I notice more words in this passage about marriage in Malachi 2: 14-16. Verse 14 says: “The LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth . . . “ Many times, we move along in our marriages without ever realizing how much God is involved. Yes, He is involved even if we don’t want Him to be.
God was there witnessing as we spoke our marriage vows, maybe similar to these words: “I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband, and forsaking all others, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, according to God’ s Holy Ordinance.”
We spoke our vows before God. We made a covenant. That’s why God uses the word “treacherous” because when we break covenant with our marriage vows, we also break covenant with God.
Proverbs 2:17 talks about the wife who “forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.” Her marriage vows are called the “covenant of God.” The word “covenant” is “berit” and means “a compact (made by passing between pieces of flesh as God did with Abram in Genesis 15:17-21), a contract accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath which sealed the relationship with promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.”
Do you notice the words again, “FORSAKING ALL OTHERS”? These words are part of our marriage vows. When we marry, we no longer have a “personal” male friend. Of course, we’ll have loads of male friends as couples and families whom we enjoy fellowship with. But never again will we go out for lunch or a cup of coffee or spend time away from our husbands in personal dialogue on our own with another man.
The covenant of marriage makes us “glued” to our spouse. We are one. No longer two. If we don’t understand this concept, we don’t understand God’s concept of marriage.
God makes us one, and remember, He is witnessing.
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Morgan Weistling.