Malachi 2: 14-16 Unfaithfulness

      In the book of Malachi, I saw something that I have never seen before. The text seems to suggest that in marriage, God's Spirit creates a oneness that leads to godly offspring—IF we as men remain faithful to our wives. Unfaithfulness brings violence and generational upheaval. Here's the text:

 

      Did God not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. "For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD…, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

 

      Twice the text highlights "So guard yourselves in your spirit."  So many men today spend time building their bodies, the careers, and their hobbies; Paul in the NT writes that men ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies.  Can you imagine what our marriages would be like if we actually loved our wives as much as we enjoyed golf, or Monday night football, or fishing?  What many men don't realize is that the result of not loving their wives as much as they love themselves, is their loss. Did you know that the average divorce cost around 30 thousand dollars?  Did you know that in America, divorce is a 31 billion dollar per year business, resulting in 175 billion dollars in money spent virtually down the drain.  Can you imagine what would happen to this economy if we just strengthened our marriages? The deficit would be erased and the budget balanced in just a few years! I can't think of a better stimulus package!

 

Oh, the picture, if you can see it, is my Japanese maple with its vibrant crimson color powdered with our first snow…October 16^th!