We continue our series in Malachi, a small book tucked away at the end of the Old Testament. Malachi’s exhortations are really a series of six disputations or arguments between God and the Israelites (mainly the priests). This will be our third sermon in the series as we finish looking at the book’s second disputation. To properly align for this teaching from Malachi 2:1-9, we need to go back and review our teaching from last time, Malachi 1:6-14.
In that section, Malachi is rebuking the priests, and by extension all the people, for not taking God and their worship seriously. God says, “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name” (Malachi 1:6). He reproves them for offering crippled, blind and stolen animals for sacrifice instead of the best of what they had. He boldly proclaims that regardless of what the people do, “…My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name…For my name will be great among the nations… my name will be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1:11,14)
Chapter 2 begins, “And now, O priests, this command is for you.” (Malachi 2:1) What follows is a call to repentance and an extremely strong warning if they fail to repent. Malachi continues, “If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.” (Malachi 2:2). The priests have not fulfilled their duties and thus have not brought honor to God’s name. Unless they repent, the Lord would remove them from office. God is not someone to trifle with!
In Malachi 2:5-6, it continues, “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instructions was in his mouth, and no wrong found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.” By God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we have entered into covenant with the true God of the Bible. We therefore live before God, “Coram Deo”, in fear and awe, with His life and peace. When God’s servants (“priests” or “ministers” or “pastors”) are doing what they have been called to do (teaching truth and shepherding the sheep well), the people turn from their sins, and there is indeed, “life and peace” throughout the land.
If we are in Christ, each and every one of us are priests. (1 Peter 2:9-10) Each of us have been called and commissioned to teach the truth and serve our neighbors well. What we do and say, along with our attitudes, are the sermons we “live out” daily. What kind of sermon does your life preach? Does your “life sermon” point others to Jesus or are we causing them to stumble and bumble in confusion?
If you don’t like the answer to that question, feel the conviction of the Lord and repent! The message of repentance was the most consistent message Jesus preached throughout his ministry. In all times and every situation, His advice was to repent. As John Bunyan put it, “Repentance is both the doorway and the pathway to eternal life.” It is the doorway we must walk through, “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15) and it is the pathway we must walk on, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Discussion Questions:
- Why does God directly rebuke the priests when all of His people were guilty of not honoring and fearing Him?
- Could that same rebuke be brought against pastors and church leaders today? Why or Why not?
- What are the generational implications for weak and disobedient leaders?
- Weak teaching and weak worshippers go together and it leaves everyone guilty before God. What does God say he will do with the worthless, half-hearted offerings the priests were bringing? (Hint, it has to do with a face full of fertilizer)
- Why is it so important for a church leader to love the Word and watch both their life and doctrine? Why does the enemy always seek to destroy the leaders?
- Is the overall health of a nation found in the health of its political leaders or in the health of its religious leaders? Are they connected? Fundamentally, what do we need most? (Hint, we need more Gospel preachers who preach about sin, humility and repentance)
- How do these verses point people to Jesus, the Perfect Leader, the true bringer of “life and peace” to the world?