Malachi 2:13-17: a reflection

13“This again you do: you cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he doesn’t regard the offering any more, neither receives it with good will at your hand. 14Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant. 15Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16One who hates and divorces”, says the LORD, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence!” says the LORD of Armies. “Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don’t be unfaithful. 17You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the LORD’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’

Through Malachi, God confronts his people for dealing treacherously in their closest covenant relationships, and reminds them that he is a witness to how they treat those bound to them. The LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, God says, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant. God calls his people to guard their spirit and not deal treacherously with those to whom they are bound in covenant. What is striking is that God himself is a witness to how we treat those closest to us, our faithfulness or treachery in our covenant relationships; and he cares deeply about it. This shows that God witnesses and cares about faithfulness in our closest relationships. God is a witness to how we treat those bound to us. God cares about faithfulness in our covenant relationships. Guard against treachery toward those closest to you. God sees our faithfulness or treachery in our closest bonds.

Notice that God presents himself as a witness to how his people treated those bound to them in covenant. The treachery being confronted was toward those closest to them, those to whom they were joined by covenant and companionship. And God says he has been a witness; he has seen the faithlessness, the broken faith, the treachery in these closest relationships. This tells us that God is not indifferent to how we treat those closest to us. He witnesses our faithfulness or unfaithfulness in our covenant relationships, in marriage and in all our closest bonds; and he cares about it, calling us to guard our spirit and not deal treacherously with those to whom we are bound. It is easy to think that how we treat those closest to us is a private matter, or to be least careful of faithfulness with those who are most bound to us and least able to leave; but God is a witness, and he calls us to faithfulness, to guard our spirit, to keep faith with those to whom we are committed. Faithfulness in our closest relationships matters to God, who witnesses it. God sees how we treat those bound to us; guard against treachery. Keep faith with those closest to you, for God witnesses it. God calls us to guard our spirit and keep covenant faithfulness.

That is worth taking to heart, for God witnesses and cares about our faithfulness in our closest relationships, calling us to guard against treachery toward those bound to us. We can think how we treat those closest to us is a private matter, or be least careful of faithfulness with those most bound to us; but God says he is a witness to how his people treat the companion of their covenant, and calls them to guard their spirit and not deal treacherously. God cares about our faithfulness. Guard your spirit and keep faith with those closest to you, knowing God witnesses how you treat them. Guard your spirit and keep faith with those to whom you are bound in your closest relationships, not dealing treacherously with them, for God confronts his people through Malachi as having dealt treacherously with the companion of their covenant, reminding them that he himself has been a witness between them, and calling them to guard their spirit and not be unfaithful; for God is not indifferent to how we treat those closest to us but witnesses our faithfulness or treachery in our covenant relationships and cares deeply about it, and it is easy to think that how we treat those closest to us is a private matter, or to be least careful of faithfulness with those most bound to us and least able to leave, but God sees and calls us to keep faith, to guard our spirit, and to deal faithfully rather than treacherously with those to whom we are committed, so that we do well to keep covenant faithfulness in our closest bonds, knowing God witnesses it.

Lord, through Malachi you confront your people for dealing treacherously in their closest covenant relationships, and remind them that you are a witness to how they treat those bound to them. The LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, you say, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant. You call your people to guard their spirit and not deal treacherously with those to whom they are bound in covenant. What is striking is that you yourself are a witness to how we treat those closest to us, our faithfulness or treachery in our covenant relationships; and you care deeply about it. Show me that you present yourself as a witness to how your people treated those bound to them. The treachery being confronted was toward those closest to them, those to whom they were joined by covenant. And you say you have been a witness; you have seen the broken faith. This tells me that you are not indifferent to how I treat those closest to me. You witness my faithfulness or unfaithfulness in my closest bonds, and you care about it, calling me to guard my spirit and not deal treacherously with those to whom I am bound. It is easy to think that how I treat those closest to me is a private matter, or to be least careful of faithfulness with those most bound to me; but you are a witness, and you call me to faithfulness. Take that to my heart, for you witness and care about my faithfulness in my closest relationships. Help me guard my spirit and keep faith with those closest to me, Lord, not dealing treacherously with those to whom I am bound, knowing that you witness how I treat them and call me to covenant faithfulness.