Speaking about his relationship with us, God uses as his image the covenantal commitment (v 14) of marriage. Generations of God’s people have stayed faithful to him, but it is clear that this community, named here as Judah (v 11), has been unfaithful. They are desecrating God’s holiness, disobeying God’s teaching, and destroying their relationship with him, through both intermarriage and unfaithfulness within the marriage (vs 10,11, 14–16). As CS Lewis writes in The Screwtape Letters: ‘Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.’*

Little by little first love can ebb away – it is clear to God, but perhaps not to the one who is turning away (vs 13,14). You weep because God doesn’t seem to favour you any longer – but it’s your own fault! ‘Watch out!’, says God. Just as human unfaithfulness is deeply hurtful and impacts on others, so unfaithfulness to God grieves him, and has consequences for others (v 15). 

And, our unfaithfulness to God and each other doesn’t make sense. We are all children of one Father, all created by one God (vs 10,15). He longs to continue his care for us (vs 15,16) – and he is faithful.

*CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 1942

‘Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.’¹ Think of reasons for saying ‘Amen’ to that and thank God for them.

In his third oracle Malachi begins to speak as a member of the community, not just as himself, and so says ‘we’. The community should be united with, and under, its one God and Father – but it is not. He points to their marriages as an example of a double breaking of faith: with God and with fellow Judaeans. People were flouting God’s laws which forbade marrying people who worshipped other gods.² In Israel’s history this usually led to a compromised, half-hearted worship of their God, or a complete rejection of him. Among the returned exiles intermarriage with resident foreigners was probably motivated by economics (the wife’s dowry) or politics (linking with influential families). Malachi calls for the expulsion of people who do this.

In view of the fact that they were breaking the covenant, the Judaeans’ dramatic pleas to God for blessing are worthless hypocrisy. They compound their sin by divorcing their Judaean wives to marry foreigners. Marriage, Malachi says, is a covenant to which God is a witness. He does not see the wife as the husband’s property but as an equal covenant ‘partner’ (v 14). A secure, godly, marriage is the school in which children can learn and practise walking with God.³ Although the exact sense of verse 16 is uncertain, what seems clear is that although the Law allowed for divorce,⁴ it is not what God wants. Verse 15 echoes the creation story.⁵ When asked about divorce, Jesus referred to that story and said that divorce was not what God intended but was allowed by Moses because of human failings.⁶ Because of those, we need to heed Malachi’s words, ‘So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful’ (v 16).

In prayerful reflection, ask God to show you any ways in which you are being unfaithful to him or other people.

¹ Ps 36:5  ² Deut 7:3,4  ³ Deut 11:18–21  ⁴ Deut 24:1–4  ⁵ Gen 2:20–24  ⁶ Matt 19:3–9