Malachi 2.10-16

Because we have one Father and Creator, and because of the covenant, it is completely inappropriate to break faith with God’s people and he hates it, so do not do it.

10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?
11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob, any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts!

13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 Did he 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.
16 “For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers* his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” (ESV)

*For the LORD, the God of Israel says that he hates divorce, and him who covers - my preferred translation of those verses

Look over the passage - what’s the main theme? (Repeated concepts/phrases?)

Verse 10

From v. 10, why is it utterly inappropriate to be faithless? (What are the implications of God’s people having one Father? One creator? What right does the Creator have over his creation?)

What is the covenant in view here?

Read Genesis 17.1-8: What does God promise? What are the obligations on the part of covenant members? How does faithlessness profane the covenant? (What does it say about one’s view of the promises and obligations)

Is this at all relevant to Christian believers now? See Galatians 3.29

In what specific ways have God’s people been faithless?

Verses 11-12

Deuteronomy 7.3-4: Why is marrying foreigners forbidden?

How does God feel about this?

How does it affect the people’s relationship with God?

How do we apply this as Christian people? See 2 Corinthians 6.14-16

Are there any more general applications of this principle?

Verses 13-16

How is divorce breaking faith?

Why does it matter so much? (Is there another party involved? What does God do? See 3.5 for more on ‘witness’. What purpose for marriage do we see God has here, and how does divorce affect that?)

How does God feel about this?

What effect does it have on the people’s relationship with God?

What is the application to the Christian believer? See Mark 10.2-12

Are there any more general applications of this for life in the church?

How can we practically guard ourselves to prevent this happening?

Malachi 1.1-5

In his sovereignty God has freely elected his people and reprobated others, so as God’s people, be assured of his love and acknowledge his greatness.

Where might we look to be assured of God’s love?

The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” (Malachi 1.1-5, ESV)

What is the dispute here?

Why is there a dispute? (Where are we in the history of God’s people? What were they experiencing? How did that match up to what they were expecting? E.g. Isaiah 35)

What is God’s response?

Read Genesis 25.19-26: What do we learn about Jacob and Esau here?

Read Romans 10.10-13: What does this tell us about the basis of God’s relationship to Jacob and Esau?

How do vv. 2 and 3 answer Israel’s question?

What does God’s rejection look like? (Past/present? Future?)

Why do you think this description is here?

Why is God’s treatment of Esau/Edom just? See e.g. Obadiah 10-11

What impact is that to have on Israel?

Application:

When might we, or Christians we know, doubt God’s love?

Where does this passage go to assure us, as God’s people, of his love? (New Testament control: Ephesians 1.3-6)

Who is the equivalent of Esau? (What did we see earlier about Jacob and Esau?)

How therefore can we see God’s love for us? (What components of this were there for Israel? Can something similar be said today?)

What effect should election and reprobation have on our view of ourselves? Of God?