THINKING ALOUD 3/12/10 Malachi 2:10: The way we treat one another reflects our allegiance to our covenant with God. Malachi says that our broken relationships “profane” the covenant. We do this by dealing treacherously (NASB), being faithless (NRSV), or breaking faith with one another (NIV). These may sound harsh until you observe the behaviors in almost any church dealing with change.
The NASB most closely translates the meaning of the Hebrew בָּגַד, which means to act or deal treacherously, faithlessly, or deceitfully. The term is used of marriage relations, in matters of property, in covenants, and in general conduct. The last part of Isaiah 24:16 shows a classic use of the term.
Treacherous is not a word that we use regularly today, but we see it in so many aspects of our lives. The loss of faith and trust in relationships, deceitful acts of disloyalty, giving the false appearance of safety or reliability, and the lack of security and trustworthiness in relationships all give evidence of our treachery.
The root of our troubles is found in the fact that we do not take our covenants very seriously. Covenants, which are meant to hold us together in mutual commitments, are cast aside through our self-centeredness and an overwhelming concern for the big “I.”
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