Fidelity

Malachi 2:10–17 NIV

Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another? Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty. Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Introduction: Just this week told a couple was getting the divorce, “Reason” the wife wanted to find herself. How do we see commitment to others in the Church?

15-Disregarding God leads to Disregarding Others.

Progression

God loves his people - Committed to them.

The people do not respond in kind by not bringing their best and just doing the minimum. They disregard God.

This leads to a break down in commitment, care, and love towards others.

When we Disregard God, we Disregard Others.

The people of Israel struggled to survive in their homeland after returning from exile in Babylon. As a result, families in general and marriages in particular began to feel the tension. In the midst of this situation, many men began marrying foreign women and adopting their practices of worship, forsaking the God of Israel (v. 11). God makes clear that marriage is a holy and binding covenant that reflects his nature and glory, not a temporal arrangement for personal convenience (George A. Buttrick, “Malachi,” in The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, vol. 6, ed. Nolan B. Harmon [Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1956], 1135)

- The word is not just unfaithful, but being treacherous towards others. - Means to do wrong against someone by an act of treachery (betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature.)

- God hates divorce, why? Randy Weiland, “not because he hates the people who get divorced, but because he hates the pain that divorce brings.”

There are justified divorces in the Bible - Deuteronomy, Moses allows it, Jesus - for marital unfaithfulness, The Violence in this passage, and finally Ezra calls for men to divorce their foreign, idol worshiping wives.

Malachi is addressing people who are divorcing their God believing Jewish wives (women of the covenant) in order marry the “More exciting perhaps” foriegn idol worshipping women. - This left their covenant wives destitute.

The focus of treachery seems to be Marriage, but Malachi says, that they are dealing treacherous with fellow Israelites, people of the covenant.

Commitments to family

Commitments to Work

Commitments to Church - This is why partnership is important in a church, because God wants us to express our commitment to him, by committing to others.

It is here where the American Church again is just like Malachi’s Audience. Our commitment levels seem to match that of the world around us, because we have become married to the idols of consumerism.

Discipleship is about becoming like Jesus, and that means being faithful to others like Jesus.

16-Faithfulness to God leads to Faithfulness to Others.

Reason 1: - Seeing people as made in the image of God, Christ redeemed me, he redeemed you, God has covenanted with both of us (Loyal love) - it is antithetical and an affront to God to act in a treacherous way towards those God has loved. When dishonor God not just when we act treacherously, but when are not faithul to those God Loves.

We do not need to find ourselves, we have been found by God, and we have found out that our purpose is to Love God and Love others.

- 17 - Marriage Triangle

18 - Ten Commandments

22 - Reason - Godly Children -

This seems entirely difficult does it not?

23 - Reliability Requires the Holy Spirit.

People can be difficult and delightful - No matter the sphere - co-workers, parents, children, church members, spouse.

Malachi sees two dangers in the men he is talking to

They would act violently towards their wives.

They would would metaphorically act violently towards their wives by divorcing them.

In other words, he sees that we as humans are prone to sin, so..

He tells them the importance of tending to their spirit.

One Spirit in Marriage - Tend to your half of the spirit.

The Gospel - The way we as Christians tend to the Spirit is by being filled by the Spirit.

Asking for the Spirit to produce his fruit.

We stay committed then by means of the Glue that holds our covenant together, The Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: Would you recieve the Holy Spirit?

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Catechism: Q&A 3, 32, 43, 53, 62-64, 76, 86, 91-115, 122-124, 126-129 Belgic Confession: Articles 11, 24 Canons of Dort: Head V, Article 12 Belhar Confession: Articles 1-5