit. (Or yet Yahweh had the rest of his plan of salvation to be in the future to establish a New Covenant without the ordinances of the first covenant) And wherefore one? (Or why the one covenant FIRST) That he might seek a godly seed. (The literal translation reads “seeking the seed of Elohim” or that Yahweh might seek the seed of God prophesying of the miraculous Virgin birth of his Messiah as to why God made his FIRST covenant as an ORDINAL covenant. The ordinal services to God were shadows pointing to the TRUE under the New Covenant written in the New Testament) THEREFORE, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously (Or DECEITFULLY) against the wife of his youth.

16. For the LORD, the God of Israel says that he hates PUTTING AWAY: (Or the cutting off of Israel) for one COVERS the WRONG AGAINST his WIFE, (Or BRIDE) says the LORD of hosts: THEREFORE take heed to your spirit, that you not TRANSGRESS.

The Messenger of the Lord

17. You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you SAY, Everyone that does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?”

Again, please remember all the verses of Scripture we compare with verse 17 as to how that children of Israel were calling that which is evil as being good and how God does not see their sin? Now let us continue with the CONTEXT of verses 16 and 17 by reading Malachi 3:1,2 which, to me, proves that Malachi 2:5-17 is a PROPHECY of Jesus and God no longer accepting the Old Covenant because he has CONCLUDED all of Israel to be under SIN so that he could save a REMNANT of Israel

Malachi 3:1,2.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, (Speaking of your MESSIAH, the ONE who covers the WRONG or the UNRIGHTEOUSNESS AGAINST his WIFE) whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, says the LORD of hosts. (So to me, Malachi 2:5-17 is a hidden PROPHECY of the Messiah who is prophesied to come throughout the Old Testament. And what God HATES is that He must JUDGE all sinners. YES! God dislikes divorce but, to me, that is NOT what Malachi 2:16 is teaching us. And you will see why I say this as you continue reading this study in God’s word. Verse 1 teaches us that some DELIGHT in the coming of the Messiah which we, as Christians, now understand to be the FIRST coming of Jesus to cover our sins to become his bride and at his second coming to become his wife. But in verse 2 we see that warning of the WRATH of the Messiah at his second coming)

2. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:”

Lets us now read WHY Yahweh DIVORCED the children of Israel and why God HATES his having to PUT AWAY their mother and cause the daughters of Israel to be married to a strange god.

Please read Isaiah 50:1-11.

“Thus says the LORD, (Or thus says Yahweh) Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? (This is the same Hebrew word used in Malachi 2:16 that God HATES the PUTTING AWAY of the children of Israel) or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? (Or to who have I caused the daughters of Israel to marry or be under the dominion of or under bondage to by CONCLUDING them all to be under sin?) Behold, for your iniquities, have you sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

2. Wherefore, (Or for what reason did all this happen?) when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? (In other words, there was no righteous man that I could use to be your Messiah so I had to SEEK a godly seed. Or I had to wait for MY seed to be born of a Virgin like I Prophesied to redeem you of your sins) Is my HAND (Speaking of Yahweh's Messiah, Jesus) shortened at all, that it (Or he) cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? (Or have I no power to deliver through my hand, my anointed servant who I have chosen?) behold, at my rebuke (Through my Messiah) I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinks, because there is no water, and die for thirst.

3. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. (Or I shall cover the heavens with blackness through my Son who I have made Lord and Christ and my King of kings to rule for me in the world to come. For I have given him all power and authority to judge)

4. The Lord GOD has given me (His hand, his Messiah, Jesus) the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakens morning by morning, he wakens mine ear to hear as the learned.

5. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

7. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore, shall I not be confounded: therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

8. He is near that justifies me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is my adversary? Let him come near to me.

9. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. (Speaking of those who reject Jesus never to receive him as their Lord and Savior being cut off and destroyed in the lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment which God hates and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked)

10. Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the NAME of the LORD, and stay upon his God. (Please read the study “WHAT DOES THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN MEAN?” For you see, Jesus IS the NAME of the Lord. The NAME Jesus means Yahweh saves or the salvation OF Yahweh)

11. Behold, all you that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that YOU have kindled. This shall you have of mine hand; you shall lie down in sorrow.”

And to me, that is what God HATES. Yahweh hates that many of his creations must PERISH in the lake of fire because of their OWN stubbornness to receive his so great a salvation through their faith in the shed blood of his Son, Jesus. God hates the PUTTING AWAY of the wicked because of the wicked covering their violence, wrongdoings, and unrighteousness with their garments of fleshly desires saying that they are not sinning or that there is no God who will judge them.

Please understand that while it is not God’s perfect will for a man and woman to get a divorce, God does ALLOW Christian married couples to get a divorce under certain circumstances. Again, to learn the SOUND Biblical reasons for a Biblical divorce please read the study “IS DIVORCE A SIN?”

Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.

Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brother Mark.

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