Polluted People, Polluted Priests
This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.
In our justice system, the Crown Prosecutor's Office can issue an indictment, can issue indictments. They can issue an indictment against an accuser, but you need to know that indictments in the human realm do not necessarily equal convictions. You can get an indictment that doesn't necessarily mean that the person is guilty indeed, nor does it necessarily mean that you have sufficient evidence to convict even if they are guilty indeed. An indictment is one thing, a conviction is something else. That's true when it comes to the human justice system in this world in which we live.
But you can be sure of this, beloved, you can be sure of this. When God brings an indictment, there's a hundred percent conviction rate, a hundred percent. Every time. He never brings an indictment that is misinformed. When God indicts, you are guilty, you're guilty. His indictments never rest on insufficient evidence. His indictments never include innocent people. It's good to remember also, He's not just the prosecuting attorney, He is also the judge. He is the judge.
And what we have in the book of Malachi, what we have here specifically in the first chapter that we're studying together is God Almighty Himself bringing indictments against His people. The people who returned, you remember, from exile to Jerusalem and now they're worshiping through the activities of the second temple priestly service, and God is indicting their spiritual condition. He began at the point of their ungratefulness. You remember the first indictment in verses 1 through 5, He charged the people with not recognizing how God has loved them. "I have loved you," says Yahweh of Hosts, verse 2.
And He's speaking specifically about the fact that He had chosen them, He had set His affection upon them, the nation as a people in whom He would work and through whom He would work. But they did not feel blessed. They did not feel the weight of His grace and mercy. They were blind to His love. They were blind to His favor. "How have You loved us?" they asked. They pushed back. What an audacious question. So God answers, “Here's how I loved you. I set My affection on you. I chose you, Jacob. I rejected Esau”.
So God brings to their attention just how ungrateful they are, how blind they are to His grace. But it doesn't stop there. The problem with these people is not just ungratefulness. Now when we come to verse 6, all the way to the end of the chapter, God brings another charge. He brings another charge. Not only are they ungrateful, but they also positively dishonor Yahweh. They positively dishonor Yahweh.
Not only do they not recognize His love, they don't recognize His worth. They don't recognize His majesty. They don't recognize His glorious person. They don't recognize the gravity of His person. Not only do they not love Him as they should, they don't fear Him as they should. They don't respect Him as they should. They don't reverence Him as they should. This is the charge we see in verse 6. This is our first point tonight. I want us to see the charge of dishonor, the charge of dishonor.
Verse 6: "A son honors his father, a slave his master. Then if I’m a father, where is My honor? And if I’m a master, where is the fear of Me?" says Yahweh of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, "How have we despised Your name?" The people, especially represented in the priests, are guilty of despising the name of God, dishonoring the living God, the true and living God.
They've dishonored Him in every way. And God drives this home by mentioning here two specific ways that He is dishonored. He underscores two specific ways. The first one, He tells them, they dishonored Him relationally. They dishonored Him relationally. A son honors his father. Israel is God's son. God chose to relate Himself to His people, to this people, the chosen ones, as a Father.
In fact, you remember the language, I trust, from Exodus chapter 4 and verse 21 and following. Listen to the language: "And Yahweh said to Moses, 'When you go to return to Egypt, see to it that all of the miraculous wonders which I put in your hand, that you do them before Pharaoh. But as for Me, I will harden his heart with strength so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I said to you, let My son go, that he may serve Me, but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"'
When you have more time—and I'm not going to read it tonight—but you just can read Isaiah chapters 63 and 64. God just drives this truth home, how in His great grace and mercy He has related Himself to Israel like a Father. The book of Hosea; turn with me. I love that chapter. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible concerning who God is and His love. Hosea chapter 11, beginning with verse 1, just listen to the language: "When Israel was a youth, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, the more they went from them. They kept sacrificing to the boughs and burning incense to graven images. Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love. And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down and fed them."
What an imagery. I bent down and fed them. "They will not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria—He will be their king. As they refuse to return to Me, and the sword will whirl against their cities and will consume their gate bars and devour them because of their counsels. So My people are hung up on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, none at all exalts Him."
Wow. Now watch this. In spite of this blatant disobedience, stubborn rebellion, listen to what God says next. Verse 8: "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I give you over to be like Edmah? How can I make you like Ziboim? My heart is turned over within Me, all My compassions are stirred. I will not execute My burning anger, I will not make Ephraim a ruin again, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after Yahweh. He will roar like a lion, indeed He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will settle them in their houses," declares Yahweh.
Oh, they're going to suffer—the rod of God, the disciplining rod of God, the disciplining hand of God—but He's not done with them. He's not finished. He won't utterly give them up. He will call His children and eventually establish them in their homeland. God has related Himself to them like a Father, and yet the question is here: "A son honors his father. If I'm a Father, where's My honor? Where's My honor?"
