Malachi 2:10-16

Transcript

GR 50
3/2/1975
Malachi 2:10-16
Gil Rugh

We're in the book of Malachi and in the second chapter. Malachi chapter 2. I'd like to begin reading with the 10th verse as you follow along in your bibles. Malachi chapter 2 beginning with verse 10. ''Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and In Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign God. As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts. And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, 'For what reason? 'Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'and him who covers his garment with wrong,' says the Lord of Hosts. 'So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.1 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, 'How have we wearied Him?’ In that you say, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,* or, 'Where is the God of justice?’ ’’

In the second chapter. Malachi chapter 2. We looked at the first nine verses of this chapter last week which concluded a section directed particularly at the religious leaders in Israel. A section from chapter 1, verse 6 through chapter 2 verse 9. Here Halachi is presenting the condition of the priest who where to provide the religious leadership for the nation Israel and also God’s attitude would be to have removed themselves from God’s word and thus were leading the people in a way contrary to what God desired.

God has some strong things to say about them. He said that He would send a curse upon them. He would curse their blessings in verse 3 of chapter 2. He said he would rebuke their offspring and would spread refuge on their faces, the refuse of your feasts and you will be taken away with us and then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you that My covenant make continue with Levi says the Lord of Hosts. God is going to totally disgrace the religious leaders.

In verse 9 of chapter 2, Malachi says, that these leaders had taught showing partiality. They had taught what the people wanted to hear. They had altered the word of God to please the people and thus they are going to gain respect from the people, because the people admired them because they heard what they wanted to hear. But God makes clear that He is going to totally disgrace them by having them carried off to the dung heap with the rest of the refuse. In God’s eyes they are totally worthless and they are worthy of the utmost disgrace.

Malachi also noted what the responsibility should have been and was. It was not carried out in verse 7. ''For the lips of the priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.’* The priest in a broad sense were the religious leaders of the nation Israel. I mentioned last week that prophets on the scene were the spokesmen of God that there is always an indication that the priests in Israel are not doing their job. And because there is religious decline and the religious leaders, the priests are no longer instructing from the word, then God spits out specific messages to prophets and sends them to try to set things right in the nation.

Now with the section before us this morning we sort of change views because we come to the family situation and personal life in Israel. And we find a pattern that develops that always follows the order given here: that spiritual degeneracy affects every area of our life and conduct. And spiritual degeneracy in the nation Israel had affected every area of their life as well. People have the idea that they can divorce their religious life from other aspects of their life. But the word of God is clear. That when your religious life, your spiritual life is out of line, then the rest of your life will be worse accordingly. And an area that this shows up very clearly and strongly is the area of the family. Spiritual decay is followed by decay in the family and in particular in the husband and wife relationship. Because all problems in families can be traced to a breakdown in the husband and wife relationship which can always be traced to a spiritual problem. The life of a husband or wife or both. And family life in Israel in Malachi's time is in chaos. There's a total breakdown of family life as a result of breakdown of spiritual life. This is an important section for us. Important for us to keep in mind.

Many people are having problems in their homes and in their families. You see the divorce rates rising and yet it is hard to put our finger on why. Yet God does it very clearly! There is a spiritual problem and a spiritual problem will always reflect itself. And it will reflect itself in that most intimate relationship, a husband and wife relationship.

So we pick up with this section first of all with a consideration of mixed marriages and then a condemnation for divorce in the nation Israel.

Verse 10, a verse that sometimes is taken out of context and thus gives a misinterpretation, ''Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us?'* This verse quoted out of context is sometimes taken to indicate that all men being are sons of God. God is everyone's father--He has created everyone. So where to live together as one large family. All humanity is the family of God, Well that verse if it only had the two statements we read, it might indicate that. But that's not a stress of the scripture either old or new testament. But the context makes clear that when Malachi says, ''Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?’’ And the covenant of the father was given with Israel. And when Malachi says, Do we not all have one father, has not one God created us, he is talking about the nation Israel. Malachi is a spokesman to the nation Israel. He’s not trying to show how all humanity is one family. He’s going to go one in a few moments to show the breakdown of such an idea. This idea is used elsewhere in the Old Testament as well. You have some cross references in your bibles--the New American Standard at least and you can check some of those.

