After breaking up with his fiancée, a young man realized his error and wrote: “Dearest Marie, no words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say that you’ll take me back? No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you! Yours forever, Jimmy…
P.S. “And congratulations on winning the lottery.”
I’m not sure how sincere Jimmy was, but he was probably ready to restore their broken relationship at any cost.
In Malachi 2:10-16, we’re going to see that our relationships with others, with God, and with our spouse, reveal the strength of our faith.
“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?” – Malachi 2:10
In verse 10 Malachi reminds the people of the special relationship they enjoy with God. First, He was their father, a father demands respect (see 1:6). Second, God was their only father “Have we not all one Father?
The people were to be devoted to God alone. They were God’s special people and, on that basis, they should not have done anything that dishonored that relationship with Him
I want you to notice a phrase that is repeated five times in our passage, “deal treacherously”. It occurs in vv. 10, 11, 13, 15, 16
I know some of you see this differently in your bibles, so to get a better idea of what this phrase means, it’s helpful to look at some different translations.”
- The New Living Translation puts it this way: “faithless.”
- The Amplified Bible combines the phrases: “deal faithlessly and treacherously.”
For a clearer interpretation, we need to account for the fact that this passage is conveyed in Hebrew covenant terminology.
The words “deal treacherously” are connected to another key word that is used in this section. It’s the word “covenant” in verse 10 and verse 14.
The phrase means “to break faith” or “a broken faith” as in an act of poor character.”
Additionally, the underlining idea of these words “deal treacherously” conveys the idea of pillaging.
pil·lage/ˈpilij/ verb
- rob a (place) using violence.
- steal (something) using violence.
The Israelites, were acting “criminally unfaithful” with God and each other.
A covenant is a solemn and binding mutual agreement that is made between parties.
There are three main groups of individuals in this covenant that was made. Keep in mind that they failed to keep this covenant due to unfaithfulness.
- The Covenant with God. v.10
- A Covenant with each Other. V.11-13
- A Covenant with a Spouse. v.14-16
The people addressed by Malachi made a covenant with God to honor Him, to avoid idolatry and to keep from intermixing their faith with foreigners. A covenant is held by a compulsory keeping of faith. It means that “in good faith” is the basis that a person will keep it.
- Look at verse 10 … Covenant with God, v.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?” – Malachi 2:10
Another key word is “profane” which in the Hebrew language means “to untie” or “dissolve.”
As we continue the main idea, I hope that you pick up on this critical biblical principle that ultimately shows that “unfaithful people” will treat other people poorly. The reason that they do is because they do not love, fear and honor God.
- A Covenant with each Other. vv. 11-13
Look at verse 11 with me…
“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.” – Malachi 2:11
Now allow me to bring you back to the first part of chapter 2. It was the priests who dealt treacherously with God, but they also caused others to falter in their faith: “But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi, says the LORD Almighty” (2:8).
See, as the people disengaged from God, then the people broke their promises to one another. They broke their commitment to the body by bringing pagan worship and idolatry into the community.
Verse 11 begins with some strong words: “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed.”
First, the people were of the ancestry of Judah. This is important since God was bringing His godly offspring through this tribe! (This primarily refers to JESUS) v.15
Second, the word “abomination” also is translated in English as “detestable” in some versions. It literally means to be “morally disgusting” and “abhorrent.” It’s a term reserved for the worst of evils; immorality, witchcraft, harlotry and idolatry.
Third, notice that they had “profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves”. If you have a translation with the word “institution” in italics it means that it was added. The Hebrew word used here means “sacredness or holiness.” This literally refers to the fact that their behavior was a direct affront to God’s holiness.
Now, it is important to note that Ruth, Rahab, Abigail, and Moses’ Cushite wife in particular, were welcomed into the people of God because they accepted the God of Israel. The problem wasn’t marrying a foreign person. The problem was that woman from foreign cultures brought pagan beliefs and practices and continued them after marriage. An Israelite who married a foreign wife was compromising obedience to the Sinai covenant by introducing foreign gods and introducing idolatry into the community of Israel.
The reason God is so adamant about this is because He doesn’t want anyone to take His rightful place on the throne of your life.
Which brings this secondary principle for us today. We shouldn’t marry an unbeliever because it could lead to idolatry.
When an Israelite did marry an un-converted foreigner, verse 12 required that the violator would be “placed outside” the people. But notice, by God, not the congregation or nation.
“May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!” – Malachi 2:12
Allow me to explain with a chief example. Solomon, one of Israel’s greatest kings, the one who was chosen to dedicate the Temple, ended his life with sorrow because he was not faithful in this area. He ended up marrying pagan women who led him to worship false gods.
1 Kings 11 reports on the results of Solomon following his feelings instead of his faith. In verses 2-4: “They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. [This literally means that “he pursued” unbelieving women]. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, for his heart was no longer fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”
Paul reinforced this principle in the New Covenant by asking five rhetorical questions in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. It is very clear in the New Living Translation: “How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?”
The answer to all these questions is “They’re incompatible! There is no harmony!”
The principle in verse 12 teaches that those who marry someone who is not a spiritual soul mate will be turning their back on God. It is a covenant violation with Him.
And now verse 13 makes two points…
“And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.” – Malachi 2:13
These marriages caused syncretism (blending) in their worship to God. One of the styles of pagan worship was performing loud displays of emotion intended to demonstrate the earnestness of the worshiper. The two words “weeping and groaning” helps us understand the nature of the worship which was beyond contrite worship.
Second, God rejects it. The priests weeping and groaning on the altar with tears would not get God’s blessing while they still were in sin. In the New Covenant, Jesus told the people in Matthew 5:23-24 the same thought. Leave your gift on the alter and restore your relationships with your brother and sister first.
Our covenant with God and others includes our spouse.
- A Covenant with a Spouse. v.14-16
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. – Malachi 2:14
There is an important cultural background to address in this verse. Marriages were arranged. The arranged marriage meant inheritance and covenant implications for both families and God. The key phrase “wife of your youth” signified this point. The main purpose of an arranged marriage was to build a heritage that would preserve the covenant with God. With that in mind now look at verse 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. – Malachi 2:15
Now we come to a hard saying in Scripture.
“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.” – Malachi 2:16
Divorce is called metaphorically “covering one’s clothes with crime.” The point is similar as we would say in our contemporary way “you’ve got blood on your hands.” It is rare that a divorce is not hurtful and painful especially within the body of Christ.
The warning is “to take heed” in verse 16, Jesus teaching in Matthew chapter 5:31-32 and 19:3-9 also confirms this.
The point of Malachi is “don’t be unfaithful people.” Divorce is an act of unfaithfulness!
The people in Malachi’s day broke their side of the covenant when they did not love God. The important implication of this passage is that Love—is our most important responsibility to God and others. It’s a decision that takes a faithful commitment.
The moral of this passage for us: We cannot be right with God while we are wrong in our relationships with others.
In Malachi 2:10-16, many of the Israelites dishonored God as their Father and Creator. They were unfaithful to their communities, and they were hypocritical in their worship. They lived however they pleased. They married pagans and some of them had divorced their spouses.
The message to the people was to repent because God loved them. God wants to show people His mercy and grace. So, ask for forgiveness and find His mercy and grace.
We can’t water this down or try to act like He doesn’t
“I hate divorce, says the Lord God…”
• God does hate divorce.
but…
• God does not hate divorced people.
For us, no matter what you’ve done, or how hurt you are right now, allow these words from Psalm 103:11-12 to soak into your spirit: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 105:8: “He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded, for a thousand generations.”