SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
An Unfaithful People, a Faithful God

Malachi 2:10-16

(Rev. Erik Veerman)

What is the meaning of marriage? God created the covenant of marriage to reflect His relationship with His people. This means that faithfulness or unfaithfulness in our marriages is connected to our relationship with God. Malachi warned Israel that their marital unfaithfulness in divorcing their wives and in marrying women outside the faith was, in effect, spiritual adultery against God. There were both personal and societal consequences for this unfaithfulness. And rather than produce Godly offspring, these marriages harmed the spiritual vitality of the next generation. Marital infidelity is so serious, that God threatened to disinherit any person who did this while they continued to worship Him. The good news is that God is faithful even when His people are not. The mystery of marriage is that it points to the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Christ pursued His unfaithful bride and laid down His life for her, and He continues to work in the Church by His Spirit to make us faithful to Him. Application Questions: Why does Malachi appeal to God as Father/Creator and to the covenant of the fathers when he talk about marital infidelity?  According to verse 11, Why were God's people forbidden from marrying women outside the covenant community? What else were the people doing that made their worship hypocritical?  Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches about Christ's faithful pursuit of His Church and what that means for marriage. How does Christ's relationship with the Church shed light on Malachi's message on marriage?  What does it look like to "guard yourselves in your spirit" and "not be faithless?" Scriptures for Further Study: Psalm 89:1-5; Leviticus 26:40-42; Micah 7:18-20; Hosea 2:14-23; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6