Question 1

What does it mean that we have one Father and one God in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” it reminds the people that they share the same Creator and covenant God. They were one family under God’s care and promise, so they were not free to cheat or hurt each other. Treating a fellow Israelite badly was not just a social sin but a covenant sin, because they were breaking faith with someone who stood with them under the same God. The prophet uses this truth to show how serious their treachery really was.

Question 2

Why was marrying the daughter of a strange god such a serious sin?

Accepted Answer

Marrying “the daughter of a strange god” means taking a wife from people who worshiped other gods. This was not about race or looks but about faith. These marriages pulled hearts toward idols and away from the Lord, and they broke the covenant commands that set Israel apart. By doing this, Judah “profaned the holiness of the Lord,” treating what God loved as common. God warns that he will cut off those who keep doing this, showing that such choices endanger both worship and the life of the community.

Question 3

Why does God refuse the offerings and say the altar is covered with tears?

Accepted Answer

The altar is pictured as soaked with tears because the wives who were cast aside were weeping before God. Their husbands were trading them for foreign wives while still coming to offer sacrifices. God says he no longer regards these offerings or receives them with favor. The reason is clear: he has been a witness to the broken marriage vows. Worship could not cover up injustice at home. Their gifts on the altar meant nothing while they were dealing treacherously with the “wife of thy youth,” their companion and covenant partner.

Question 4

What does it mean that God made one and was seeking a godly seed?

Accepted Answer

The words about God making “one” look back to how God joined one man and one woman as one flesh. He could have made many wives for one man, but he did not. He joined one pair so that children would be raised in a stable, faithful home that honors him. This is the “godly seed” the passage speaks of. The point is that marriage is not just about personal desire, but also about raising children who know and serve God. Because of this, men are told to watch their spirits and not betray the wife they first married.

Question 5

What does it mean that God hates putting away in this passage?

Accepted Answer

“Putting away” here refers to sending a wife away, that is, divorce. God says he hates it, because in this situation it was joined with treachery and cruelty. Men were discarding their first wives without true cause, often to marry women from idol‑worshiping peoples. The passage also says a man “covereth violence with his garment,” meaning he hides harsh and sinful treatment under an outward show of respectability. God is not saying every separation is the same, but he clearly shows that he despises selfish divorce and unfaithfulness.

Question 6

What does it mean to deal treacherously with the wife of your youth?

Accepted Answer

To deal treacherously with the wife of your youth means to betray the woman you married early in life, the one who walked with you for years. She is called your companion and the wife of your covenant, so this betrayal is not just emotional but spiritual. In this passage, men were casting off long‑time wives in order to take new, foreign wives. God calls this treachery because it breaks promises made in his presence, harms someone who trusted you, and treats marriage like something cheap instead of a holy bond.

Question 7

How had the people wearied the Lord with their words?

Accepted Answer

They wearied the Lord by speaking as if he did not care about right and wrong. They claimed that everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s sight, or asked, “Where is the God of judgment?” In other words, they complained that God seemed to favor the wicked and ignore justice. All the while, they themselves were acting unjustly in their marriages and dealings. Their twisted view of good and evil, and their complaints against God’s fairness, tired his patience. God answers by exposing their sin instead of accepting their claims.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s view of marriage and faithfulness?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God sees marriage as a covenant he himself witnesses. The husband and wife are companions joined by God, and he expects faithfulness, not treachery. Unfaithfulness in marriage is not a small private matter. It harms families, damages the wider community, and profanes God’s holiness. God hates divorce that comes from selfishness and violence, and he refuses to overlook it just because someone is active in worship. For those who are married, this calls for guarding the heart and honoring promises made before God.

Question 9

How can believers today apply the warning to take heed to your spirit?

Accepted Answer

“Take heed to your spirit” means watch your inner life, your desires, and your attitudes. In this passage, people were outwardly religious but inwardly chasing their own lusts and interests. For believers today, this calls for honesty about how we treat those closest to us, especially in marriage and family. It means not hiding harshness or betrayal under a religious cover. Instead, we should ask God to search our hearts, help us keep our promises, and make sure our worship lines up with the way we love and serve the people he has given us.

Malachi 2:10

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Judah’s Unfaithfulness

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Malachi 2:10

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

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Judah’s Unfaithfulness

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