Did God Divorce Israel?

Q

I was reading your post “No one knows the day or the hour” Most of it was very good, but I have a question. When did God divorce Israel?

A

God compared His relationship with Judah to that of a man who has divorced his wife in Jeremiah 3:1. And in Jeremiah 3:8 He had this to say about Israel.

I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries.

These things were written just before the Babylonian captivity which began in 605 BC.

Later, God spoke of a new covenant he would make with Israel. He said it wouldn’t be like the old one that they broke when He was a husband to them. He said in this new covenant He would forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more, and would never reject them (Jeremiah 31:31-37). This will only be possible after they recognize Jesus as their Messiah, and turn to Him to be forgiven. Zechariah 12:10 and Joel 3:20-21 describe this.