December 11, 2019: Day 88 – Malachi 2

Once again we have a strongly worded rebuke against the priests of the day.  We didn’t cover this in chapter 1 but it is thought that this was written after the re-establishing of Jerusalem as the center of worship with the rebuilding of the temple.  So the messenger of the Lord is not satisfied with the offerings and the tithes that are being given to the Lord.  In the midst of this chastisement is a very strong word against divorce.  It seems a bit out of place, but it does find itself in this Scripture and we can’t ignore it.

The almost singular reason that is given in vs.14 for why God is not showing favor is because we have turned our back on our first love.  While the writing expresses it in a literal way, the wife of our youth, we have seen throughout Scripture, and I would think it applies here as well, that it applies to our first love of God, our first excitement when we turned our hearts and our minds to the love that we have for our Savior.

The chapter ends again with one of those questions which really should go unanswered, but it is answered by the Lord.  “How have we wearied him (God)?”  The answer comes back to us that we say that all who do evil are a delight to the Lord.  What kind of evil?  Let’s go back because it struck me that this is becoming quite an epidemic.  Look at vs.7-8.  The pastors are the ones who should have instruction from the Lord and sharing that with the people.  But instead, Malachi states, we are teaching in a way that carries an agenda, or as Malachi states, our instruction has shown partiality.  May God save us from a partial message.