Marital Matters

C.S. Lewis “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.”

Malachi 2:10 Unfaithfulness in the Home is Harming the Family and Dishonoring God

He provides 3 proofs for this claim.

First, in v11-12, Their Unfaithfulness in Marriage Profaned the Worship and God would Bring Judgment

1. Malachi 2:11

Not only were the men marrying Pagan women in violation of Deuteronomy 7:1-4, but they were bringing them into God’s holy temple area which was far worse. This was open denial of God’s holiness and would defile God’s place that He dwelt and loved so dearly.

Not only was His dwelling place defiled, but His chosen people were now defiled. By marrying Pagan women it was impossible to be devoted to God.

These weren’t just friendly foreigners, these women brought in wicked sin with them. We must notice the use of words like “abomination” throughout this passage. Throughout scripture sins that were described by this word were things like: homosexuality, child sacrifice, prostitution, and idolatry. Ezekiel 44:7 deals with outlawing the bringing in of these people into God’s holy place.

2. Malachi 2:12

Here we find God’s judgment of this sin was exclusion from the assembly of Israel

Both Ezra 9 and Nehemiah 13 gave ways of divorce for these men to separate from these women but now Malachi gives no way and prays that God would act against these people.

This “being cut off” would result in this family line being wiped out from the family of Israel.

The Next Basis Was Their Unfaithful Worship, Notice Their Weeping.

3. Malachi 2:13

How many of us know bad company corrupts good character?

It is believed that this weeping was not repentant weeping or God would’ve restored them, but this weeping is thought to have been adopted from their pagan wives who believed their emotion and screams would earn the love and attention of their “gods”.

This wouldn’t of just been so random men, these were the priests who were acting so erroneously.

Now we reach the meat of the passage where they will ask the question why are their prayers not being heard? And we will find the Unfaithfulness in their Marriages in v14-16

4. Malachi 2:14

One reason they were rejected was for the breaking of their marriage covenant.

People being at your wedding. God is.

When they would marry, God witnessed the covenantal vows they would make to each other, He would be the one who would be asked to bless the marriage with children and joy, and would be the one to unite them both into one.

Now time has past and these men were apparently leaving their spouses. Malachi doesn’t tell us why they were divorcing their wives but it could be because they didn’t have the money to support two wives, or that the original wife no longer please them (expound on ridiculous reasons they would divorce), or they would do it to marry a foreigner for economic advantage.

5. Malachi 2:15

Malachi calls the uniting work of God into view.

Malachi says that anyone with who still had a remnant of the Spirit would not act that way.

He then calls them to ask themselves this question, “What would a godly man who wanted godly children do?” and the implied answer is that they would marry a believer!

6. Malachi 2:16

In v16 it is emphasized that God hates divorce and views it as an act of violence. We’re not told what that means, it could be a reference to breaking the unity that God made when He joined them together, it could refer to her suffering of being abandoned, or it could refer to her being potentially abused by other men now that her husband’s protective covering is gone.

So, he ends this passage in essentially saying that unfaithfulness should not be a characteristic of a godly person. And so, the solution to this is to stop being unfaithful in their worship and in their marriage. Marriage is a beautiful blessing to those who are faithful to one another. It is filled with joy, love, and security. But that is killed when deception and unfaithfulness invade.

So, as we view God’s purpose for this passage we ask ourselves, “What can we get from this?”

v15-16. Notice the word “Take heed” which is defined as “Preserve by observing. Or to stand guard to protect.”

You may be thinking, “There’s just no juice left. It just feels dead, I don’t even know if I feel like fighting for it anymore.” Here are a few things which might stir our hearts toward our spouses.

We Are Given Principles On How To View Our Spouses

v10 As One For Whom Christ Died

v14 She is the Wife of Your Youth

Proverbs 5:18 “Rejoice in the wife of thy youth”

It wasn’t just young love or hormones. Song of Solomon describes it as the flame of the Lord! It is a sacred love He put in you two for His glory!

v14 She Is Your Companion

v16 You Are To Be Her Protector

v11-14. View Our Marriages As That Which Praises God

It glorifies God’s intended design. Genesis 1:27-28

It glorifies God uniting work. Mark 10:9

It glorifies God in depicting the Gospel. Turn with me to Ephesians 5:22-33