Mal 2:15-16 | KingComments | STEP | The NASB gives as an alternative reading of the first part of this verse: “Did He not make one, although He had the remnant?” This will be the basis for the explanation. God has laid down His blueprint for marriage in Genesis 1-2. He did make one, which means that husband and wife are one. He “created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” ( ; ). He made one human couple that He bound together in the bond of marriage. Husband and wife are one man together. Adam gets Eve as the one woman who fits him. With her he forms a unity, with her he is “one flesh” ( ). God still had “the remnant of the Spirit” left, which in this context perhaps means that He could have made more wives for Adam. He did not do that. He gave Adam only one wife, Eve, and with that gave the pattern for every marriage. Why did He do that? Because only within the sacred bond of marriage can He find a “godly offspring” according to His desire. This means that it is God’s intention that children are born and raised in the atmosphere of love and faithfulness that exists between a husband and a wife in marriage. God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life ( ). This enables him to judge things as God does. But through sin he is darkened in his mind and cannot take heed of his spirit. He is led by the ruler of the world, the devil, and therefore acts against everything God has instituted, especially against marriage. Also those who have new life, life through rebirth, have to watch out for the thinking of the world. He must be wary with his spirit not to get carried away in the world’s ungodly thinking about marriage and divorce. Let no one who is married act unfaithfully against the woman he is married to: “Marriage [is to be held] in honor among all, and the [marriage] bed [is to be] undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” ( ). Anyone who understands God’s thoughts will remain faithful to his wife. He will not marry a strange woman to conceive children who would be for God. We see in Nehemiah 13 the result of mixed marriages: “In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon [and] Moab. As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people” ( ). This is what should be expected from mixed marriages. No “godly offspring” was conceived here, there are no children here who seek God. Here we also see how marriage, marital faithfulness, and children belong together. God instituted marriage in order for children to be born. Using Genesis 1-2 we can say that sexuality has two characteristics. God wants to use it for procreation, having children. God also gives sexuality to enjoy each other, to experience the joy of recognizing the other as someone who suits you. In case of unfaithfulness to the wife of the youth, both goals are destroyed.

‏ Malachi 2:15-16

He Only Made One

The NASB gives as an alternative reading of the first part of this verse: “Did He not make one, although He had the remnant?” This will be the basis for the explanation.

God has laid down His blueprint for marriage in Genesis 1-2. He did make one, which means that husband and wife are one. He “created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27; Mt 19:4-6). He made one human couple that He bound together in the bond of marriage. Husband and wife are one man together. Adam gets Eve as the one woman who fits him. With her he forms a unity, with her he is “one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

God still had “the remnant of the Spirit” left, which in this context perhaps means that He could have made more wives for Adam. He did not do that. He gave Adam only one wife, Eve, and with that gave the pattern for every marriage. Why did He do that? Because only within the sacred bond of marriage can He find a “godly offspring” according to His desire. This means that it is God’s intention that children are born and raised in the atmosphere of love and faithfulness that exists between a husband and a wife in marriage.

God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life (Gen 2:7). This enables him to judge things as God does. But through sin he is darkened in his mind and cannot take heed of his spirit. He is led by the ruler of the world, the devil, and therefore acts against everything God has instituted, especially against marriage.

Also those who have new life, life through rebirth, have to watch out for the thinking of the world. He must be wary with his spirit not to get carried away in the world’s ungodly thinking about marriage and divorce. Let no one who is married act unfaithfully against the woman he is married to: “Marriage [is to be held] in honor among all, and the [marriage] bed [is to be] undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb 13:4).

Anyone who understands God’s thoughts will remain faithful to his wife. He will not marry a strange woman to conceive children who would be for God. We see in Nehemiah 13 the result of mixed marriages: “In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon [and] Moab. As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people” (Neh 13:23-24). This is what should be expected from mixed marriages. No “godly offspring” was conceived here, there are no children here who seek God.

Here we also see how marriage, marital faithfulness, and children belong together. God instituted marriage in order for children to be born. Using Genesis 1-2 we can say that sexuality has two characteristics. God wants to use it for procreation, having children. God also gives sexuality to enjoy each other, to experience the joy of recognizing the other as someone who suits you. In case of unfaithfulness to the wife of the youth, both goals are destroyed.

God Hates Divorce

This verse begins with the word “for”. This indicates that what follows is directly related to the foregoing. There Malachi has shown God’s plan with marriage and how important it is not to act unfaithfully in it. This unfaithful act finds its culmination, or better low point, in divorce. To God divorce is not just a wrong choice, it is a destruction of His work, a violent act He abhors.

Covering his garment refers to the old custom where a man throws his garment over a woman to take and protect her as wife (Rth 3:9; Eze 16:8). However, those who divorce their wives do not use their garment that way. They do not protect their wives, but they cover up the violence they use against their wives. Those who seek divorce are often hardened in their natural feelings. The violence can sometimes be physical, but most of all it can be spiritual through the use of harsh words that are “like the thrusts of a sword” (Pro 12:18).

Anyone who does not stay close to the Lord runs the risk of becoming unfaithful to his own wife. He who alienates from the Lord also alienates from his surroundings, most of his housemates and most of all of his wife. In this alienation the urge to view pornographic sites on the internet can no longer be resisted. Someone is becoming more and more alienated. Contacts are made through social media. Meetings are arranged. Finally, there is no turning back and the divorce is initiated.

God hates divorce because it destroys His purpose with marriage. His purpose with marriage, in addition to the aspects mentioned above, is above all that in every marriage the unity between Christ and the church is made visible (Eph 5:31-32). This is what God has in mind when He creates man and woman and establishes marriage as the legitimate sphere in which sexuality may be fully enjoyed. That is why Ephesians 5 refers to the institution of marriage in Genesis 2 (Eph 5:31; Gen 2:24).

The Lord Jesus is clear in His teaching about divorce (Mt 19:3-9; 1Cor 7:10). Divorce is a particularly bad thing. Whoever thinks he can get rid of that inseparable bond and therefore also thinks he is free to enter into that inseparable bond with someone else, is very mistaken. He commits adultery by entering into a new marriage. The same goes for someone who marries the divorced woman, because this woman is still inextricably connected to her husband. That is so, as long as he lives (Rom 7:2-3).

The exception “except for immorality” or “not for fornication” (Mt 19:9) concerns the case of someone who is betrothed. We have an example of this with Joseph and Mary. While they are betrothed, Joseph plans to send Mary away secretly when he notices that she is pregnant (Mt 1:18-19). When someone is betrothed, there is a fixed connection, but the official marriage has not yet taken place. In the case of Joseph and Mary in their betrothed status, the sending away would have been allowed. God does not blame Joseph for that consideration either, but let him know what is really going on. Then he does not send her away.