Deuteronomy chapter 32:6. Maybe you could turn to Deuteronomy 32:6 just to see this idea of father (?) connected with Israel. Deuteronomy 32 verse 6. Verse 30 of chapter 31 gives the context of what we have here--what is know as the song of Moses. ''Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:’’ And then verse 6 of 32, ''Do you thus repay the Lord O foolish and unwise people? Is not He your Father who has bought you? He has made you and established you.’’ So here in connection with Israel you see the connection of the father of Israel, the creator of Israel, God Himself.

Malachi in chapter 1:6 touches on the idea of God as the Father of the nation Israel. Malachi 1:6, ''A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor?'* So the idea of God as the father of Israel. And this will be picked up in a few moments in connection with other Gods. The children, the worshipers of a particular God were always viewed as the children of that God. Israel was to be the child of Jehovah because they worshipped Jehovah. If they were to worship other Gods they were viewed as the child of that God. That's where the breakdown comes when Jesus made in John chapter 8 and when he told the Jews: 'You are of your father the devil.' In affect he accuses them of being devil worshipers, not worshipers of Jehovah.

So the first thing as he build his stress is the oneness that they enjoy as a nation. They have the covenant that was given to the Father which unites them into one people--the people of God. But now there is a breakdown because the unity is being divided and shattered and they are dealing treacherously, faithlessly, with one another. So here in a nation viewed as family there's a breakdown. They are no longer keeping the unity that God has established with the covenant which was given to Israel.

Now a little more specifically how this is being accomplished in verse 11. ''Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem.
For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.'1

We need to go back to two passages in the Pentateuch: Exodus chapter 19. A little bit of background. Exodus chapter 19 and in verse 3, ''And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:’1 Verse 5 about their deliverance from the Egyptians, verse 5: ''Now then, if you indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.’’ So here the nation Israel is marked out as a special possession for God. God acknowledges that all the nations of the earth are under His dominion and He from all these nations has selected Israel to be a special possession of His own.

Now look over in Deuteronomy 7. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. We were just there a couple of minutes ago. In chapter 7 verse 1, talking to Israel again. ''When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites, and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the Lord your God shall deliver them before you, and you shall defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other Gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you. But thus you shall do to them, you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’* So a warning. That Israel was to be the special possession of God. And they were not to make alliances and covenants with other nations who worshipped other gods and basic to all of this, they should not enter into the covenant of marriage with these other people. Because it would result in Israel being led away from God. Now that's just looking at a brief background.

Back in Malachi then in chapter 2 verse 11 we understand something of the treachery and faithlessness of the nation Israel. When Judah has dealt treacherously and in abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, Jerusalem being the capital of the United Nation, and the capital particularly of the southern kingdom, Judah. Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. And that last statement tells us what the heart of the problem is in verse 10-16. Israel, Jewish people are intermarrying with peoples of other nations. And you notice there's the daughter of a foreign God. And this is the idea we mentioned in verse 10, where God is the father of Israel. To be the child of a god is to be a worshiper of that God. And Israel is involved in intermarrying with people who worship other gods and thus they have profaned the sanctuary of the Lord. The word translated sanctuary here is the word for 'holy* or 'holiness.' And in this context it would refer to the people of Israel and not the temple itself at Jerusalem.

Jeremiah uses the same expression, we won't turn there.
But in Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 3, this word is used of the nation Israel. And what has happened is that Judah has profaned the holy people of the Lord. Now these people that God marked out for Himself, now the nation Israel has taken it upon themselves to marr that possession and to profane it and to deal treacherously with the covenant that had been established with them. That particularly specified they were not allowed to marry people who worshipped other gods. And now we find Israel doing the very thing that God had forbidden. And what had happened is the very thing that God had said. The people had been led away from God.

