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Marriage & Divorce* (Remedies with Righteousness & Justice) - Download PDF Article

Christian marriages and divorces in the United States are deficient and suffering according to the Word of Yahweh. In most cases, they resemble the marriages and divorces of unbelievers. Christian marriages should not be performed by the unbeliever but by wise believers, who will adhere to our Father's Word. A marriage should require a detailed covenant, mutually agreed upon by both parties. Christian divorces should not be performed by the courts but by wise Christian men and women, who will be able to offer righteous and just counsel on these matters. A righteous and just divorce, performed by the Church, would bring healing to all parties that have been affected. This would remedy our present worldly wickedness performed by the courts today. As we will see, divorce is ordered by Yahweh to be performed by wise believers. The injustice performed on men by our courts in the case of divorce is causing men to cohabitate with women rather than to enter the institution of marriage. Christian marriage and divorce can be greatly improved if we follow our guiding Light, the Word of Life.

Marriage
Christian marriage should be a covenant. A covenant means making an alliance or pledge.  "To this subject, as spoken of in scripture, there are two branches: 1. man's covenant with his fellow, or nation with nation, in which the terms are mutually considered and agreed to: it is then ratified by an oath, or by some token, before witnesses. Such a covenant is alluded to in #Ga 3:15: if a man's covenant be confirmed it cannot be disannulled or added to. When Abraham bought the field of Ephron in Machpelah, he paid the money "in the audience of the sons of Heth" as witnesses, and it was thus made sure unto him. #Ge 23:16. In the covenant Jacob made with Laban, they gathered a heap of stones to be witness between them, and "they did eat there upon the heap." #Ge 31:46. When the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the heads of Israel, "the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord, and...sware unto them." #Jos 9:14,15. So to this day, if a stranger in the East can get the head of a tribe to eat with him, he knows he is safe, the eating is regarded as a covenant. In #2Ch 13:5 we read of 'a covenant of salt;' and to eat salt together is also now regarded as a bond in the East."FN1 A covenant, for a person who is a man of his word, in not entered into lightly. Yahshua instructed his followers, concerning their words, ",…let your word be, Yea, yea,––Nay, nay" (Mt. 5:37). Pastors or judges do not marry people. They only officiate and witness the vows present in the ceremony of marriage. They act as a notary. Actually, a man and a woman marry each other! They being two bodies make a covenant, before witnesses, to become one body. Before making their covenant they were two individual rivers flowing side by side. Their covenant to each other makes their two rivers join by confluence into one river.FN2 When one or both parties seek to be their own river again, the result is divorce.

Promises which are vague and imprecise make a terrible covenant between two parties. We thoroughly examine the warranties on our vehicles, houses and appliances, which are not vague or imprecise. If they were, we would not purchase the product. Today's Christian marriage vows are ambiguous. A common marriage vow is as follows: "I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." How can an outside party, who is there to counsel a couple, evaluate whether an individual is honoring their vows. The above vows represent feelings and emotions, rather than words of commitment to perform specific tasks, as a covenant should read.

Yahweh's covenant with Abram was very specific. Abram would be given the land from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. His seed would be multiplied exceedingly and he would become a father of a multitude of nations. This covenant would be passed on to his son Isaac.FN3 Abram's covenant with Yahweh was also very specific. He was to follow the instruction of Yahweh. One of these instructions being to circumcise every male.FN4

