Malachi

2:10-17

Introduction

There is a word in our text that seems odd and out of place in a discussion of marriage and divorce. It is the word "treacherously," used five times in these eight verses. It’s from a root word that means to cover, as with a garment, but in this context it means to act unfaithfully – like a traitor committing treason. In verse sixteen you read that God hates divorce because, "it covers one’s garment with violence." It is a continuation of the same thought. We don’t see the connection between covering as with a garment, treason, and violence - but only because we are unfamiliar with Jewish customs.

"Cover one’s garment" is a description of a Jewish marriage custom. A Jewish man would cover a woman with part of his outer garment to symbolize that he was taking her in marriage. It expressed that she would now be under his care and protection. You see this in the Book of Ruth, in chapter three, as Ruth asks Boaz to spread his garment over her.

The treason, however, was not just against wives; it was against the Lord Himself. Look at verse eleven:

Malachi 2:11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the LORD’S holy institution which He loves…

Their treachery was also against the Lord because they "profaned the Lord’s holy institution which He loves," the institution of marriage.

As we work our way through these verses we will see two ways the Jews were guilty of treason. In verses ten through twelve they were entering spiritually mixed marriages; in verses thirteen through seventeen they were ending marriages unscripturally. We’ll organize our thoughts around these two points: #1 If You Are A Christian And Unmarried: Entering A Spiritually Mixed Marriage Is Treason, and #2 If You Are A Christian And Married: Ending A Marriage Unscripturally Is Treason.

#1 If You Are A Christian And Unmarried:

Entering A Spiritually Mixed Marriage Is Treason

Before we dig in to the verses themselves, I think it is necessary to acknowledge that public discussions about marriage, divorce, and remarriage can be privately painful. Many individuals – perhaps most individuals – in any auditorium have been touched in some way by divorce and remarriage. Hold in your mind this morning that there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ. There may be correction and the need for confession; there is certainly compassion; but there is no condemnation.

The opening verses describe spiritually mixed marriages. The Jews were given this instruction about intermarriage with foreigners:

Deuteronomy 7:3 "Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son."

There were some notable exceptions. Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, married Salmon, the father of Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, the Moabitess. It seems that the intent of the instruction not to intermarry had to do with the spiritual condition of the foreigner. In Exodus 34:16 you read,

Exodus 34:16 [don't] take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.

It wasn't that there were never to be mixed marriages. There were to be no spiritually mixed marriages - no marriages between God's people and pagans who worshipped idols.

As far as ethnicity, you can marry anyone from the human race. There are no prohibitions regarding race since we are all one race anyway, and because in Christ there is to be no racial or ethnic distinction between believers. The only prohibition is that a believer not marry an unbeliever – that you not enter a spiritually mixed marriage.

Malachi addressed the problem in verses ten, eleven, and twelve.

Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fathers?

God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He became their "Father" in a unique sense when He "created" a nation through them. As their Father, God set boundaries for His children. Those boundaries can be summed up by the use of the word profane. "Profane" literally means outside the Temple. They were not to profane. They were "profaning the covenant," going outside of the Temple, in the sense of going beyond the boundaries that God had established for marriage.

What we mistake for restricting rules and regulations are really God’s blessed boundaries. Christians are not to profane; we are not to go outside the Temple by ignoring the boundaries God has lovingly set. God has established loving boundaries for marriage within which you will be blessed.

Malachi 2:11 Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord's holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

God "loves" marriage! It is a wonderful gift that He has given to His people especially. God is in no way repressing you by placing boundaries on marriage. He is releasing you to enjoy marriage to its fullest.

Satan loathes what God loves. Is it any wonder that the most severe attacks from the enemy of our souls comes against marriage?

Malachi 2:12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts!

Those who entered into spiritually mixed marriages also continued to enter God's Temple with their gifts. "May the Lord cut off" is an expression that puts this into proper perspective. They went through the outward motions of attending the Temple services and sacrifices, but spiritually they were outside the Temple.

There are at least two kinds of spiritually mixed marriages among believers today. One is by circumstance, the other is by choice.

You might be in a spiritually mixed marriage with an unbeliever by circumstance. This usually happens when you are married, then later come to know Jesus as your Savior, but your spouse remains an unbeliever. The Bible tells you,

1 Corinthians 7:12 ...If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

1 Corinthians 7:13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

Spiritually mixed marriages should never be entered into by choice! Second Corinthians 6:14 says,

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

Believers don't usually make a conscious choice to deal treacherously with God by finding an unsaved mate. By not being diligent they make an unconscious choice to become emotionally involved with unbelievers.

Don't let yourself fall in love with someone who doesn't love your God. What does it say about the quality of your love if you can so easily betray your first love for God?

#2 If You Are A Christian And Married:

Ending A Marriage Unscripturally Is Treason

Virtually all evangelical Christians agree that divorce is a terrible thing that should be avoided. No one who believes the Bible thinks that divorce is good. But there are genuine differences of opinion among sincere, godly Christians as to what the Scriptures say and mean regarding divorce and remarriage.