When a man and woman are joined in marriage there is a unity that takes place and a certain harmony is essential. And you have a child of God and a child of the devil and how are they going to agree. There must be a compromise. That the devil has nothing to compromise so he compromises the child of God and he moves away from the intimate relationship he should have with his god, and becomes taken up in other things and in particular other worship is the follow-up.
Because the children raised in the home, as we'll se in a moment, that Malachi will deal with, are those who are they
going to follow? Well let them make their choice. If you know anything about the sinfulness of man, you know the choice that will be made without the proper leadership and influence of the word of God.

Look over in II Corinthians 6. II Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14 as we’ll pick up. II Corinthians 6:14, ''Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers,*' and they're not just about marriage here. Marriage is not the context. But the relationship would cover marriage as well as other types of relationships. Marriage is the most intimate relationship that you can enter into on a human level. That relationship alone is the only one between two human beings that result in two becoming one. So it as well as other relationships would be included in what is said here. ''Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. THEREFORE COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE.’ SAYS THE LORD. 'AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; AND I WILL WELCOME YOU. AND I WILL BE A FATHER TO YOU. AND YOU SHALL BE SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO ME.’ SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY.’’ That special relationship, you will be worshiper of Me I’ll be your father but a warning: What is there in common with a believer and an unbeliever. With a worshiper o£ God and a worshiper of the devil and anyone who is not worshipping the true God is follow the worship system of the devil.
What is there in agreement?

So here as two people who are going to enter into the most intimate relationship that you can in life and they have nothing in common in their spiritual life. And it is going to be a relationship that is very shallow. Because they have nothing in common in the basic area of their spiritual life. It hasn't changed. God didn't allow it with Israel, and He doesn't allow it with His people today. We see the same kind of breakdown. Israel didn't see the importance of it. Israel didn't see why it was so important. So Israel disobeyed and married contrary to the command of God and the nation is in chaos. Their families are disintergrating, and I'm afraid that something of the same is happening today.

Back to Malachi. You know something happens when people who have had exposure to true worship and true God disobey God. They often try to cover it up by coming more intense in their worship and that is exactly was Israel did. I'll worship harder. Now if I'm going to marry this girl nobody including God is going to change my mind. But I'll smooth it off because I'll become that much more intense in my worship and that does nothing but compound the problem.

Verse 12, ''As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers...'1 And that was simply a proverbial type statement that meant everyone—everyone who awaits and answers, translated in various ways, but the idea of the expression was everyone is included. ''Or who presents and offering to the Lord of hosts.’1 So everyone that is involved in this is going to be cut off. And it involved those who are presenting an offering to the Lord of Hosts. ''And this is another thing you do. And so in presenting the offering, reminded him of the situation. To cover the Lord of the altar with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering of accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, 'For what reasons?1 ’’ Now here we have a people who are rebellious toward a God has said in His word and yet are agony in their worship. They are crying, they are weeping. They cannot understand why God is not responding to their prayers. And the reason God is not responding to their prayers is that they are disobedient to His words. And if you don’t live in sin and intensify your worship so that God will forget about your disobedience. If you are sincere in your worship you will be obedient to Him. And that is where Israel failed. For all the tears and all the groaning all the crying, 'God why aren't you hearing us?' It's very simple. Read my word. You're not doing what I said.

Interesting how Peter picks up this verse. I'll just mention it you, we'll look at it later. Where he warns the husband about their relationship with their wives. Tells them to be careful to treat your wives properly and those who are fellow-heirs of the grace of God. Why? So that your prayers are not hindered. Same type of sin he talks about you as with the nation Israel. So prayer life was powerless. I think there is more said about the prayer life of we men, that we like to admit. It’s characteristic that men are weak in this area compared to the women. You know it's a joke that we think we have prayer meetings that are populated by ladies. That says something about the spiritual condition of the men. Maybe we men grow weary of praying when we get no results and it's easier to quit praying than it is to face up to what the problem is and get it straight. The problem is--was the family situation in Israel.

