OF CHAPLIN AND CHAPLAINS
Let me relate a bizarre yet true story, before I get started with my main theme. Before that… those of us who don’t know about, Charlie Chaplin, let’s put up our hands? Well, not many hands would go up, for most of us know that he was a huge movie star in the silent-picture era sending many (and often) to the world of boisterous laughter with his patented comedy. One of the by-products of his popularity-also referred to in medicinal terms, as Chaplinitis- was the look-alike contests that mushroomed around the Globe in early 20th century. Participants in many such contests would attempt to imitate Chaplin dressed as the “tramp” character, he made popular in his films.
Action: Display of animation of Charlie Chaplain antics...
Now this is where, it all becomes really surreal. As the look-alike contest fever was its peak, Charlie Chaplin himself entered a look-alike contest in a San Francisco theatre without the knowledge of the judges! Amazingly, he failed to even make the finals!!! So fine-tuned were the Chaplin imitators that the human judges, with all their obvious limitations could not distinguish the original from the many copies (permit me to use a photo-copying parlance here).
The question is could God have made a similar mistake? NO WAY! The omniscient God (Heb 4:13) is not easily to be deceived. We may with our excellent acting, which would make an Oscar winner proud, get away with our well-hidden hypocrisies with our fellow human beings, but in front of an all-seeing God, we are bound to stand exposed. Just as people, mostly Chaplains (read Priests) during Malachi’s (in whose name the last book of OT is titled) time were, which brings me to the point. While all the Books of the Bible (OT and NT together) have to be cherished and relished (for they hold many valuable lessons to us- in II Tim 3:16, 17- notice the emphasis on the beginning words “ALL SCRIPTURE”) somehow by strange paradox in modern day Christendom, in the context of OT, Christians seem to be having a MAJOR problem with the MINOR prophets.
Inexplicably the Books from Hosea to Malachi (by the way who gave us the right to classify them disdainfully as Minor prophets?) are never studied in depth leave alone explored for the rich nuggets of truth, they contain. Hence, I feel challenged to focus on the subject of God’s omniscience, using the Book of Malachi as the point of reference.
FIRST THINGS FIRST…
Action: Display of a picture of a hypocrite without a mask
Firstly let’s get right the historical background to the Ministry of Malachi. Now, who were the people, the “messenger” (in Hebrew Malachi means “messenger”) brought God’s message to? They were the Jewish re-settlers in the land of Palestine, coming back to the Promised Land, as it were, after a 70-year exile in the land of Babylon in line with the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10, Ezra 1:1-4). Now what about the spiritual climate at that time? Going by all that is outward, what would have been the reading of the human “Spiritual Met Dept”, so to speak? Prima facie, very good! For one thing, God’s chosen ones’ during Malachi’s time were not out and out idol-worshippers like their unrepentant, hard-hearted forefathers, who brought upon themselves the punishment of banishment (from the Land of milk and honey) despite several warnings to that effect from their contemporary prophets (II Chronicles 36:15-21). What more under the able leadership of leaders such as Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, they had painstakingly (in Jerusalem) reconstructed their broken down temple and walls. Add to this re-instatement of temple services and the offering of regular sacrifices, and a picture of a spiritually healthy nation emerges. Right? WRONG! For Malachi doesn’t come-up with a message complimenting them. Far from patting their backs, we find him rapping them hard, as it were, on their knuckles.
What prompted him to do so? In the Jewish society, while on the surface, everything seemed good, beneath it lurked troubles, big ones at that! Spiritual lethargy had set in amongst the God’s people, who were going about their spiritual lives mechanically (like us some of us go about the Lenten season, as though we can getaway having a seasonal affair with Him) without paying much attention to its finer details. Compounding the crises’ were the errant Chaplains (read Priests), who were the very definition of lukewarm devotion. At a time, when their exemplary lives ought to have spurred the laity they themselves were showing scant interest in the paramount matter of worshipping God properly. Talk of fence eating the grass…
Primarily, Malachi focuses’ on three problem areas’ in the Jewish society of his times…the ones’ concerning offering, divorcing and tithing.
OFFERING...
Action: a) Display of picture of three-legged calf
b) Display of picture of soiled, mutilated currency notes
As the clergy were more accountable to God than the laity (James 3:1), the omniscient God takes them to task first before dealing with the lay lot. The priests had showed no qualms in accepting any kind of sacrificial burnt offerings. What price regular sacrifices, if the animals used in them are lame, sick and handicapped? Sadly, has not the trend “of offering sick and lame animals” to the Lord continued? Do not we see soiled, mutilated currency notes in the offering plate? Of course, here unlike the Jewish Priests who had it in them to reject that kind of offerings, the Christian pastors are not to be blamed, for there is very little scope for them to know who has put that kind of currency notes in the offering plate/bag which is circulated amongst the Church members. Yes, it is binding on the Clergy to announce once in a while that it wouldn’t be honoring the Lord, if we give “soiled currency notes” for the sustenance of His Work.
