Therefore I will give their wives to other men

    and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit. Jeremiah 8:10

            God didn’t want to give men’s wives over to other men.  He definitely supports marriage.

            However, the people of Jerusalem were disobedient in Jeremiah’s day and God punished them through a number of ways.  By giving their wives over to other men, He was saying that an enemy would move in and take whatever they wanted, including the women.  Families would be split up.

            The people had a choice in the matter—God told them not to worship other gods.  That simple decision could have saved Israel, Jerusalem and many marriages.  They refused and suffered the consequences.

            God doesn’t tear marriages apart, but allows the people to make choices until the marriage can’t survive any longer.