Malachi 2:10-16

     In this pericope, Malachi rebukes the men who divorced their wives and married unbelievers who were still committed to their paganism. In the opening verse, Malachi points out that Israel was a special nation, created by God (Isa 43:15), who regards Himself as their Father, and the nation as His son (Ex 4:22; Isa 63:16). As such, the Israelites were not behaving as loving siblings, but were treating each other treacherously (Mal 2:10). The treacherous behavior addressed was that many of the Israelite men had “married the daughter of a foreign god” (Mal 2:11). These men had divorced their believing wives and married foreign women who kept their pagan faith; which was forbidden (Deut 7:1-4). Apparently, Ezra and Nehemiah were dealing with the same issue (see Ezra 9:1-4; Neh 13:23-31). An Israelite believer could marry a foreigner, like Ruth, if she joined the faith. But if she held fast to her pagan gods, like Jezebel, then it was forbidden. In the NT, Christians are warned against marrying unbelievers because it will cause problems and lead them away from the Lord (1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14-18). The Israelite man guilty of marrying a woman who was committed to idolatry was to be “cut off from the tents of Jacob” (Mal 2:12a), even though he continued to approach God through sacrifices, acting as if he’d done nothing wrong (Mal 2:12b). Restoring the relationship with his believing wife was more important than offering sacrifices to the Lord (cf. Matt 5:23-24). Another thing these men were doing included covering “the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand” (Mal 2:13). They wanted their sin and God’s blessings too; but God refused to answer their prayers because they failed to treat their believing wives honorably. This principle is true in the NT, as Christian men are told to live with their wives in an understanding way, to “show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7). The sin of these Israelite men had rendered them spiritually dull, and they were wondering, “for what reason” the Lord was not answering their prayers (Mal 2:14a). Malachi plainly explained, “Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal 2:14). God intended their marriage to be based on loyal-love, with each seeking God’s best in their partner; however, these men behaved treacherously by divorcing their wives, presumably to satisfy their sexual desires with pagan women. Marriage is a divine institution (Gen 2:21-24), in which God is personal witness to the covenant bond. The man who had even a remnant of the Spirit working in his life did not abandon his wife (Mal 2:15a). Furthermore, he would likely be one who produced godly offspring, as his children would see his commitment and perhaps follow in his footsteps (Mal 2:15b). Men devoid of divine viewpoint will naturally care little about spiritual matters in their own lives or the lives of their children. If permitted to spread, the practice of divorcing godly wives and marrying pagans would undermine the spiritual fabric of Israel’s society and lead to national instability. So, Malachi says to these men, “Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth” (Mal 2:15c). The spiritual husband would be committed to God and faithful to his wife, ministering to her needs as best he can. The Lord then states, very emphatically, “I hate divorce” (Mal 2:16a).[1] God created the institution of marriage (Gen 2:21-24), which is intended to unite, in faithfulness, a man and a woman together for life. The union is between God and the couple He joins together. And, because God Himself is a covenant keeping God who is faithful to His promises, He expects those who walk with Him to keep their promises too. Unfortunately, many in Malachi’s day were divorcing their wives for sinful reasons; and, rather than wearing a garment of love, with which to cover and protect his wife, he wore a garment of “wrong” that injured himself, his wife, and his children. So, God says to this man, for a second time, “take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Mal 2:16c). The spiritual man who walks with God will honor his vows to his wife and remain faithful to her.

 

[1] The Hebrew text could also read: “If he hates and divorces his wife” (CSB) or “The man who hates and divorces his wife” (NIV). If correct, the subject of “hate” is the husband, not the Lord; and the object of the husband’s hate is his wife. Whether God or the husband is the subject in the passage, divorce is wrong. However, because of sin, divorce was permitted (Deut 24:1-4; Matt 19:7-8), and the marriage could be terminated because of adultery (Matt 19:9), or desertion of an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor 7:12-16). Though divorce is an option, it is not required, and reconciliation, if possible, is always preferred.