Chapter 56: Divorce

Summary
Marriage is a contract for life. A bond that only death can separate. It is not just romance but
there are also responsibilities attached to it. Entering this institution should not be hasty
because once you have committed to it there is no other way to revoke.
A sacred institution together with the Sabbath, marriage existed since the beginning and is
authored by God. During the time of the Israelites, their hearts were hard that the husbands put
away their wives even for the small mistakes they make. As time passed by, this practice led to
more sin. This separation caused suffering on either side. When Jesus came to earth He sought
to correct the wrong practices of men. The sacredness of marriage was supported by His first
miracle in the wedding at Cana.
The time now is unsafe. The enemy is constantly seeking a way to make believers of God to fall
into sin. Through these trying times prayer and trust in God is the safeguard. When there is
imminent consideration of a divorce, this matter should be considered prayerfully. Moreover, this
chapter emphasizes that “Men are not at liberty to make a standard of law for themselves, to
avoid God’s law and please their own inclination. They must come to God’s great moral
standard of righteousness.”
Separations may be avoided if both the husband and wife act as kind, gentle, patient, and
considerate towards each other. There must be self-control so that their ways will not be in
conflict. The spirit of God should be invited and both must submit to the control of God.
To those couples who have already been separated, the counsel of this chapter tells them that
they must surrender themselves to God, repent of their sins, set aside the past after learning
from it, and in the direction of God, reunite. To the wife who has been mistreated, the counsel of
Mrs. White is that she should not return to her abusive husband unless there is a change of
heart that is seen in Him. To a deserted husband, the counsel is that he should let his wife go
since living together would be worse than their present situation. The husband should endure
the situation as a man and carry his cross.
The view of the God to these then wedded couples but are now separated or divorced is that
they remain to be husband and wife. They may be separated in the eyes of the law of the land
but not in the sight and law of God.
When the husband is in a situation where he is married to an unbelieving wife, he may not put
her away. He should be with her because she is his wife. He should hold firm to principle and
not give in to temptation and lust.
Conflicts, arguments, and trials are also present in the married life. This may give a hard time to
the husband and wife but they are to adjust their attitudes and not resolve to the course of
divorce immediately.