Malachi 2 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson

Douglas Stuart in his commentary on Malachi in An Exegetical & Expository Commentary: The Minor Prophets edited by Thomas E McComiskey uses the following outline

1:2-5                First Disputation

1:6-2:9             Second Disputation

2:10-16            Third Disputation

2:17-3:5           Fourth Disputation

3:6-12              Fifth Disputation

3:13-4:3           Sixth Disputation

4:4-6                Summary Challenge

Most readers will notice the following pattern as seen in 1:2-5

Assertion by God                    I have loved you (1:2a)

Questioning by Israel              How have you loved us (1:2b

Response                                 Is not Esau . . . the people with whom the Lord is angry forever?  (1:2c-4)

Implication                              Your own eyes shall see it . . . beyond the borders of Israel (1:5)

If the outline above is correct, you may notice this does not follow the chapter divisions in your Bible.  This is one outline however, yet it does remind us that the chapter divisions are helpful but added after the fact.  All the indents, quotation marks, chapter and verse divisions are helpful but not inspired.

The priests, instead of correcting and instructing the people, seem to go along with the people’s dishonoring of God.  The priests are not listening (2:2) to God nor do they honor His name.  God threatens to curse them and says He already has cursed them (2:2).  Would you know if God has cursed you?  What if God “blessed” you with wealth and possessions so you had all you wanted but no spiritual vitality?  Ps. 106:15 – “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.”  Do you want what you want at any cost?  How far down the road would you be before you noticed you no longer sensed God’s nearness?  Maybe that is where you are right now.  You have not felt a nearness to God in years.

God never expects perfection in spiritual leaders, but he abhors hypocrisy and dereliction of duty.  God expects, yes demand, respect.  Referring the  covenant with Levi, God says in 2:5 “It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me.  He stood in awe of my name”  2:5.  In verses 6-7, God described what a priest should be and do but God then addresses these contemporaries, “But you have turned aside from the way.  You have caused many to stumble by your instruction.”  We never want to see or experience this in our body.  We must pray for protection and strive to seek after God.  Pray for each other to keep us from the sin lurking within and without so we never bring dishonor to God.

Now in the third disputation, God is judging Judah for both religious faithlessness and marrying foreign women.  We must clarify that marrying a woman of a different culture, skin color or country is not wrong.  In this case, these were not believers who they were marrying.  What receives strong and deserved condemnation is the unbiblical divorce of these people.  On one hand they were “weeping and groaning” in front of the church, so to speak.  They appeared so humble and contrite.  Yet they were committing adultery and divorcing their wives which made God angry.  God allows divorce and remarriage under certain situations (Matt 19:9; I Cor 7:15) yet He still hates divorce (2:16 in some versions).  Greg Price in a sermon I listened to reminds us that 1. Marriage is the most ancient of institutions.  God created marriage with Adam and Eve.  2.  Marriage belongs to God, and He regulates it.  Says who can and cannot be married.  3. Marriage is the most enduring relationship – “till death do us part” – unless the above exceptions.  4. Marriage is a creation ordinance – this is not a religious covenant but a civil union.  Two unbelievers can be married legitimately.   God does not make a covenant with people who are married; we make it to one another.

The relationship between a husband and a wife is the most important, deep, and significant relationship a human being enjoys.  While I know many of us are widowed, not married, or divorced we need to protect the institution that is most attacked right now: marriage.  We need more, not less teaching on marriage.  We need more pre-marital counselling prior to marriage.  We need mentors assigned by the church for newly married.  We need to creatively encourage all those who are married and nurture those who are single or divorced.  But we can never give up on the gift God has given us: marriage.

Singleness is a great gift as well.  Next time, look around church and notice how many are single or worshipping without a spouse.  It might surprise you to see how many there are.  We can both honor marriage and honor singles.  There is no tension in doing both.    Yet, no human relationship points to the relationship between Christ and the church.  As Paul says after a lengthy discussion of a wife and husband, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it (marriage) refers to Christ and the church”  Eph 5:32.

Lord, keep my and our worship as pure as it can be.  We are sinners and will always pollute worship.  But keep sin from us.  Help us to be sincere, genuine, and respect Your kingly authority and eternal majesty.  You know it is rather easy to worship in public but harder to be a solid Christian at home, at school, or work.  Help us to remember to stand “in awe of (Your) name”  every moment of every day.  Help us to listen to Your commands and take Your Word to heart.  O, give us a heart to love You.  Soon, we will be in Your presence in emerald magnificence in the presence of Your glorified saints worshipping the High King of heaven with endless joy.  O, to think that Your Son purchased this for us is beyond what we could ever think or imagine.  In the name of Him who died in our place.  Amen.