Maleachi 2,1-9
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1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 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. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 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. 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 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. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.
Are the sins of Christian Leaders more grievous than the sins of others?
Are the sins of Christian Leaders more grievous than the sins of others?
8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
The curse causes them to be the opposite of what God’s intention is for them.
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Are the sins of Christian Leaders more grievous than the sins of others?
Are the sins of Christian Leaders more grievous than the sins of others?
The weight of public responsibility should have hindered their sin. Also leading others to sin and stricter judgement. Held to a higher standard.
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Are you a victim of bad christian leadership?
What does God say to victims?
I hate ministerial hypocrisy 1000 more than you do and intend to spread dung on ministerial hypocrites. Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
God loves you and hates it when his glory is profaned.
4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 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. 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Good Leaders
Good Leaders
Fear the Lord and stood in awe of his name (v.5)
does not listen/ take to heart/ or give honor to his name (v.2)
Through the priest God blesses his people with life and peace (v.5)
Because of a bed priest, the people are cursed (v.2) despised and abased before all the people (v.9)
True instruction is in his mouth, no wrong is found on his lips (v.6). The lops of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts. (v.7)
show partiality in their instruction (v.9)
He walked with me in peace and uprightness (v.6)
turned aside from the way (v.8)
He turned many from iniquity (v.6)
You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi (v.9)
How ministry is supposed to be:
Root: Fears God and stands in awe of his name (Contrast with verse 2)
Root: Fears God and stands in awe of his name (Contrast with verse 2)
Trunk: commitment to defend and proclaim the truth of God’s word.
Trunk: commitment to defend and proclaim the truth of God’s word.
Branches: Piety and holiness of the preacher, the life of devotion to God and the public life of righteousness in the preacher (v. 6)
Branches: Piety and holiness of the preacher, the life of devotion to God and the public life of righteousness in the preacher (v. 6)
Fruit: He turned many from iniquity - salvation from sin
Fruit: He turned many from iniquity - salvation from sin
2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Does our Worship Glorify God?
Does our Worship Glorify God?
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
John Calvin:
There is no access to God for us or for our prayers until the priest, purging away our defilements, sanctify us, and obtain for us that favour of which the impurity of our lives and hearts deprives us...But since God under the Law ordered sacrifices of beasts to be offered to him, there was a different and new arrangement in regard to Christ—viz. that he should be at once victim and priest, because no other fit satisfaction for sin could be found...Christ now bears the office of priest... For we though in ourselves polluted...offer ourselves and our all to God, and freely enter the heavenly sanctuary, so that the sacrifices of prayer and praise which we present are grateful and of sweet smell before him... For being clothed with his holiness, inasmuch as he has devoted us to the Father with himself (otherwise we were an abomination before him), we please him as if we were pure and clean, nay, even sacred.
Es gibt keinen Zugang zu Gott für uns oder für unsere Gebete, bis der Priester, der unsere Verunreinigungen reinigt, uns heiligt und für uns die Gunst erwirkt, die uns die Unreinheit unseres Lebens und unseres Herzens vorenthält... Seit Gott aber unter dem Gesetz befahl, ihm Tieropfer darzubringen, gab es eine andere und neue Anordnung in Bezug auf Christus, nämlich dass er zugleich Opfer und Priester sein sollte, weil keine andere angemessene Satisfaktion für die Sünde gefunden werden konnte... Christus trägt nun das Amt des Priesters... Denn wir, die wir in uns selbst verunreinigt sind, bringen uns und alles, was wir haben, Gott dar und gehen frei in das himmlische Heiligtum ein, so dass die Gebets- und Lobopfer, die wir darbringen, dankbar und von süßem Geruch vor ihm sind ... Denn da wir mit seiner Heiligkeit bekleidet sind, da er uns mit sich selbst dem Vater geweiht hat (sonst wären wir ein Greuel vor ihm), gefallen wir ihm, als wären wir rein und sauber, ja sogar heilig.
Prayer:
Prayer:
John Piper: Oh God, grant that the glory of God, the word of God, and the righteousness of God would so fill this church that people will turn away from sin and receive the righteousness of God.
John Calvin: Grant, Almighty God that as you have been pleased to choose us at this day your priests, and have consecrated us to yourself by the blood of your only-begotten Son and through the grace of your Spirit, — O grant, that we may rightly and sincerely perform our duties to you, and be so devoted to you that your name may be really glorified in us; and may we be thus more and more confirmed in the hope of those promises by which you not only guide us through the course of this earthly life, but also invite us to thy celestial inheritance; and may Christ your Son so rule in us, that we may ever cleave to our head, and be gathered as his members into a participation of that eternal glory into which he has gone before us. — Amen.
Schenke, allmächtiger Gott, dass du uns heute zu deinen Priestern erwählt hast und uns durch das Blut deines eingeborenen Sohnes und durch die Gnade deines Geistes dir geweiht hast, - schenke, dass wir unsere Pflichten dir gegenüber richtig und aufrichtig erfüllen und dir so ergeben sind, dass dein Name in uns wirklich verherrlicht wird; und dass wir so immer mehr in der Hoffnung auf die Verheißungen bestärkt werden, durch die du uns nicht nur durch den Lauf dieses irdischen Lebens leitest, sondern auch zu deinem himmlischen Erbe einlädst; und dass Christus, dein Sohn, so in uns herrsche, dass wir immer an unserem Haupt hängen und als seine Glieder in die Teilhabe an der ewigen Herrlichkeit aufgenommen werden, in die er uns vorausgegangen ist. - Amen.