like you and I. In 2 Samuel 11, this mighty man of God enters into an adulterous affair with a married woman named Bathsheba. Not only does he engage in adulterous behavior, but he also gives the order that causes her husband Uriah to be killed in battle. The result of David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba is an illegitimate child.
So here is David, a follower of God who finds himself surrounded by a multitude of sinful choices. Does God say to David, well you had a good run but you messed up and I can’t use you anymore? No, instead God sends his Prophet Nathan by in 2 Samuel 12 to confront David about his sin. Through Nathan, God tells David that there will be permanent consequences for his actions and his sin, including the loss of the unborn child that was conceived during his affair with Bathsheba. Yet, in verse 13, David confesses his sin and says, “I have sinned against the Lord.” But note what Nathan says, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin.” David paid for his sin with Bathsheba with the loss of children and additional suffering on his life, but God forgave his sin and restored him to fellowship. Not only did he restore him to fellowship, but he also allowed him to take Bathsheba as his wife, and he blessed that union with the birth of a son named Solomon. Solomon would be chosen by God to be the successor to David’s throne and was also part of the lineage of Christ the Messiah.
What I want you to see is that just as God restored David, He can restore you even if your divorce was not based on biblical grounds. Like David, there will be some lasting consequences and battles you must face, but God can restore you and use your life if you’re willing to genuinely repent and seek reconciliation with Him.
Our time on this subject has only been a quick overview of what God teaches in His Word about marriage and divorce. There are multitudes more that we could discuss on this topic, but that is not the purpose of this book. Our purpose in this chapter was simply to remind you of the seriousness of marriage as well as how God views marriage and divorce. Many marriages end that could have been saved, if only two people would work together and seek common ground in Christ.
I'll be the first to tell you that I loathe divorce. No one wins in a divorce, and everyone you love ends up with a battle scar. When two people go through a divorce, it's like throwing a rock into the middle of a pond. It may have made the biggest splash where it went in, but the ripples carry throughout the entire pond all the way to the bank. I would encourage those of you who have recently been separated—regardless of the length of time of the separation—to seek reconciliation if there is any hope of doing so at all! The Bible says, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10). Don’t let your own pride stand in the way of God working a miracle in your marriage.
With that being said, it's quite possible that, like me, you sought reconciliation, but were left with no hope. If that’s the case, then know that just because you're divorced doesn’t mean your life is over. Being divorced doesn’t have to define your life; it's simply something that happened to you. Part of the reason I felt that God led me to write this book was to help people realize they're not alone. I promise you, God is still on Heaven's throne and He still wants to use you and bless you beyond your wildest dreams. Continue to put yourself in His hands and let Him guide you and direct your life.
2
The Greatest of All
“His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels,
and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great
household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.”
Job 1:3
As we begin this chapter, we move away from the scriptural premise of marriage and begin dealing with principles and applications from Scripture that the Lord can use to strengthen and help you in your divorce recovery. As previously mentioned in the preface, we are going to spend much time looking into the life of Job and using his suffering to make scriptural application to our own suffering and pain. No matter how great the pain we experience going through a divorce, no one can say that they've suffered as severely as Job did. We should be thankful to God that He loved us enough to record the account of Job’s life in the pages of Scripture so that you and I may draw strength from his experiences. In the next chapter, you will see that our friend Job has more in common with our situation than you may have originally thought. In this chapter, however, I want us to look at Job’s testimony prior to his suffering, and in turn learn that our suffering and failed marriage is not necessarily because of our failures and shortcomings.
When we open the book of Job, the very first thing we read is: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” The Word of God says that Job was “perfect” and “upright.” It is important for us to note that the use of the word “perfect” in this context does not mean that Job was without sin, but rather it speaks of the integrity of his life. God describes Job as being a man who was perfect and upright. He was an honest man, a good father, a good husband, and a man of his word. Job was not a shady character, but rather he was a wholesome man who was thought to be trustworthy by all who knew him.
In terms of marriage, he was the kind of spouse that you would never have to question his faithfulness or be concerned about immoral behavior. Not only was he a good moral man, but he was also a godly man. He feared God and eschewed evil. The word “eschew” is translated from the Hebrew word
As we move further into the first chapter of Job, in the third verse, God describes Job's character and person as it pertains to all those of his generation. God says, “This man was the greatest of all the men of the east.” The Lord made it clear in verse 1 that Job was a wholesome and upright man, but to further explain the impeccable nature of Job’s character, God compares him to all the men of the east. It is not very often that the Lord goes to such lengths to describe the godly nature of His servants. The fact that He reiterates what kind of man Job was needs not go unnoticed. The Lord is telling us through His repetition and reiteration that understanding Job’s character is vital to understanding the story of his life. Think of what God said of this man: “This man was the greatest of all the men.” He did not say, “Job was as good as any other man.” He did not say, “Job was one of the greatest men of the east.” Rather, he said that Job was the greatest of all the men in the east. There was no man who could compare with Job in terms of his godly character and integrity. God is saying to us that Job was the best of the best, and there was no man anywhere greater than this man. Whether in possessions or spiritual purity, Job was the greatest man of his day.
I know you must be thinking, “Great! Good for Job, but what does this have to do with me going through a divorce?” Believe it or not, understanding this principle is at the foundation of your recovery. If you fail to understand the message that God is trying to relay through Job’s character, then you open yourself up to having the wrong perspective about who you are and why you are
