What God Joined Together - Family Radio

Chapter 3
GOD’S MARRIAGE TO ISRAEL
A third ceremonial law that relates to marriage and divorce was introduced
into the Bible because of the spiritual marriage (which was entirely different
from the marriage of the law of God to the human race), wherein God took
ancient national Israel as His wife. Israel, as a corporate, external body, was
the representation of the kingdom of God on earth during the historical period
from Abraham to Jesus. This marriage relationship was established by God
because national Israel typified and foreshadowed the spiritual Israel of God
which was to become the eternal bride of Christ. We know this spiritual
marriage between God and national Israel existed because of God’s complaint
against the spiritual fornication of His wife, recorded in Jeremiah 3:14: “Turn,
O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you.” He was not
married to them as individuals; individually they were spiritually married to
the law of God. He was married to them as a corporate entity.
At no time in national Israel’s history were they faithful. Repeatedly they
lusted after other gods. What was God to do with His fornicating wife
According to God’s eternal law, death is required for the adulterous wife,
but God could not utterly destroy the nation, for Christ was to come out of
national Israel. Moreover, national Israel was the seedbed from which the New
Testament church would spring forth.
God’s plan was to use national Israel as an example of His patience and
mercy. In the parable of Luke 13, the fig tree that repeatedly had not borne fruit
was to be cut down but was given one more opportunity. If there still was no
fruit, it was to be cut down. Today national Israel is a viable nation amongst the
nations of the world. Only if it ceases to bear spiritual fruit will it be destroyed.
For these reasons and possibly others, God chose not to have his spiritual
wife, national Israel, killed, and yet God planned to break His spiritual
marriage with national Israel. Once Christ went to the cross, God had purposed
to end forever the spiritual relationship He had with national Israel.
To accomplish this goal, God introduced another law into the body of
ceremonial laws. In order to divorce Israel, God had to introduce a law that
would permit divorce. God is the giver and maker of the law, and He may
introduce any law He desires. Whatever law He sets forth, God in His perfect
righteousness obligates Himself to obey. In His Word in Deuteronomy 24:1-
4, God placed a law that permitted divorce for fornication:
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that
she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in
her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and
send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she
may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and
write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her
10 What God hath joined together...