Malachi 1:6-2:9
Notes
Transcript
Failed Priests
Failed Priests
Father's day has come and gone this year. Often it's an overlooked holiday, I would say not actually a holiday at all. What it should remind us of really is of our heavenly father. I recognize though that some people don't know their fathers, or had a very negative relationship with their earthly father. A father should be someone who models a Godly figure and Godly relationship with his children.
In the same manor the leaders of God's people should likewise mirror that relationship of child to father. We see in Malachi's time this was an issue.
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
In our relationship with God we need to honor Him as a father and revere Him as Lord. That is not just to those who are in leadership but for all believers. However leaders should be the first example for all followers and it is especially offensive to God when the leaders are examples of anti-Christ.
So how indeed did the priests despise God's name?
By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
This is a question of what the priests allowed and offered as an offering. This is an ongoing problem in this time.
What was the standard for an offering?
It is perfection and the priests responsibility to enforce it.
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the Lord, if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food offering on the altar. You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the Lord; you shall not do it within your land, neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you.”
And if it is any unclean animal that may not be offered as an offering to the Lord, then he shall stand the animal before the priest, and the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be.
And in Malachi we see it pointed out that they wouldn't hand an earthly governor a sick, lame or blind animal to bless them in their rule to eat for dinner so why would they offer it to God? What does it say when the people do that with a leadership allows it? It is a clear unbelief in the reality of God.
And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
So they're despicing the requirements of God and yet come requesting and attempting to gain the favor of God but doing it by sinning is never going to accomplish that. This attempt to gain God's favor is found in many places. One through sin like Saul in 1 Samuel 13:12 “I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”” It was not for Saul to make the burnt offering. Moses does it on behalf of the people who have sinned by pleading for the sake of God's name among the Egyptions in Exod 32:11. Jehoahaz seeks God's favor for an oppressed people in 2 Kings 13:4. Daniel however spells the proper way of asking favor the clearest. Dan 9:13
As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
Things are so bad that God wishes just one priest would shut down the temple.
Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
Care needs to be taken here. What will happen if a corrupt leadership continues to offer offensive sacrifice in the house of God?
Will He not send another Babylon to tear down His house rather than allow it to continue to defile His name.
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
God's glory will not be hidden, his name will not be fogotten, and his power will not be quelched.
Even though we get a chapter break we’re still talking about the the failure of the priests as we start chapter two.
“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. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts.
The Curse that’s mentioned here is THE CURSE from Deut 28:15-68 With all the list of curses for disobedience. What is the covenant with Levi?
And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”
After the debacle with the golden calf they rally together and stand with moses against sin and idolotry.
Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.
“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’ ”
This blessing seems to be one of being the people who are able to entreat the Lord’s favor to turn back deserved wrath. But as we continue that covenant is explaned a bit more.
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. 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.
There is a solumn duty for the priests and I think also for pastors not that a pastor is a continuation of a priesthood by any means. There is no one that stands between God and Man any longer. But some of the responsibilities it would be wise to uphold for pastors, namely guarding the knowledge of the Lord from corruption by upholding the Word of God and defending it from those who would tear it down or distort it. They should instruct people about the Lord as well as be messengers of the Lord that bring the Word of God to people. In contrast to the duties we see what they do instead.
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.”
Lastly they are condemned for their failures in keeping God’s law, and keeping to their sworn resoponsibilities.