Malachi 2:7-12

They departed from God's way - Malachi 2:7-12: The priests of Malachi's day talked a very religious talk but they did not obey God. The priest should have been faithful to God. They represented Him before the people and they were His messengers. God's word should have been in their mouths and they should have taught the people to do right. Both by a godly life and faithful teaching the priests were to be leaders for God. Sadly, the priests departed from God's way and caused many to stumble at His law. Israel was made a strong nation by one God and yet they broke His covenant. The Jews undermined their relationship with the one true God by putting away the wives of their youth and marrying to daughters of idol worshippers. These idol worshippers could easily turn the nation away from God. This was a sin against God and against their fellow Jews. They had broken the covenant of God. Their sin of divorcing the scriptural wives and marrying idol worshippers is called treachery. Their actions defiled the holiness of God. Malachi announced doom upon those who violated the covenant of God. He wrote, "The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this."