Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Malachi
Book: Malachi
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The priests reproved for neglecting their
Covenant.
(1-9) The
people reproved for their evil practices.
(10-17)
1-9 What is here said of the
Covenant of priesthood, is true of
the
Covenant of
Grace made with all believers, as spiritual
priests. It is a
Covenant of
Life and peace; it assures all
believers of all happiness, both in this world and in that to
come. It is an honour to
God's servants to be employed as his
messengers. The
Priest's lips should not keep knowledge from his
people, but keep it for them. The people are all concerned to
know the will of the
Lord. We must not only consult the written
Word, but desire instruction and advice from
God's messengers,
in the affairs of our souls. Ministers must exert themselves to
the utmost for the
Conversion of sinners; and even among those
called Israelites, there are many to be turned from iniquity.
Those ministers, and those only, are likely to turn men from
Sin, who preach sound doctrine, and live holy lives according to
the
Scripture. Many departed from this way; thus they misled the
people. Such as walk with
God in peace and
Righteousness, and
turn others from
Sin, honour
God; he will honour them, while
those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed.
10-17 Corrupt practices are the
Fruit of corrupt principles;
and he who is false to his
God, will not be true to his fellow
mortals. In contempt of the
Marriage Covenant, which
God
instituted, the Jews
Put away the wives they had of their own
nation, probably to make room for strange wives. They made their
lives
Bitter to them; yet, in the sight of others, they pretend
to be tender of them. Consider she is thy
Wife; thy own; the
nearest relation thou hast in the world. The
Wife is to be
looked
On, not as a servant, but as a companion to the
Husband.
There is an
Oath of
God between them, which is not to be trifled
with.
Man and
Wife should continue to their lives'
End, in holy
Love and peace. Did not
God make one, one
Eve for one
Adam? Yet
God could have made another
Eve. Wherefore did he make but one
Woman for one
Man? It was that the children might be made a seed
to serve him. Husbands and wives must live in the fear of
God,
that their seed may be a godly seed. The
God of
Israel saith
that he hateth putting away. Those who would be kept from
Sin,
must take heed to their spirits, for there all
Sin begins. Men
will find that their wrong conduct in their families springs
from selfishness, which disregards the welfare and happiness of
others, when opposed to their own passions and fancies. It is
wearisome to
God to hear people justify themselves in wicked
practices. Those who think
God can be a friend to
Sin, affront
him, and deceive themselves. The scoffers said, Where is the
God
of judgement? but the
Day of the
Lord will come.