Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 34; Revelation 20; Malachi 2; John 19
Malachi 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
The prophet Malachi lived during a difficult time in Judah. He was tasked by God to bring an indictment against the priests and the people for their departure from the Word of God. They were bringing crippled and sickly sacrifices and dishonoring the Lord with these miserable sacrifices. They were also dealing treacherously with the wives of their youth. They were committing violence but they were trying to cover it up like you would cover something with a garment.
Malachi 2:14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
God’s intention in marriage is for a man and a woman to enter into the covenant of marriage and for that covenant to last as long as they both live. The men of Judah were behaving treacherously toward their wives by divorcing them or putting them away. God is clear in his Word when he says that he hates putting away. God intends for a man and woman to be companions. In the Garden of Eden, God was clear that he gave Eve to be a helper to Adam. They are a pair; a couple.
Jesus was questioned about his matter by the Pharisees. They pointed out that Moses had written that a man could divorce his wife. Their question concerned the grounds for divorcement. Could a man divorce his wife for any reason?
Mark 10:5-9 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
God intends for marriage to last a lifetime. He intends for it to be a blessed covenant of companionship between a husband and his wife. Marriage is so important because it is a picture of Christ, the bridegroom and his church, the bride (Ephesians 5:22-33).
Let’s value marriage as highly as God does and let’ model and teach the importance of it!
In Christ,
Rody
