Malachi- Enjoying Covenant Blessings

Malachi 2:1–3 ESV

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. 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. 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.

Malachi 2:4–6 ESV

So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 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 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.

Malachi 2:7–9 ESV

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. 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, 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.”

Now this passage that I’m reading to you is really kind of hard to understand so we are going to just pick some truths out of it. And I hope to build a base for our life—for all that is to follow. There is a key word that keeps coming up. Notice, in verse 4: “my covenant” (Malachi 2:4). Notice, in verse 5: “my covenant” (Malachi 2:5). Notice, in verse 8: “the covenant” (Malachi 2:8). Notice, in the last part of verse 10: “profaning the covenant of your fathers” (Malachi 2:10). And then later chapter 3 and verse 1: “the messenger of the covenant” (Malachi 3:1) Over and over again, our Lord is saying there’s a concept called the covenant—the covenant, the covenant, the covenant.

all Bible truth is covenant truth. And all Bible blessings are covenant blessings. And if I could help you today to understand the covenant, you are going to be blessed, indeed. And you will understand why the prophet Malachi was so upset with these priests, who had profaned the covenant of the Lord. I want you to understand the covenant, because there is a tremendous and unexplainable blessing in the covenant. And I want us to understand it, as best as possible. But not only understand it, but to apply it and live by it.

I. What is a Covenant?

The Bible teaches again that all blessings are covenant blessings. Now what is a covenant? Well, the word that is translated covenant has the idea of cutting. And the word is sometimes translated “to cut.” And it has the idea of the shedding of blood. The cutting—that means, blood is shed. And sometimes the word covenant is translated “blood covenant.”

Now what is the covenant? The covenant is a sacred agreement based on blood. It is more than an agreement. It is literally a union of two partners who are in covenant. Two people enter into a covenant. And that means that they are such partners that they mutually hold together all assets, talents, debts, and, liabilities—are shared by both partners. And this agreement is extended right on down to the offspring, and the children of those who are entered into the covenant.

Do you remember the old cowboy movies—the Saturday matinee on Saturday morning—you would see the cowboys and the Indians. Now I don’t know if you used to do that or not. We got in for a dime?! And the Indians and the cowboys would always be in these battles. And then, after a while, the good cowboy—the guy with the white hat—and the good Indian chief would meet up somewhere out there. They would be tired of all of that killing, and all of that fighting, and so forth. And they would decide that they were going to become blood brothers. And they would make a covenant. And the way that they would make a covenant would be to take a knife and cut their wrists. And each one would do that, and just enough to bleed. And then, they would put their wrists together, and mingle their blood together. Did you ever see that? Have you ever seen them do that? And the Indian would say, “We now brothers.” Do you remember that? And what they would do is, they’d put their hands together, and lift their hands, and the blood would be mingled there.

That didn’t just happen in cowboy movies. That goes back to the most primitive of times, and it happened in Bible times. It was called a blood covenant. And when people would enter into this covenant, they would enter into a relationship that was closer than brothers in the flesh. They would be called blood brothers. And it meant that that there was a relationship, now, that would last for as long as they lived, and then, it would still go on. It would extend not only to them, but to their offspring. Their children could also enter into this covenant.

Now many times, when a covenant was made, they would symbolize it further, by one person taking a piece of his clothing, and giving it to the other person. They would exchange garments. And the exchange of garments—when one would take his coat off and give it to the other person—was a way of saying, Everything that I have now belongs to you. You can call on it, if you need it. My possessions are your possessions. And then, they would take a weapon—something like a bow and arrow, or something like a spear, or something like a sword—and they would give that to the person. And that was saying, “Not only do you have my possessions, but you have my protection. Not only are my possessions your possessions, but your enemies are my enemies. If there’s ever a fight, and you’re in that fight, I’m in that fight with you.” And it’s symbolized by the sharing of the weapons.

When people would make this kind of a covenant, many times, they were so proud of it. They would take some soot, lampblack, or something like that, and rub it into the wound. So when there would be a scar, there would still be a black mark, right there. That black mark was called the mark of the covenant. These people who entered into covenant were called friends. We use the word friend very lightly. But they didn’t use the word friend lightly then. A friend was someone that you were in covenant with. We just call everybody friend. (Facebook friends! who are they?) But in that time, a friend was a covenant person. Have you ever read in the Bible this verse—”There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24)? That’s the friend we’re talking about, that person who is in covenant. That’s a friend that is closer than a brother.

