Talaq. Talaq, Talaq

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TEXT: 1 John 4:10-11 (ESV) 10  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.       
 
Right at the beginning of this devotion I should tell you: Talaq is an Arabic word which means divorce.
 
Here’s something else you should know: last month, if I had lived in India, and if I had been a Muslim husband, and if I had said that word three times to my wife, we would be divorced. We would be divorced instantly. But there’s more….

• I didn’t have to say “Talaq talaq, talaq” all at once. No, I could spread out speaking those words over a protracted period of time.

•   Nor did I have to say those words face-to-face with my wife. In actuality, if I didn’t like the breakfast she served me, I could text her one of the words; if I thought some of the things she bought at the department store were too expensive I could email the second word and if I thought she had put on too much weight, then I could get the third word to her by using Facebook.

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• Probably the last thing you need to be aware of is this: my wife couldn’t do the same thing to me. Only the husbands could make use of “Talaq, talaq, talaq.” Wives have no such recourse or ability to divorce their husbands.

 
Now the reason for this strange legal system is this: a goodly percentage of the 170-million Muslims of India live under the Muslim Personal Law for family conflicts. Understandably, many within the Muslim faith think the practice is one-sided and is wrong. An even larger part of India’s government leaders believe this practice violates the constitutional rights of Muslim women.
 
That’s why, last month, the government approved an ordinance stopping the practice. Now they have six-months to get India’s parliament to ratify the ruling.
 
Those who keep abreast of such things say the battle for the law’s approval is going to be hard fought. Among the Muslims, even those who don’t like the triple Talaq, hate the idea of the government meddling in religious matters. The people who sit on India’s Muslim Law Board are upset with the three years of jail time which can be given to those who violate the new law.
 
Talaq, talaq, talaq.
 
Don’t you think it is amazing that the Lord has never said those words to us?
 
When Adam and Eve broke the only law the Lord had given them and they ate from the forbidden tree. God could have spoken those words. Instead of divorcing humanity, He promised to send His Son to take our place under the law, and die the death we deserved. Read through Scripture and you will see a pattern. Man rebels; he is punished and God graciously restores the repentant sinner.
 
But in spite of frequent and insulting rebellions, the Lord’s promise to send the Redeemer always remains. For God there is no desire to divorce… only a desire to save.
 
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that Your love and grace continue to be held out to sinners. Grant that I may be embraced by Your love and learn to live in a way which honors You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by the Editors of Newser on September 19, 2018. Those who wish to reference this article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written http://www.newser.com/story/264816/sorry-indian-guys-no-more-3-word-divorce.html. 
 
 
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago  confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html