The question is: “Can you have a valid faith without being faithful?” The greatest issue we have found so far in our study of Malachi is that of disobedience. The people of Judah wanted to enjoy all the benefits of following God without any of the hassle that comes from playing by God’s rules. Malachi is trying to wake the people up in regard to their quality of worship and lack of obedience. The leaders were showing a blatant disregard for God and the statutes that He had set down. So with the poor example set by the leaders the people were having their hearts turned away from God. Malachi takes on the task in the first part of chapter 2 of addressing the failures of the leadership at the temple and the negative effect they are having on the people. In the New Testament James addresses this very issue, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1—NIV) Leaders in the Lord’s church need to take their responsibility very seriously, and realize a poor understanding of our role or believing that regardless of what God says I am going to do it my way carries with it destructive consequences. To have an ill-prepared or incompetent leader was bad enough; much worse was it to have a deceiver, a schemer, a wolf in sheep’s clothing for a leader. Today I want us to take some time to discover the seriousness of the role of the leader and the effects of consistent behavior that refuses to acknowledge the Lord’s teachings and fails to give Him the honor due Him. Let’s begin to take a look at the fruit of disobedience as described by Malachi.
I. The religious leadership of Malachi’s day has chosen a path that has led them and the people away from God.
A. The passage opens up with the recurring theme so far in the book of Malachi of the people and leaders failing to honor God.
1. Because of their contemptuous attitude the priests merited punishment from the Lord.
2. Malachi once again warns the religious leaders of the day to once again begin honoring God.
3. That would lead to a question of how they should honor God which is obvious from looking at the ways they were failing to do so in verses 6-14 of chapter one.
4. The priests are standing in danger of God’s judgment if they fail to get it together.
B. There are most definitely serious consequences for anyone who is foolish enough to continue ignoring God’s word.
1. The threat or announcement of judgment is called a “commandment” because God ordained it and issued orders for its execution.
2. This simply goes back to the fact that the leaders were to lead the people on the right path and away from sin, but they were doing the opposite by even encouraging sin.
3. These leaders have confessed to having great faith in God but their actions give evidence to the opposite being true.
4. The conditional nature of verse 2 reminds the people that a possibility of the Lord’s mercy was still remaining for these leaders.
5. A change of attitude is called for in the words, “set your heart.”
6. The Hebrew word for heart “lebab” refers to the command center of one’s life where the knowledge collected determines the decisions and plans that determines the direction that one’s life takes.
7. The leaders of Malachi’s day are called to repent, and begin honoring God the way He deserves and if they do so they would escape the judgment.
II. Mankind has the tendency to forget their covenants with God when they are no longer convenient.
A. Malachi’s words serve as a reminder that the priests of old were faithful to God’s covenant with Levi, but now the priests had become utterly corrupt.
1. The covenant arrangement with the Levites was to endure unaltered. Obviously they were not meeting their responsibilities.
2. God is trying to get the leaders to change their actions and once again be faithful to God.
3. If the leaders failed to correct their sinful attitudes and behavior and start honoring God, He would remove them from their position.
4. This is so very ironic as we compare what we learned from verse 13 of chapter 1 where the priests were considering it a burden to serve God.
5. God leaves no doubt that He is serious about maintaining His covenant with the Levites.
B. The privilege of association with a group blessed by God does not assure the individuals in that group of God’s favor.
1. "Life and peace," "reverence," "true instruction “and” uprightness" were to be the main characteristics of those serving in the temple.
2. In the old days such characteristics were found. There was the absence of falsehood on the lips and the ministry of turning many from sin but they were missing from the lives of those in Malachi’s day.
3. In Malachi’s day, instead of turning men from sin, the priests were, by their words and deeds, turning men to sin.
4. The priests of Malachi’s day had betrayed every standard of that covenant with the priesthood.
5. Malachi’s function was that of a reformer, leading back the priests and people to God.
III. God desires those that have been called into a leadership role to be focused on the task of growing people.
A. The priestly covenant envisioned a group of people that would hold their lives to a very high standard.
1. The priest was to be incorruptible in doctrine. “The law of truth was in his mouth.”
2. The priests were not to teach their own views, human theories or speculations. They were to teach only the infallible and unchangeable truth as revealed in the written word.
