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Message to the Priests

Malachi 1:6-2:9

God (Jehovah Sabbaoth - the Lord of hosts) - was never Father to an individual Israelite: even Moses and David were called just servants of the LORD. But here God calls the whole nation His son, and reminds them of this relationship.

A son was told by the law to honour his father and mother in order to be blessed with a long life (Exodus 20:12). So God asks the nation: "Where is My honour?"

God was the Master, or Lord, of the nation. A master requires reverent fear from his servants, who are there to do his will. So God asks the nation: "Where is my Reverence?"

The priests were the spiritual leaders of the people, and had a duty to instruct them in the Law of God, to ensure the holiness of His temple, and to be the instruments whereby the people would offer to God their sin sacrifices and their peaceful offerings.

Because of these duties, they became responsible for the standard of honour and reverence the people gave to God. God now tells them that they were at fault because they were despising His name and failing to honour and reverence Him.

To the rhetorical question "In what way have we defiled Your name?" the answer was that they were offering defiled sacrifices.

Yet they were going through the right motions, at the prescribed times according to the rituals required in the law, and thought they were fulfilling the duty for which they were appointed - they were working according to rule so they didn't understand why they were being rebuked.

They were a very arrogant, haughty and self-sufficient lot. They did the work required of them, but they had no fear of God to move them to honour Him and to make the people respect Him. The crowds flocked into the temple as a religious obligation, they brought the sacrifices required by law, and the priests did their professional part in offering them in the right way.

All made a show of being religious, and perhaps their pious performance was very impressive. We might have thought, looking at them "This certainly is an alive group, and they're certainly worshipping God." Yet they were very far from God. The worship of God was no longer from heartfelt adoration; instead it was simply a burdensome job for the priests. Down underneath they actually despised His name.

The law required that only perfect animals be offered to God (e.g. Leviticus 1:3, Deuteronomy 15:23), but in their contempt these priests allowed the people to offer blind, crippled, and diseased animals as sacrifices. They would not dare to offer such things to their governor. We now know that the offering they offered was really a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Any imperfect offering was an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God knew this, and through Malachi He accused them of dishonouring him. There were three factors:

1. Expedience: offering the cheapest.

2. Neglect: not caring how the sacrifice was offered.

3. Disobedience: disregarding God's clear commandments.

The apostle Paul described the men in the last days as "having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:5). This is rather like those priests: outwardly going through the motions and appearing to be hardworking religious people. But the love of God is missing, they pompously exalt themselves rather than honour Him, they proudly do their own thing rather than obey Him.

As Christians our lives should be living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1), and we should also give Him sacrifice of our possessions and of praise. What we bring to Him also testifies to the love and respect which we have for him and how we honour His name. Is there expedience, neglect, or disobedience in our giving?

The priests are urged to repent of their evil practices and entreat God's favour, for all the people will suffer if this situation continues. God is always ready to listen to the repentant sinner, and it is never too late to entreat His forgiveness.

The Lord of Hosts wishes that someone would shut the doors of the temple so that the sacrifices might stop. They were kindling fire on God's altar in vain, for He would not accept an offering from their hands. All their effort and ritual was in vain. It is better not to offer any sacrifices at all than to dishonour God's name when giving them. God will not accept them.
Israel was God's chosen people and through them He would provide salvation and blessing to the Gentiles. God's purpose in choosing Israel was that they might witness to the nations of the world. But Israel was bringing the name of God into disrepute by the way they were serving Him. In their heyday, in the time of Solomon, the whole world around them was impressed by the Lord God of Israel, so much so that the queen of Sheba, among many other heads of state, went to verify his wisdom and was greatly impressed by what she heard and saw. But now their testimony had vanished and the Gentiles were no longer impressed because it was just a form and a ceremony and God wasn't being honoured.

God's purpose is not being changed, however, and in the Millennium the prophecy will be fulfilled when "from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations," but not yet.

As with Israel in the past, God's people or his "church" are in the world so that they might His witnesses. God wants to bring the message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ to the world through all who believe in him - Jews and Gentiles. How good is our witness? Does it convey our love and faithfulness to God, giving Him the honour and reverence which are His due?

The holiness of the service to God was being profaned by the priests:

• by saying that "the table of the LORD is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible."
• by saying 'Oh, what a weariness!' And sneering at it.
• by bringing the stolen, the lame, and the sick as an offering!

The LORD would not accept this from their hand. A curse would rest with all those who brought their blemished odds and ends to God for sacrifices.

The priests were warned of a dreadful judgement if they did not repent and change their ways. The fact that they were the descendants of Levi wouldn't save them: the priests of old were faithful to God's covenant with Levi, but now God had made them contemptible and base before all the people because they were so utterly corrupt.

Worship was a "burden" to these priests. Too many think today that following Christ will make life easy and more exciting. They are looking for pleasure and convenience. The truth is that it often takes hard work to live by God's high standards. We may have to face persecution, poverty or suffering. But if serving God is more important to us than anything else, what we must give up is of little importance compared to what we gain -- eternal life with God.

How important is our service to God to us? Is it just something boring to which we submit out of a sense of obligation but without putting our heart into it? Do we give for God's service what is most precious to us, or do we only grudgingly give what costs us least?

 

R David Jones

 

 

Chapter 1:

6 "A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?'

7 "You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.'

8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favourably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

9 "But now entreat God's favour, that He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, will He accept you favourably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

10 "Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts.

12 "But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the LORD is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.'

13 You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," says the LORD of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the LORD.

14 "But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished - for I am a great King," Says the LORD of hosts, "And My name is to be feared among the nations.

Chapter 2

1 "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.

3 "Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it.

4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD of hosts.

5 "My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity.

7 "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi," Says the LORD of hosts.

9 "Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law."