V. Taking Marriage Seriously (Malachi 2:10-16)
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V. Taking Marriage Seriously (2:10-16)
We’re living in a day when divorce has lost its stigma. It is recognized as acceptable and often unavoidable—even among many Christians. As a result, couples often hedge their bets with prenuptial agreements or simply live together instead of marrying. In addition, some Christians fail to see the spiritual dimension of marriage and, as a result, marry unbelievers. Given our modern cultural context, we need to know God’s view on marriage, and Malachi gives it to us without holding back.
2:10-13 Even though they have one Father and one God, the Israelites act treacherously against one another, profaning the cov-enant (2:10). Judah has even profaned the Lord’s sanctuary. How? By marrying the daughter of a foreign god (2:11). In other words, Jewish men were marrying non-Jewish women who worshiped pagan deities and brought their foreign gods into the Lord’s sanctuary. As a result, the Lord threatened to cut off from the tents of Jacob any man who did so (2:12). Moreover, though they covered his altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, he did not respect their offerings or receive them (2:13). Because they disregarded the marriage covenant, God wasn’t answering their prayers (see 1 Pet 3:7).
Paul tells Christians not to be mismatch-ed with unbelievers (see 2 Cor 6:14-16), which would certainly apply to marriage. Marriage is a spiritual and covenantal matter. When a Christian marries a non-Christian, there will be a clash of gods and covenants. Malachi and Paul agree: don’t partner with someone who doesn’t share your faith because you’re going in two different directions.
2:14 The people were in shock, wondering why God would not receive their offerings and hear their prayers. Because, the Lord tells the husbands, you have acted treacherously against your wife, though she was your marriage partner . . . by covenant. There’s that word again: covenant. Marriage between a man and a woman is a covenant before God. It’s not merely a social institution; it’s a spiritual issue.
2:15 What does the Lord seek through the marriage covenant? Too many people think the purpose of marriage is happiness. But happiness is a benefit of marriage, not its purpose. The purpose of God’s covenants is always the expansion of his kingdom in history. Through marriage, in particular, God seeks godly offspring. That means that having a child isn’t about gaining a “mini-me.” God wants us to have and raise children in the knowledge of the Lord so that his image is spread worldwide for his glory.
2:16 Not only were the men marrying daughters of foreign gods, but they were divorcing their wives to do it. The CSB reads, If he hates and divorces his wife . . . he covers his garment with injustice. Other translations think the Hebrew is better translated as God declaring, “I hate divorce.” Whichever is correct, it’s clear that divorce is not to be a norm. God permits divorce in certain cases (see Matt 19:9; 1 Cor 7:15), but it’s not what he intended from the beginning (see Matt 19:8). Moreover, it’s clear that the men Malachi is confronting were divorcing for illegitimate reasons and, therefore, committing injustice. So, call it what you like, but getting a “no-fault” divorce and separating for “irreconcilable differences” is not a covenantal option. In God’s eyes, it’s a treacherous act with spiritual consequences.