Biblical Answer

Why did God allow divorce in the Old Testament?

Understanding God's Permission of Divorce

The Old Testament explicitly forbids divorce in certain cases (Deut 22:13-21, 28-30). However, Moses, Jesus, and Paul recognized that the ideal was not always met, and thus, they made provision for divorce. Jesus explained that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of the human heart (Matthew 19:8-9). This concession to human frailty, not an expression of God's will, was a way to mitigate the damages caused by sin.

The Limitations of God's Permission

God's permission of divorce in the Old Testament was not an endorsement of it, but rather a limiting nuance to address the reality of human hardness. Moses set up guidelines to correct the failure or to limit the damage where uncorrectable (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Similarly, Jesus taught that God instituted marriage so that the two should become one, and divorce was not an expression of God's will (Matthew 19:4-6). The ideal remained fighting to maintain lifelong marriage.

God's Ideal for Marriage

God hates divorce because it is a form of violence (Malachi 2:16). In the Old Testament, God tolerated divorce because of the hardness of the human heart, but this does not make it ideal. Even where God allows some grounds for divorce, it is the exception, and God's ideal remains fighting to maintain lifelong marriage. Jesus taught that Christians may accept divorce if initiated by an unbelieving spouse, but God never allows Christians to initiate divorce themselves (Matthew 19:9). Ultimately, God's will is for lifelong marriage, and divorce is a concession to human frailty.