“’If he hates and divorces his wife,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ‘he covers his garment with injustice,’ says the Lord of Armies.

Therefore, watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously.

You have wearied the Lord with your words.

Yet you ask, ‘How have we wearied him?’

When you say, ‘Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and he is delighted with them, or else where is the God of justice?’” 

Malachi 2:16-17

Last time we saw why the people of God were weeping at the altar: because Yahweh no longer accepted their sacrifices due to their treacherous treatment of their covenant wives. Today we continue with the same charge into two new ones.

We will start with “If he hates and divorces his wife…”

Hates here is sane – detest, enemy, hate, turned against, unloved; enemy, foe, be hateful, odious, utterly; and divorce is shalach – to send, cast away, forsake, bade his farewell, burned, cast off, certainly let them go, delivered, dismissed, divorce, driving them away, escorted him away, gave them over, get rid, gets his own way, let them down, let them go, release, remove, send them away, set free, stretched.

If a man detests and turns against his wife as an enemy and casts her out, driving her away…

“He covers his garment with violence…”

This seemed like an unusual way to say something, so I found some comfort in additional translations (found here):

“’To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…”

“…ungodliness shall cover thy thoughts…”

“…[he] conceals his violence by outward appearances…”

“…[he] hide(s) evil in his cloak…”

Interesting to compare the translations, huh? Let’s look at the Hebrew:

Here cover is kasah – to cover; closed, clothed, conceal, engulfed, forgive, hidden, overwhelm, take refuge; violence is chamas – violence, wrong, malicious; cruelty, damage, false, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, violence against, done, From chamac; violence; by implication, wrong; Unjust gain. With here is our al – hover over; and garment is lebush – a garment, clothing, raiment; apparel, armor, attire, robe.

Unjust, malicious violence hovers over and engulfs his attire…

What are your thoughts? It seems to return to God’s repulsion by injustice toward those with less social power. If women were essentially property of men, and sending them off with a certificate of divorce means she has few options in society, you are, indeed, being cruel toward her.

And what of this idea of violence covering one’s clothes? I like how it is implied in the other translations that as clothes cover your body, so you may try to hide your evil with outward appearances.

It seems to me, though, like how Paul talks about clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Or putting off the old self and putting on the new. If you are dealing treacherously with your wife or if you dismiss and drive her away, what you daily put on is cruelty, injustice, and unrighteousness.

But the implication seems to extend beyond the walls of one’s home or spouse; what you put on out there – at work, with others, in the public square – is also injustice and wrong-doing. It hovers over you, engulfing your character.

Seems like the way we treat those closest to us most accurately reflects our hearts. This is a very challenging realization.

“Therefore, take heed of your spirit that you do not deal treacherously…”

The wording here is exactly like last time: shamar (bodyguard) ruach (spirit, breath) bagad (treacherous). Or:

Bodyguard your spirit, the life and breath within you, to no longer be deceitful, faithless, or offensive.

Now we move onto the new section:

“You have wearied Yahweh with your words.”

Here wearied is yaga – to toil, grow or be weary; become weary, labor, worn; faint, make to labor, to gasp; hence, to be exhausted; and words is dabar – speech, word; act, advice, affair, answer, any such thing, because of, book, business

Your advice, speech, and order of business is toilsome and exhausting to Yahweh.

Again the push back is anticipated: “Yet you say, ‘In what way have we wearied him?'”

“In that you say everyone that does evil…”

Does is asah – accomplish and evil is ra‘ – adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress; From ra’a’; bad or evil – exceedingly, great, grievous, harm, heavy, hurtful, mischievous, misery, naughty, sorrow, trouble, vex, wickedly, wretchedness.

You ask how (mah?) do we weary Yahweh? You say everyone that accomplishes wicked, grievous, evil harm…

What about those who do this? “…[everyone who does evil] is good in this sight of Yahweh”

Good is towb – beautiful; and sight is ayin – an eye; appearance, before, concern, displease, generous, humble person, knowledge, look, looked, pleased, presence; a fountain (as the eye of the landscape).

Everyone who accomplishes wicked, grievous, evil harm is beautiful to the knowledge, the fountain of Yahweh.

This is quite the insult, huh? To say those who do grievous evil are beautiful to Him. But that’s not all:

“And in them He delights…”

Here delights is chaphets – desire, to delight in, to be pleased with; to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire — favour, be well pleased.

And in them He is pleased, bends toward them.

The accusation is those who continue to do evil are not only beautiful in His sight, but they are to whom Yahweh bends toward.

Why would this weary the Most High? Probably because it is the very opposite of His character. God in the flesh said those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are pure in heart are blessed and see Him.

Or else you say, ‘Where is the God of justice?'”

Here where is ayyeh – where? from ay’ – how, origin, which; why; how, what, whence, where, whether, which way; and God of justice is mishpat – judgement, arrangements, claim, court, crimes, decisions, judge, justice, mode of life, order, plans, rights, rule, standard, verdict, way prescribed, what is right, worthy.

What’s the origin, and where has He gone, this God of order, what is just, right, and worthy?

Wearying words, indeed.

I appreciate the Message version of this:

And also by saying, “Judgment? God’s too nice to judge.”

Such an interesting way to begin the Advent season: being reminded that it’s wearisome to Yahweh when His character is maligned and His righteousness doubted.

As we wait for the long-expected Jesus, born to set His people free, we celebrate God indeed did something about sin and injustice. And as we participate in the Kingdom that’s here, but not yet completely, we celebrate His patience that all may come to repentance.

Because the God Who is worthy would never ignore or delight in evil.

“This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.

And you ask, ‘Why?’

Because even though the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, you have acted treacherously against her. She was your marriage partner and your wife by covenant.

Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring.

So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.”

Malachi 2:13-15

Last time we saw Malachi pointing out how the people of Jacob were piercing God’s covenant and putting themselves under the authority of other gods. His prayer was those who did such would be cut off from God’s people. Today we continue on with Malachi’s accusations.