Now, verse 14. %'Yet you say, 'For what reason?’’ In another words the people are saying why? All they have to do is look and read what God has written in black and white and they would know precisely what the problem is. But now they are saying why? Well, the answer. Because the Lord had been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.’’ There something else that is involved here. Not only is Israel guilty of marrying women who worship other gods, they are guilty of divorcing the Jewish wife that they have to enter into this remarriage. So their problem is compounded. It’s not only the problem of marrying contrary to the command of God, but breaking the commandment of God in the first place to be able to marry. And what they are doing is that they are divorcing the wife of their youth. And it’s common in Israel is this time to marry young. And the years go by, some of these men thought they needed a change and they began to look around and see some of the beautiful women of the other nations and they would be sure that they needed a change. You know know I was young. What did I know then? I mean, I didn't understand love then. I really didn't have the insight I have now. Suddenly now I can really have a happy home. So I admit I got to get rid of the home I already got. And you know, once I do that, then the Lord can use me in this new situation. You don't know this girl. And on and on and on.

Doesn't change does it? Twenty five hundred years have gone by, now it's like he'd be here preaching today. We're dealing with the same kind of problems. ''The Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth.'' And you note here very interestingly witness is called to the fore. It's not your wife has testified against you but God has testified against you on behalf of your wife. So there are three people involved here now: the husband, the wife and God. And God is the witness that the man had been guilty of unfaithfulness to his wife. ''You dealt treacherously against the wife of your youth, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.'' Jot down Proverbs 2:17. We won't turn to it this morning, but there it makes clear that the marriage relationship is viewed as a covenant involving God. So when two people are joined in marriage, three persons are really involved. The husband, the wife and God. And now God comes because He has been offended. Because the covenant that He has witnessed and sealed has been broken. And so it comes down that the offense of the husband against the wife is ultimately in offense against God. That causes me to take my responsibility a little more seriously. I've not just offended the wife that God gave me, I have dealt treacherously against the God that I claim to love. I don't like to put it in that sense because I'm always looking for a spiritual out. God says I'm here to witness against you. Now His witness is always true, it's always accurate honest. And the men of Israel had been unfaithful, untrue. They have divorced their wife and married an unbeliever. And they are outside the nation Israel. They'd have to do do this. Because any godly Jewish woman wouldn't have them. Because she wouldn't marry the one who is in rebellion against the God that she's worships. So it's a natural follow through that when they divorced the wife that God gave them they take up with a wife that is not truly worshipping it's true God. So God is involved in the picture very directly because the wife has been offended and that ultimately is an offense against God who authored the marriage.

In verse 15 this scripture you come to the most difficult verse in the entire book of Malachi. Difficult of translation, although I think the first have of the verse resolves itself better. If you take ride of the marginal readings in the New American Standard Bible, not in the text as we read it in the scripture reading but in the margin. Did He not make one although we are the remnant--why one, He sought a godly offspring. Did He not make one although he had one of the spirit. I take it what we have in view here is all the way back chapter 2:24 of Genesis when God speaks regarding the marriage relationship and the husband, the husband shall leave his family, the wife shall leave her family; the two shall be one. And God made them one. He made one man and He made one woman. Although we have the remnant in the spirit and the residue of the spirit. In other words in was in God's creative power that if had created 10 women and 1 Adam, then Adam could've had 10 wives. Or He could've created two women and one man. I don't know why we always think of it in that sense. He could've created 10 men and one woman. But He made one of each. And He did if for a purpose. Because God's plan, and it has not changed, from the day of creation down to our present, is that one man there is one woman and that relationship is permanent. So He made one although He had the power to make more. Why one? You want to know why He did it that way? Because He thought of a godly offspring. You know the idea of that seems to be that the purpose in the marriage was that children be produced. That is one of the reasons that a marriage relationship was established. And it's offspring where to be led to follow God Himself, a godly remnant, a godly offspring.

