In this marriage passage in Malachi 2 that we are pondering, the question comes forth: “What does God want from your union?” We wait for the answer.Let’s read it: “That he might seek as godly seed.”
It is true that God ordained marriage for intimate companionship which every one of us were born for. He ordained the “holy estate” marriage to satisfy the sexual desires He put. But ultimately He ordained marriage for the brining forth of children. We see this in the very first words God spoke into the ears of man: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
The New Living Translation says: “Didn’t the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union.”
The Berean Study Bible says: “Has not the LORD made them one . . . And why one? Because he seeks godly offspring.”
Therefore, a young couple are not ready to marry if they are not prepared to embrace children. To go into marriage with the plan to stop children for a certain length of time is not God’s will. To stop God visiting you with His gift of life for any human reason (even “spiritual sounding” reasons) is not God’s will.
I know more than one couple who stopped having children because they were in “the ministry” and wanted to serve God. These couples have the wrong concept of God and the Bible. The perfect will of God will never negate God’s existing commandments.
God desires and looks for children from the marriage union. If we don’t want children, we have a different mindset than God. We are not in step with Him.
And it is not just children He looks for. It is “godly” children. The word is “elohim.” This is one of the names of God. The very first name of God revealed to us in His word in Genesis 1:1.
God looks for goodly couples who will bring forth His children and who will train them in righteousness, justice, and godliness (Genesis 18:19). Who will faithfully teach them God’s ways. Who will pray daily for them that they will be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and reveal His image in this earth.
This is the highest purpose for marriage. When we refuse this command, we deny God. We deny His image in the world. We deny our own blessings. And we deny filling eternity.
Blessings to you today,
Nancy Campbell
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This liberal society brainwashes women that the home is insignificant. The opposite is true. God did not create the woman until He had the home ready for her. The home is the foundation of society and the mothers of the home determine the destiny of the nation.
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 . . .” We often 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.
Sharing more thoughts from yesterday’s post. The Message paraphrase of Malachi 2:15 says: “’I hate divorce,’ says the GOD of Israel. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says, ‘I hate the VIOLENT DISMEMBERING of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.’ So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat.”
It’s good to remind ourselves how God looks upon marriage, isn’t it? The passage in Malachi 2:13-16 gives powerful words to every marriage: Verse 14 says: “. . . 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."
When do you begin reading the Bible to your children? We don’t need to wait until they are able to understand the Scriptures. God’s Word is “alive and active.” It goes beyond the mind. Hebrews 4:12 (NET) says that His word goes beyond the intellect and pierces “even to the point of the dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow.” It ministers to the soul, the spirit, and the body.
One of the most beautiful things in life is to keep a soft heart—
This is my husband’s message to fathers today which he posted on MEAT FOR MEN, his Facebook page. I thought you may like to share it with your husband.
1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us to ABOUND in the work of the Lord. Motherhood is the great work God has given us to do, so why not do it with right attitude?
I hope they’ll say she looked straight in our eyes,
My husband was talking with a young father yesterday. He commented on his lovely family around him and asked if he planned to have more children.
God is the creator of the home, and it is meant to be the most beautiful place on earth. It is meant to be a replica of God’s home in heaven. Jesus asked us to pray: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
Does Jesus Christ have the preeminence “in all things” in your life and in your home? That means all the little things as well as the big things. I think that if we get into the habit of giving Jesus the preeminence in the little things it will be the norm to give him the preeminence in the big things, don’t you?
The church is filled with tolerating people today, tolerating things that God hates, often because they do not know the truth.
From J. R. Miller (written in 1882).
How is your soul today? Downcast? Reveling in self-pity? Or even dead? I have answer for you. It’s God’s living Word.
I have often shared the following truth with mothers over the years. I believe that it is not enough to love our children; we must also love motherhood. Of course, all mothers love their children, but not every mother loves motherhood. Perhaps the majority don’t. Especially in our humanistic society young women have been brainwashed negatively about the career of motherhood and have been programmed instead for careers outside of the home.
Don’t you like these words? TWO OF YOU—that’s you and your husband. God gives a great promise to the two of you. It’s found in Matthew 18:19 where Jesus said: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”