“And this is the second thing you do: You cover Yahweh’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning…”

Cover is kasah – to cover, closed, clothed, conceal, covering, engulfed, forgive, hide, keep, overwhelm, take refuge; clad self, close, conceal, cover self, flee to hide, overwhelm; properly, to plump, i.e. Fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); weeping is beki – bitterly, continual weeping, flowing, weeping, overflowing; from bakah – bewail, complain, make lamentation, more, mourn, sore, with tears; and groaning is anaqah – crying out, groaning, sighing; From ‘anaq – shrieking

This is an interesting beginning. Seems like weeping over the altar would be a positive step in repentance: lamenting, engulfed in crying out and groaning. But apparently not. Let’s lean into why.

“He no longer regards the offering nor receives it with goodwill from your hands…”

Regard here is panah – to turn; No longer is od – a going around, continuance, still, yet, again, beside; unto is el – to, into, towards; about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because, before both; the offering is minchah (bloodless and voluntary gift).

Receive is laqach – take, accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold; goodwill is ratson – goodwill, favor, acceptance, will; acceptable, delight, desire, earnestly, favor, please; and hands is yad.

He no longer turns toward your voluntary gifts nor does He delight in accepting them.

That makes sense why they are weeping at the altar. The prescribed gifts are doing nothing to earn His favor. Why not?

They wondered the same thing:

“And yet you say, ‘why?'”

why is al – hover over and what – what? how? anything

What’s hovering over us that you no longer accept our offerings?

“Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth with whom you have dealt treacherously against…”

Because is al (hover over) again. Here is what’s hovering over you…

Witness is uwd – admonish, to return, go about, repeat, do again; to duplicate, by implication, to protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively, to encompass, restore, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, rob, solemnly, stand upright, give warning, call to witness. Between is bayin – an interval, space between; the wife (ishshah) youth is naur – youth, early life.

You is attah – you yourself; and treacherously is bagad from last time (act treacherously, deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage).

I can testify the number of times you yourselves have been deceitful, faithless, and offensive toward the wife of your youth.

I find this interesting. The reason He does not accept their sacrifices is due to how they’re treating their wives. Makes me think of another verse I can consider tricky:

“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together.

She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.”

1 Peter 3:7 NLT

In both situations, the willingness of God accepting a sacrifice or prayer is based on a husband’s treatment of his wife. What do you think about this?

I think most of us know women weren’t given the same rights as men during the time which these verses were given. And even now, we can point out ways in which our society is male dominated. So why would the God of the universe be so focused on wives?

The same reason He defends orphans, widows, sojourners, and the poor. When you are given less power in a society or relationship, you have a front row seat to His goodness, justice, and power.

“Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant…”

She is hu – he, she, it; companion is chabereth – consort; from chaber – united, associate, companion, knit together; from chabar – be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charm, alliance is made, attached, compact, couple together, have fellowship with; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate — charm, couple (together).

your wife (ishshah again) by covenant (berith from last time)

She is your united companion, knit together by a treaty made before God.

“But did not God make them one and give them a portion of the spirit?”

Make is asah – to accomplish; one is echad, portion is shear – rest, residue, remnant, survivors; and spirit is ruach – breath, wind, spirit; air, anger, blast, cool, courage, despondency, exposed, grief, heart, inspired, mind, motives, quick-tempered, strength, thoughts, trustworthy; From ruwach – wind; A sensible (or even violent) exhalation; life, anger; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions) — air, anger, blast, windy.

Our high school son is dealing with divorce being a common thing among the parents of his peers. And please know I have had intimate, painful conversations surrounding divorce with people in my life – this is in no way a judgment on people in excruciating situations. But when he asked me, “Isn’t it just better when two people realize they don’t really love each other any more to get divorced?” I couldn’t help but think about this oneness is in God’s Word:

“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,

‘This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.’

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:22-24

If God accomplishes this oneness, giving the new family a portion of ruach – wind, breath, courage, strength, and life – it makes sense we cannot separate that without tearing apart both people involved.

I like how the Message puts these next several lines:

“God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage.”

The next question feels a bit confusing: “What is the one seeking? Godly offspring.”

What is mah again (what? how? anything), seeks is baqash – aim, beg, concerned, consulted, eager, inquired, investigated, pursuit, request, search; Godly is Elohim; and offspring is zera – sowing, seed, offspring.

The aim in all this – a covenant marriage, knit together by God, given the spirit and life – is for children who look like their Father.

And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. (MSG)

To be clear, this is God’s desire through marriage from the wife’s responsibility as well. We wives do not somehow get off the hook in all this.

And our final part from Malachi today is: “Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.”

Take heed is shamar – keep, watch, preserve; attend, being careful, bodyguard, give heed, keeper, perform, preserve, protect, regard, secured, take care, take heed, waits, watch, look narrowly, observe; and spirit is ruach again.

This is bagad (treacherously), ishshah (wife), and naur (youth) again.

Bodyguard your spirit, the life and breath within you, to no longer be deceitful, faithless, or offensive toward your knit-together companion.

Good advice no matter the circumstances. But particularly when Jehovah-saboath is clearing telling you it is a reason why He no longer accepts your worship.

He is constantly at our hearts and desiring to make us more like Jesus. May we all have eyes to see and ears to hear what obedience looks like today.

“Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us? Why then do we act treacherously against one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors? 

Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable act has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the Lord’s sanctuary, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, whoever he may be even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.”

Malachi 2:10-12

Last time we saw how the priests were swerving from the Way, turning their face from protecting Truth and toward partiality. Today we see what are apparently Malachi’s words continue to reason with the Israelites and urge them toward obedience.

We begin with: “Don’t all of us have one Father?” One is echad and Father is ab.

I think it’s interesting Malachi begins with Father rather than Creator. He is, after all, talking about the people of God, not human beings in general. These are people who have direct experience with this God providing, protecting, and loving them as a father. The nations saw this and many chose this way, but the people to whom our prophet is singing are His chosen children. Let’s keeping going.

Now we move on to Creator: “Didn’t one God create us?” One is echad again, God is el – God, gods, mighty one; and create is bara‘ – to shape, choose, create, cut down.

Even if appealing to their status as children didn’t work, Malachi is ready to point out God’s right to rule over them as the One Who created, shaped, and chose to make them. It seems to me we could all use this reminder. Those of us who claim to trust in Christ, myself included, would do well to meditate on 1 John 3:1:

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.” (MSG)

To truly have our identity rooted in being His beloved child has the potential to redirect our passions, affections, energies, anxieties, and insecurities. Seems to me it would’ve helped the people in our passage as well.