So they have dishonored God relationally. But secondly, they dishonored God reverentially. They've dishonored God reverentially also. That is, if you were even to forget all that God has done for Israel from a relational point of view, if we just think of the honor that God deserves as God, as Creator, as Sustainer, as Sovereign, they don't even give Him that. They don't even give Him that. Not only do they not relate to Him as a Father, they don't tremble before Him as a Master.
"A son honors his father and a slave his master. Then if I'm a Father, where's My honor? And if I'm a Master, where is the fear of Me?" says Yahweh of Hosea. If you consider the kind of honor and fear that's given in the human realm, and then you compare what Israel is doing toward God, it is absolutely astounding. Sons honor fathers, slaves respect masters, tremble before masters. God is the perfect Father. He is the perfect Master. And yet men will give honor to fathers and not honor God, and men will give fear to the masters—earthly masters—but not tremble before Almighty God, the Sovereign One of heaven and earth.
In fact, the priests are despising Him. This is His charge: You dishonor Me. You don't reverence Me. You don't fear Me. You don't respect Me, as you should. But notice the second point. First, you have the charge, but secondly, notice the challenge—the challenge to the charge. And verse 6 says, "Yahweh of Hosea, O priest who despised My name." But you say, "How have we despised Your name?"
"You are presenting defiled food upon My altar." But you say, "How have we defiled You?" God is revealing, as He puts what is in their minds and hearts into their mouths, into words in the text here. What God is demonstrating is that the priests don't feel the weight of their dishonor towards God. They don't see it. They're blind to it. They have no concept whatsoever how offensive their lives have become before God. They have no real sense of how inappropriate and wicked their attitudes; their behaviors are.
But do you notice how God describes it in verse 8 when He says, "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?" This isn't just inappropriate. He says flat out—He's right flat out—He says it is wicked. It's pure evil. But they're blind to it. These are the priests. They're blind to it. They say, "Oh, how have we dishonored You? What are You talking about? Are You serious? Are You for real, God? How have we despised You? How have we defiled You?"
And God responds. He answers: by your attitude and by your actions concerning the entire sacrificial system that I ordained, that I Myself have commanded. But you say, "How have we despised Your name?" "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar." But you say, "How have we defiled You?" "In that you say the table of Yahweh is to be despised."
And this gets to our third point. So you have the charge. You have the charge disputed—the challenge, the charge refused on the part of the people. They're arguing with God. The third thing I want us to see is the evidence for the charge—the evidence. The charge, the challenge, and then the evidence. Let's begin to get to the details of it. You don't see it, He says. You're blind to it. So let Me bring it to your attention. Let Me underscore that. Let Me highlight. Let Me make it clear to you—plain.
Number one, He says, you are dishonoring Me, first of all, by what you bring. By what you bring. What you bring to sacrifice, to offer in My temple. Verse 8, "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? When you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil?" Putting it in the human realm, talking about what they might be ashamed to bring to a governor, He goes on to say, "Please, bring it near to your governor. Go ahead, bring it. Would he accept you? Would he accept you? Would he lift up any of your faces?" says Yahweh of hosts. I mean, if your governor would not receive such an offering or such offerings, do you think I will?
The people were to bring the cream of the crop. They were to bring their best. They were to bring what was unblemished. They were to bring that which was without defect. This is what the law of God taught. The reason why God's law required such a thing was to drive home the message of the holiness of God, that I am God and I am holy, holy, holy. Again and again, the book of Leviticus, He gives the law, He gives the commands, He gives the stipulation, the priesthood, and He says, "For I, the Lord, am holy. I'm holy”. Drive home the message of the holiness of God, what God is worthy of, and also the picture of the One in whom God would grant deliverance to His people.
And keep in mind in all of this, beloved, that all of the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to that one and only sacrifice, THE sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb of God. He's the Lamb unspotted. He's the Lamb unblemished, perfect, and this is what would be required for the forgiveness of our sins and for our worship to be made acceptable to God. And you and I, beloved, we worship through Jesus Christ, the one and only Mediator. It is in Christ's perfect righteousness and only in His righteousness that whatever we offer, whatever we bring to God could ever be acceptable to Him. It is through Christ, only through Him.
Will you turn with me to Leviticus 22? Leviticus 22, look at verse 17. "Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them, "Any man of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel who bring near his offering, whether it is any of their votive,"'—like a vow made—'"or any of their freewill offerings which they bring near to Yahweh for a burnt offering, for you to be accepted,"'—God is giving now the—He's setting the ordained means and rules and all of that—'"it must be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. Whatever has a defect, you shall not"—listen to this, beloved, God made it very specific, unmistakable—'"you shall not bring it near, for it will not be accepted for you. And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for freewill offering of the herd or of the flock, here it is, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it."'"
Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh or make them an offering by fire on the altar of Yahweh. Verse 23, now in respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may offer it for a freewill offering, but for a votive offering it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not bring it near to Yahweh, and you shall not do thus in your land, nor shall you bring near any such thing from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God, for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.
You see it? It was clear. It was unmistakable. Do not bring such things. And yet, what are they bringing? Unbelievable. What are they bringing? They're bringing the blind. They're bringing the lame. They're bringing the sick. The blemished. Verse 13, they're even bringing that which has been taken by how? Robbery. By robbery. "You bring what was taken by robbery, what is lame or sick, and you bring the offering. Should I accept that from your hands," says Yahweh?
The law of God was clear, crystal clear, and they're bringing substitutes in the place of what was their best. They have better to offer. Better to offer. The problem is not that they don't have anything else to offer. Verse 14: "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." You keep the best for yourself, and you give God your leftovers. You bring Me what you don't want. You wouldn't do that for a human governor, would you? But you do that for Me. You do that to Me, says God.
Why do you say we're dishonoring You? Why do you say we're defiling You? Well, look at what you're bringing Me, God says. What they bring is the problem, but also what is revealed by what they bring also is the problem. What is revealed by what they bring. Do you notice how God is driving home His greatness in this text? How He's underscoring it, highlighting it, making it clear. Verse 14 makes it so clear: "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." Why? He gives a reason: "For I am a great King," that's the reason, says Yahweh of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."
What they're revealing by what they're bringing—don't miss this, beloved—what they're revealing by what they're bringing is their low view of God. They dishonor Him in their minds and in their hearts before they dishonor Him by their behavior, by their actions. What they bring reveals what they think of God, what they carry in their hearts and their minds towards God.
And I want us to notice that while the people are guilty because they're the ones who are bringing the offerings, God is addressing the priests because they're accepting these offerings from the people. The guardians of the temple, the law—like people are the priests. They're no different. The priests can't call the people to a higher standard. Why? Because the priests have a low view of God themselves. That's why I entitled the message, Polluted People, Polluted Priests. Because the defiled table is just a reflection of the defiled priest. So God is taking issue with the leaders, and the reason is you're not calling the people to a higher standard because this is your attitude towards Me, God would say. This is your attitude, and what God makes clear is that their worship was corrupt because their perspectives were corrupt.
Notice with me, beloved, and this is important, the absence of weightiness in their worship. The absence of weightiness in their worship. God is not weighty as they approach Him. The absence of weightiness in their worship—there is no sense of reverence in it. Verse 12: "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.'"
Now what does that mean when you read, "In that you say the table of the Lord is defiled"? Well, that's just a way of saying it's unclean. The altar—it's unclean, or to say it a different way, it's not really set apart. It's not really holy. Nothing holy about the altar. Holiness is not required here, really. That's an overkill. The altar is common, which means that the fruit of the altar, which is put on the altar, can be despised. It can be thought of lightly. To be despised here, in this case, it really means to really view it as light, to view it lightly, not as weighty.
They view their approach to God as though it were common. Nothing holy about the altar. Therefore, nothing weighty about the offerings. And so we can bring our blind. No big deal. We can bring our lame. We can bring our blemished, blemished animals because this really isn't a really big of a deal. We're doing what we've been told to do, but it's not really that weighty. I mean, we're doing it after all. We're taking time, and we're giving of what we have, so that should be enough.
There's the absence of weightiness in their worship. But what is equally disturbing as what is missing from their worship—that sense of reverence for God—what is equally disturbing, beloved, is what is present in their worship. Equally disturbing. And God gives voice to that. God gives voice—something very offensive that is present in their worship—and look at it in the text in verse 13. You know what it is? Weariness. Weariness. "You also say, 'Behold, how tiresome it is!' and you disdainfully sniff at it," says Yahweh of hosts. This is tiresome. We're tired of this. Here they're bringing what was offensive to God, and if that weren't enough, they're bringing it with an attitude that said, we would rather be doing something else. We would rather be somewhere else doing something else.
One commentator put it this way, and I quote: "Even their performance of temple duties is a bother to these priests who clearly would rather be doing something else. They consider their ministry to be a wearisome thing. Its responsibility, something to brush off as hardly worth their time. They go through the motions because it's expected of them, but there's no joy, no satisfaction in it. Rather than take the trouble to ensure that the work of the temple is carried out properly in every detail, the officiants at worship accept any kind of animal from the people, whether it be stolen, lame, or sick, all of which sorts of offerings are strictly forbidden in the law."
And he goes on to say, "No wonder the Lord asked, 'Should I accept them from your hands?' Implicit in the question is whether not only the sacrifices, but also the priests in their service are worthy of His approbation."
