Lesson 3: Unfaithful Judah

Scripture to Read: Malachi 2:1017

Unfortunately, it was not just the priests of Israel who were out of line when it came to their relationship with God. The people of Judah (which stood for the entire nation that was reunited again after the exile) were also involved in practices that were detestable to the Lord. Malachi recalled the days of Israel’s forefathers and their pledge of faithfulness to the covenant God made with them at Sinai. In light of Israel’s history, the prophet asked, why were the people of his day trampling on God’s covenant by acting unfaithfully? Malachi did not wait for an answer, but moved immediately to substantiate his charge—which was really God’s charge—by citing the apparently widespread practice of Jewish men marrying women from the pagan nations surrounding Israel.

The problem was these women brought their false gods with them into Israel, under God’s very eye, as it were. Those who entered into such marriages were committing an act of apostasy by allowing other gods to come before the true God of Israel. Our Jewish sages saw two problems here. The first was unmarried Israelite men who married foreign women, and the second was married Israelite men who took gentile wives in addition to their Jewish wives and made the Gentile woman the chief wife that the one who did this would be cut off, having no access to the Temple or claim on the covenant mercies of God. Amazingly, the people actually blamed God for their woes, accusing Him of favoring those who did evil, or at the least ignoring justice.

Study Questions

• Why did Malachi remind the people of God’s role as both Father and Creator of Israel?
• What was the problem with foreign marriages?
• Why were the people weeping and crying out when they made their sacrifices?
• What was so serious about the charges the people made against God in verse 17?

Something to Think About

It is clear that the people of Judah did not seriously pursue their covenantal relationship with God. We would do well to learn that God not only loves us, but that He wants us to serve Him faithfully and openly. Our calling today is not to break faith with the God of our fathers!