But even further, it would do us all well to embrace our creatureliness. To know our human limits, including limited knowledge and power, would save ourselves the consequences of pride: burnout, frustration, broken relationships, isolation, and physical ailments. We are simply not God. As one friend put it, “As my pride goes down, so does my judgementalism. Amen and amen.

But whether or not we actively choose to follow Him, the human population as a whole could benefit from living into being created. We didn’t create ourselves and we will give ourselves over to something, even if we think we’re just following our hearts. We will be mastered, something must be our lord, and everyone worships.

According to these verses, it seems as though this experiential knowledge would benefit our human relationships as well. If one God created all of us, if we are all creatures, works in progress, searching for something, it would help us be kinder. We could have the kind of humility that makes allowances for others’ humanity because we require it as well.

The crux of these questions is next: “Then why do we act treacherously with one another?”

Why is maddua – for what reason?; deal treacherously is bagad – act treacherously, deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage; one is ish – man, and another is ach – brother.

For what reason should we act faithlessly and deceitfully against someone who is our brother?

It’s pretty clear. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty convicting. It’s such a good question: If we are God’s chosen children, even more, if we’re all creatures made by Him, why can’t we stop being cruel to each other?

And yet, it’s the most common thing we see on the news, on social media, in our own hearts. Yes, the negative is what sells, and drama keeps us engaged, but even all that aside, I think we know how it is is not how it should be.

And when Malachi delivers His prophetic burden, he includes a human appeal to his fellow Israelites. Why on earth would we pillage one another’s lives when we are to be living as siblings under our Father?

The question then gets more specific: why do we offend each other “by profaning the covenant of the father?”

Profane here is chalal – to pierce, covenant is berith – covenant, allies, treaty; and fathers is ab again.

Seems as though the way the people were acting treacherously toward each other is by piercing the covenant God made with them. Which, of course, includes unacceptable sacrifices we have been learning about the past few months.

In what way do we do pierce God’s covenant with us as New Testament believers? How does our individual and corporate idolatry, unbelief, and pride cause us to be unfair, offensive, and pillagers of our fellow believers?

We’re not done.

“Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable act has been done in Israel and Jerusalem.”

Judah is Yehudah – “praised” from yadah – to throw, cast, celebrate; treacherously is bagad again – act deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage; detestable act is toebah -abomination, object of loathing, detestable thing, morally disgusting, abhorrence especially idolatry, an idol — abominable (custom, thing); has been done is asah – accomplish; and Israel is Yisrael meaning “God strives.”

It seems as though our prophet is appealing to the people’s history with these names of ancestor and people and city.

I’m not sure I remembered Judah means praised. But I love it. The Lion of the tribe of Judah comes from the son of Jacob which means to sing and shout and give glory to God.

I did know Israel means “God strives.” And it seems fitting, not just in His dealing with Jacob whom he renamed Israel, but also in His striving with His people. With us, with me. We do require some striving, don’t we?

The specific way the people are dealing treacherously in this section is next:

“For Judah has profaned the Lord’s sanctuary which He loves.”

Here profaned is chalal again – to pierce; sanctuary is qodesh – apartness, sacredness; and loves in “which He loves” is aheb – verb: dearly love, beloved, friends, lover.

And how?

He “has married the daughter of a foreign god.”

Marry here is baal – to marry, to rule over, master, have dominion over; daughter is bath – daughter, granddaughter, maiden, apple of eye, woman, branch, village; and foreign god is nekar – alien, strange, el – god.

So the people of God are piercing the sacred place, which Yahweh dearly loves, by putting his affections under the rule of a strange god.

This is not new territory; Ezra deeply lamented over the literal marriage of God’s people returning from exile to foreign women who worshipped other gods. Whether these unlawful marriages were still happening, it is not clear. What is clear is the idolatry of worshipping gods who are not God.

Finally we have Malachi’s solution for this disobedience and idolatry:

“May Yahweh cut off the man who does this…”

Here cut off is karath – cut, make in writing; often used in cutting covenant.

He wants no such idolatry among God’s people, and cutting off the offending people is his prayer.

Why so harsh?

“Being awake and aware and from the tents of Jacob.”

Awake is ur – to rouse oneself, awake, arise, rouse yourself, lift up self, master, raise up, stir up self, through the idea of opening the eyes; to wake (literally or figuratively); aware is anah – to answer, respond, sing, shout, testify, announce, speak, testify, utter, bear witness; and tents is ohel – home, owned, covering, dwelling-place, tabernacle.

Because this person has their eyes wide open to covenant responsibilities, knows their calling is to bear witness, and being among God’s people is home.

Basically? They know better.

And our final section takes away the rest of the excuses: “Even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.”

I like how the Message puts it:

“No matter how many offerings they bring to the God-of-Angel-Armies.”

Here brings is nagash – to draw near, approach, bring offered, present, stand, touch; and offering is minchah – gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary].

Even if he draws near and offers a voluntary tribute.

This makes sense, as God wants their hearts, not a token gift. It would be like a spouse repeatedly committing adultery without repentance, and expecting a gift to make it alright.

I don’t know about you, but in verses like these, I start to squirm internally. They just highlight all the things: ways I knew better this week, but still fell short; the times I tried to make things right with words or a “gift” rather than genuine repentance; situations in which I know that I know I didn’t look like someone whose home is among God’s people.

Perhaps for some the gospel becomes a bit…redundant. But I think for most of us, the simplicity of knowing Someone took the judgement we deserve is what we must inhale deeply each day. That our sin will never be enough to cut us off from Him, because no one can snatch us out of His hand, and nothing can separate us from His love.

And from that rootedness, may we take seriously the discipleship call of Malachi. May our repentance be genuine, our relationships clear, and our eyes single.

“‘You, on the other hand, have turned from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have violated the covenant of Levi,’ says the Lord of Armies. 

‘So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping my ways but are showing partiality in your instruction.’”

Malachi 2:8-9

Last time we explored the covenant Yahweh began with Levi, a covenant of life and peace, with faithful Truth on the priests’ lips. Today we compare this example to what is currently happening in Temple during Malachi’s time.