3. The priests were to be unwavering in their judgments; they were not to be characterized by crookedness.
4. They were not to twist the law to fit their own fancies and their decisions were to be made without prejudice.
5. The priest was to be devout in conduct. “In peace and in uprightness he walked with me.”
6. His life as well as his teaching was to be pure and good. He was to be a friend of God, walking in full harmony with God.
7. The priest was to be focused in labor. “And many they caused to turn from iniquity.”
8. Their faithful words and work would cause many to turn from sin.
9. The priest was to be immersed in knowledge. “For the lips of the priest should keep knowledge.”
10. It was the duty of every priest to study the law and to teach it faithfully.
B. It is inconceivable that those who should stand for righteousness would actually practice and promote sin.
1. How the unbelieving world delights to behold that spectacle!
2. God has called the church to be focused on teaching people and growing them in Christ and one of the most effective ways to accomplish this is by the way we live our lives.
3. When we go off on our own agenda it will always inevitably leads to a colossal failure.
4. The leaders of Malachi’s day no longer paid God due reverence and obedience. They were covenant breakers.
5. God is making is clear that judgment and destruction were on the horizon.
IV. When we lose sight of the primary purpose that we are called for, no longer will God bless what we do.
A. The curse against the priests would be designed to accomplish several objectives.
1. When they began to experience the effects of the curse the priests would realize that “I have sent unto you this commandment.” They would recognize the source of their calamity and the reason for it.
2. God would forbid the seed to sprout and grow and bear fruit because of these disobedient priests. Consequently these priests would not receive their dues from the people.
3. The Levites lived off the tithes the people brought. When the nation as a whole suffered from drought or any other calamity, the perquisites of the priests dropped off proportionately.
4. The leaders would begin to reap the consequences of their actions.
B. Dishonor, humiliation and embarrassment often are the results of blatant disregard for God’s commands.
1. God tells the priests of Malachi’s day that He would spread dung on their faces.
2. The “dung” is the undigested food and stomach juices in the sacrificial animal. The dung would be smeared upon them during the great festivals when the priests were the center of attention in their most splendid vestments.
3. This action would render the priests unclean and unfit for the discharge of their functions.
4. We can take this as illustration when there are things that are not right in the church any thing we attempt will be ineffective.
C. Malachi issues a warning that is still very applicable to us today.
1. Leaders you are called to a position that is unpopular and has no honor with it, and God expects you to stand for Him even if that means standing alone.
2. You have the responsibility to instruct people with the words and deeds of God, take the responsibility seriously.
3. The leaders of Malachi’s day failed to invest in their own relationship with God and this example encouraged the people to do the same.
4. God often calls a leader to put personal preferences aside in order to allow Him to use them to accomplish His purposes in this world.
Bill Hybels related a story of integrity in Leadership Magazine. It illustrates proper humility in a leader. One evening I stopped by the church just to encourage those who were there rehearsing for the spring musical. I didn’t intent to stay long, so I parked my car next to the entrance. After a few minutes, I ran back to my car and drove home.
The next morning I found a note in my office mailbox. It read: A small thing, but Tuesday night when you came to rehearsal, you parked in the "No Parking" area. A reaction from one of my crew (who did not recognize you after you got out of your car) was, "There’s another jerk in the ’No Parking’ area!" We try hard not to allow people -- even workers -- to park anywhere other than the parking lots. I would appreciate your cooperation, too. It was signed by a member of our maintenance staff.
(This man’s) stock went up in my book because he had the courage to write to me about what could have been a slippage in my character. And he was right on the mark. As I drove up that night, I had thought, I shouldn’t park here, but after all, I am the pastor. That translates: "I’m an exception to the rules." But that employee wouldn’t allow me to sneak down the road labeled "I’m an exception." I’m not the exception to church rules or any of God’s rules. Exemplary conduct means encouraging others to imitate us, even in the small matters.
The apostle Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
