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Malachi - Unoffendable
Brian Mashburn
November 17, 2013
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World Tainted vs. God Tainted Marriages
Malachi's message reveals several truths about marriage among the people of God:
Who you marry reveals your commitment to God.
Malachi says, "A detestable thing has been committed: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god." The issue is not nationality, nor ethnicity, but spiritually. If a man or woman will marry someone who does not have God in first place, then God is not in first place with them.
Unfaithfulness in marriage is unfaithfulness to God.
Malachi says, "You wonder why I don't accept your sacrifices. It is because you have broken faith with the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not [the LORD] made them one?" When a person decides he or she will separate what God has put together, He says it is His covenant that has been broken by you, not yours alone.
Faithfulness to God will show up in marriage.
Malachi says, "So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth." When you live spiritually true lives, guarding your spirit, you will not break faith with your spouse.
The ideal set forth by God in marriage has in no point in all of history been lived up to by the people of God perfectly. Not because it is impossible, but because it is difficult.
May we each do this difficult work, for God's glory and our good.