I still remember the top management of my erstwhile employers’ going once to meet a Chief Minister of of our State Andhra Pradesh with the best available devotional CDs. Try offering less-than-perfect gifts to your Governor, would he feel honored by such cheap gifts, God asks the priests pointedly (Malachi 1:8). To use Chess parlance here, this question would have checkmated them. This leads us to a subject within a subject. As much as our omniscient God is a great judge, he is a very wise advocate too. His arguments built on precise logic, ten times out of ten, brook no reply. Jonah and the Simon the Pharisee, given to much arguing with the Almighty, having subsequently “tasted” God’s wise counter argument (Jonah 4/Luke 7:36-50), would vouch for this!
DIVORCING…
Action: Display of picture which depcts separation of husband and wife...
Coming back to our main subject (the Book of Malachi), after severely castigating the priests, then God turns his attention to yet another problem, which had crept in unnoticed, so to say, in the Jewish society. That of marital infidelity amongst the laity (Mal 2:14-16). On one hand, we see some of them obeying God by divorcing the heathen women, prone to lead them astray (Ezra 9,10), on the other we see some disobeying Him by severing marital ties with their faithful Jewish wives. If the former gave a picture of “BOOM” in the obedience front, the latter presented one of “DOOM”. It is pertinent to note that devout Nehemiah who spearheaded the reformation movement till then (rebuilt the wall, reinstated the Sabbath custom) was still the Governor during Malachi’s time and Ezra, yet another great reformer too was “alive and kicking”. While, these great leaders had overseen divorcing of the heathen women, what about divorcing of the Jewish women? That God had to intervene in this issue bears witness to the fact that even great reformers, however noble their motives, however determined their actions can only do so much in the matter of separating the “wheat from the chaff”. Worse, this problem seems to have even escaped their attention. While even great reformers can remain oblivious to devious sins, they (sins) cannot but be obvious to an omniscient God who has His ways’ of dealing with them.
TITHING…
Action: Display of a picture which depicts giving one part out of every ten parts
What’s the big deal about Temple construction, if you do not care a hoot for its Priests and their maintenance (giving them the boot?), God seems to be asking, equating the sin of the laity of not giving tithes to outright robbery (Mal 3:9). Not till Nehemiah’s return from his official duties in Persia (he had briefly gone there -Nehemiah 13:6,7), did any other leader bother about taking this problem “by the horns”. This once again reiterates the theme that while man may turn a blind eye to a spiritual malaise, the omniscient God doesn’t. This also once again leads us to a subject within a subject.
Interwoven in all of God’s creation is the principle of balance and inter-dependence, as though Creation itself were one big celestial scale. One doesn’t have to look beyond the breathing order of the animals and plants to arrive at this conclusion. If in the Zoological world we see the pattern of inhaling oxygen and exhaling CO2 prevalent, then in the Botanical world we see exactly the opposite design in operation preserving in the process the precious balance. Our God who is a God of “balance” has applied the same principle of inter-dependence between the clergy and the laity. If the clergy are to spend all their resources in learning about God’s word and instructing the laity in the same, the laity who are at liberty to pursue any profession unlike the clergy have to support the former. Said a wise soul “If we are paying surgeons lavishly who extend our lives at best by some years by performing bypass surgery of our hearts, what about our obligation to a Pastor who moulds our hearts in order we inherit eternal life”? Even though, I am an full-timer and an associate pastor, when convicted by His Spirit, I had no other choice but to start paying tithes (or should I say tithe of a tithe) to my local church (Numbers 18:25-26).
As I wind down, let it be stated here that just like God doesn’t like the wicked to perish (Ezekiel 18:23) but rather delights in their repentance, in the same way he doesn’t like to be critical just for the sake of it- Jesus’ wholesome appreciation of the Churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia (Revelation 2:8-11, 3:7-13) is a case in point. However when His people are poised for a freefall, he very much likes to take things into his hand by way of a severe rebuke, for their own good very much like a good surgeon who nips cancer in the bud by way of a painful surgery, lest it starts spreading.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN...
Action: Picture of angel appearing to Cornelius
In conclusion, can any study of God’s omniscience be ever complete till we look at “both sides of the coin”? If the omniscient God calls us to account, when we “sin secretly”, far away from public spotlight then it follows that the all-seeing One will ALSO see all our charitable acts done faraway from public limelight and reward us suitably. So be encouraged, if you are sincerely serving Him, “behind the curtain”, far away from any public gaze. No one in the early Church knew about the generous Cornelius or his good deeds, no not even Peter who was going to baptize him shortly but look at the salutary greeting of the angel as it approached this silent hero, used to shunning limelight “…‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!” (Acts 10:31-NLV). Should I need to say more? Time we praised our omniscient and a great God, who is also fair and just to the core. Remember worship in its noblest form is all about worshipping God for WHAT HE IS, more than for the blessings He pours upon us. HALLELUJAH! What price any theology, which doesn’t end with doxology!
Suresh Manoharan
ps...This Sermon replete with animation/pics is available at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_mar1_08.asp