A Christian couple entering into the covenant of marriage, needs to spell out, exactly what they are promising each other, in the presence of witnesses. The husbands covenant is going to be different than that of the wife because their roles are different in marriage. The witnesses are there to confirm the promises they hear, thereby, if necessary, confronting a party who is not fulfilling their covenant. For example, the husband, in his covenant to his wife, should promise to give his wife authority over his body to be used to please her, according to 1 Corinthians chapter seven.FN5 He also should promise not to abstain from giving his body to her except with her consent.FN6 These promises should be in the marriage covenant, and should be heard by witnesses and signed by both parties. If individuals do not want to be held to these promises then they should not enter into a marriage covenant. (See the Appendix for an example of a Marriage Covenant.)
Christians should not promise each other in wedding vows, "until death do us part." Why? It sounds so beautiful.  Yahshua gave permission to divorce in the case of one party committing adultery.FN7 Another illustration is in the case of an unbeliever leaving the believer.FN8 A person making a promise that can be broken by no fault of their own, is making his words empty. If a husband commits adultery, the wife has the right to divorce her husband according to the Word of Yahweh. She does not break her covenant as long as she did not say in her marriage vows, "until death do us part," otherwise she did. A person who has vowed specific promises and has kept these promises, can divorce a spouse without resentment or guilt because they have kept their covenant, while their spouse did not. Vague vows lead to a lack of meaning, performance and accountability. As Christians we should not make promises that we may not be able to keep. Integrity in our words is essential in a marriage covenant. If both parties fulfill their promised covenant, then the couple will become one flesh as Yahweh desires.

King Josiah is an example of a man who solemnized a covenant to Yahweh and the people of Judah; "Then the king sent,––and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Yahweh––and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem––and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the great even unto the small,––and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh. And the king stood in his place, and solemnized the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul,––to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book" (2 Ch. 34:29-31). King Josiah kept his covenant with Yahweh and Yahweh kept His covenant with Josiah. This resulted in blessings being poured out upon him and the believers in Judah.

If the covenant is specific regarding individual performance of promises, then a breaking of the covenant can be verified by witnesses or counselors. Pastors can read the covenants and ask each individual, if they are breaking the covenant. For example, if one party is withholding sexual intercourse then they are in sin according to the scriptures. If one party leaves the marriage, even though the other party has kept their covenant, then the former has broken the covenant and is in sin. These promises should be part of all marriage covenants. Here in the United States we live in a country that has no fault divorce. Neither party is accountable. This is absolutely wrong. A person who has fulfilled their covenant should not be slandered with the 'No Fault' concepts but they should be congratulated for keeping their covenant.     

Divorce
Christian divorces, through the courts, can be exceedingly unjust and unrighteous resulting in wickedness occurring to a party. This is contrary to our Father's Word. The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians chapter six because believers were taking each other to the courts of the unbeliever. Yahweh has placed the saints or the holy ones to judge these matters because He delights in lovingkindness, justice and righteousness.FN9 Judges from among the believers have always been Yahweh's remedy for justice and righteousness to His people. Samuel, a judge of Israel, a prophet, instituted justice for the Israelites. Israelites did not go to the Philistines for justice. In Yahshua's time, the Hebrews had their own court apart from the Romans. In Christian times, Paul said, "Dare any of you, having, a matter against his brother, sue for judgment before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Or know ye not that, the saints, shall judge the world? And, if, by you, the world, is to be judged, unworthy are ye of the smallest judgment–seats? Know ye not that we shall judge, messengers? and not, then, matters of this life?  If, then, for matters of this, life ye have judgment–seats, them who are of no account in the assembly, these, are ye seating thereupon? With a view to shame you, am I speaking. So, is it possible that there is among you––not so much as one wise man, who shall be able to judge between his brethren,–– But, brother with brother, sueth for judgment, and that before unbelievers" (1 Cor. 6:1-6)? The Christian Church today has no system of judging between the brethren. They have no courts, counsels or wise men to institute righteous judgment between the saints. The present day Christian Church has totally dropped the ball in this area of life. The Church needs to publish a manual on how to judge Christian divorces, child support and out of wedlock pregnancies according to the Word of Yahweh. The flock should be taught these just principals in order to avoid making these mistakes. If a member of the Church does error, they will fully understand the consequences of their mistake.  Let us return to the instructions of Yahweh, as given in His Holy Word.

