North Charlottesville church of Christ

Play

Malachi 2 - God Hates Divorce

Martin Adams
02/23/25 - Sun Bible Study

Series: The Book of Malachi

Meeting Purpose

Analyze the book of Malachi, focusing on God's views on divorce and proper worship.

Key Takeaways

• God hates divorce; it profanes the covenant of marriage He instituted

• The people's attitude was arrogant, always arguing against God's corrections

• Three things God hates: token respect, token worship, and token contributions

• Society's view of marriage has degraded, even within the church

Topics

Malachi's Context and the People's Attitude

• Last prophet before ~400 years of silence until John the Baptist

• People had become complacent after rebuilding the temple

• Recurring phrase: "But you say..." - people arguing against every correction

• Attitude of arrogance and unwillingness to see faults

God's View on Divorce

• Profanes the covenant of marriage (2:10)

• Considered an abomination (2:11)

• Destroys the purpose of the home

• God hates divorce (2:16)

• No exceptions given for happiness or changed circumstances

• Only biblical exception: adultery (not explicitly mentioned, but alluded to)

Effects of Divorce

• Profanes covenant with God (third party in marriage)

• Damages worship - hard to focus on God while breaking covenant

• Destroys family structure needed to raise godly children

Modern Marriage Issues

• Divorce rates in church similar to society (~50%)

• Marriage seen as optional by younger generations

• "Statements of commitment" replacing traditional vows

• Redefinition of marriage to include same- unions

Three Things God Hates

1. Token Respect (1:6-7)

   • People challenging God's accusations

   • Examples: neglecting temple rebuilding, cycles of sin in Judges

2. Token Worship (1:10-13)

   • Offering subpar sacrifices

   • Sunday no longer seen as worship day in society

3. Token Contributions (3:8-9)

   • Giving leftovers or unwanted items to God

   • Contrast with giving quality items to human authorities

Next Steps

• One more lesson on Malachi next week, covering eternal principles of giving

• Class will then transition to studying the Gospel of Matthew

• Matthew chosen to see fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies studied