The absence of weightiness, the presence of weariness—but there's something more disturbing: the presence of deception. Verse 14, look at it. The presence of deception . "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." The kind of worshipper here described in verse 14 is described as a cheat, a spiritual cheat, a fraud—a fraud. This person purposes one thing at some point in time, but then when he sits and thinks about it more, and when it actually comes time to perform what he vowed, he now counts the performance of it to be, well, too costly for him. It's too much. It's too much.
So what he does—he substitutes something in its place. You know, God, You understand, I would have given You this. That's what I've considered from afar, but now that it comes right down to it, it's just too costly, too much. So here You go. This is what I think You're worth. And they give God the leftovers. And it seems that what God is describing here was something publicly committed to, and so this amounts to a spiritual sleight of hand. You make a promise in the presence of others that you're going to give this, but then you count it to be too costly, so you give something else in its place.
Do you realize that you can sin against God in something that was purely voluntary in the first place? That is, you weren't commanded to do it in the beginning, to begin with. You didn't have to do it. You volunteered to do it, but then you sin against God in the way that you execute it because you're a spiritual hypocrite. To use the language here of Malachi, you're a spiritual cheat. You will leave the impression in the eyes of others that you're one kind of a person, when in reality, you're another kind of person.
And this was repeated later on, has been repeated many times throughout the history of redemption, but there's one glaring case that we can all remember very well, and that is the case of Malachi. A glaring case that we can all remember very vividly, right? A couple who promised one thing publicly when they were not required to, but they did, and then they came bringing something completely different. God taught an unforgettable lesson to an infant church in the way that He dealt with that first couple, because if God dealt with everyone who did this in the same way, there would be a lot of funerals.
Turn to Acts 5. Acts 5:1: "A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, kept back some of the price for himself with his wife's full knowledge." There's no misunderstanding here. She was completely on board. "And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet." Apparently, they had made a public commitment that they were going to sell this piece of property and bring the whole amount, and they came representing that they were bringing the whole amount. But in fact, they were really keeping a part of this to themselves, back for themselves, and now they bring the rest and lay it before the apostles. Verse 3- “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God’. And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last, and a great fear came over all who heard. And the young men rose up and wrapped him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now, there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you were paid this much for the land?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that much.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.’ And immediately she fell at the feet, at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And a great fear came over the whole church and over all who heard these things.”
Wow. God is waiting. So the charge is, where's My honor? Where's My respect? Where's My fear? The challenge, the challenge, the charge: How? How have we dishonored You? You can't be serious, God. How did we despise Your name?
Here's the evidence: by what you bring and by how you bring it. By what you bring and how you bring it. You have violated My law. You have disregarded My commands. You wouldn't even bring to a human governor what you're bringing to Me, which leads to the fourth heading we see in this text: the verdict, the verdict.
Now the prosecuting attorney serves as the judge. He is the Judge of judges. He has indicted His people for their sins. Now He pronounces the verdict. Verse 10, God says, I want you to stop. Just stop. Just stop. Stop it. “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates," talking about the temple activity, "just shut the doors enough that you might not light fire on My altar in vain." Your offerings are in vain. They're worthless. They need to stop. Just stop. Stop.
Secondly, He tells them not only to stop, but He tells them something else. "I have no delight in you." These are cutting words. Piercing words. "I have no delight in you," says Yahweh of hosts. You know, I find it interesting. Very interesting. He doesn't say, "I have no pleasure in these things." He doesn't say, "I have no delight in these things," in your offerings. No, no. Though obviously He didn't. But rather, look how He puts it: "I have no delight in you."
The offering simply reflects the offerer—the heart—your heart. "I see your heart," He says, "and I have no delight in you," says Yahweh our host, so that God refuses what they offer. "Nor will I accept an offering from your hand." He starts with the heart and He goes to the hand. It's always with God that way. I don't care what you bring, you must repent. You are the problem. The heart is the problem. And until there's a change in you, there's nothing that I will receive from your hand. Shut the doors. Stop playing church.
In fact, God curses the one who offers like these people do, like these priests do. "But cursed," verse 14, "be the swindler who has a male flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." You are under a curse. Not only will I not receive it, but I will judge such behavior and offerings.
Walter Kaiser said this, and I quote: "Malachi took dead aim at the priest of his day and delivered a stinging indictment of their careless, haphazard, and profane service to the living God. He then enlarges the scope of his message to include all who worship God in a similarly unacceptable way, saying, 'But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.'"
He goes on to say, "Suddenly in a context primarily addressed to priest or the clergy, the focus was extended to include any and all who are indulging in the same kind of practices. While the priests were wrong for accepting it, the people were wrong for bringing it." End of quote.
And then God does something that really ought to weigh down upon our conscience. God does something that really ought to really rest on us. He promises that His name will be honored. God promises that His name will be honored. "You dishonor My name, but My name will be honored. You don't give Me respect, but I will be respected. I'll get it."