We must acknowledge that unjust laws exist in our society. In the majority of cases, men are automatically discriminated against in our courts when dealing with divorce, child custody and support. Christians should not participate in unjust laws that enable individuals to confiscate the property of others, even though legal. (Confiscation is defined as, "To appropriate (private property) to the sovereign or the public treasury by way of penalty; To take away by exercise of authority from the individual (what belongs to him); To deprive (a person) of his property as forfeited to the State.) This is what happens when divorce is implemented in our courts.   The wickedness of the world is incorporated in these courts. Slavery, prostitution, sodomy, murder (partial birth abortions) and confiscating the property of others, to name a few vices, were or are very legal in the United States. These unjust laws instituted by wicked law makers make it legal for Christians to do wickedness. For example, Hitler had laws made that allowed the confiscation of the property of the Jews. This was all legal according to the courts! These unrighteous laws tempt Christians into the lusts of the flesh.

Under the guise of child support, the courts confiscate the father's property and give it to the mother. What determines the amount the courts confiscate is not what a child needs but rather, how much income the father has. The more income the father has the more they confiscate and give to the mother, under the guise of it being for the benefit of the child. This wickedness results in the mother breaking the tenth commandment legally; thou shall not covet.FN10 Bitterness and resentment against the mother engulfs the father because of this injustice. This injustice will now occur for eighteen years. The mother may delight in this injustice coming against her ex-spouse, saying, "He deserves it." The child, who is being raised under these spiteful conditions, is all the while observing this strife, envy and jealousy between his parents. As the child ages he learns that if you are a male you will be punished by the courts in divorce and if you are a female, you will be rewarded. Injustice is used by our adversary to drive a wedge between two Christians who divorce. Anyone who has been treated unjustly has experienced this wedge of evil.

The laws of the United States and other nations are legal but not necessarily just. What is referred to as the Department of Justice is inaccurate. Rather is should be called the Legal Department. Justice means, "the quality of being (morally) just or righteous." Legal means, "of or pertaining to law." The confiscation of property happens throughout society and is done so, under the guise of it being, 'legal.' For an example, a rich man who has worked hard for his money has it confiscated, by a government, and given to a vagrant who refuses to work, also known as welfare. This action is legal but unjust according to the Word of Yahweh.FN11 Unequal taxation is the confiscation of property. Yahweh's Word is our guide to justice and righteousness, not the courts and laws of men. Yahweh required the poor as well as the rich, to give ten percent of their abundance. This should be our tax rule today. Yahweh was not adversarial towards the wealthy nor did He penalize them as our society does today. The tax percentage should not be higher for someone who is wealthier. In many cases, a male makes more money that a female. Yahweh does not require money to be taken from an ex-husband and given to an ex-wife under the guise of child support because he makes more money than she does! This is the philosophy of communism, which is contrary to Yahweh's Word and is wickedness. Yahweh did not require males to give money to females because they were females but rather Yahweh required the owner of crops not to glean the fields, thereby allowing those who were less fortunate to come and collect what was left on the ground.FN12 These individuals as well as all individuals were required to work for their food.   

Justice in Divorce
Assets, debts and investments acquired and not inherited during the marriage should be divided equally between the parties. If one spouse, without the consent of the other, incurrs debts etc. then those should be absorbed by that party. If a spouse refused to work then the acquired property during the marriage should be divided proportionately according to the labor rendered. A person should not have to financially support a spouse after divorce. Each person should support themselves. One spouse may support a non employed spouse temporarily until they can support themselves. This support should not be necessary after six months. There should be no child support taken from either parent. Each parent should have equal custody, if they can financially support the child. Each parent should pay their share of maintaining their children when the child is living with them. Money should not be taken from an ex-husband, for example, for child support and given to the ex-wife, unless it is agreed upon by the ex-husband. In divorce, if one parent is not able to financially support the children by themselves, then the other parent should take full custody of the children until they are able. This should not be a problem. The courts should not be involved. The courts are not involved when a spouse dies leaving a spouse with children. Why? It is the job of the surviving spouse and their family members to financially support the children. Then why have the courts unjustly imposed a financial burden on the more financially successful spouse in a divorce? Lust of the flesh; "Because, all that is in the world––the coveting of the flesh, the coveting of the eyes, and the vain grandeur of life––is not of the Father, but is, of the world" (1 Jn. 2:16).

