Mal 2:15 | 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

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.