He wants us to keep our promises, for He is a promise keeper and witness to our covenants or promises.
Malachi is the last prophet that we have records of until Jesus. That is 400 years of silence. His admonition to the people of God is strong. He relays God’s displeasure with how the people who got so comfortable with worship and being His people that they took it all for granted and did not honour Him in their practices.
What if God were to view His relationship with us like they were viewing their relationship with Him?
He focuses in on “keeping faith.”
Malachi 2:15
So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
He goes on to tell them that God despises divorce and the men who come weeping to God for a blessing after they divorced their wives—confused as to why they were not receiving His favour. He contrasts the covering of marriage with the covering of their divorcing their wives as violence. Meaning pain for those they broke faith from.
Malachi goes on to tell them:
Malachi 2:16
So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.
Life is hard, and we often think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We can get lured into thinking something is better than what we have.
But what have we promised? What have we covenanted to others before God?
God is telling us in no uncertain terms not to break our promises – our covenants. We dishonour Him and we hurt those we made promises to. We break faith.
God is a promise keeper and He is a witness to our oaths and promises. He does not break His promise to us, so we should not break our promise to others.
A hard truth not only for the people of Israel 2,400 years ago, but for us today. God decided to be silent for 400 years after this strong admonition. It’s like a drop-mic statement. We need to take notice and hear Him.
I know for me, it is a call to love my wife, to honour God in all my relationships, and to keep my promises. I know this pleases God. He wants me to keep faith with others as He keeps faith with me.
