As we continue in a study from the book of Malachi, the next couple of verses seem to be difficult to translate. If you’re interested, though, I encourage you to read and study this passage in multiple translations, perhaps with some commentary on the side, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. He knows what He meant when inspiring this passage, after all.
However, let’s take a look and see what we can learn here, regardless of any open questions about translation.
Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
“The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the LORD Almighty.
So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.
Malachi 2:15-16 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mal.2.15-16.NIV
Let’s step back a bit and consider this passage in context (perhaps Malachi 2:13-16, as a starting point). For one thing, I think that we can consider both divorce and unfaithfulness as part of the same sort of breaking of a marriage covenant. And, when either of those choices hurts someone else, especially when done for no other reason than one (or both) party’s selfishness, there is an affront to another human being, who was created in God’s image.
Verse 16 is where we find the phrase “I hate divorce” in some translations. Whether God is the one who hates this decision, or the man who divorces his wife hates her, it shouldn’t surprise us that the statements about divorce in verse 16 include words like “hate” and “violence”.
In that light, let’s think about how divorce or unfaithfulness hurts others. As it seems to me…
- Either one breaks a commitment, resulting in a broken promise.
- Either one breaks a relationship, where our relationships should honor both God (who is a witness to our choices and our promises) and other people with whom we are in covenantal relationships.
- Either one hurts multiple parties, usually not just the couple who splits up or the one whose spouse was unfaithful, but also children who have to live with the fallout, family members whose loved one is hurt, friends who are asked to take sides, and others.
- And, in ancient times, not unlike some divorces today, a man sending away his wife could leave her without support or defense.
To that last point, the Lookout (a study guide, cited below) points out that the man in a marriage is supposed to protect his wife, not harm her. There’s also a sort of “passive divorce” that takes place when a man distances himself from his wife, and doesn’t take care of her. That’s bad, too, even if it doesn’t result in a legal dissolution of the marriage.
Now, let’s also remember that, while divorce is a bad thing, there are times when it is carefully weighed against an even worse alternative, and difficult decisions must be made. As a result, when we see that a divorce has happened (or is about to occur), let us not rush to judgment. Perhaps the alternative would have led to continued abuse, or one partner felt that they had no other option, or someone made a decision based on incomplete information.
After all, attacking or isolating someone who has divorced a spouse – or been divorced by a spouse – is kind of like making them the victim of a broken relationship once again. Instead of blanket condemnation, we are called to forgiveness and restoration, especially to those who seek it. Remember, you don’t have to suggest that divorce or unfaithfulness is good (nor do I think that any of us would say that), in order to love those affected by either.
Consider that Jesus’ own stepfather Joseph considered divorce when he found out that Mary was pregnant (see Matthew 1:19). Those who face this possibility are in a difficult situation, for sure.
Regardless of how we try to interpret these two verses specifically, though, let’s not miss the fact that both of them repeat a couple of instructions:
First, let’s consider phrases like “So be on your guard” [NIV] or “So be careful about your spirit” [NASB, v.16]. Be careful! Watch out! Going back to 1 Peter (the same chapter cited in the previous article), we read in 1 Peter 5:8 that we need to be alert. This is something that could catch up with us if we are not paying attention and keeping ourselves in check. So, it takes work…but work to do what, in this chapter from Malachi?
It sounds like what we should work to avoid is captured in phrases like “do not be unfaithful” [NIV] or “do not deal treacherously” [NASB, v.16]. And, that makes sense. After all, faithfulness requires work. It is not a “one and done” activity, where we are faithful once and that’s it. To be faithful, we must continue to guard against straying from the path that we previously committed to.
So, if we are challenged to be faithful (described in one context here in Malachi, but probably true in many other ways for those who follow God), we’re going to have to work at it. That might not be exciting (I, for one, am not always psyched up for the work required to remain faithful in my relationships), but the good ones are worth it.
To summarize what was going in Malachi with part of a statement from the Lookout, “The horizontal relationship…was mixed, and therefore the vertical relationship with God was damaged.” Let’s make sure that our relationships are neither one-way, nor one-dimensional.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 25, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, August, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Minor Prophets Vol. 2 Nahum-Malachi, by Mark Allen Hahlen and Clay Alan Ham. © 2006 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 