“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. 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. 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.” (Malachi 2:1-9)

When we see God’s love as lacking or absent, our worship fades into nothing more than a type of formalism and routine. Merely going through the motions with God doesn’t bring the type of attention that rewards; rather, Malachi says that it brings a curse. (I’ve had a hard time with this. In so many ways, I need to study it more.)

It is possible that Malachi could be referring to the same kind of thing that Peter was talking about in his first letter:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

David may have felt this as he cried out, “Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress!” (Psalm 102:2) and “Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 143:1)

God will test us. Yet, at the same time, He is faithful to all His promises. If you belong to Him, He will never abandon you. But we should take seriously the things of God; not mock Him with idle words or actions.

So what a startling image we see with God disgracing the priest who didn’t see – or who wouldn’t confess – the sin of bad worship or those who wouldn’t stand to stop it; priests who wouldn’t “shut the doors” of the temple to stop the routine of horrible sacrifices and pitiful offerings. God said it was “not pleasing”. Could you imagine the reaction to a modern pastor looking to God and God telling to shut the doors for a minute, an hour, or even an entire service because either he or his congregation was sinning against God? Or even just to take the time before services as a body and seek his face? To stand up and say, “What we’re doing here…this isn’t right.” It’s hard to see the differences between emotions or routine compared to the God of Spirit actually working…especially if we’ve never tasted .

As pastors, our jobs are not making atonement for sin or to take the sin of the people and bring it before God. Christ came to save that which was lost. He took the high preist role to offer the only thing God would take: a Lamb without spot or blemish. He came to take my shame…to take my place and to receive my wrath. Christ took on all “once for all” so that we “can be alive in Him”.

So from here, the charge to pastors, teachers, worshipers, etc…, is this: guard knowledge and show the lost they must repent and believe for the Kingdom is at hand. Remind the body not to follow in the footsteps of men that “have turned aside from the way”…or that could “cause many to stumble by [his] instruction”…or who has “corrupted the covenant.”

We can’t take the commands of God and water down what He calls sin. For Christ did not, neither is the Father in this text. We must listen to God’s voice and hear what the Master tells us. O, that we would reply, “God forgive me, a sinner.” Child of God, the point of all of God’s word is for you to call upon Him! If God’s word would only hit the heart, like a “double-edged sword”, and drive us to repentance because it is our God calling us to do so.

Lord, I pray that we would walk in Your truth, hear Your voice, and walk with You. I pray that all of Your children would see the importance of true worship…because we see the great love that You have for us! Help us keep this knowledge and guard it close to our heart. Give us Your Spirit to lead us to You and for You. Forgive me, a sinner, for walking this path of idle worship.

Thank You for giving me a chance to share this.