Throughout the history of man, men of the world, covet the property of others. Wars, taxation, divorce, law suits and robbery all have one thing in common; the confiscation of someone else's property.  Christians have been corrupted by this lust when it has been legalized, which somehow makes it just in their eyes and the eyes of their friends. Olive Beech, the founder of Beech Aircraft, had the Federal Government and the Kansas Government, confiscate $72,000,000 worth of property from her. Why? Because she died. This is an example of the corrupt death tax also known as the estate and inheritance tax. Was it legal? Yes. Do I want any part of this money? Absolutely not! This is blood money. Let us now look at law suits. The tobacco industry had a warning on their cigarettes for many years; buyer beware. Did the tobacco industry break a law? NO! Did they harm someone? NO! (A snow skier who runs into a tree and dies cannot say the State of Colorado harmed him by allowing him to ski.) The buyer wanted tobacco and they were warned of the risk. The lawyers and the courts coveted the tobacco industries money, thereby corrupting the States to join them, by promising them, that they would receive part of the spoils. This is no different than when Vikings made alliances with other warring tribes to attach and divide the plunder of a prosperous civilization. The States, by joining wicked lawyers, will now receive $206 billion of plunder from the tobacco industry over the next twenty-five years.FN13 This was the rape and pillaging of an industry. This also is blood money. Our next example will be a divorce. Heather Mills was married to Paul McCartney, one of the Beatles, for four years. A divorce should have meant that they both go their separate ways but this was not the case. The unjust courts and laws would confiscate, from Paul, $48,000,000 and give it to her and her attorneys! This is a case of rape and pillaging an individual. Would you call this, Justice or Wickedness? Paul McCartney has learned a valuable lesson as have many men and that is, 'to never marry.'

Avoiding Marriage to Avoid Divorce
What are the results of these travesties of injustice? Christian men are now tempted into cohabiting with women, instead of marrying them because there is a 50% chance of them being financially raped,FN14 if they marry and their marriage ends in divorce. This web spun by our adversary, has been wonderfully implemented by our legislators, courts and Christian Churches. The Christian Churches culpability in this travesty lies in the fact that they are not handling Christian divorces. They also are silent on the injustices committed by the courts for the benefit of divorced women. Christian women, who desire a child, are now getting pregnant outside of marriage, with the expectation that the courts will confiscate the property of the male who impregnated them for eighteen years. Would these same women get pregnant if they were going to be the sole supporter of the child? I believe not. These unjust laws are encouraging cohabitation and pregnancies outside of marriage.

Justice in Accidental Pregnancies
Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is a sin unless the couple marries.FN15 If the sin is confessed, "…faithful, is he and, righteous––that he should forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9). (We will assume that the couple does not marry in this discussion.) In the case of an accidental pregnancy, justice for all three parties is our goal. Since the pregnancy was unwanted, the absolute best, first option would be for the child to be put up for adoption to a devoted Christian couple, who desires a child. No financial responsibilities are involved for the pregnant couple in this option, neither is a court required. This is by far the most unselfish option that should always be desired. The second option would be that one of the parents desires to keep the child but the other parent chooses not to. In this case, the parent who has chosen to rear the child would retain full financial responsibility for the child. The other parent should be completely absolved from all future financial responsibilities to the child. The third option would be for both parents who wanted the child but did not want to get married. Both parents would have equal custody and no child support would be involved.