We begin with “But you have departed from the way…”

Departed here is sur – to turn aside, abolished, avoid, cut off, do away, escape, go away, keep away, leave, pass away, put away, remove, retract, separated, strip away, swerve, take away, turn aside, turn away, undone, wanderer, withdrawn, to turn off (literal or figurative); bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, grievous, leave undone, be past, pluck away, rebel, revolt, be sour, be without.

And the way (derek – way, road, distance, journey, manner, actions, conduct, course, crooked, direction, example, favors, highway, impulses, line, manner, mission, path, practice, safely, street, toward, walk, way, way toward; along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, eastward, journey; from darak; a road, figuratively – a course of life or mode of action).

So Yahweh, through Malachi, is contrasting His covenant with Levi with the priests who have turned aside, swerved, rebelled from the road, journey, manner, mission, path, safe street, course of life. This is serious stuff. And there is so much to it.

I know deconstruction is a trending word right now – trending as in heard often either in positive or negative contexts. But the truth is we all go through times of making our faith our own, often questioning what we’ve always been told. Sometimes that means holding up what we thought to be biblical to the actual Bible and realizing they have nothing in common. Such truths only matters of culture or tradition.

And other times, particularly when absolutely everything of importance is on the line, we hold up what we’ve been taught to be biblical and it holds firm. Nothing can shake it, like building our house on the Rock. It transcends culture, political party, opinions, and our own emotions. It is absolute Bedrock and our True North. Completely unshakable.

It seems as though the current priests were swerving away from what they knew to be their mission, purpose, and the safe path toward wholeness. Stripping away the very things they ought to be sure of and grievously leaving undone what they were commanded to do. Scary stuff. But that’s not all.

“You have caused many to stumble at your teaching…”

Here stumble is kashal – to stagger, totter; bring you down, cast down, downfall, fail, fall, feeble, weak; bereave, be decayed; to waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, faint. And at your teaching is torah again – direction, instruction, law.

Your direction is causing others to stagger and have weak ankles when they ought to be running their race with perseverance.

Yikes. So far, we have forfeiting personal peace and causing others to stumble with their teaching. Let’s dive into the next repercussion:

“‘You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ says Jehovah-sabaoth…”

Corrupted is shachath – act corruptly, blemished animal, destroyed, devastate, harm, jeopardize, polluted, ravage, spoiled, stifled, wasted, wreaking destruction; batter, cast off, corrupter, thing, mar, perish, spill; to decay, to ruin (literally or figuratively), perish, utterly waste. And covenant is berith from last time (ally, league, treaty).

You have jeopardized, polluted, corrupted, ruined, spoiled, wasted, destroyed, and devastated the treaty Yahweh made with Levi.

Strong, strong words.

And the consequence:

“Therefore I have made you humiliated before all the people…”

Therefore is gam – moreover, again, alike, also, to gather; properly, assemblage; used only adverbially: also, even, yea.

I here is ani – I, Myself. Have made you is nathan – to give, put, set; despised is bazah – careless, contempt, despicable, despise, disdained, think to scorn, vile person, to disesteem.

Humiliated/base is shaphal – abased, deeper, low, lower, lowly; basest, humble; from shaphel; depressed, literally or figuratively.

And people is our familiar am – folk.

In front of all the folk, yes, I Myself will set you to be humbled, lowly, and depressed.

And why?

“Because you are not keeping my ways…”

Because is peh – mouth, accordance, boast, face, hunger, spokesman, words, commandment, eat; from pa’ah – mouth, to cleave in pieces, blow away, scatter into corners. Not in “you are not” is ayin – nothing, naught; Keeping is shamar – keep, watch, preserve; attend, being careful, bodyguard, give heed, keeper, perform, preserve, protect, regard, secured, take care, take heed, waits, watch, look narrowly, observe. And my ways is derek again.

From the mouth you are doing nothing to bodyguard the way, mission of Life.

Finally: how are they not keeping His way?

“…but you are showing partiality in your instruction…”

You in this verse is our familiar paneh – face, and instruction is once again torah.

But for the phrase “showing partiality,” the root word is nasah – to lift, carry, take, accept, advance, arise, able to, armor, suffer to bear, bring forth. But this is the only time it is used as a conjunction in this way.

So the most literal form would be “but you have turned your face to lift the law in partiality.”

So much to unpack here. The priests, chosen to lead the people in the Way of Life, have polluted that way by not protecting it with their mouths and, instead, turning their face toward favoritism.

It almost feels anticlimactic. Why is favoritism or showing partiality so wrong? How is that, of all things, the way they are rebelling from the Mission?

While it may feel anticlimactic, it actually points to God’s heart. If being partial is only showing fondness to one part of something, then God’s character is in direct contrast.

He does not love me more than He loves the person I disagree with. He isn’t rooting for one denomination over another. He’s not waiting until every ethnicity looks the same or culture lines up to the one I’m comfortable with. He isn’t showing more favor when things are going my way than if I’m having trial after trial, and He for dang sure doesn’t love rich people like me more than the poor, those mistreated, marginalized in society, or suffering.

God so loved the entire world that He gave His only Son. And He doesn’t take bribes.

If you’ve ever felt the sting of not being the favorite, you know this is good news. And as finite humans we naturally are partial to certain things over others; we cannot care about everything. But intentionally choosing what we prefer – over what God says – is not only sin, it’s apparently rebellion toward our mission here.

What does this look like in your life? Maybe you’re like our family and a child connects more naturally with one parent than the other. Or you’re in charge of a group and you instinctively prefer the way one or two members go about their work more than others. In those moments, we must fight the temptation to spend the most time or side with one over another. Particularly when it’s a matter of opinion or preference, not integrity or work ethic.

Perhaps it’s more serious. Maybe you are partial to a race or ethnicity over another, not just because the other is different than what you’re familiar with, but because deep down you genuinely believe their history, culture, or customs are wrong. Or for those whose belief system you disagree with you view as an enemy to fight rather than a neighbor to love and serve.

May we do a serious heart inventory if these things ring true. If these partialities are fed, they give birth to all kinds of evil. And if they’re unexamined, we miss out on God’s movement in our day and His global purposes. We can unintentionally rebel against the Way of Life and Mission.

