Through Malachi, the Lord answers seven arguments from the people of Israel concerning their broken relationship with the Creator of the universe. For the next few weeks, we'll be considering those questions and their implication in our own lives:

Second to our relationship with God, there is no more important covenant than the one we make with our spouses. I dare say it is the very fabric that holds nations together. When fathers become estranged, or when mothers forget how to love, families are broken in a disastrous way. It is apparent that the marriage union was becoming increasingly optional, in the days of Malachi. This infidelity was the reason the Lord no longer regarded their offerings or accepted them with favor. (Malachi 2:13)

The depth of this kind of covenant betrayal is revealed in Malachi 2:15, “Did [God] not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” It doesn’t matter if you were married in a church, a courthouse, or under an oak tree in the field, your marriage was intertwined, to some degree (how much I do not know), with the Spirit. The implication is that when your marriage is fractured, so too is your ability to acceptably honor God, whether that be in worship or in your daily walk.

So let me urge you, as Malachi did Israel,  to guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the spouse of your youth” (Malachi 2:15)

Let your light shine!

Next week: #4 – How have we wearied you? (Malachi 2:17)

Previous post in this series:

7 ANSWERS | #1 - How have you loved us? (Malachi 1:2)

7 ANSWERS | #2 - How have we despised your name? (Malachi 1:6f)