Verse 11, "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting"—and you get the picture, from the rising to the setting, from where the sun comes up to where the sun goes down, the whole globe, the whole planet—"My name will be great among the nations. In every place incense is going to be presented to My name as well as a grain offering that is clean, for My name will be great among the nations," says Yahweh of hosts. His name is really wrapped up—in that name is all of His characteristics, His glory, His attributes.
Then He repeats it in verse 14, "For I’m a great King," says Yahweh of hosts. "My name is feared among the nations." So here's what you and I need to get, beloved. This is what ought to rest on us. It ought to. Let us not miss this. Let us not leave this place without really having this really resting upon us.
The question is not whether the day will come when God's name will be properly acknowledged, when people will sense and know the worth of God, when people recognize His majesty and respond to Him as is appropriate. That day is coming. It's inevitable. But the question is: where do we stand in relationship to that day? "I will be honored," God says. Now you dishonor Me. The problem is not for God. It's not. You see, God is worthy whether we ever acknowledge it or not. He is worthy whether we acknowledge it or not, and one day the whole world will acknowledge it.
The question is: will you be among those who acknowledge it in love and acceptance and worship and reverence, or will you be one who acknowledges it on a bended knee that lived out its lifespan in rebellion towards God? Where will you stand? Where will you stand? The other question is: is His worth being realized by you right now?
The sins that are on display here—let me ask this evening as I'm trying to bring this to a close—the sins that are on display here, were these things written down here in Malachi? Here's the question: were they just written down for Malachi and Malachi's generation? Or did God know of a congregation sitting in Markham, Ontario in 2025 when these words were penned? Is it just for them, or does this instruct us about our worship?
1 Corinthians 10:11 settles it, right? It just settles it. It's one place; there are many others. "These things happened to them as an example and they were written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived." Makes it clear, doesn't it? So it's not just for them, it's also for us.
And so I'll finish tonight by asking us some questions. And I pray to God that the Holy Spirit will bring those questions to bear upon your conscience and mine this evening. Are we dishonoring God in our worship? Are we refusing Him what should be His from the standpoint of relationship and reverence? If you say Christ is your Lord, then God is your Father. And if you know that you're to honor a human father, shouldn't you honor your perfect Heavenly Father also? If God has loved you, if in His great grace He chose you for salvation and brought you to Himself and rescued your life, should you not honor Him?
And consider our God from the standpoint of His sovereignty, His Lordship—Creator, Sustainer, *El Gibborr* ( אֵל גִּבּוֹר), Almighty God. Just consider Him now as a Master—*Kyrios* (κύριος) Despot. Should you not fear Him? Should you not reverence Him? Take an account of your life and ask yourself, as I had to ask my own self: does this look like love in my life? How I'm living right now, does this look like loving God? Is this what reverence for God looks like in a life?
And then I would ask us to examine what we're presenting to God, what we call worship. We came tonight to worship, didn't we? We came tonight to worship God. We came this morning to worship God together corporately, to do corporately what you and I are called to do every single day. So we bring to God, we give to God worship. Consider what we call worship, and then ask this question: is my heart in it? Is your heart in it? Do you bring out your best?
How many times we've heard this? Maybe you've said it yourself. Oh, I've got this big meeting Tuesday morning. I mean, it's huge. It's a big meeting. You know what? Because it's a huge meeting; critical meeting, Tuesday morning, I'm just going to make sure that I am rested, prepared for the meeting the next day. My mind needs to be sharp. I need to be at my best. I wonder how many of those conversations have taken place in households in our midst over the years. I've got a big meeting tomorrow. I've got a big deal going on. I've got this big thing going on and, you know, I've got to make sure that I'm ready for this.
I wonder how we prepare for Sunday morning. How we approach our time in the Word, prayer. What do you occupy your mind and heart with as you prepare for the Lord's Day? As you come into this place to meet with the living God, for the reading of Scripture, the singing of songs, and the hearing of sermons, how much real thought do you even give to being ready for such meetings? And what are you presenting that you're calling worship? What am I presenting that I'm calling worship? Could it be that you wouldn't even give that kind of preparation to your boss? To a job interview? But you'll give it to God.
And then I wonder if the truth be known, how many of us are just like those priests in that we continue to do what we do because we know we should. We do what we do because we know it's expected of us, but if our hearts could be unveiled, there's weariness in it. It's tiresome. I mean, it's really something else we would rather be doing. Somewhere else. Listen to Walter Kaiser again. And I quote, "They complain too if the Word of God is still being expounded upon for more than the anticipated half an hour." End of quote.
