Not Divorcing
by Zeke Flores
The local newspaper, where we used to live, had an interesting column one morning. It was about a married couple, Blanche and Jake, who’d been married for about 50 years. They were quite happy, and at first, I thought it would be a typical love story of two people growing old together.
But they weren’t together. At least, not physically.
They lived in separate houses. The houses were next door to one another, but they were, indeed, separate. You see, it seems that Blanche didn’t like Jake’s snoring or having to “answer” to him. She didn’t believe in divorce, so Blanche moved out. She convinced Jake to buy the house next to hers, and now when the family gets together, they eat meals in the same house, but the children have the option of which house they’ll sleep in. Blanche and Jake love the arrangement. Blanche said she loves not having anyone to answer to and is glad they didn’t divorce.
I’m glad they didn’t divorce, too, but it seems to me that marriage is quite a bit more than simply not divorcing. Genesis 2:24 tells us that God’s intention for marriage is that the man and woman would be “joined together” and become “one flesh.” That would certainly entail living together, but also implies that they’ll be “on the same page.” Maybe they won’t agree on every detail; for instance, many men and women live happily together while disagreeing (but not disagreeably) on a host of issues. But hopefully, they’ll be in accord about their priorities concerning raising children, finances, and most importantly, serving God.
The wording in Genesis 2:24 implies that a man and woman will do all they can to guard the union. They’ll fight the forces that seek to tear them apart, whether it be the enticement to share the sexual intimacy of the union with someone outside of it, or window-rattling snoring. They’ll accept the roles that God has appointed for man and woman. He will love, nurture, and protect his wife, and she will respect and submit to her husband’s leadership.
It’s not simply about not divorcing; it’s about living together in an enriched relationship where each understands their place and, by filling that place, each helps the other be more than they could ever be apart. Blanche and Jake think they have an ideal marriage. They may be very good friends, but they’re certainly not “one flesh.”
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).
