21 September
Tears On the Altar
And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
Malachi 2:13 to 14 (paraphrased)Malachi began with recalling the relationship of man with God, and ends that discussion such, "Judah has profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god." The focus then moves from the relationship with God to the relationship between husband and wife. Malachi 2:16 says that God hates divorce. HATE. That is really a strong word to use. And God says that He hates divorce.
In the beginning God created man and woman to be one flesh. When you get married, husband and wife become one flesh. Spiritually there is a divine connection between husband and wife, and this connection cannot be destroyed by a letter of divorcement. That is why Jesus said that the only circumstance under which husband and wife are allowed to depart is for reasons of adultery. And why?
When a spouse commits adultery they become one flesh with the next person. That spiritual connection between husband and wife is destroyed by the introduction of a third entity into the relationship. The only way that that marriage can be reconstructed is through repentance and deliverance.
We need to get back to the days when spouses worked out differences rather than giving up because of them. The wife completes the husband and the husband completes the wife. Together, they are one flesh.
Marriage is more than just a piece of paper, but a divine covenant between man and woman (and yes, man and woman only). Cherish it, and learn to grow in each others differences. But most importantly ... build your marriage on the solid rock of Christ Jesus; on His love, and not on the love of this world.