THE MARRIAGE COVENANT

“For I hate divorce,” says YHVH, the God of Israel.” - Malachi 2:16*

The covenant of marriage is the central covenant of the Bible: between a man and a woman, YHVH and Israel, the Messiah and his faithful flock. It is the final culmination of the work of the Messiah: the wedding feast of the Lamb. When we enter under the Hupa at our wedding, we make a solemn vow to God and to each other, an oath which is not to be taken lightly or broken. It is the Threefold Cord.

Marriage & family are the building blocks of civilization - divorces are the destruction of it, and a discouragement and weakening of the entire culture and body of the Messiah. My own generation believes that if something is broken, fix it- not throw it away. I’ve been married now 45 years- through thick and thin, sick and sin, war and peace, children and grandchildren, and many wonderful adventures. My parents and my wife’s parents remained together till death parted them- a wonderful and strengthening inheritance to us. Yet tragically, I’ve counted a spate of some 40 divorces so far here among believers - even with young children who will bear the sad consequences. This ought not to be.

*"Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matt 19:8-9)