I think this says something about the marriage relationship. That God desired a godly offspring. And polygamy and divorce do not promote godliness in children that are being raised. And the nation Israel didn't realize this. Well all you have to do is follow the pattern in the nation Israel. The husband and wife relationship breaks down and what do the children do as they grow up. We find them more involved in the worship of other Gods. Why? Because their parents had been involved in disobedience to the God that they talked about. And so polygamy and divorce do not result in nurturing children in the admonition and fear of the Lord. That didn't in the day of Malachi and they don't in 1975. I take it this is one reason why the family is in such difficulty. They to get out of the family. He knows how to get followers for himself. All he has to do is break down the husband and wife relationship and who gets stuck in the middle? The children.
Now who are they going to follow? It's a natural pattern, he gets the next generation. But He can't get me because me and my wife, we both belong to God. But he causes problems, divisions, and he ends up getting our children. And he accomplishes just enough that his children is because he is developing more powers for himself.

The situation is a deteriorating one. And God speaks very harshly and the end of verse 15 to the end of verse 16. ''Take heed then to your spirit and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth.’• A strong warning and if it doesn't seem strong to you, you need to go back and read it. God say, 'I'm the witness here and let me warn you, don't deal treacherously. Watch your spirit. Keep yourself in step that you don't deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. So don't come into my office and say, 'You know I married her when I was so young, I didn't know what I was doing.' I would just read you Malachi and tell you to get out! I don't have a shoulder for you to cry on. Don't deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. ''For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel,'' I hate divorce--sending away in which is involved. The separating, the sending away. I hate divorce. So you note here. He not only forbids marriage with those who do not worship Him, He also hates divorce. So I think that two things are involved here. So I say I'll divorce her and then I will be alright. God hates divorce as well. Why? What is the problem that brings about the divorce? It's a spiritual problem. The divorce is simply a way of not having to handle the spiritual problem. Rather than just handling the problem, I'll just get divorced. Well you never (?), He wants you to handle the problem under the power of the spirit and that would take care of any divorce problems. ''And him who covers his garment with wrong,'' Against this is an expression that is used several times—the idea in the Old Testament. We're familiar with it in the book of Ruth in chapter 3 where Boaz covers Ruth with his garment. And it was a way of taking a wife and covering her with your garment. So it's a picture of your protection and care for her. So Ruth asks Boaz, cover me with your garment, your close because you are my near kinsmen. He had a responsibility in the law to marry her. And the law speaks about uncovering your father cloak or skirt. A picture again of your father's wife. The woman who is protected then covers by the husband protection and covering. And here Israel, the men in Israel, instead of covering their wives or protecting them or keeping them, are using their garments for wrong. So instead of their garments covering their wife, their garments are covered with violence. And God takes note of that and warns them. 'I hate divorce, and I hate him covers his garment with wrong.'1 It's a terrible thing to be the object of God's hatred. That God says that when you violate that marriage covenant, I hate it and I hate you for doing it. I hate the one who does this. I take it that this is a serious matter to be the object of the wrath of a Holy God. And Hebrews tells us that's it's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God.

So, take heed then, to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously and you note at the end of verse 15 and the end of verse 16, God has warned twice: take heed to your spirit. That's where the problem is. The problem is not with the wife. The problem is with you! And the pressure is on the man, and the woman has a responsibility and you can read about that. Malachi is talking about the men and their problem now. I think that is where the responsibility lies. The man, is to take heed to his spirit. And I'm personally convinced in light of the word that if the husband is functioning as God says he should that that will resolve about 98 percent of the problems you have in your marriage. The problems with the marriages today and in Christian marriages, is that we have men who are spiritual midgets. And there is a problem in their marriages.

Why? Because of their spiritual condition (?) in the average home to be the spiritual leader. The mother. Who knows more about the word in your home? You father, husband, or your wife. Well we say, she's got more time. She's got all day to spend in the word. I've got to go to work. Ah, you know, if you don't feed your family, you worse than an infidel. Ah, that's right. And you'd better feed your family, and feed your soul and be in the word. You are the spiritual leader of the home. And if your marriage is having problems, you'd better look to yourself. Because if you get yourself right then you will be amazed what God will do with your wife. She'll turn into an angel probably. And you will say, %I knew she would change.' You just change and things are better. If I'm doing what God intends for me to do, my wife will be what she's intended to do.