To be clear, I am not endorsing we throw away capital-T Truth. God’s Word is our guide. But the way we interact and feel toward those who don’t align their lives to it is our work to do. And if culture, custom, tradition, or preferences guide us rather than His Truth, we will miss the fullness of what He has for us and even cause others to stumble.

May we bow, guard, and instruct in His righteousness.

“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 

True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity and turned many from iniquity.

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should desire instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Armies….”

Malachi 2:5-7

Last time we began with how Yahweh will smear dung from animal sacrifices on the priests, then carry them and their descendants away with it. The reason? That His covenant may continue with Levi. Today we start with how this covenant began.

We’ll start with “my covenant with him.” Covenant is berith from last time (covenant, allies, treaty). What is sweet is with is eth meaning “with, denoting proximity.” This covenant from Yahweh, His treaty as an ally cut by Him alone, is proximate. Close. Not just in thoughts and prayers, but near, skin-in-the-game faithfulness.

Oh what joy! The nearness of a God so faithful. His covenant with us not just an abstract thought.

And in our verses with whom is this covenant? With Levi and His descendants, the Temple workers and priests.

But that’s not all. This covenant from Him “was one of life and peace.” Life is chay – age, alive, living, appetite, wild beast, company, congregation, lifetime, lively; From chayah; alive; hence, raw; fresh (plant, water, year), strong; living thing, whether literally or figuratively. And peace here is our familiar shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, favor, friend, great, good health, perfect; from shalam – make amends.

Can you think of two more needed things in our day right now? A covenant of liveliness, strong, practical in the actual stuff of day to day existence. And a peaceful, sound, forgiving treaty for all the ways we bump into each other on this planet. Yes, He is so realistic and good.

“And I gave these to him…” Gave is nathan – to give, put, set. The covenant was not only cut by Him, but He set shalom and chay with Levi and his descendants. Put it in their lives. And why?

“That he might fear me.” Fear is mora – fear, terror, respect, reverence, dread, that ought to be feared. It comes from our familiar yare.

The result?

“So he feared me…” Here fear is yare again – affright, make afraid, dreadful, put in fearful reverence.

“And My name was reverent…” Name is shem, and reverent is chathath – to be shattered or dismayed, break, cracked, stood in awe. What is implied here is the word before, as in “my name was reverent before him.” In Hebrew it is paneh – face. His face was toward awe in My Name.

I am tender to the descriptions of reverence: shattered, cracked, dismayed. I think it’s just life that sometimes the most intimate ways we learn to revere God is when things in our life show their cracks. When we’re dismayed at our circumstances or abilities. When we don’t live up to our own expectations and disappointment in self and others abounds.

But what a perfect way to turn our face toward Him. Remember, the other part of this definition is “stood in awe.” We get to see first hand all the ways He is perfect, has no cracks, His love is shatterproof, covenant unbreakable. Yes, the perfect formula to face the worth of His character and glory.

“True instruction was in his mouth” is next. Remember, we’re talking about Levi and his descendants.

Instruction here is actually torah – direction, instruction, law, teaching. And true is emeth – firmness, faithfulness, lasting, assuredly, establishment, right, sure, verity, certainty, trustworthiness; from aman – to confirm, support, believe, endure, have faith, assurance, bring up, establish, steadfast, to build up; to foster as a parent or nurse; to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain.

I do love these definitions for truth. Something firm we can build our life on when everything is all shifty and squishy. An established knowing, a certain support, like a chair we know will hold us up because we’ve sat on it thousands of times before. Something so lasting it is from everlasting to everlasting. Before time and for all eternity. Such is His instruction, His law, the Word that goes out from His mouth, never returning empty, always accomplishing its purpose for those who put their weight in it.

And don’t you love its root word’s meaning? To build up, foster like a parent or nurse, permanent? It’s precious to me we’re staying with friends right now who are fostering a 9-month-old. The definition of foster is “to encourage or promote development.” Just like any good parent, teacher, coach, mentor, or medical professional. I dearly love that God’s law fosters us, its very words bringing us up as His children.

May the instruction on our mouths, as those who follow Jesus, be firmly established in certain, trustworthy Word.

“And nothing wrong was found on his lips.” Nothing wrong is evel – injustice, unrighteousness, iniquity, perverseness, unjustly, unrighteousness, wickedness; and lips is saphah – lips, speech, talk.

What a description: no injustice or wickedness in our talk. While no one can claim perfection here (see James), this is goals.

Next is “he walked with me in peace and integrity…”

In peace is shalom, and integrity is mishor – uprightness, a level place.

He walked is halak. The synonyms for walk listed in the definition are “go, come, accompany, am about, became greater, becoming increasingly, brighter, continues, along, crawls, fled, flows, follow, get away, grew steadily, march, pressed heavier, travel.”

And then? Just walk: walk, walked, walked around, walked back, walking, went on continually. Sometimes that’s just it, isn’t it? Just the daily walking wherever He leads – around, back, forward. Continually. Because where else are we going to go? No one else has the words of eternal life.

The result of this is really beautiful: “And many turned away from iniquity…” Because he walked in integrity, no injustice on his lips, people repented. Many people.

Many is rab – in abundance, elder, enough; turned away is shub – turn back, return. And iniquity is avon – iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity.

The goodness of God is what we do can affect others. I think we know the ways our negative choices impact those around us. But we can also celebrate how walking with Him can influence others to desire the same. And since this covenant was with leaders in Temple, it matters greatly they turned people away from sin.

“For the lips of a priest should keep/guard knowledge…” Guard is shamar – keep, watch, preserve; attend, being careful, bodyguard, give heed, keeper, perform, preserve, protect, regard, secured, take care, take heed, waits, watch, look narrowly, observe. And knowledge is daath – concern, know, skill, truth.

I think it’s interesting that it’s the lips that are doing the careful body-guarding. They are what preserve, secure, and narrowly observe skillful truth.

Reminds me of this verse:

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalm 114:3

Since lips don’t have a brain, we can ask Him to be the door keeper to our words. Help us, Lord. Because knowledge and skillful truth is worth protecting.

“People should seek instruction from his mouth…”

Seek is baqash – aim, beg, concerned, consulted, eager, inquired, investigated, pursuit, request, search; and instruction is torah again. I like two things about this: People are eagerly seeking torah, and it is readily available on this priest’s mouth.

