Biblical Answer

Why did God allow divorce in the Old Testament?

The Old Testament and Divorce

In the Old Testament, divorce was explicitly forbidden in some cases (Deut 22:13-21, 28-30). However, Moses, Jesus, and Paul recognized that the ideal was not always met, and thus set up restrictions and safeguards to make provision for divorce. Jesus added that this was because he was dealing with hard hearts (Matt 19:8-9). This is an important truth that should not be rejected, as Paul warns in Romans 2, lest one risk God's wrath and anger.

Moses' Guidelines for Divorce

In the key Old Testament passage (Deut 24:1-4), Moses did not endorse divorce, but neither did he forbid it. He simply set up some guidelines to correct the failure or to limit the damage where uncorrectable. Moses allowed divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, but this was not an endorsement of divorce. Instead, it was a concession to human frailty, not an expression of the will of God. Jesus pointed out that Moses had not commanded divorce, although his words allowed it. Divorce was a concession to human weakness, not an ideal situation.

God's Ideal for Marriage

God's ideal for marriage is that it should be a lifelong union between two people. Jesus taught that God instituted marriage so that the two should become one flesh (Matt 19:5). This is God's ultimate will, and it is not ideal to allow divorce, even in specific circumstances. When Jesus discussed the proper way to interpret God's commands, he emphasized the importance of understanding the exception, not the rule. Even where God allows some grounds for divorce, it is the exception, and God's ideal remains fighting to maintain lifelong marriage.