DIGGING DEEP NO. 960 – November 8st, 2022 THE SINS OF GOD’S PEOPLE (PART 2) Mal.1: 6- 14; 2: 1- 9.

Now, Malachi directs his message especially to the priests who instead of living exemplary lives, were guilty of breaking the very law they were supposed to obey and teach. The way they were serving God was a disgrace to His name. The priests who were supposed to honor God’s name were disgracing it before the people and the Lord. When Malachi confronted them, the priests arrogantly asked, “In what way have we despised your name?” Mal.1: 6 so, he told them.

1. They were offering defiled sacrifices on the altar. The sacrifices had to be perfect; nothing imperfect could be brought to the altar of God and accepted Deut.15: 19- 23, Lev.22: 17- 23. These sacrifices pointed to the Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of the world Jh.1: 29; Heb.10: 1- 14; and if they were imperfect, how could they typify the Perfect Sacrifice, the Son of God? These priests had forgotten what was written in their own law Lev.22: 20.

Reflections – What does this say to professed Christians who spend hundreds of dollars annually on gifts and families, but give God what comes to hand when the offering plate is passed? Our offerings to God are an indication of what is in our hearts Matt.6: 21. People who claim to love the LORD and His work can easily prove it with their giving. Giving is a grace 2Cor.8: 1, 6- 9, and if we have experienced the grace of God, we’ll have no problem giving generously to the LORD, who has given so much to us. How can we ask God to be gracious to us and answer prayers if we’ve not practiced grace-giving ourselves? If our concept of God is so low that we think He’s pleased with cheap halfhearted worship, then we don’t know the God of the Bible. God is a great King and He deserves the best we can bring Him.

But there was another reason why blemished sacrifices were accepted by the priests: the priests and their families were fed from the meat off the altar, and the priests wanted to be sure they had food on the table. After all, the economy was bad, taxes were high, and money was scarce. A sick animal would die anyway, and crippled animals were useless, so the people might as well give them to the LORD! They forgot that to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams 1Sam.15: 22; Ps.51: 16- 17.

The priests dishonored God’s name in another way: they despised the very privilege of being priests Mal.2: 1- 5. They were taking for granted the high calling God had giving them and treating the temple ministry with contempt. Unfortunately, that same attitude is in the church today. The priests took their privileges for granted and forgot the gracious covenant God had made with them through Aaron Mal.2: 4. It was a great privilege to be a priest, to serve at the altar, to minister in the temple, and to teach the law to the people. But the priests had no fear of God; they treated the sacred things as if they were common things because their hearts weren’t right with God Ezek.44: 23.

2. They turned away from God’s law – Mal.2: 6- 9. Verses 6- 7 describe the perfect servants of God: truth on their lips, obedience in their walk, fellowship with God, a burden to bring others to the Lord, and a passion to share God’s Word with those who need to hear it. But the priests weren’t following this pattern; they were following their own ways Deut.33: 10, but the priests weren’t even obeying the law themselves. It was bad enough that the priests were disobeying the law, but they were causing others to stumble as well Mal.2: 8. Like the Pharisees Jesus described in Matt.23: 15; 25- 28. Whether as a pastor, teacher, choir member, or usher, or in any capacity we serve in the house of God, being a servant of God is a serious thing, and it deserves the very best that we can give.

God caused these hypocritical priests to be despised and humiliated before all the people Mal.2: 9. The priests wanted to be popular and twisted the law to gain friends, but the people had no respect for them. Leaders with integrity and character will have their enemies, but they will still gain the respect of the people