That we would beg to know more of God and learn to eat Truth like the nourishment it is. May we search for wisdom like precious treasure.

And why should the people be eager to seek torah instruction from him?

“Because he is the messenger of Jehovah-sabaoth.”

He here is hu – he, she, it. And messenger is malak – ambassador, from an unused root meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God…a prophet, priest or teacher.

To me, this implies a couple of things: That people should listen to prophets, priests, and teachers, BUT what flows out of them needs to be torah instruction. Because they are ambassadors of God. The implication being when God speaks, we tremble and obey.

It’s been a while since a section of Scripture has been this heavy on capital-T Truth. The interesting thing is, it’s been a while since I’ve needed to cling to it in my personal life like I’ve had to this week. Such a good reminder of the absolute necessity to have Holy Writ be our bedrock.

May we find out for ourselves – over and over – how His Word proves true.

“Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.

And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 2:3-4

Last time we saw the priests’ rebuke continue, with the warning if they did not appoint God’s glory to hover over their inner selves, Yahweh would curse them and their blessings. Today we continue to deep dive this curse. (Sounds like a good time, right?)

“Because of you I will rebuke your descendants…”

In the Hebrew, we actually start with hen again this week, our familiar lo! behold!

And what are we beholding? His rebuke not only on the priests to whom he’s been directing His correction, but also their descendants.

Rebuke is gaar and descendants is zera – sowing, seed, offspring.

This one is rough. If there’s anything that could make me weep, it’s passing on our junk to our children. To have my disobedience be the reason Yahweh would rebuke our boys is a strong motivator for doing whatever necessary to course correct. Perhaps that’s the reason He includes it. But, unfortunately, we are not done.

“I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.”

Whoa. You realize this is the ultimate in dishonor. Smear here is zarah – scatter, strew, spread, toss about, fan, winnow, and dung is peresh – fecal matter.

Think the less-than-savory version of this word, and you have a more accurately shocking description of what the Most High is saying. Because this dung is not just from anywhere, it’s from the sacrificial animals of their festivals. The festivals that completely ignore God’s laws and profane His name.

The word for festival is chag – solemn feast day, sacrifice, solemnity; it comes from chagag meaning to make a pilgrimage, keep a feast. Somehow, I cannot imagine a solemn assembly, a sacred pilgrimage, is what is being observed by God.

“…and you will be carried off with it.” Carried off here is nasah – to lift, accept, advance, arise, able to, armor, up, bring forth. As the dung from the sacrifices will be carried outside the gates and thrown out, so, too, will the priests.

I am just finishing Amos in my personal time. Can’t help but compare verses from there to this:

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
    your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
    righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Amos 5:21-24

Oh that He would never despise our gatherings or describe our songs as noise!

“And you will know that I have sent to you this warning…”

Know is yada – to know intimately, understand, very well aware; sent is shalach – send, let go, cast away, forsake; and warning is actually mitzvah – prescribed terms, commandment.

And you will be intimately aware that I am the One sending these prescribed terms.

Anything like this feel familiar in your life? Any situation in which you know intimately the warning is from Him?

We need to genuinely ask ourselves in the American evangelical church if there are warnings from Him which we are communally not heeding. Is our worship of the minority carpenter from Nazareth and the upside-down Kingdom our ultimate aim? If not, what idols need toppled? This matters for us now and our descendants to come.

“‘So that my covenant may continue with Levi,’ says Jehovah-sabaoth.”

Here, covenant is berith – ally, league, treaty, and continue is hayah – to fall out, be, become, altogether, accomplished, committed, like, break, cause, to exist, come to pass (always emphatic).

That my covenant with Levi may indeed come to pass.

What do we think of this one? He is currently saying those serving in Temple are to be humiliated. And why? So the covenant with them may be accomplished.

As we continue on with Malachi, we will see an increasing amount of ways the covenant is violated. But – and as the final book in our Old Testament – He fortunately doesn’t stop there. He promises One will come to perfectly fulfill this covenant.

I think that is why pointing out the disloyalty of the covenant by the priests (and all His people) is necessary. Showing how His name is being dishonored is in contrast to how He will beautifully and ultimately receive honor from His Son.

I am so grateful Jesus did what we could never do. May we take such grace, along with these warnings, to more fully seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.

“Therefore, this decree is for you priests: 

If you don’t listen, and if you don’t take it to heart to honor my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. 

In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart.”

Malachi 2:1-2

Last time Malachi’s prophetic burden continued with the priests accepting unacceptable sacrifices. Today we continue on with this rebuke.

We start with the phrase “This decree is for you priests…”

This is zoth (hereby in it, such deed), and decree is mitzvah (prescribed, terms).

Now this very term I command to you priests…

Next is “If you will not hear and if you will not take to heart…”

Hear is our familiar shama (listen with intent to obey), and take is sum (to put, place, set, appoint, bring, call a name, care, cast in, change, charge). To is al (hover over) and heart is leb (inner man, mind, will, heart).

“Appoint it to hover over your inner man.”

Appoint what?

“To give honor to my name…”

Give is nathan (to give, put, set) and honor is kabowd – gloriously, glory, honorable; from kabab – weight, but only…in a good sense, splendor or copiousness – glory, honor. Name in “to my name” is shem.

“To give glory and weighty splendor to my Name and reputation”

Did you catch how the weight is only in a positive sense? The weight of splendor only working for good.

So put all together…

Now this very term I command to you priests:

If you will not listen with intent to obey

And appoint it to hover over your inner man to give weighty splendor to My Name and reputation…

And what will happen if they don’t take this rebuke seriously?

“I will send curse upon you…”

Whoa. Send is shalach (appoint, bring, sow, spread, lay, cast away, forsake, give up, leave, let depart, push away) and curse is meerah – the noun which comes from the same word as curse last time, arar.

“…and I will curse your blessings.”

Curse is the verb here arar, and blessings is berakah (benefit, generous, gift, peace).

I will sow a curse among you, cursing everything of gracious gift I’ve given you.

Yikes. Not only will those who are to be serving God be cursed, but gracious gifts and sources of peace will, too.

“In fact, I already am cursing them because you do not take it to heart…”

In fact is gam (moreover, again, alike, also, to gather; properly, assemblage; used only adverbially: also, even, yea) and do not is ayin (nothing, naught). Take it to heart is “hover over your inner self” again.

