Malachi 2:13-15 MSG “And here’s a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don’t get what you want from God. Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you’ve broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don’t cheat on your spouse.”
My friend Ivory sent me this today, and the revelation she shared was truly eye-opening. The scripture reminds us that God Himself is a witness to every marriage. He is present when we make our vows, when we promise to love, honour, and cherish our spouse. Yet many of us choose to break those vows—whether through abuse, neglect, or infidelity. We mistreat the very person we swore before God to love forever.
The verse goes further to say that God, not you, made marriage. This is a powerful truth. When God joins two people together in holy matrimony, His Spirit is placed in that union. His presence inhabits even the smallest details of your marriage. Here’s the revelation: God’s Spirit is not only within you as an individual but also within your marriage itself. Just as the scripture says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them,” the Spirit of God is in the husband, in the wife, and in the marriage itself.
This means that the Spirit of God in your marriage will always align with the Holy Spirit within you, constantly guiding you back to His will. When you’re tempted to stray, whether it’s emotionally or physically, the Spirit in your marriage will convict you, reminding you of the promises you made. For the wife, when another man invites you for what seems like an innocent lunch, that same Spirit will remind you of the vows you took to forsake all others for your husband.
God’s Spirit within the marriage serves as a constant counsellor, guiding both partners toward righteousness. That’s why the verse urges us to guard the spirit of marriage within us. Infidelity, whether emotional or physical, is a direct rejection of that Spirit. The passage also explains that the purpose of marriage is to raise godly offspring. If we fail to honour the Spirit in our marriage, we risk not only damaging the union but also blocking our prayers and blessings.
This is why many of us don’t receive what we ask from God. It’s because we fail to respect the Holy Spirit that dwells within our marriages. When we dishonour our vows, we create a disconnect between ourselves and God.
Remember, the Spirit of God is always present in your marriage, and He will continually guide you back to His will if you remain open and obedient. Let’s honour that Spirit and protect the sacred covenant we’ve made before God.