Do you realize that the things we gather to do, that we didn't invent? The gathering together of the saints for the reading of Scripture, for the singing of songs, spiritual songs, and Scripture songs, and for the declaration of the Word of God, and for the mutual exhortation of the saints, for prayer. Do you realize we didn't invent this? God gave us these things. And He said, now this is how I want you to worship Me. In fact, I don't want you to neglect these things. It's the manner of some, but you don't let it be your manner also. When the church gathers, be present. "Hebrews 10:25."
And yet how many find two services a week to be wearisome? Considering the drive here, the drive home, the length of the worship services, and let's not include corporate prayer meeting. I mean, two and a half hours in a week. It's just too much. How wearisome. And so we come and say, here's my worship. Ah, but where's your heart? Where's your desire? Where's your zeal? Do you understand the worth of God? Do you understand that you and I didn't invent this? God gave us these things, and we honor Him by believing Him regarding the means that He uses, not only to save us, but to transform us into the image of His Son—means of sanctification. Do you want to honor the One who will be honored? He's going to be honored. Do you want to honor Him?
I find it really interesting how many times you find this description of God in the verses we just read. Those words again and again and again—Yahweh of hosts, Yahweh of hosts, Yahweh of hosts. Isn't that amazing? He's the Lord of the armies of heaven. He's the Lord of heaven and earth. Holy angels cover their face, cover their feet in His presence, and cry out, "Holy, Holy, Holy." He's honored in heaven, and here they were on earth, bringing blind, lame, blemished, second best to Him. What blindness. How sad.
One day we're going to meet Yahweh of hosts face to face. Yahweh is the Lord of hosts, and Jesus is one with the Father. He commands the armies of heaven. Listen to the words found in Revelation 19:11: "His name is also called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wrath of the rage of God the Almighty. And He has on His garment and on His tie a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Jesus, Jehovah Jesus, is Yahweh of hosts. The One who is coming, the Lord Jesus Christ—He's honored in heaven. He will be honored on earth.
Do you want to honor Him? Does your worship, my worship, honor Him? Did today honor Him? John 5:22, "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." Our worship, beloved, must acknowledge the worth of God to be worshiped. Worship is acknowledging God's worth, and that means that we bring to Him our very best. Our very best.
It means that we recognize His majesty, His greatness. It means that we honor Him as the perfect Father, that we reverence Him as the perfect Lord. It means that we obey His Word. We don't bring what He expressly commands us not to bring, and it means that we worship Him. We don't count it when we worship Him as a weariness, tiresome. We count it a privilege. We count it a delight. We count it joy, exceeding joy. Do we battle with our weariness, with the remaining corruption? Of course we do, but we press on by the grace of God. Oh, God, help my heart catch up with my head. This is, beloved, the best day of the week. We worship Him every day, and then we get to come together and give worship to our great King. He will be honored all over this planet. Let Him be honored here in this place.
You know, I couldn't help this week in preparation but think about the fact that what we see here—it was very convicting. What we see here is like the priests were the people, like the people were the priests. See, if you're the one calling, you can't call them to a higher standard than you yourself are committed to. And so I want to address my fellow elders this evening before God's people. If we desire for this church to be a worshiping church, then we must be worshiping elders. If we desire for this church to acknowledge the worth of God, then, my fellow brothers, we must acknowledge ourselves the worth of God.
And if we desire for this church to be zealous for God, not counting it weariness to serve Him, then we must be men who clearly reflect the fact that we wouldn't rather be somewhere else doing something else. That we will gladly spend and be spent. And as for us and as for our families, we resolve that we're going to serve the Lord. That is the standard. May God help us.
Let's pray.
But you can be sure of this, beloved, you can be sure of this. When God brings an indictment, there's a hundred percent conviction rate, a hundred percent. Every time. He never brings an indictment that is misinformed. When God indicts, you are guilty, you're guilty. His indictments never rest on insufficient evidence. His indictments never include innocent people. It's good to remember also, He's not just the prosecuting attorney, He is also the judge. He is the judge.
And what we have in the book of Malachi, what we have here specifically in the first chapter that we're studying together is God Almighty Himself bringing indictments against His people. The people who returned, you remember, from exile to Jerusalem and now they're worshiping through the activities of the second temple priestly service, and God is indicting their spiritual condition. He began at the point of their ungratefulness. You remember the first indictment in verses 1 through 5, He charged the people with not recognizing how God has loved them. "I have loved you," says Yahweh of Hosts, verse 2.
And He's speaking specifically about the fact that He had chosen them, He had set His affection upon them, the nation as a people in whom He would work and through whom He would work. But they did not feel blessed. They did not feel the weight of His grace and mercy. They were blind to His love. They were blind to His favor. "How have You loved us?" they asked. They pushed back. What an audacious question. So God answers, “Here's how I loved you. I set My affection on you. I chose you, Jacob. I rejected Esau”.