That ayin definition is hitting me today: you have done nothing to take my glory to heart. And did you catch what part is already being cursed? The berekah: generous gifts, benefits, peace.

Actually, yes, I’ve already cursed your gifts and peace

because you have done nothing to appoint the glory of My Name to hover over your inner man.

Well, time to do a team huddle. Any time there are conditional curses and blessings in the Word, I try to focus on the character of the One making them. For example, Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 in my Bible have two headings each:

Blessings for Obedience

Curses for Disobedience

Yours too? Both the first half of these chapters record in the Law things like:

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit…

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people…

The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground…

…the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth

Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you…

And, as a Good Father, the second half is a fair warning of what will happen if they do not obey:

But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant…

You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it…

The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks…

If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me…

I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.

The thing is, the weight of His glorious splendor hovering over their daily lives, is the bottom line for whether they will be obeying His commands. We know this is true: if you could not care less deep down about His fame manifested in your obedience, doing whatever we want is sure to follow.

So, what do you think about the blessings being the first to be cursed? The way this can turn so fast into some sort of prosperity gospel – if I obey I am promised health, wealth, ease, comfort, and my wildest dreams – scares me. While yielding harvest and financial blessing was often cited in God’s first covenant, the new covenant written in Jesus’ blood promises spiritual fruit, peace despite terrible circumstances, and His glory in our lives.

Some of the godliest people I know do not have lives most would described as blessed or full of ease or prosperous. And yet, their prayers are powerful and their lives “bear much fruit, showing themselves to be His disciples.”

But in this same vein, I know in my life the gift of peace is the first to fly away when I’m not living in line with what He’s asking me to do or who He’s making me to be. Not punishment, more like reaping what I’m sowing. What does this look like in your life?

Now how about us communally? How is our influence, aroma of peace, and light in the world as His Church affected when we are not obeying Him? When we cease to look like His Spirit has changed our lives? When we’re more concerned with being right than following only One who is righteous?

In my opinion, the best part of all this blessing and cursing talk – even in the Law – is the end of Leviticus 26:

“But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors…then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 

I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land…

…for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God.”

All throughout Scripture, God says to His people, “Even now…”

Even now if you confess your sins…

Even now if you turn from that and toward Me…

Even now if you will obey…

I will redeem it all for your good and My glory.

And why?

Because of the glorious Gospel. The good news preached forward in Leviticus, and the fullness of the good news preached in the death and resurrection of Christ.

May we appoint our inner selves to take seriously the fame of this merciful God today.

We parted ways with the glorious ocean

And made our way to a fabulous RV park in Georgia. Incredible hospitality and another family with kids next door!

Plus, sunrises and campfires.

Then on to Virginia.

With a lake

And hiking trails

And walking sticks

And hammock trees

And lovely views for school time

And football time

And fabulous weather for our own little fall carnival

Do not need to be in a house to enjoy The Great Pumpkin.

Plus Shenandoah National Park not far away!

Fall foliage starting to turn

Did a waterfall hike

Totally worth it

Smile

On the way back up

Lake Sunset glory

Your 7 Days?

You also say, ‘Look, what a nuisance!’ And you scorn it,” says the Lord of Armies.

“You bring stolen, lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?” asks the Lord.

“The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.

Malachi 1:13-14

Last time we continued on with a prophetic song about the certainty of God’s glory from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. Indeed, every knee will one day bow. But we pushed the envelope and continued on with the Malachi’s burden to warn the priests of their corrupt sacrifice. Today we finish this section.

The last thing we read from God is, “But you are profaning [My Name] when you say, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.’”

Remembering that is how we know what the phrase, “You also say…” means. We are continuing on with the same thought:

“And you also say, ‘Look, what a nuisance!’

The most literal translation of this is “Oh! What a weariness!”

Oh or Look here is hinneh which means, “lo! behold!” I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I love learning where phrases come from. Seems like a generation or two ahead of mine would regularly use this phrase, “Then lo and behold.” To find it is directly from the Hebrew makes me smile.

Unfortunately, the meaning behind it today does not make God smile.

What a weariness/nuisance is mattelaah (from mah – what? how?) and telaah meaning “weariness, hardship, travail, travel, trouble; from laah – weary, impatient, exhausted, parched, grieve, faint, loathe, be disgusted.”

Put together this is, “Lo and behold! What a disgusting bother.”

And what is this that’s a bother? His Name, Table, sacrificing to Him. It makes me shudder to think of offering sacrifices to Him as loathsome, impatient, or grievous.

Then in His mercy, He regularly allows me to walk through what I’m typing out. And this week? The idea that my entire life is to be a living sacrifice of worship to Him, has been accompanied with pride in the form of impatience.

I hear you, Lord.

Let’s keep going.

“And you scorn it” is the next phrase, which is one word in the Hebrew with the root naphach – blow, boiling, breathing is labored, disdainfully sniff, give up, seething (literally, to inflate; figuratively, to disesteem).

This is how we can know the heart attitude behind “what a weariness” is not exhausting hardship but disrespectful sneering. I actually asked my family what the sound is called when you exhale disdainfully. We decided on scoffing, and that is the mental image I have with this definition of scorning His sacrificial table. Then He proceeds to give examples of this derision:

“And you bring stolen, lame and sick animals.”

Bring is bo (come in, give, go, harvest, presented), stolen is gazal (to tear away, seize, rob, carried away, commit, consume, force, rob, seize, snatch, take, tear off, torn away, pluck off, spoil, take away by force, violence, to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob), lame is pisseach like we’ve seen before, and sick is chalah (to beseech, be diseased, put to grief, be grieved, be grievous, infirmity).

Not only are His people scorning the act of sacrifice, at least in their hearts, but they’re deliberately bringing unacceptable animals. We’ve already seen lame and sick, but now He is adding stolen animals. To completely miss the heart of offering God what is yours to give by violently tearing away another’s animal must have been devastating to Him.

“This you bring as a tribute!”

Tribute is our minchah from last two times: gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary]. Didn’t even have to bring it, but brought what was unlawful and stolen.

