Sermon Tone Analysis

Today, we are going to talk about an issue that impacts all of us or someone we know in some way. it is trending issue in Malachi’s day and a trending issue in our day.

Please turn to the book of Malachi.

Malachi chapter 2:10.

Malachi 2:10.

Remember, Malachi is in the OT and it is the last book of the OT.

short book.

and I want to talk about the next trending issue in Malachi, and that is the subject of marriage, as well as the subject of divorce.

And my commitment today in doing this is:

to preach and teach the Word of God faithfully and truthfully.

to not stray from God’s Word in anyway b/c it is God’s Word.

but also sensitively and appropriately teach this.

because I recognize there may be marriages currently struggling here, perhaps on the verge of divorce.

and we want to help.

There are people here who have been divorced and been through horrible pain and trauma from marriage and divorce, and we want to help as well.

and if you are divorced, I also want to say we are so glad you are here.

I also recognize that we have many single people here.

and any time marriage comes up, it can be a tough topic.

no matter where you are at today…I think this passage can impact you—b/c even if you are not married, you may be married someday, or God may be calling you to help a friend or a couple going through a rough time.

and lastly, I don’t bring this topic up to pick on anyone.

It is simply that next passage in our series.

so I say all that by intro,

This passage I am about to read is not a feel good, lovey-dovey, mushy gushy, ooey-gooey, passage on marriage.

Like most of the prophets in the OT—it is challenging.

Let’s look at how Malachi the prophet challenged Israel.

Let’s stand.

There are 2 problems Israel had.

Problem #1: is found in vs. 11.

the Israelite men married women who didn’t worship their God.

the NT describes this as being UN-equally yoked.

now I want to be crystal clear.

The Bible is not against inter-racial marriage, or inter-cultural marriage.

In the history of the church, unfortunately some of used passages like this to say that “See God hates inter—racial marriage.”

That is not true.

The issue here is that they are marrying someone who doesn’t believe in God.

and this is a problem…because by doing so, at the very least it will cause marital problems, and most likely it will lead them astray to worship other gods, and not the God of the Bible.

and God says by doing so—you are actually desecrating the sanctuary!

that’s strong language that what you do outside the church, is worship as well.

Your life outside the church must match inside.

This problem is still a problem for some of us today.

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus…I urge you and beg you — please only date, only get engaged, only marry someone who absolutely loves the Lord Jesus Christ.

DO NOT SETTLE.

I know we live in a rural area, and you may think “my prospects are not very good.

there’s not a lot of options.”

better to be single than to be in a marriage where one of you follows Christ and one doesn’t.

It will create all sorts of problems.

and I would encourage you if you are dating or engaged, and your partner or fiance is not on the same page with you spiritually, break it off today.

Problem #2: vs. 14-16

So What is the Problem — Unfaithfulness to your spouse, which included divorce.

in fact if you look at vs. 16—your translation may say God hates divorce, mine says “The man who hates and divorces his wife—does violence to the one he should protect.”

in other words, back then, men had more power and social status.

women did not.

it was men who could divorce their wives, and remarry.

It was much harder for a women to remarry; she didn’t have many options after that.

She had to move back with parents; or maybe she would be separated from children.

she couldn’t just find an apartment and job and start over.

divorce can be a kind of violence, a kind of injustice to the woman back then.

In fact, many scholars think you can combine both problem 1 and 2. that the Israelite men, were divorcing their wives to marry foreign women who worshipped other gods.

Why would they do that?

we think to gain social status, perhaps more money.

so they were not divorcing their wives for biblical reasons, but simply to gain power, prestige, money, status.

really at the root of their issue—was idolatry—an idol is a substitute for God—they were divorcing their wives because they were valuing something more than God. and the men after doing that still went through the motions of worship in the temple—but our life outside church must match inside church.

The 2nd problem here—confronts us as well.

If you are married, the issue that this really confronts us is with staying committed to our marriage covenant (vs.

14), the commitment and promise we made to our spouse.

I am not talking about issues like adultery that may lead to a divorce, or abuse, or if your spouse abandons you.

The Bible does talk about those situations as biblical reasons for divorce—the 3 A’s — adultery, abuse, or abandonment.

nor am I talking about there may be other reasons, complicated reasons—I know marriage can be complicated, and I have helped counsel couples through so many tough situations and heard it all—and there may be other reasons why it may be not a good idea to stay married (and that takes lots of prayer, counsel, and meeting with godly pastors and elders, etc.)

the issue that here that it challenges is our culture, and how it has even crept into the church.

the thinking kind of goes like this: “I will stay married to you as long as you make me happy, or we make each other happy and fulfilled.

But if we can’t, then we can get out of it, and find someone else who will.

After all, God wants me to be happy.”

It’s a consumer mentality—we do it with stores—if I find a store that has a better price, I say bye bye to my current store and go there.

that thinking has crept into our marriages—making us think the grass is greener on the other side, perhaps with another person.

that it’s easier with someone else. that we have fallen out of love.

Oh this passage challenges that…don’t abandon the wife of your youth.

Stay faithful to her!

She is your partner the wife of your marriage covenant—that word covenant is a great word.

commitment

promise

it’s the idea that you have promised until death before the living God to stay faithful to them as a reflection of the covenant God made with you.

so they had 2 problems—we still have them today.

Though this passage seems negative and challenging--this passage actually lays out a vision for marriage that’s incredible.

God’s Vision for Marriage: 3 things

God’s Vision for marriage is: that we pursue the Lord together.

where do we see that?

vs. 11 again talks about marrying women who worship a foreign god—this implies that we need to marry someone who worships the same god so we can pursue God together!

and oh what a difference that makes!

vs. 14 Malachi 2:14

vs. 14 describes your spouse as your partner, or your text may say companion.

somebody who does life together, in pursuing the Lord.

vs. 15 — that both are made by the one God.

your translation may say it a little differently that God has made them one.

you both belong to him in body and spirit.

it is a beautiful thing to pursue the Lord together.

In fact, if you are struggling in your marriage, one prescription I would write is pursue the Lord together.

one small thing you can do today—is commit to praying together, every single day.

even if it is just a minute or less.

a minute a day is 30 minutes a month—that’s 6 hours in a year.

don’t be surprised if you figure out an intentional plan to pursue God together, if that gets disrupted.

God’s vision for marriage is—the best environment to raise godly children.