Then, there was a relationship, the way that you would deal with people. And that relationship was called lovingkindness. Lovingkindness is a covenant word. It is it is the way that I act towards you, if I’m in covenant with you. I will show you lovingkindness. That means that, whatever I have, you may demand it, you may call upon it, and it is yours, if you need it. My wealth is your wealth. My friends are your friends. Your enemies are my enemies. My strength is your strength. Our sorrow is my sorrow. We are blood brothers. A covenant is an agreement based on blood.

It’s very important that you understand that, because, you are in a covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know that all of the Bible is divided into two parts—the old covenant and the new covenant? That’s what the word testament means: the old covenant. Everything is based on covenant. All of the blessings of the Bible are covenant blessings. And so you need to understand the terms of the covenant. I can tell you this much: If you will understand the terms of the covenant, if you will understand the truth of the covenant, you will not go around a slave to your feelings, and the devil will not intimidate you like he has been intimidating you; but you’re going to quit living like a pauper, and you’re going to begin to live like the spiritual prince and king that you are, because the Bible says, God has made us “a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6).

Now I want you to understand this. And the best way to understand it is to give you an example. We’re gonna camp out here on this story from 1 Samuel that illustrates what a covenant is. 1 Samuel chapter 18. - the story of David, Jonathan and Mephibosheth. And the best way I know to teach you what the covenant is, in the Book of Malachi, is to illustrate it. So basically, our message, today, is going to be one great big illustration of what the covenant is. Because, Malachi was contending with these people, because they had forgotten, neglected, and corrupted the covenant of God.

II. The Story of David, Jonathan, and Mephibosheth

Now in I Samuel chapter 18, here is the story of a covenant that two men made. One man’s name was David, and the other man’s name was Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of King Saul. King Saul was the first king of Israel, and Jonathan was his son, a prince. David, you know, later became the king of Israel, and, at this particular time, he was just sort of a young man that was gaining notoriety and popularity. And that’s the time when this episode takes place. David has just slain Goliath of Gath.

And I begin reading in 1 Samuel chapter 18, verse 1

1 Samuel 18:1–2 ESV

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.

1 Samuel 18:3–4 ESV

Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

The belt/girdle was the thing they held the weapons on. And so what he’s saying now is, “I’m going to give you my bow, and I give you my sword, and I give you my belt that I hold my weapons on.” He’s saying, “Not only now are we one in person, not only are we one in possession, but we are one in protection. Your enemies are my enemies.” And David and Jonathan have become blood brothers. They have entered into a blood covenant.

Now I want you to see what happens as a result of the blood covenant that Jonathan and David enter into. This has so much to do with you, and your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the covenant that Malachi was talking about. Now at first, Saul was very proud of David, because David was such a handsome and young warrior. But after a while, people were saying, “Saul has slain his thousands, but David has slain his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). And Saul became insane with jealousy.

And now no longer does he love David; he fears David, and wants to kill David. And so he sends out a word that David is to be killed. David has to flee for his life. And all of the desires of the kingdom and the ambition of the kingdom are brought into this focus: kill David, kill David, kill David. Now Jonathan doesn’t help to kill David. Even though he’s Saul’s son, he is David’s friend, and he is now closer to David than he is to his own father, King Saul. Jonathan helped protect David, and save David’s life.

Finally, both Jonathan and Saul are slain in battle, and David does become the king of Israel. Now when David became king of Israel, there was blind panic in the household of Saul, because there’s a change of rulership, there’s a new regime. And all of those who have been part of Saul’s kingdom say, “Oh, David is now king. David has that unlimited power. David is going to come, and he’s going to purge the kingdom. He’s going to put many of us to death, especially those who are relatives of Saul.”

There was a nurse who had this all figured out, and she said, “There’s a little child who is in great danger.” The little child had a funny name: Mephibosheth was his name. And the nurse said, “Little Mephibosheth is in danger, because Mephibosheth is Saul’s grandson, Jonathan’s son.” This nurse—not knowing anything about the blood covenant, just simply thinking that little Mephibosheth may be put to death by a vengeful King David— runs into the royal nursery, she picks up this little baby, and she begins to run to hide the little baby from David. As she runs out, she trips and falls. She’s carrying that baby, and the weight of that heavy nurse falls on that little baby. His little legs get twisted beneath the weight of that body, and his legs are mangled. There’s not an orthopedic surgeon anywhere like that. She doesn’t have time, and she doesn’t know anything about how to bandage or straighten the legs. She does the best she can, but she just takes the little baby and, blind panic, she runs.

That little baby is crippled the rest of his life, because of that accident, that fall. She takes that baby, and hides that baby in a place called Lodebar. And it’s a Hebrew word, which simply means “the place of no pasture.” That is, it was a dingy, dusty, dirty, hideout somewhere on the backside of nowhere. She goes out there, saying, “I’ve got to keep this little baby, this little grandson of Saul, out here. I’ve got to keep him, because, if I don’t keep him out here, David will find him and kill him.”

