Monday, October 17, 2016

In our last visit we looked at things to avoid based on Malachi 2. I’d like to camp on one item a little longer. Malachi confronts the people with a probing question in verse10, “Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another.” A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Believers are in a covenant relationship with God and with one another. When one of us breaks the faith covenant it touches all who are in that covenantal relationship. Then Malachi gets down to the issue he wants to focus on, breaking the marriage covenant with the wife of their youth. Worse than this is then getting remarried to someone who worships a false God. The second evil would not happen if the first evil was avoided. When a man and woman get married God constitutes them “one flesh.” When believers get married they are “one in spirit” as well. They belong to God. That’s why verse 14 says, “The Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.” This “one flesh and spirit” partnership was designed by God according to verse 15, “because He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” The prophet sternly declares, God hates divorce (verse 16). Unintended consequences result when we break faith in our marriage covenant, and the pain it causes is devastating.