“ A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, —O priests—, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? “
- Malachi 1:6
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The pattern with which the book opens continues …. the LORD makes a statement , and it is repeated back to Him by the priests, asking Him … how is that a true statement ?
Last week we saw Him saying, I have loved you, says the LORD and the priests ask, How have you loved us? And the LORD answers them… I have shown you favor you did not deserve, and will be faithful to my promise, for Esau will never triumph over Jacob as long as this world exists. A hard saying ….. way before the term was used of the Christs utterances in the New Testament… and it continues to be a hard saying even to this day!
We have the opposite of Love presented to us this week …. “You priests have —despised my Name” … and the priests ask, how have we despised your Name? And the LORD answers them…..
“You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ “ - Mal 1:7
“Familiarity breeds contempt” is a common saying. This is understandable when dealing with broken and faulty humans and institutions —- long associations make us aware of weaknesses and we begin to lose respect… for a person or an institution. But when it is between the priests, their God and the institution of the temple, it is a terrible thing!
One wonders who was the first priest to sacrifice an imperfect animal on the LORDS altar, with the intent of keeping the better animal to himself. Maybe it was in the time of the Judges, much earlier, when the sons of Eli made the priesthood a stench in the nostrils of Israel, caused the ark to be removed from Israel for a time, and led to the emergence of Samuel as prophet and judge.
1 Samuel 2:12–17 “ Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” If the man said to him, “They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” Thus the sin of the young men was —very great— before the Lord, for the men ——-despised——- the offering of the Lord.
Much the same with the modern day priests…. no thunderbolts come down when Christians do supremely unChristian things in the House of the LORD… ( be it the Christian in the pulpit or the Christian in the pew ) …and so the rot starts and begins to spread. “There are no consequences , no one knows, no one sees, maybe even… God doesn’t care! “
He does.
Malachi 1:10–14 “ Oh that there were one among you who would —-shut the gates—-, that you might not —uselessly— kindle fire on My altar! I am —-not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.
“For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the heathen,” says the Lord of hosts.
But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord.
“But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the Gentiles.”
The LORDS standards for acceptable offerings are given to us from the book of Genesis, from the difference in Abel’s offering and the one made by Cain! The issue is not the offering, the issue is with the attitude !
If we are grudgingly offering something to the LORD, we must STOP!! If we are breaking a vow, we must STOP!! If what we are offering has its roots in sin and deceit, we must STOP!! Not only will it not be accepted, but we are opening ourselves up to curses and wrath!!
It is also instructive to look at the offerings made by the Gentiles, they are GRAIN & INCENSE ! Not animals or birds, but the produce of the field, prayers and thanksgiving!
In this modern day era , the priests job is to bring people to fellowship around the Table of the LORD, to offer their substance willingly for His House, to break bread and drink wine, to offer the sacrifices of praise, obedience and thanksgiving!
Our example and golden standard is the Son who honoured His Father, who took on the form of a Servant to honor His master, and who has made of us a priesthood that transcends the priesthood of Melchizedek and Levi. Let the mind that was in Him be in us, as we offer up our free will offerings this Christmas season!
Hallelujah!!!