A couple of things draws our attention in the New Testament. I need to stop there and make just one statement. Maybe you're here in divorce. This passage is not to cause you great frustration. You can enjoy some of the grace of God, He picked you up where you are. I was encouraged by I Corinthians chapter 6 where Paul writes to the Corinthians and he notes about all the sins, beginning with sexual sins. He talks about fornication and adultery and Homosexuality, drunkenness and carousing and reviling conform. He says none of those people are going to inherit the kingdom of God. And he says, such were some of you, but you were washed you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of the spirit. So I may have fallen short. I may look back and say that sin has been part of my life. But right now, I don't look back in dismay. I enjoy the cleansing that I've undergone. I've been washed. I've been sanctified, set apart. I've been declared righteous by God. God picks you up where you are. Right now you are in the place of having knowledge, if you've been divorced in the past, well that's in the past.
I take it you pick up where you are. But right now if you're single you know where your mate should come from.

You have to marry a godly person. You have to marry one that is truly a believer. I know of no allowance anywhere in the word of God, for a believer to marry an unbeliever! I couldn't think of doing it. Look at these two people. Hah? They have nothing. No relationship at all, no more relationship than God and the Devil and yet I'm going to join then and live happily together for eternity or the rest of your life? ridiculous.

If you're married what's your life like? I wonder how many of you men would be embarrassed if we got a report, I collected this from the guys and I pick it up and says, All right, 'Don Goertzen, stand up.' (Don't do it Don!) Put your name in there. Over the last six months your taking good visits with your wife and your children and I found out some things about you spiritually. Here I'd like to read this to the 700 people at Indian Hills this morning. This would be exiting to the door in a mad stampede. Ought not to be. Ought to be looking for areas that I need to conform my life more to the word of God.

A couple of things. Let's look back to first Peter as we close. I Peter, going toward the end of the New Testament, page 356 in the New American Standard Bible. I Peter chapter 2 verse 4. ''And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.''

Verse 9, "But you are a CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,
A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE EXCELLENCIES OF HIM WHO HAS CALLED OUT OF THE DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT;'' You note here, same type of statement that I just quoted from the Old Testament. You note that you and I as believers today are God's priesthood, a people for God's own possession and I am not free to mar the possession of God. To deal treacherously with God's holiness and God's holy people. And in my relationship with my wife I need to be careful because I am a royal priesthood. I am God's personal possession. And that limits me to the type of covenant and tract I can enter into. And that covers marriage.

Alright back up to Ephesians 5. If your a husband here and your bible is not worn in Ephesians 5, you'd better get busy. In Ephesians 5, and if you can't find Ephesians 5 you're really hurting, but it's on page 300. When you get there men you put some important in there as a marker so you can spend some time in it this afternoon. Ephesians 5. Usually we men like to read especially verse 22 and 23. Those verse always broke my heart for some reason and then I wrap it up with verse 24 and I tell Marilyn that as the church is subject to Christ, so also should the wife be subject to their husband in everything. Praise the Lord, Amen! (Everyone is laughing hard here.) NO?? It goes on in verse 25, adn then in verse 25 down to verse 33 talks about the husbands, (Gil seems a little embarrassed) I can't even read this portion. "Husband love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church.'' That is love that is going to a depth and a degree that you and I can
never exhaust. The type of love I have for my wife never reaches bottom. Because I love her with the same kind of love that Christ had for the church and it resulted in Him giving Himself up for her. The total sacrifice of Himself for the church. Now that’s the kind of love that a husband has for his wife. Totally self-sacrificing! That’s agape love! Self- sacrificing, ''that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies.’’ The very purpose that Christ had for the church and in giving Himself for her, I ought to be giving of myself that kind of love for my wife, in order that she might be developed and be the woman and the wife that God intends for her to be. For ''He who loves his own wife loves himself, for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.’’ You know we have a (?) situation. Malachi started out in chapter 2 verse 10, the unity of Israel as a nation as God’s possession, and what does this verse 30 in Ephesians 5 say? We don’t only have a physical relationship as husband and wife but we’re members of His body. And when I cause a fracture and in division in the body by being separated from my wife then am causing a division in the body, the overall possession of God. It’s not just a personal thing, my wife and I, and you keep your nose out of it. No it goes beyond that. It is a possession of God, His body and there is a division being caused in it. And this division, this split that begins in the home takes its impact upon the church itself. If you have a church that is composed of families of husbands and wives that are not living together as God says they should, our church life will not be as good and our testimony for Jesus Christ will be hindered, not only individually, but corporately.

"FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.''

You know what the problem comes in my wife and me, my wife and I, or whatever, I love me more than I love her. I begin to think of me and not her. I begin to self and not her. That I loving me and not loving her longtime before she loved me, no, I'm to love her as I love myself. And I take it the word is clear and honest. There's not a person in this auditorium that is not in love with Himself. Yet a husband her who doesn't love himself. We go out of the way to take care of our own bodies. And that to test our bodies and that the responsibility a man has with his wife.

That passage in I Peter chapter 3. I Peter and in the 3rd chapter. This is a reverse of what we had in Ephesians. Ephesians spent a few verses with the wife, and several verses with the husband. I Peter 3 spends 6 verses with the wife and one with the husband. But verse 7 is the verse we want. ''You husband likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir or the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.*' So you live with your wife in understanding. You recognize that she is the weaker vessel.
She is more delicate. She deserves attention and care and also recognize that she's an heir of the grace of God. So she is worthy of my attention and affection for a two-fold reason. And if she's not getting it, my prayer life will hindered.

We pick up with verse 17, where Malachi says, 'You have really wearied Lord with your words.'

What kind of prayer life do you have, men? Which kind of prayer life do you have? You know! Do you have a powerful prayer life? When somebody wants something prayed for, do they call you or do they call your wife? I'd probably call the wife. Why? Because often we as men, have a prayer life that is hindered and rendered powerless that when I get in a attention and I get in a basic area our relationship is far wide. You mention your relationship in light of the word. Read Ephesians 5 and then read I Corinthians chapter 13. Paul tells us what love is. How patient and kind it is. And they you ask yourself honestly before God, is this the way that I treat my wife? Is this the kind of love that I manifest toward her. If not, do you know what it is an indication of? The spirit of God is not in control of your life. Because Ephesians 5, the verses we picked up here, flow out of the command to be filled with the Spirit. And when the Spirit of God is in control of my life then my attitude, my actions, toward my wife will be in conformity of what they should be.

If your here this morning and not a child of
God you have no basic spiritual relationship. You maybe here and had a Christian wife or a husband but you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your savior, then you can undergo the changes, Lord that you can become the child of God and only that, you can have that spiritual relationship--a relationship in your marriage with a depth and an intensity and a satisfaction that is not possible apart from the working of God in your life. Let's pray together.

Father we thank you for your love for us. Father we thank You for the salvation that has been provided for us in the person of Jesus Christ. For the total forgiveness that we enjoy as your children. Inspite of our faults, inspite of our sinfulness we’ve been washed, we've been sanctified, we've been justified. Lord we thank You for Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. Pray for any here that have not yet undergone His cleansing that do not know what it is to be Your child and have a personal relationship with You. Lord we pray for us for all your children that our lives might be arranged according to the words and the submission of the spirit, especially for the husband and wife relationship, father, that we as husbands might be treating our wives according to the word manifesting the love that only the Spirit can produce, treating them so that they might grow and develop and mature into the woman You intend them to be. Lord we thank You for the part that we have in this maturing process. Lord pray that our lives will be powerful in everyway; that our prayers will be powerful, because Lord our homelife is ordered according to the word. Pray for those who are undergoing family difficulties even now. Lord, for our families represented here, where there are division and difficulties but pray for the men that they might take responsibility. That they might be willing to allow the Spirit of God to work in their lives, and thus in their families. Pray for wives who have unsaved husband. Give them wisdom in their testimony prayer that they might come to know you. We rejoice in what you are doing in our lives.

Father we pray that we will be willing to submit to you, we ask In Christ name. Amen.