Malachi 2:1-9 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Malachi 2:1-9. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Malachi 2:1–2 (NIV)
1 “And now this admonition is for you, O priests.
2 If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me.
On verses 1-2: After rebuking the Jewish people as a whole, God has a specific rebuke and warning for the priests. From these verses we can see that God wants His priests to have hearts that are set on honouring His name. Because their hearts were not set on honouring God, God says that their blessings are cursed (“I will curse your blessings” – v2). Is “blessings” in verse 2 referring to blessings that the priests receive (such as material blessings and provision) or blessings that the priests give and pronounce on others? It’s not 100% clear but it is safe to conclude that both the blessings the priests received and the blessings they tried to give would be affected. What can we learn from this?
As followers of Jesus, we are also God’s priests in our homes, workplaces, schools, churches and neighborhoods (1 Peter 2:9). As priests, our hearts need to be set on honouring God’s name above anything else. If my heart is not set on honouring God’s name, I am not able to fully enjoy the blessings that God has given me. Even more, the help and blessings I think I’m giving to those around me will actually not help or bless them that much at all, for I myself am not going in a God-honouring direction. It goes to show that your effectiveness in ministering to people begins with having a heart that is set on honouring God.
Malachi 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.
4 And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD Almighty.
On verses 3-4: Here God describes in a graphic way how He will unceremoniously remove His priests from office, just like removing dung and waste from a festival, all because their hearts were not set on honouring Him. God’s purpose in disciplining His priests was so that He may continue His covenant with the tribe of Levi, the one tribe in Israel that God had set apart to be priests (see Exodus 32:26-29).
What can we learn from this? Whenever God warns or disciplines His people, it’s always for a loving and long-term purpose. The best and wisest discipline is always motivated by love, not anger.
Malachi 2:5-6 (NIV)
5 “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.
6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.
On verses 5-6: Verses 5-6 describe in more detail the covenant God made with the tribe of Levi. It was a covenant where God was committed to giving life and peace to the Levites while in return the Levites were to show reverence and awe for God’s name (v5). Whenever the Levites showed reverence and awe, the result was that the Levites spoke true, wise and honest words, walked with God in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin (v6).
The same goes for us today. God is committed to giving us life and peace. In return we as His priests are to live before God with reverence and awe. What happens when we do? Verse 6 teaches us that the results of reverence are three-fold:
1. We will have true instruction on our lips (wise and honest words) to help others.
2. We experience peace and uprightness in our walk with God (righteousness and peace always go together – Psalm 85:10-11).
3. We become a blessing to others, leading them to Jesus and away from sin.
I believe this passage points us to Jesus in another way. The fact is that neither Levi the individual nor any priest from the tribe of Levi obeyed God’s law or revered God perfectly. But there is one priest who did: His name is Jesus. Though Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, by his conduct and character he was more a “Levite” than any actual Levite. Verses 5-6 in fact are a perfect description of Jesus, befitting Jesus better than any other human being who has ever lived.
Malachi 2:7-9 (NIV)
7 “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction–because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty.
8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the LORD Almighty.
9 “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”
On verses 7-9: A priest is a messenger for God. His or her role is to “preserve knowledge”, that is, to remember and share with others the message of who God is (v7). Yet in Malachi’s day, the priests were not fulfilling their God-given role as God’s messengers. Their hearts were not set on honouring God. Instead, they showed partiality in interpreting God’s laws (v9), did not follow God’s ways (v9), and preached a different message than the message God had entrusted to them (v8). In so doing the priests violated their ancestor Levi’s covenant with God and caused many people to stumble in the process (v8). So God would cause these priests to be despised and humiliated before the people (v8).
What can we learn from this? As Jesus’ followers, we are also God’s messengers. From your words and actions, what kind of message do you communicate to others about who God is? If the people closest to you were asked to describe who God is based on your words and actions alone, what would they say?
Father, thank You for calling me to be a priest in Your kingdom. Help me to live in reverence and awe before You all my days. I pray that as Your messenger I would give the people around me — through my actions, words and example — a clear and accurate picture of who You are. And thank You for Jesus, our great high priest, who exemplifies what it means to be a priest better than any other, and with whom is Your covenant of life and peace. Thank You that through Jesus I can experience life and peace as well. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
