July 5, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1.14)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD TO US:

I started out the reflections on the prophetic work of Malachi with verse 6 which centered on the peoples’ question of God “But how have we defiled and dishonored You?” In the days of Malachi the temple had been rebuilt, families and their property had been restored and some semblance of normal Jewish life was advancing. However, we are dealing with a generation of people whose leadership may have more resembled that of Pharaoh who did not know of Joseph. It is a terrible thing to forget the essence of the traditions which had brought prosperity and peace to the land and to the nation. Remember in the years which followed the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the leadership of priests and royalty had been taken away into the land of Babylon. The sacred objects of worship became the plunder of foreign kings. In that they were desecrated and used for purposes for which they were never intended. Under the influence of the culture and climate of Babylon, Persia and Assyria the enculturation of the people weakened the will and the remembrance of those who were in exile; both foreign and domestic. It may have been only seventy years, however, those who were in leadership had already weakened their own positions before God and the community which they served. Without strong spiritual leadership, a new type of “community” began to grow. When Israel (Jerusalem and the Temple) were restored in the days of King Cyrus, the motions were in place but the heart of the people were far from it. They would have done well, and we would as well even today, to remember the words of God to Solomon following the consecration of the first Temple who declared, “...if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7.14) Of course, that verse as a stand alone verse is very popular even today.

Yet, it cannot be taken out of its larger context which is actually a warning to Solomon and the nation of Israel. It was a warning for the king and the people to remain faithful regardless of circumstances which even He would effect. The negative consequences were the results of God justice upon a people who allowed their faith to become shallow and their pursuit of God random. We hear much about the disdain for “traditional religion” because of the misinterpretations of its meaning and purpose. Within Judaism, that would have been, for example, the sacrificial system. The time came in the days of the great prophets that God would rather have the people stop offering sacrifices altogether than to offer them in shameful fashion of heart, mind, soul and product. He would declare that the call to sacrifice was silenced because of the hollowness of the those who offered them. They were “going through the motions.” Hear this, mighty ones of God, God was not condemning the sacrificial system. Rather, He was speaking against heart of those who were sacrificing based on their own understanding and not on God’s. Luke speaks of Annias and Saphira in the days of the early Church who decided to bring only a portion of their offering before the Lord and the community of faith. They kept the greater share for themselves. They misrepresented the smaller portion as the whole of the offering which they were to bring. They put on the appearance of doing a great thing. It was a facade, a false front. The apostles were aware of it and called them out; first Annias and then his wife. Their attempted elaborate ruse turned into a horrible death. In the days of Solomon, God warned that if the king (and the people) remained faithful to the word (that which was in the heart, mind and spirit) and presented themselves honestly, then their future would be covered with protection, provision and prosperity. [Note: Prosperity did not mean the exclusive providence of financial wealth, property and power; rather prosperity meant the blessing of God to all generations yet to come. Here you can hear the impact of the first verse of Malachi as it spoken to the love/hate relationship God had with Jacob and Esau. It is the example and the call to spiritual integrity for all succeeding generations.]

In the days of Malachi, it seems that all of that which had been declared in the generations preceding them was forgotten. Perhaps the warning of bane and blessing had been reduced to “less necessary.” Did they think God did not see? care? know? Would the Church (the people of the new covenant in Jesus Christ) and the Temple (the people of the old covenant in Moses) fare better if they heeded to the call of God to understand the provisions of “the Law and the Covenant” instead of declaring they are dead works? Even Paul’s words concerning the difference of “law” and “grace” are not a condemnation of the word of the Law itself but the practice of it based on the mindset of a people who had become shallow and hollow in their faith and faithfulness to God. Their blindness caused them to not see the full effect of God’s Word when it became flesh to them in the life of Jesus Christ. I would raise the challenge to all nations who base their existence on a relationship with God, Yahweh Elohim, and His Word (Jesus the Christ) to get back to the basics of faith and faithfulness. Heed the Word as it has been given. Strive not only to understand it but allow that understanding to form and shape one’s life into “a living witness.” After all, that is what Jesus of Nazareth did, is it not? He was a living testimony to the reality and validity of truth. In His faithfulness, the “peace, provision and prosperity” of God for generations to come was put into effect. Do we dare so contemporize our religion (yes, even for those who decry religion and declare relationship…it is simply making relationship with Christ their religion…) that we lessen our peace, our provision and our prosperity? As Malachi was speaking to a people with a similar voice and time as say Joel in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, so now Malachi’s word which comes from God is speaking to us today in anticipation of the return of the King of kings and the establishment of His Kingdom forever and ever. Amen and Shalom.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works leading others to call Jesus Lord in faith, hope and love. AMEN.