Malachi 2:10–17

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Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile

Faithful

Malachi 2:10–17

Irresponsible Behavior (10–12)

Earlier we saw that God was chastising His people for not honoring Him properly — they were bringing unacceptable sacrifices. Not only were they dishonoring God, they were mistreating each other. It only makes sense that if our relationship with God is not correct, it will impact our relationships with others. Jesus tells us the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart. The second greatest commandment then is to love your neighbor as yourself. 

Not only were the Jews guilty of breaking faith with one another, they were dishonoring God by marrying pagans. Israelites were permitted to marry non-Israelites as long as they worshipped God. This is seen in several instances in the Bible. Rahab and Ruth were not Israelites but they worshipped God and so they were permitted to be in Israel’s community. 

But at this juncture many Jews were marrying women who were not worshipping God. This behavior would lead the Israelites astray. It is one of the main reasons God told the Israelites to chase out the Canaanites when they entered the Promised Land. It is still true for us today. 

Paul tells us not to be unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14). If we marry a non-Christian, we are going to have a spouse who answers to a different authority. When two Christians get married, they both look to God for their source of authority and knowledge. If one of the partners is not a Christian, each spouse serves a different master which can often lead to strife. It also can lead to confusion for their children as they receive mixed messages about what truth is and where it is found. As Christians we ground truth in the one Creator God of the universe who is revealed in the Bible.

The Marriage Covenant Reaffirmed (13–15)

Why was God not accepting the Israelite offerings? Because the Israelites were not remaining with their first wives. Apparently the Jews were divorcing their wives and marrying the pagan women mentioned earlier. God had intended marriage to be permanent but He permitted divorce for several reasons. Jesus deals with this issue in Matthew 19:9 and confirms that marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman until death. There are examples of polygamy in the Old Testament but this is never condoned or commanded. 

The clear testimony of Scripture also forbids marriage between the same gender. Many Christians today try to suggest the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, but this is nonsense. Since homosexual behavior is condemned throughout the Bible, the idea that God would somehow permit sinful behavior to be sanctioned is illogical.

God Brings Justice (16–17)

There can be no doubt that God hated divorce. Verse 16 is the clearest demonstration of this fact in the entire Bible but it is evident throughout Scripture. It is a sad state of affairs that Christians in the United States get divorced as frequently as nonbelievers. Christians in the United States often feel like their happiness is God’s main concern. It can often be heard that “God wants me to be happy” as an excuse of divorce. However, the key principle ought to be Philippians 2:3–4 in which we put others ahead of ourselves and others’ concerns over our own. 

God did not send Christ to die on the cross so that we could be free to pursue happiness. Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin and to be an example of how we ought to sacrifice ourselves for others. Ephesians 5:25 tells men specifically that their concern ought to be for their wives, not for themselves, and women are to submit to their husbands. When both spouses do this a marriage is successful. Notice there is not one mention of “happiness” in those passages. Christians need to seek God’s glory first and foremost and put ourselves second.