Why Does God Hate Divorce? Part 2

INTRO: Our subject has been an unpleasant one. Why does God hate divorce? What lies before us this morning is unpleasant as well. In the first message we looked at divorce, in a sense, from a divine perspective. We concluded that God hates divorce because it is a violation of His character. Marriage is grounded in the nature and character of God. The reason God set out marriage in the first place was not to restrict man from something that he could otherwise freely enjoy. Like all other requirements and commandments God has given man, marriage is for man's own good. In the last message I mentioned an article I had read recently that talked about people wanting their freedom with regard to whether they chose to live together without marriage, or if they chose to leave one partner for another, or if they chose to be unfaithful to their partner. I understand that desire for such freedom. But I understand from the Word of God as well, that such freedom will have very negative consequences in mankind because it is contrary to the will and nature of God. It is contrary to His character and nature, and man is made in the image and in the likeness of God. Man bears a likeness to God.