Following on the article with regard to the practical spiritual measures required to fully sever the spiritual ties between a man and a woman this article discusses the basis of putting away {divorce} and why, though Yah says He hates divorce, there ARE circumstances when divorce is permissible.

2012.06.14

Yah Hates Divorce – BUT …

by

James Robertson

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A few days ago someone told me “Yah hates divorce” – that is so, divorce causes all sorts of spiritual and emotional trauma and is fundamentally contrary to Yah’s plan for the union between a man and a woman to be for life with all the spiritual bonds discussed in the article “The Spiritual Interaction between Man and Woman” (reference 2012.04.09) working to keep a man and woman together.

Note that the Hebrew word translated “divorce” means “put away”.

BUT, Yah DOES permit putting away {divorce} under very specific circumstances which are set out below:

         1.   Uncleanness – porneia

Deuteronomy 24:1 refers to “uncleanness” being the basis for putting away and Yahooshua refers to “fornication” which is translated from the Greek word “porneia” which in turn means spiritual unfaithfulness or treachery which includes but is NOT LIMITED to sexual unfaithfulness.

Thus, there are a number of components of uncleanness that constitute a basis for divorce, these are discussed below.

2.  Treachery – covenant breaking

One of the most direct grounds for putting away is covenant breaking or treachery or breaking vows or promises made before the union was consummated and which were central to the decision to enter into union.

As has been previously discussed it is possible for a man and a woman to covenant anything they like before they consummate, whether that vow is legal in the sight of Yah is not the point, if they are of sound mind and understand what they are covenanting they are accountable before the Court of Heaven for keeping that vow.

This is particularly the case if the man and woman take the bread and wine before consummation and recite the terms of their covenant.

When entering into a union it is advisable to clearly document expectations and contractual (covenant) terms, discuss these, allow time to digest them and then make a robust commitment to those terms accompanied by taking the bread and wine and asking Yah to seal the covenant with the blood.  Only then should the union be consummated (sexual intercourse with ejaculation by the man in the vagina of the woman).

Once this has been done, if either party massively breaks the terms of the covenant it constitutes a basis for the other party to seek remediation and failing remediation it constitutes a basis for putting away.

3.  Rebellion – opposite of submission

In the case of a woman -- rebellion is a basis for putting away – the woman is commanded to submit to the man in EVERYTHING, including if he falsely accuses her and beats her (1 Peter 2 and 3:1).

In the case of a woman who manifestly, extremely and consistently fails to submit there is a point at which this rebellion constitutes a basis before the Court of Heaven for that woman to be put away.

4.  Man love your woman as Yahooshua loved

In the case of a woman, Yah’s commandment is that the man should lay down his life for his woman and cherish her and love her as his own body.

As with rebellion in the case of the woman, if the man treats his woman very badly there is a similar basis for putting away.

5.  Laziness – not a helpmeet

Again in the context of the woman, Yah created woman to be a helpmeet, or helper suitable for, conformed to, adapted to and aligned with her man.

Proverbs 31 clearly defines the characteristics of such a woman – she is industrious and hardworking, commercially astute, manages the household, etc – she brings honour to her man in the town where they live.

A woman who fails to do what her man asks her to do, who sits at home and watches TV, reads, potters around the house doing very little, etc and is generally NOT helping her man in the manner that Yah intended eventually becomes liable for divorce.

It is written that if a person will not work then they should not eat and this applies here, there are other verses which speak of idleness, the sluggard, etc.

As some point after persistent laziness that laziness becomes a basis for putting away – a man is NOT called to support a woman who does NOT pull her weight.

The reverse applies for the man relative to the woman – i.e. where the man is so lazy that he is unable to support his children.

6.  Corner of a housetop and rottenness in the bones

It is written that it is better to dwell in the corner of a rooftop than in a house with a contentious (argumentative) and fault finding woman, it is also written that such a woman is “as rottenness in the bones” – this rottenness is a spiritual phenomenon which produces a physical phenomenon which the man actually feels and which can provoke the man to anger and even great wrath and even violence.

