July 6 - Malachi 2:14-15 (2)

the Lord was a witness between

you and … your wife by covenant.

And what does the one God desire?

Godly offspring. … Do not let anyone

be faithless to the wife of his youth.

Malachi 2:14-15

 

What is a contract?

 

What is a covenant?

 

And are they the same thing?

 

In some ways, covenants and contracts are very similar. In both cases, two (or more) parties officially agree to something.

 

In sports, for example, a team and a player officially agree to a) his playing football for the team and b) the team paying him millions of dollars to play for them.

 

In business, two companies officially agree that Company A will build a million ball bearings and Company B will buy them for a million dollars.

 

In marriage, two people officially agree to … what? … share living expenses … to officially share a bed, forsaking all others … to “share their lives together” … to make each other happy … to what?

 

We can write marriage as a contract (and as I said in the last devotion, many people are inclined to use all kinds of definitions for marriage.) Indeed, one could certainly “define” marriage as a “contract.” In fact, that’s precisely how many people view marriage – as a social contract. After all, to get married, you have to go to the courthouse, just like you would if you were executing a business contract or a land deal.

 

God, however, does not view marriage as a contract between two people. It is instead a covenant between three “persons.” It is a binding commitment between husband … and wife … and God.

 

Calling God as a “witness” means that you are inviting God into your marriage – His presence, His purposes, His ways, His guidance

 

We don’t have to call God as a witness when we make a contract. But when we act covenantally, when we invite him in, we are saying that He is a partner. We are saying that we are choosing to do marriage His way rather than the world’s way.

 

The court is not our authority.

 

The court of public opinion is not our guide.

 

Rather, for those who believe in covenant, God is our way, our truth, and our life.

 

Question: In terms of this verse and this covenant, God calls us to build our marriage on three key things: “godl[iness],” “faith[fuln]ess,” and “godly [procreation]” (read: “offspring,” indeed, be fruitful and multiply.). Describe how you are doing with these three aspects of life:

 

Godliness – commitment to God and His ways?

 

Faithfulness – commitment to your spouse?

 

Godly Procreation – commitment to restrain sex and lust to within the covenant of marriage?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who thinks about

the other definition of “contract”

– it means “to get smaller,”

and “folding in on itself.”

 

I want my marriage to be a covenant:

bigger and better, rather than smaller

and in-grown like a toenail