Malachi Demands Sincere Religion

GOLDEN TEXT: “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”—Luke 6:46

SINCERITY in our devotion to God is of prime importance, and while mere lip service may deceive others for a time, it does not deceive God, and even our fellowmen will likely detect the sham sooner or later. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Jesus declared (Luke 6:45), and this is true with respect to the habitual nature of our words, even though for a time it may be possible to hide the real heart condition with speech that is hypocritical.

In our Golden Text, Jesus is accusing some in his day of attempting to conceal their real attitude toward him by words devised to make it appear that they were worshiping him; but he detected the sham which, as he pointed out, was not difficult to do. “Every tree is known by his own fruits,” he explained. Some who were saying to him, “Lord, Lord,” were not conforming their lives to his teachings. They were not really obeying him as true followers, so he knew that their professions of loyalty were hypocritical. Mere lip service is not a proof that one is truly a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.—Luke 6:47-49

MALACHI 1:1, 6-9—Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets prior to John the Baptist, and the whole tenor of his prophecy denotes that Israel was continuing to be a backsliding nation. The revival of devotion to God and to his Law which had been brought about under the direction of Ezra was evidently only temporary, so when the Lord spoke to the people through Malachi we find the message to be largely one of rebuke and condemnation.

In many instances the Israelites had departed from Jehovah to worship the gods of the heathen, but this apparently was not what had occurred in Malachi’s time. In this instance their unfaithfulness was manifested more particularly in the half-hearted, and sometimes hypocritical, manner in which they carried out the terms of their covenant with God. Outwardly, perhaps, they appeared loyal to God, and in response to the prophet’s message, inquired, “Wherein have we despised Thy name?” They were rendering lip service, and carrying out the formalities of worship, but their hearts were not with the Lord.

“Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar,” was the Lord’s message to them. And although they knew they were guilty of this, they pretended to be surprised when the Lord told them and said they had made his table contemptible. Even so, the Lord displayed patience in reasoning with them. He reminded them of what they already knew, namely, that if they attempted to discharge their obligation to their governor (evidently a reference to their Persian overlords) in much the same manner, they knew he would be displeased. Could they expect, therefore, that their God would accept their mere outward show of worship not giving their hearts wholly to him?

MALACHI 2:13, 14—Here the prophet is explaining why the Lord no longer accepted the offerings of his people even though they covered the altar with their tears. It was because they had been disloyal to their covenant. The nation in its youth had “married,” as it were, the Law Covenant. That was at Sinai, when Moses served as mediator. A sacred obligation had been assumed, when, in referring to the law of that covenant, the people had said, “All that the Lord hath said will we do.” God promised them wonderful blessings conditional upon their faithfulness to that vow, so how could they expect his blessings when they were unfaithful?

MALACHI 3:7-12—“Return unto me, and I will return unto you,” said the Lord to the Israelites through Malachi. But they replied, “Wherein shall we return?” How sincere this inquiry was we may not know. Perhaps they had drifted away so far from the Lord that they were no longer able to judge their own attitude. Evidently they needed to be told what course to take in order to return to fellowship with God.

In the previous chapter the Lord likens their unfaithfulness to their covenant to unfaithfulness in marriage, but in this chapter he tells them that they had robbed him. In their lethargy it seemed difficult for them to grasp even so obvious a fact as this. Their covenant with God called for the payment of tithes, and for the bringing of other gifts and sacrifices to him, but they had not lived up to these obligations. They had therefore robbed the Lord of those things which, according to the covenant they had made, belonged to him. For this reason they were not receiving his blessings.

“Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.” How were they to “prove” the Lord? He asks them to bring all their tithes into the storehouse, not to hold anything back which they had covenanted to give. The Lord tells them that if they would do that, he would pour them out such a blessing that they would not have room to receive it. Evidently they were beginning to sense their lack of blessings from the Lord, and were perhaps thinking that God was unfaithful to them, but here was his challenge. If they would do their part they would soon discover that God was ready and anxious to carry out his part of the covenant, that he would bless them in “basket and in store,” so abundantly that their capacity for receiving would be overtaxed.

QUESTIONS:

Had the nation of Israel in Malachi’s time turned from the true God to idols?

To what does the Lord, in the second chapter of Malachi’s prophecy, liken the unfaithfulness of the Israelites?

In the third chapter of the prophecy, what illustration of unfaithfulness does the Lord use?

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