CHAPTER 2

1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

Here is that special "commandment" referred to in the last chapter. Keep in mind the Hebrew word mitzvah, is the one used for "commandment." That word can mean ordinance, law, precept or direct command. God is issuing an ordinance or a precept concerning the future of the priests.

Perhaps I should reiterate that these priests to whom Malachi speaks are ones who have been brought back from the Babylonian captivity. They had seen what disobedience could do!

God says, "IF" they hear and do not obey the call to repentance, then God will send a "curse." That curse is nothing more than the rescinding of their blessings. God raises up the "pitcher" of grace and allows it to cease pouring. The pitcher is still there, and able to be poured out again. But they must REPENT!

Is this inconsistent with God's character and nature? NO!

The grace which leads to salvation is UNconditional. God's love is continually poured out calling men to repentance. The reason that grace is UNconditional is because Christ has already paid the price.

However, the grace that allows continual blessings is predicated upon our repentance from sinfulness, and our obedience to God's will in our lives.

Notice that God says His treatment of them for NOT repenting, will be SHAMEFUL. Verse 3 indicates that God will allow them to be treated in a disgusting manner because of their repetitive hardness and rebellion from repentance. To spread the dung of the feasts upon their faces shows that God will not only refuse their sacrifices, but He will allow those sacrifices to become meaningless. The "seed" will be corrupted; there will be no fruition to their oblations.

Friends, when we act in sinful mannerisms without repentance, our prayers don't get past the ceiling! The "pitcher" of blessings is halted, and SHAME is next!

4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. 7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

God's original covenant of the priesthood was with Levi. Because Levi "feared" the Lord (had awesome reverence for Him), God poured out upon him the blessings of "life and peace." God's "law" was continually in Levi's mouth, and by that law Levi "did turn many away from iniquity."

Now, the priests to whom Malachi is speaking will KNOW that God's original covenant is the same. It is the duty of the priests to "keep knowledge,....seek the law" at God's mouth, and be genuine ambassadors (messengers) of the LORD!

God has not changed! His covenant of grace for salvation has ALWAYS been predicated upon the fact that God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, would pay the price for that grace. And God's covenant of blessings has always (and still is) been predicated upon man's unconditional surrender to Him as Lord of who we are; Master of our lives; Ruler of our actions.

Daily, we are to come before Him in confession of and repentance from our sin. And we are to be obedient to the will of God in our lives. See Matthew 10:32-33 See also Luke 9:23See also 1John 1:9

Christian, YOU are made a "priest" in the eyes of the Lord (Revelation 1:6) Therefore, our words in this world should reflect knowledge we have received from our Holy God, and we should continually seek wisdom from His Word (verse 7 above).

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

Having seen the results of idolatrous rebellion, these priests have STILL "departed out of the way!" They have "corrupted the covenant of Levi" and have "caused many to stumble at the law."

Is this applicable to us today? YES! We are sinners all, and all the time Romans 3:23. That is why we must not depart from daily confession of our sins and repentance to life under God's divine direction. To do so makes us contemptible in the sight of the Lord, and then He will make us contemptible in the sight of others! (verse 9)

10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Here, Malachi begins to state a series of offenses the priests (and people) have committed against God.

First, they have "dealt trecherously every man against his brother." Malachi points out that we are all of ONE Father - God. Therefore sin against our brother is sin against our Lord! God made us "brothers" in humanity, and particularly "blood-brothers" under the salvation afforded by Christ. Sins against humanity (theft, bribery, murder, adultery, gossip,etc.) are considered sins against God. And these same sins against "brothers in Christ" are particularly heinous before our God! See 1Corinthians 8:12.

Sins against our brothers "profane" our relationship with God!

11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. 12 The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

OH! How I wish this were taught in our churches more often!!

For a Christian to marry outside the Christian faith is "treacherous" to ourselves because it is and "abomination" to God!

God had said that this nation of Hebrews were to be a HOLY nation to Him. See Exodus 19:6 God has also said that Christians are a HOLY nation to Him. See 1Peter 2:9.

Young Christian men and ladies, remember this: to marry outside the Christian "familY" is to "profane" your relationship with the Lord, and puts you in danger of being "cut off" from His blessings!

13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

Notice first, verse 14. God says He is "witness" between a man and his wife! All that goes on in a marriage, God knows. He knows when a man deals "treacherously" with his wife.

Some of these Israelites had divorced their wives simply because they wanted someone else. Then they "covered the altar of the LORD with tears," but God did not hear them.

Two points about divorce:
First, God "hates" divorce. The original intent of marriage was one man with one woman for one lifetime.
However, secondly, God CAN forgive divorce. He does love people, and desires that all of us walk simply with Him in love and faith. God is "faithful" to forgive our sins when we earnestly and honestly confess and repent.

But know this men: if you deal "treacherously" with your wife, your prayers are "hindered." See 1Peter 3:7.

17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Yes, everyone that is truly saved is truly forgiven of ALL sin, and will eventually be brought into the glorious and eternal heaven of God. But everyone who is saved is not "good." In fact the Bible says that there is NONE good Psalm 14:2-3.

God hates sin, but loves sinners. When we are saved, even truly saved, we are still sinners and are in need of God's continued forgiveness in order for our relationship with Him to be right. Therefore, we cannot go about our lives as if we are constantly forgiven without confession and repentance. Sin should make a person feel sorrow because sin breaks our communion with God. A truly saved person will feel conviction when he/she sins, and will determine to confess that sin to God and beg for forgiveness because a truly saved person values his/her relationship with God above all things!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.