And that’s where Mephibosheth grew up: in “a place of no pasture.” Can you imagine, now? He is a grandson of a king. He is a prince. But he’s living in exile. He’s living in fear. If he were to ask his nurse, “Why are we out here?” she would say, “Because of your enemy, David. If David ever finds you, he’s going to kill you.” “Why am I crippled?” “You’re crippled, because of David. You were fleeing from David. And you’d better hope that David never catches you. You’d better hope that David never finds out where you are.” And so here’s this poor little ole’ boy Mephibosheth out there on the backside of nowhere. He is dragging his dead limbs behind him, drinking from a tin cup, breathing dust, eating dust, hating David, and fearing David. There’s where he is.

Now you’ve got all of that in mind. Remember that David has a covenant with Jonathan, and Mephibosheth is Jonathan’s son. So keep that in mind, and I want you to turn to another place in the Word of God. 2 Samuel 9:1

2 Samuel 9:1 ESV

And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

They thought he was about to take care of all Saul’s family. they were surprised by the next part in vs. 2

2 Samuel 9:2–4 ESV

Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

2 Samuel 9:5–7 ESV

Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”

2 Samuel 9:8–9 ESV

And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.

What?! He can’t believe it!

Mephibosheth can’t take it in. He said, “I don’t understand this. That doesn’t make sense. Why should you treat me that way? I am a dead dog. I know what I deserve. I’ve been on the other side. I’ve been your enemy. Why should you show me this kind of respect, to a dead dog like me?” “Mephibosheth, I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for Jonathan. I am in a blood covenant with your father. And if you want to ratify the covenant, if you want to accept the terms of the covenant, then that’s up to you, because you may. And I’m offering you the same covenant that I had with Jonathan. How about it, Mephibosheth? Do you want to be part of the family?”

This moment, Mephibosheth has a decision he must make. He can choose the judgment that is due to him, or he can receive the mercy that’s offered to him. He must change his mind about David. He must see David no longer as the enemy, but he must see David as the friend. There must be a change of kings, and there must be a change of attitude. Mephibosheth says, “Well, since you explained it that way, I believe I’d rather have it your way, David. I just believe I’d rather be your friend. I’d rather have the king’s fortune, and the king’s fellowship.” And so David says, “All right, servants. Ziba, bring a robe, put it on him, take care of him, and give him everything. Till the land for him, serve him, feed him, bathe him, and take care of him.”

What a transformation has taken place in the life of this man, Mephibosheth! Yesterday, he was an outcast. He was a rebel, hating and fearing David. Today, he’s in the palace. He is in, and he’s treated as the king’s son. He saw a transformation, and he can’t believe it. Yesterday, he slept on an empty mat. Today, he awakens on silken sheets. Yesterday, he ate from a tin plate, and drank from a tin cup. Today, he sits at the king’s table with the king’s sons. He’s awakened in the morning by servants. They say, “Good morning, my lord Mephibosheth. Is my lord Mephibosheth ready for his bath? Here’s a robe for my lord Mephibosheth. My lord Mephibosheth, the king and his sons are waiting for you at breakfast.”

And Mephibosheth comes down for breakfast. There he sits at the king’s table. It’s groaning with food. He puts those shriveled legs under that white linen tablecloth. They can’t even be seen at all. He’s sitting at the right hand of the king, having fellowship with David himself. He looks around. He’s never seen anything like this all of his life. He’s never known anything like this. It’s very hard for him to explain, but even more hard for him to deny. And he says, “I’m not worthy of this, but it makes no difference. It’s not because of me. It is because of Jonathan, my father who made a covenant with David. And I’m not going to deny it; I’m going to enjoy it. Pass the biscuits.” There he is, my dear friend, sitting at the table—not what he has done at all, but what God had offered him, because of a covenant that was made so long ago.

III. The Application in Our Lives

I want to take that, and apply that to you. Many of you are way ahead of me. Many of you already understand what a blood covenant, therefore, means. Because, look again, if you will, in 2 Samuel 9, verse 1: “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now notice: “kindness for Jonathan’s sake.” Now if you will, take that, and put by that verse a very wonderful verse in the Word of God that teaches, that God has done the same thing for us. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 32 says—the Bible says:

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

A. Jonathan represents the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two thousand years ago, on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ entered into a blood covenant with God the Father for the sons of men. That’s the reason Jesus became a man: that He might make a blood covenant with God. A covenant is an agreement between two persons based on blood. When the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, he was mingling the blood of God and the blood of man. You say, “Well, God doesn’t have blood.” Yes He did, when Jesus was here on this earth.