So God brings to their attention just how ungrateful they are, how blind they are to His grace. But it doesn't stop there. The problem with these people is not just ungratefulness. Now when we come to verse 6, all the way to the end of the chapter, God brings another charge. He brings another charge. Not only are they ungrateful, but they also positively dishonor Yahweh. They positively dishonor Yahweh.
Not only do they not recognize His love, they don't recognize His worth. They don't recognize His majesty. They don't recognize His glorious person. They don't recognize the gravity of His person. Not only do they not love Him as they should, they don't fear Him as they should. They don't respect Him as they should. They don't reverence Him as they should. This is the charge we see in verse 6. This is our first point tonight. I want us to see the charge of dishonor, the charge of dishonor.
Verse 6: "A son honors his father, a slave his master. Then if I’m a father, where is My honor? And if I’m a master, where is the fear of Me?" says Yahweh of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, "How have we despised Your name?" The people, especially represented in the priests, are guilty of despising the name of God, dishonoring the living God, the true and living God.
They've dishonored Him in every way. And God drives this home by mentioning here two specific ways that He is dishonored. He underscores two specific ways. The first one, He tells them, they dishonored Him relationally. They dishonored Him relationally. A son honors his father. Israel is God's son. God chose to relate Himself to His people, to this people, the chosen ones, as a Father.
In fact, you remember the language, I trust, from Exodus chapter 4 and verse 21 and following. Listen to the language: "And Yahweh said to Moses, 'When you go to return to Egypt, see to it that all of the miraculous wonders which I put in your hand, that you do them before Pharaoh. But as for Me, I will harden his heart with strength so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I said to you, let My son go, that he may serve Me, but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"'
When you have more time—and I'm not going to read it tonight—but you just can read Isaiah chapters 63 and 64. God just drives this truth home, how in His great grace and mercy He has related Himself to Israel like a Father. The book of Hosea; turn with me. I love that chapter. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible concerning who God is and His love. Hosea chapter 11, beginning with verse 1, just listen to the language: "When Israel was a youth, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, the more they went from them. They kept sacrificing to the boughs and burning incense to graven images. Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love. And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down and fed them."
What an imagery. I bent down and fed them. "They will not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria—He will be their king. As they refuse to return to Me, and the sword will whirl against their cities and will consume their gate bars and devour them because of their counsels. So My people are hung up on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, none at all exalts Him."
Wow. Now watch this. In spite of this blatant disobedience, stubborn rebellion, listen to what God says next. Verse 8: "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I give you over to be like Edmah? How can I make you like Ziboim? My heart is turned over within Me, all My compassions are stirred. I will not execute My burning anger, I will not make Ephraim a ruin again, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after Yahweh. He will roar like a lion, indeed He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will settle them in their houses," declares Yahweh.
Oh, they're going to suffer—the rod of God, the disciplining rod of God, the disciplining hand of God—but He's not done with them. He's not finished. He won't utterly give them up. He will call His children and eventually establish them in their homeland. God has related Himself to them like a Father, and yet the question is here: "A son honors his father. If I'm a Father, where's My honor? Where's My honor?"
So they have dishonored God relationally. But secondly, they dishonored God reverentially. They've dishonored God reverentially also. That is, if you were even to forget all that God has done for Israel from a relational point of view, if we just think of the honor that God deserves as God, as Creator, as Sustainer, as Sovereign, they don't even give Him that. They don't even give Him that. Not only do they not relate to Him as a Father, they don't tremble before Him as a Master.
"A son honors his father and a slave his master. Then if I'm a Father, where's My honor? And if I'm a Master, where is the fear of Me?" says Yahweh of Hosea. If you consider the kind of honor and fear that's given in the human realm, and then you compare what Israel is doing toward God, it is absolutely astounding. Sons honor fathers, slaves respect masters, tremble before masters. God is the perfect Father. He is the perfect Master. And yet men will give honor to fathers and not honor God, and men will give fear to the masters—earthly masters—but not tremble before Almighty God, the Sovereign One of heaven and earth.
In fact, the priests are despising Him. This is His charge: You dishonor Me. You don't reverence Me. You don't fear Me. You don't respect Me, as you should. But notice the second point. First, you have the charge, but secondly, notice the challenge—the challenge to the charge. And verse 6 says, "Yahweh of Hosea, O priest who despised My name." But you say, "How have we despised Your name?"
"You are presenting defiled food upon My altar." But you say, "How have we defiled You?" God is revealing, as He puts what is in their minds and hearts into their mouths, into words in the text here. What God is demonstrating is that the priests don't feel the weight of their dishonor towards God. They don't see it. They're blind to it. They have no concept whatsoever how offensive their lives have become before God. They have no real sense of how inappropriate and wicked their attitudes; their behaviors are.