I've indicated my understanding of divorce and remarriage by using the words "unscriptural divorce." I believe that the Bible teaches there are certain scriptural grounds for divorce, and that when there are scriptural grounds for divorce remarriage is permissible.

1. Jesus Christ said in Matthew nineteen that the sexual sin of adultery - especially ongoing, habitual, unrepented of adultery - was grounds for divorce.
2. The Apostle Paul, in First Corinthians seven, said that desertion by an unbelieving spouse was grounds for divorce and he permitted remarriage.
3. If your divorced spouse remarries someone else, you are permitted to remarry in the Lord. You get this from Deuteronomy twenty-four where Moses was writing to regulate unscriptural divorces. He states that once you’ve divorced and remarried another, you should not return to your former spouse but should remain in the new marriage.
4. In the common case of a person who was married and divorced and then subsequently became a Christian, it is right to marry again for the first time as a Christian. The biblical basis for this is Second Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."

Sin is the cause of every divorce, but not every divorce is sinful. There are times when divorce is Scripturally allowable and, subsequently, remarriage is permitted. These ought to be rare exceptions to the general principle that marriage should be until death parts the believing couple.

I can't cover every possible case and circumstance that you may have personally encountered, or that you may be personally experiencing. These are the general principles that God's Word has given you to guide you in your decisions. My desire, personally and pastorally, is to strike a mature position on divorce and remarriage. I want to stop the flood of divorces among believers and convince more Christians to follow God's plan of being committed to a marriage until death parts the couple. I also want to minister God's grace to the many hurting, formerly married believers in our fellowship.

One thing that is clear is this: Ending a marriage unscripturally is treachery! When there are no Scriptural grounds whatsoever for divorce, there can be no divorce whatsoever. Sadly, unscriptural divorce is the divorce that occurs most frequently today among believers. As we read verses thirteen through seventeen, it is unscriptural divorces that you must keep in mind.

Malachi begins by describing how an unscriptural divorce affects your fellowship with God:

Malachi 2:13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

Your fellowship with God is broken when you choose an unscriptural divorce, even if your attendance and your offerings continue. Remember – you are profane.

Malachi 2:14 Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant."

Marriage has a definition. It is a covenant of companionship. It is a promise, secured by your vows, that you will be your spouse's lifelong companion. When you choose to end the marriage in an unscriptural divorce, you are betraying your own vows, voluntarily offered before God and men. You are committing treason.

Malachi 2:15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

I always like to put this commentary on marriage into mathematical terms. Malachi says that, in marriage, one plus one equals one, that one plus one equals three, and that one plus one is greater than one.

1. One plus one equals one because, in marriage, two believers are becoming one flesh.
2. One plus one equals three because each believer has the Spirit of God within them. God Himself is the third member of their unity.
3. One plus one is greater than one because God blesses with children. Secular authorities have just begun to realize what God said all along, that divorce adversely affects children! No wonder that, immediately after His teaching on marriage and divorce in Matthew 19 and in Mark 10, Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me," and He embraced them in His love.

Malachi 2:16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

Here is the custom of covering. The husband who once covered his wife with his garment as a symbol of protection was now uncovering her through divorce. God called it an act of violence by a traitor.

Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God of justice?"

These people tried to justify their unscriptural divorces in two ways.

1. Some said, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them." This attempts to justify sin by appealing to God's grace. If sin abounds, grace much more abounds, so why not sin, since God delights to show His children grace? Today we would say, "I know my divorce is wrong, but God will forgive me." God certainly forgives; but we should never despise His grace in forgiveness by willfully sinning. Should we sin that grace may abound? God forbid!!
2. Others said, "Where is the God of justice?" In other words, "My situation is unfair; I can't believe God would require me to remain married under these circumstances." There are many painful, hurtful marriages. They are unfair, but that doesn't mean you have to be unfaithful! Fair should not be a prerequisite for our obedience to God; faith is what is required.

God loves marriage. If you love God, you will love what God loves. Your attitude about divorce and remarriage is really a revelation of your attitude toward God.

Conclusion

Christians still enter spiritually mixed marriages; Christians still end marriages unscripturally. We might put it this way: Christians still sin.

God still forgives your sin! If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you your sin, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Marriage to an unbeliever, or unscriptural divorce among believers, is sin that God can and does forgive - restoring you to full fellowship in Christ and with His church.

If you are thinking of entering a spiritually mixed marriage, Don't! You would be a traitor committing treason against the Lord you say you love.

If you are thinking about ending your marriage with an unscriptural divorce, Don't! God hates divorce.

Let's strive to preserve the Law of God without becoming legalistic, and to proclaim the love of God without becoming liberal. Whether you love an unbeliever, or loathe your believing spouse, let your loyalty to God rule your life.