“THE CORRUPTION OF MARRIAGE”
Dr. Dennis Deese - www.dennisdeese.com
MALACHI 2:10-16
Perhaps the best ideas about what keeps a marriage alive through thick and thin come from couples who, after decades of marriage, bask in blissful unions. Berkeley psychologist Robert Levenson is now in the process of studying couples who have been together 40 years or more.
So far, reports from the front indicate that these couples are masters in soothing one another and preventing each other’s distress during conflict. These enduring couples also display a distinctly mellowed approach to marital differences, with far less conflict and far more pleasure than younger couples. And as a couple ages, gender differences appear to fade away, replaced by a more unified view of marriage and life. A nice ending to a bumpy ride. U.S. News & World Report, February 21, 1994, Page 68-69
A Gallup survey of 657 adults over 18 mirrors the married population. 92% say they’ve had no affairs since marrying. 83% would marry the same person again, given the chance. 76% say their spouse is physically attractive. 48% say they are very playful when they’re alone together. 87% said they were “more concerned about being faithful than most people.”
Nanci Hillmich, quoted in Homemade, August, 1990
Sixty percent of American children born today will see their parents divorced by the time they are 18. Of those children who have suffered this pain of divorce, half of them will see a second divorce before they are 18. Syndicated columnist Michael McManus, Baptist Press release, March, 1995
I. HIS DEMAND OF SEPARATION 2:10-13 (Dating and marriage)
A. Notice God’s description of violating His word
1. Deceitful 2:11 “dealt treacherously”
He cares for the innocent victims of marital corruption
2. Defiling 2:11 “profaned the holiness of the Lord”
Ex 34:15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
De 7:3-4 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
2Co 6:14 -17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial (it is used as a name of Satan, the personification of all that is evil.? The expression "son" or "man of Belial" means simply a worthless, lawless person) ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
3. Disgusting 2:11 “an abomination is committed”
08441 to-ay-baw’: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable. In ritual sense (of unclean food, idols, mixed marriages) in ethical sense (of wickedness etc)
B. Notice God’s Response to violating of His Word 2:12-13 “I will cut of the man that doeth this
1. To correct the problem
2. To care for the innocent
This is why God allowed divorce
De 24:1-2 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s [wife].
Extreme abuse and misunderstanding of His loving grace was abounding just like it is today.
Mt 19:3-9 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made [them] at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
3. To caution the unrepentant 2:12-13
II. HIS DESIGN OF MARRIAGE 2:14-16 “did not he make one?”
Ge 2:18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Ge 2:18 “Help meet” a companion who is suited to his need.
The first thing described as not good in the eyes of God was loneliness
Ge 2:21-24 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
A. The testimony of marriage 2:14 “The Lord hath been witness”
The testimony of
1. Faithfulness 2:14 “The Lord hath been witness”
1Co 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
2. Holiness
1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Heb 13:4 Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
3. Obedience 2:15 “did he not make one?”
“Yet had he the residue of the spirit” He could have designed it anyway He chose but He chose one man and one women for life and we as Christians will do it His way.
B. The purpose of marriage 2:15 “that he might seek a godly seed”
C. The threat to marriage 2:15-16 “take heed to our spirit”
1. Unfaithfulness 2:15-16
2. Divorce 2:16
Dr. Daniel O’Leary, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, thinks the way married couples go about voicing their disagreements is more important than the issues they discuss. Couples run into trouble when they behave violently toward one another, when they become verbally aggressive or when they frequently threaten divorce. Swearing, insulting, threatening, shouting, slamming doors and leaving the room in a huff are tactics which are most likely to escalate the level of hostility between couples.