Under such cases violent or wrathful behaviour on the part of the man is NOT a basis for the woman to seek putting away, she needs to correct her behaviour and THEN if the man continues she has a basis for putting away.

There is a point at which such argumentation and contention by the woman constitute a basis for putting away.

7.  Invalid (adulterous) union

It is important to understand that putting away is ONLY relevant IF the union is valid in the Court of Heaven, that is the woman was a virgin, a widow or was truly divorced and all one-flesh bonds between her and previous men had been cut by Yah at the time of consummation (vaginal ejaculation).

If any of the above requirements have NOT been met the union is adulterous and invalid and should be terminated immediately unless the relevant prayers discussed in the document “Separation of a Man and a Woman – Divorce” (reference 2012.04.13) will result in the woman being set apart from previous men and thus NOW free to consummate a valid union.  In other words, IF the woman would be free to marry EXCEPT that she still has one or more one-flesh bonds with other men and those one-flesh bonds MAY be cut, she is free to petition Yah for the one-flesh bonds to be cut and THEN enter into a new covenant.

It is vital to understand that in the event of the above cleaning up taking place in the here and now, the first intercourse AFTER that cleaning up constitutes the consummation of a NEW covenant and any covenant agreements that are required should be entered into BEFORE this consummation.  Consummation at this point with a broken covenant constitutes acceptance of the broken covenant!

All legacy issues prior to this consummation must be viewed in the light of the invalid and adulterous union.

If you are in a shaky relationship and realize that it is invalid it is vital to understand that it MAY be shaky BECAUSE it was invalid and that consummating anew with a proper covenant and following proper cleaning up may fix the relationship -- but it may NOT be a suitable match in which case this would be the right time to END it.  Once the one-flesh bonds have been cut and a new consummation has taken place you will be locked in and it will be too late to end it.

8.  Three warnings constitute a basis for divorce

All the above grounds for putting away, except point number 7 – the illegal union – relate in some way to breaking covenant, whether the agreed terms (written and / or verbal) before the union or Yah’s default terms -- unless the couple have expressly covenanted AGAINST Yah’s terms in which case the covenant entered into by the man and woman will prevail – so, for example, where the man covenants with language that indicates that he will submit to or worship the woman, then he will be judged by that covenant EVEN if he subsequently realizes he made a mistake and the Court of Heaven will NOT issue a decree of divorce under such circumstances.

If a man identifies uncleanness in his woman, as set out above, in terms of covenant breaking, treachery, etc he should give her a warning, preferably in writing, telling her that she is breaking covenant AND tell her what he expects of her.  If he tells her verbally this is STILL binding in the Court of Heaven.

If she does NOT course correct he should give her a second warning and if she does not correct in a reasonable time he should give her a third warning.

Once he has given her a third warning and sufficient time (say a month) to course correct he is entitled to go to the Court of Heaven for a divorce and it is likely to be granted.

Once it is granted all that is required is that he prepares a short written “writ of divorce” a short document that sets out the basis for putting her away and stating that he is putting her away {divorcing her}.

He must then go through all the necessary measures legally necessary according to the laws in terms of which any earthly legal union {marriage} was constituted in order to secure an earthly divorce where this is applicable.

In the case of a woman the same approach applies but the grounds for divorce, as set out above, may be different and the legal requirements may be different depending on the state and country where any legal union was contracted.

9.  The plaintiff must be in right-standing with Yah

In order for the Court of Heaven to Grant a divorce the person seeking divorce must be in right standing with Yah to a major extent – it is no good a person who is in serious error and sin seeking divorce.

Conclusion

Yah DOES hate divorce BUT He also hates covenant breaking, treachery and the other behaviours discussed above and, in the event of such behaviour He is likely to grant a divorce.

May Yah bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

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