Week 32: Divorce
Weekly Reading:
Isaiah 58 - Jeremiah 14
Opening Prayer
Father God,
As we move into subjects that can be triggering, give us the strength in You to move forward and work through them. Father, You are our salvation and our rock, give us the courage to lean on You.
Amen
Study
Divorce as we know and talk about today is the desolation of a union between man and woman, the end of a marriage where two are joined as one. We see it in the community, and our friends and we see hearts broken. We see the shattered, the fragmented. Our hearts cry out for those ripped apart, what was once so happy, now so filled with strife and jaded. We know there was a happier time of love, celebration, joy, and honor. Now we see anger, disappointment, and pain. We have seen families who are betrayed when one party loves outside of the union, and we are devastated for the family and the pain they are going through. Some of us may have been there personally.
In Jeremiah 2:23, we see God beaming with pride and remembrance of his commitment to Israel so long ago. He remembers Israel as his bride, so lovely in the newness of the covenant, open and ready to receive love, eager to please as only a new bride setting up a house could be. Israel is full of hopes and dreams for the future. Israel, rescued and supported, feeling safe in the arms of her groom. The groom is the strong protector shielding his bride from harm, supplying jewels, direction, and food to eat.
The bride however is restless, never satisfied. Once the shine of the honeymoon wears off, we see the bride reach out to others for satisfaction. She wants something she can touch, something shiny. She sees others who are also chasing what they think is bigger and better and she wants to be a part of that. She is restless and, in her heart, she feels something is missing. She is prone to disobedience and justifies her lust as natural, as fulfilling, if even temporarily so.
But secrets only stay secret so long, especially from an all-knowing groom. The groom looks away for a moment, thinking that the stolen glances are just a flirtation, they mean nothing. But the groom can no longer dispute that the bride is unfaithful.
The bride is in denial saying that she did not seek others (Jeremiah 2:23), but her groom sees it and points out the betrayal. He asked his bride to come clean and said she is lustful (Jeremiah 2:24). The groom is torn and asks her when she will stop, but she breaks his heart only to say she is in love with someone else and cannot stop (Jeremiah 2:25).
Heartbroken, the groom turns away. He is saddened that his bride is chasing what is a phantom, something that cannot love her back, chasing a feeling versus what is real.
The bride finally realizes what is real in her groom and has been all along. The groom and his pain ask why me now, why not me before? Why do you blame me for your adulterous behavior (Jeremiah 2:29)? Why should I take you back, when you have prostituted yourself out too many lovers, why are you trying to come back to me now? Says the Lord (Jeremiah 3:1).
We are the bride, the bride who has all her needs met in God, and His provision, and His grace. We are the Israelites, never satisfied, always wanting more. We seek out idols and make idols out of everyday living in our work, relationships, and our phones. We need advice and we run away from God instead of to God.
It is time to renew our vows, our commitment to God. It is time to turn from the idols that take us away from God. It is time to turn to God and be in His love
Closing Prayer
Father God,
I am that unfaithful bride. I seek out pleasure in worldly pursuits, I struggle to find time for what I know should be my priority and it is all detrimental to my wellbeing. However, I am weak, I am lustful, I give in to my desires. In turn, my desires cause pain in my life. Father, open my eyes open my ears to Your call. Give me the strength to return to you, turning my back on what is shiny and what is new.
Amen
Homework
What in your life keeps you from God?
Is there anything you need to prune back?