“Should I accept this (ratsah – accept favorably, accomplish, set affection; specifically, to satisfy a debt) from your hand (yad)?” says Yahweh

Welp. Pretty straight forward here. On we continue:

But cursed be the deceiver (nakal – to be crafty, deceitful or knavish, deal craftily, plotted, swindler) who has (yesh – has, owns, wealth) in his flock a male (zakar – male; an adjective that comes from the verb of same spelling zakar meaning to remember, call to mind), and takes a vow (nadar – a vow; do or give God something)…

But sacrifices (zabach – to slaughter for sacrifice) what is blemished (shacath – perhaps to go to ruin, act corruptly, blemished animal, destroy, devastate, jeopardize, polluted, spoiled, wasted) to Adonay.

You all, this cursed here means…cursed. This offering appropriate sacrifices is a big deal, and thus is repeated several times in this first chapter of Malachi. I appreciate how this is not God mean-spiritedly demanding something His people cannot give or afford. No, this is the people directly refusing to call to mind the Law, and even choosing to vow to give God an offering, but instead polluting the entire act.

Cursed be one who has wealth, owns what he remembers God desires, and vows to give it to God, but instead deceitfully offers what is corrupt and jeopardizes His gift to the Lord.

So what does this look like for those of us on the other side of the Perfect Sacrifice? We know the gospel should so shape our hearts that giving away radically is second nature. Yet just today I had to tell Him what I’m personally holding back from fully offering. What’s that in your life?

How about communally? Anything your group of fellow believers would cling to if asked to release to Him? Not strong convictions or some sort of gift you don’t have, but an idol, anything keeping you from loving Him with your entire being and others more than yourself? Let’s lay on the altar and keep laying back down if need be.

And finally, the repeated “why:”

“For (ki – inasmuch, assuredly, certainly, doubtless) I am a Great King,” says Jehovah-Sabaoth.

“And my name (shem again) is to be feared among the nations.”

Doubtless and with certainty, I am a great King and my uniqueness and glory will be revered among all peoples.

If we’re honest, sometimes these certainties of His worship can feel arrogant. Probably because if a human said such things, it would be. But since we know this flows from a heart of perfection, we can assume this is for everyone’s best. Living in the stream of this inevitable direction creation is headed is the ultimate Way. Best for us, best for others around us.

And our best opportunity for a view of His glory on this difficult planet.

“My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Incense and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies.

“But you are profaning it when you say, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.’

Malachi 1:11-12

Last time we continued on with Malachi’s prophetic burden directed at the priests, grateful for a gospel which we cannot earn, but a call to be missional we can’t ignore. Today we see more clearly some of the “why” behind this rebuke.

For from the rising (mizrach – the place of the sunrise, from the root word zarach – to rise, come forth, shine) of the sun (shemesh – sun rising; From an unused root meaning to be brilliant; by implication, the east).

This one strikes me deeply as we got up before 6:00 this morning to catch the sunrise on the beach. Brilliant is an understatement.

“From the place of its going down:”

Mabo – entrance, a coming in, entering, place of its setting, sunset, west.

“Great shall be my name:”

Gadol – great, high, prominent from gadal – grow up, advance, magnify, promote.

And shem from last time – fame, renown, report, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character; possibly “from sum [through the idea of conspicuous position]- to place, appoint, pay attention, required.”

“From the coming forth of brilliant rays to the place they set and begin again on the other side of the globe, high and promoted shall be My fame. Magnified, utterly conspicuous, none can miss it among the nations.”

“And in every place incense shall be offered to my name:”

Incense here is qatar – burn incense, sacrifice upon, kindle…the idea of fumigation in a close place and perhaps thus driving out the occupants; Turn into fragrance by fire, especially as an act of worship; denominative verb of qetoreth – smoke, odor of burning sacrifice incense.

In every place His uniqueness and renown will have incense presented. A Name which represents a Being so holy, we cannot stand in His presence. Smoke and holiness sound familiar:

When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 

The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord.

All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground.

They worshiped and praised the Lord:

For he is good,
for his faithful love endures forever.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3

Incense also sounds familiar. Did you catch that part of the definition: “Turn into fragrance by fire?”

When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 

And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth

Revelation 5:8-10

The prayers of the saints are a lovely fragrance to Him. And how much more when they’re lit by the fire of suffering, adversity, grief? As I saw on social media yesterday by a widower, “Prayers from a broken heart hit different.”

“…and a pure offering:” Pure is tahor – clean, fair, pure, and offering is minchah from last time- gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary].

This one is difficult as it is in direct contrast to the offerings the priests have been giving. The Lord just two verses ago said He wouldn’t accept such minchah from them and wants them to shut the door to the Temple. But, just like all things that involve the One Who set everything in motion, the right offering will be sacrificed. The incense will be burned. His Name will be praised.

He is holy; there is no other way. Even the rocks cry out.

I thought about ending this section here, focusing purely on the certainty of the worship of Yahweh among all nations. But, as this is a prophetic burden, and the thought is not yet complete, it seemed right to continue.

“But you profane it:” You is attah – you yourselves, and profane is chalal – to pierce.

Something about that “pierce” in this context makes me think of the times Yahweh behaves like a wounded Lover in the Word, betrayed by His people.

“in that you say the table of the Lord is defiled:” Lord here is our Adonay, and defiled is gaal – defiled, stained.

“and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.” Fruit is nob – fruit, produce, which comes from nub – to bear fruit, flourish, flow, increase, make cheerful. Food is okel – eating, food, mealtime, meat, prey, and contemptible is bazah – careless, contempt, despicable, despise, disdained, think to scorn, vile person, to disesteem.

But you yourselves, My own people, pierce My name. You say Adonay’s table is stained, its produce and meal vile.

I wonder if the people thought to themselves, “When have we ever said that?”

Perhaps those words had been uttered, but more than likely, His renown was being pierced in the way we explored the past two sections: by directly disobeying what was offered to Him in Temple.

If we, if I, have idols which need to topple, may we cooperate with God in doing so. May what happens among us personally and communally never be portrayed as a stained table or vile meal.

The table of our Adonai was offered to us by laying on it Himself as sacrifice. The meal we eat, His blood and body, is the ultimate pure offering. May we never treat it carelessly or contribute to it appearing contemptible to a watching world. But may its effect on our lives flourish, flow into the world by His Spirit, and bear much fruit as we abide.