The Bible teaches that that God Himself took human blood. Acts chapter 20, verse 28—Paul said to those Ephesian elders,

Acts 20:28 ESV

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Whose blood was shed on the cross? The blood of man? Yes, because Jesus was man. The blood of God? Yes, because, in the veins of Jesus Christ was the very blood of God. And on that cross, the blood of man and the blood of God mingled. The Lord Jesus Christ was cutting a covenant between God and man—a blood covenant—that man might say, “Dear God, all that You have is now mine. Lord God, we are one—I in You, and You in me.” That’s wonderful, isn’t it?

And then, God takes his robe, and He puts it on us. We’re dressed in His righteousness alone. And then, God takes not only His possessions, and gives it to us, but God gives us His mighty power and His protection. He gives us the sword of the Spirit, and the indwelling power of the Holy Ghost comes upon us: And all that belongs to Heaven now belongs to you, because all that belongs to you now belongs to Him. And there’s a covenant cut between God and man. When the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, that last supper, the Lord Jesus took that cup, and he held it up, and this is what he said: “This cup is the new [covenant] in my blood” (Luke 22:20). The word covenant and the word testament are the same word. Jesus said, “I made a covenant with you.” And Jonathan represents the Savior.

B. Mephibosheth represents the sinner.

You and I are like Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth pictures you. And how does Mephibosheth picture you?

He was deformed.

he was deformed, and so are we. He was crippled by the fall, and so are we. And so Mephibosheth was deformed. He couldn’t come. He had to be brought. He did not want to come. He had to be sought. And that’s the way we are. We are and morally crippled by sin.

He was dethroned.

You see, he was a prince. But he was living in exile. Did you know that God made us to be kings and princes, but we’ve been living on the backside of nowhere, without the Lord Jesus Christ? Breathing dust, and dragging our dead limbs behind us, when we ought to be sitting enthroned with our Lord. But here was a prince, who had lost his kingdom. He was dethroned.

He was doomed.

He knew he had the sentence of death on him. He knew that he was an enemy, and that he deserved no mercy. He said, “Why should you do this to such a dog as I am?” (2 Samuel 9:8). He realized that the sentence of death was his. And so should we.

He was deceived.

All of this time, Mephibosheth was thinking David was his enemy, when David was his friend. Did you know that people feel that way about God? Did you know that God has to run us down in order to save us? I don’t seek Him? We fear God. There’s something—sin has put a negative attitude; the devil has done a trick on us.

C. David represents the Father

David pictures the Father who offers the salvation. He is the King. It’s all because of him. He is the giver, the forgiver.

D. What Mephibosheth received

And what Mephibosheth received is what you will receive, if you enter into the blood covenant. And it’s so very wonderful. There are four basic things that he received.

1. The King’s Forgiveness

look in vs. 7 2 Samuel 9:7

2 Samuel 9:7 ESV

And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”

He deserved judgment, and he received kindness. because of the covenant, you don’t have to be afraid. You deserve Hell, but you’re not going to Hell, because of the blood covenant. And so he received the king’s forgiveness.

2. The King’s Fellowship

Four times it is mentioned that he is to eat with the king. Look, if you will, in verse 7: “you will eat bread at my table forever” (2 Samuel 9:7). Look, if you will, in verse 10: “Thy master’s son shall eat bread always at my table” (2 Samuel 9:10). Look, if you will, at the last part of verse 11: “He shall eat at my table” (2 Samuel 9:11). Look, if you will, in verse 13: “He did eat continually at the king’s table” (2 Samuel 9:13). Why does God say that? Because, my dear friend, a fellowship meal is the most intimate association that you can have.

Now if you were invited to meet with the President of the United States, that would be one thing. But friend, if you were invited to dine with the President of United States, that would be something else, wouldn’t it? It’s saying, “You’re not just going to have a once-in-a-while meal; you’re going to sit at my table forever.” You see, salvation, my friend, is not a funeral; it’s a feast. Do you understand that? Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,”—and do what?—”and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. The King’s Fortune

2 Samuel 9:9 ESV

Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.

The devil likes to remind us we aren’t worthy of this fortune. And he’s right. But just point him to the blood covenant, let him argue with the Lord.

it doesn’t make any difference. God has done it for Jesus’ sake, and on the cross, with his rich, red, royal blood, He made a covenant for you. And you can enter into that covenant of life and peace. And I pray God you’ll not miss it.

Lord we pray- I pray that You’ll seal the truth of the blood covenant to our hearts. And help us, Lord, not to despise the covenant, and not to depart from it. In Jesus’ precious name.