Divorce and Marriage

O. T. #2347 "Divorce and Marriage"

Dec. 28, 2022 

Malachi 2-Part 5

LET IT GLOW

We read of the third question Israel had for God-Why are we unfaithful to one another? Perhaps the question should have begun with how. (verses 10-16)

God dealt with the sins of the priests and now turns to the nation as a whole and confronts the men who divorced their wives in order to marry pagan women. They profaned God's covenant by committing treachery (betrayal), hypocisy, purity, and hostility, according to Wiersbe.

In fact, Malachi uses the phase dealt treacherously 5 times in this segment of Scripture. (verses 10, 11, 14-16) In the Hebrew language, deal and dealt have the same meaning, to do or make; go about; while the word treacherously means deal deceitfully; offend; unfaithful.

So the Jewish men went about offending God, dealing deceitfully with their brothers, and being unfaithful with their Jewish wives. Let's find out how this happened:

• The men defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. (verse 11)
• They covered the LORD's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because He pays no attention to your offerings and doesn't accept themn with pleasure. (verse 13)
• God doesn't accept their worship because the men were unfaithful with their marriage vows to their wife. (verse 14)
• God hates divorce. (verse 16)
• They wearied God by saying that all who do evil are good in His sight and God is pleased with them. (verse 17)

The Jewish men did the same thing by marrying Egyptian women and Midian women. Soloman oppended the door to idolatry by marrying foreign women. God made man and woman for each other and to establish marriage for the good of the family. (Exodus 34:11-16; Deut. 7:3-4) so the people were disqualified to participate in offering made to the Lord. Their rights and privileges in the Israeli community was nulled.

Did you notice that God is plane spoken? He tells it like it is and what was wrong with the people. That is a hard message to deliver because rejection or conviction of sin is often taken out on the deliverer of the message. 

LET IT GROW

We are living in a day when divorce has lost its stigma. It is acceptable and often unavoidable, even among many Christians. Therefore, people end up living together instead of marrying, which is a sin, too. Christians fail to see the spiritual dimension of marriage and marry unbelievers. (Tony Evans)

Paul tells Christians not to be mismatched with unbelievers. (2 Cor. 6:14-16) which would apply to marriage. When the Christian marries a non-Christian, there will be a clash of gods and covenants. Don't partner with someone who doesn't share your faith because you're going in two different directions. Dare I say that we all have divorce somewhere in our families? 

Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, as well as a covenant before God. It is not just a social institution, but a spiritual issue, too. God wants us to have and raise children in the knowledge of the Lord so that His image is spread worldwide for His glory. (Tony Evans)

Are we teaching our children that marriage is to be taken seriously, not lightly. Sure it is not easy because two people are different. God does permit divorce in cvertain cases. (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:15), but it sin't that He intended for it at the beginning. (Matt. 19:8)

Those men that Malachi was confronting were divorcing for illegitimat reasons and committed injustice. Getting a "no-fault" divorce and separating for "irreconcilable differences" is not a covenantal option. In God's eyes, it is a treacherous act with spiritual consequences. (Tony Evans)

LET IT GO

Help us stay faithful to our spouce and You. Please bless those who are struggling in this area.