Christian marriages can again be founded on a firm foundation, which is the Word of Yahweh. We have been called saints, which means, holy ones, which means, we have removed ourselves from the world, even though we live in it. Specific covenants must be part of marriage. When a party repeatedly breaks their covenant, wise believers must approach the brother or sister in order that they may be restored.FN16 The Christian Church must take back its position as the justice system for the believers by utilizing its authority given to it by Yahweh. Believers who are married in the Church should also agree by covenant that they will decide their differences before wise believers and not the unbeliever. Believers who refuse this system and choose the world system should be separated from the Church, as recorded in the scriptures.FN17  We must choose Yahweh over riches; "No one, unto two masters, can be in service; for either, the one, he will hate, and, the other, love, or, one, he will hold to, and, the other, despise: Ye cannot be in service, unto Yahweh, and, unto Riches" (Mt. 6:24).  

Appendix

Marriage Covenant

(Husband) My Promise to You is that I will:
Love (ahab) Yahweh my God,––with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my might. This means following His commandments, which are recorded in His Word.FN18

Be loving You, even as, the Christ also, loved the body, and delivered, himself, up in her behalf,  That, her, he might sanctify, having purified her with the bath of water, in declaration,  That, he, might present, unto himself, the body, all glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that she should be holy and blameless; So, will I be loving You, as my own body,––he that loves his own wife, loves himself, No one, in fact, ever yet hated, his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,––even as, the Christ, the body, Because, members, are we of his body; –– For this cause, will I leave my father and my mother, and will cleave unto You, my body, and, we two, shall become, one flesh. This sacred secret, is, great,––I, however, am speaking as to Christ and the body; –I will love You, as myself.FN19

Give You authority over my body to be used to please you according to 1 Corinthians chapter 7.FN20

Submit myself to You in the reverence of Christ.FN21

Be nourishing our children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.FN22 They will honor you.

Not go to the unbeliever if we have problems but rather I will choose the counsel of wise believers who shall be able to judge our problems wisely according to our Father's Word and not according to the traditions of men.FN23

Not leave You according to our Father's WordFN24 but will nourish You and cherish You even as Christ does to his body.

Leave my father and mother and other family members. If it comes to choosing between you and my family, I will choose you.

Not place our child (children) above you. If it comes to choosing between you and our child (children), I will choose you.

I solemnize this covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all of my heart and with all of my soul,––to perform the words of this covenant that are written in His book.FN25

X______________________     ____________
Name                                           Date
When, a man, shall vow a vow unto Yahweh, or swear an oath to bind a bond upon his soul, he shall not break his word,––according to all that proceeds out of his mouth, shall he do. Nu. 30:2

(Wife)My Promise to You is that I will:
Love (ahab) Yahweh my God,––with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my might. This means following His commandments, which are recorded in His Word.FN26

Be loving and reverencing You as unto Christ. In our union, as husband and wife, I am the body and you are the head. I will submit myself unto You as unto the Lord, as you will deliver yourself up on my behalf that you may present me, your body, as glorious, holy and blameless. As my head, I will submit myself unto you as unto Christ. I will leave my father and my mother and cleave unto You. We two shall become One.FN27

Give You authority over my body to be used to please you according to 1 Corinthians chapter 7.FN28

Be a lover of our children by rearing them according to our Father's Word.

Make our children be obedient unto you as to the Lord. They will honor you.FN29

Not go to the unbeliever if we have problems but rather I will choose the counsel of wise believers who shall be able to judge our problems wisely according to our Father's Word and not according to the traditions of men.FN30

Not leave You according to our Father's WordFN31 but be loving You and reverencing You as Christ does to his body.

Leave my father and mother and other family members. If it comes to choosing between you and my family, I will choose you.

Not place our child (children) above you. If it comes to choosing between you and our child (children), I will choose you.

I solemnize this covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all of my heart and with all of my soul,––to perform the words of this covenant that are written in His book.FN32

 

X_______________________         __________
Name                                                Date
And, when, a woman, shall vow a vow unto Yahweh, and bind a bond, in the house of her father, in her youth; and her father shall hear her vow or her bond which she binds upon her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her, then shall all her vows stand, and, every bond which she hath bound upon her soul, shall stand. Nu. 30:3-4

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