But do you notice how God describes it in verse 8 when He says, "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?" This isn't just inappropriate. He says flat out—He's right flat out—He says it is wicked. It's pure evil. But they're blind to it. These are the priests. They're blind to it. They say, "Oh, how have we dishonored You? What are You talking about? Are You serious? Are You for real, God? How have we despised You? How have we defiled You?"
And God responds. He answers: by your attitude and by your actions concerning the entire sacrificial system that I ordained, that I Myself have commanded. But you say, "How have we despised Your name?" "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar." But you say, "How have we defiled You?" "In that you say the table of Yahweh is to be despised."
And this gets to our third point. So you have the charge. You have the charge disputed—the challenge, the charge refused on the part of the people. They're arguing with God. The third thing I want us to see is the evidence for the charge—the evidence. The charge, the challenge, and then the evidence. Let's begin to get to the details of it. You don't see it, He says. You're blind to it. So let Me bring it to your attention. Let Me underscore that. Let Me highlight. Let Me make it clear to you—plain.
Number one, He says, you are dishonoring Me, first of all, by what you bring. By what you bring. What you bring to sacrifice, to offer in My temple. Verse 8, "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? When you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil?" Putting it in the human realm, talking about what they might be ashamed to bring to a governor, He goes on to say, "Please, bring it near to your governor. Go ahead, bring it. Would he accept you? Would he accept you? Would he lift up any of your faces?" says Yahweh of hosts. I mean, if your governor would not receive such an offering or such offerings, do you think I will?
The people were to bring the cream of the crop. They were to bring their best. They were to bring what was unblemished. They were to bring that which was without defect. This is what the law of God taught. The reason why God's law required such a thing was to drive home the message of the holiness of God, that I am God and I am holy, holy, holy. Again and again, the book of Leviticus, He gives the law, He gives the commands, He gives the stipulation, the priesthood, and He says, "For I, the Lord, am holy. I'm holy”. Drive home the message of the holiness of God, what God is worthy of, and also the picture of the One in whom God would grant deliverance to His people.
And keep in mind in all of this, beloved, that all of the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to that one and only sacrifice, THE sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb of God. He's the Lamb unspotted. He's the Lamb unblemished, perfect, and this is what would be required for the forgiveness of our sins and for our worship to be made acceptable to God. And you and I, beloved, we worship through Jesus Christ, the one and only Mediator. It is in Christ's perfect righteousness and only in His righteousness that whatever we offer, whatever we bring to God could ever be acceptable to Him. It is through Christ, only through Him.
Will you turn with me to Leviticus 22? Leviticus 22, look at verse 17. "Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them, "Any man of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel who bring near his offering, whether it is any of their votive,"'—like a vow made—'"or any of their freewill offerings which they bring near to Yahweh for a burnt offering, for you to be accepted,"'—God is giving now the—He's setting the ordained means and rules and all of that—'"it must be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats. Whatever has a defect, you shall not"—listen to this, beloved, God made it very specific, unmistakable—'"you shall not bring it near, for it will not be accepted for you. And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for freewill offering of the herd or of the flock, here it is, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it."'"
Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh or make them an offering by fire on the altar of Yahweh. Verse 23, now in respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may offer it for a freewill offering, but for a votive offering it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not bring it near to Yahweh, and you shall not do thus in your land, nor shall you bring near any such thing from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God, for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.
You see it? It was clear. It was unmistakable. Do not bring such things. And yet, what are they bringing? Unbelievable. What are they bringing? They're bringing the blind. They're bringing the lame. They're bringing the sick. The blemished. Verse 13, they're even bringing that which has been taken by how? Robbery. By robbery. "You bring what was taken by robbery, what is lame or sick, and you bring the offering. Should I accept that from your hands," says Yahweh?
The law of God was clear, crystal clear, and they're bringing substitutes in the place of what was their best. They have better to offer. Better to offer. The problem is not that they don't have anything else to offer. Verse 14: "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." You keep the best for yourself, and you give God your leftovers. You bring Me what you don't want. You wouldn't do that for a human governor, would you? But you do that for Me. You do that to Me, says God.
Why do you say we're dishonoring You? Why do you say we're defiling You? Well, look at what you're bringing Me, God says. What they bring is the problem, but also what is revealed by what they bring also is the problem. What is revealed by what they bring. Do you notice how God is driving home His greatness in this text? How He's underscoring it, highlighting it, making it clear. Verse 14 makes it so clear: "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." Why? He gives a reason: "For I am a great King," that's the reason, says Yahweh of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."
What they're revealing by what they're bringing—don't miss this, beloved—what they're revealing by what they're bringing is their low view of God. They dishonor Him in their minds and in their hearts before they dishonor Him by their behavior, by their actions. What they bring reveals what they think of God, what they carry in their hearts and their minds towards God.
And I want us to notice that while the people are guilty because they're the ones who are bringing the offerings, God is addressing the priests because they're accepting these offerings from the people. The guardians of the temple, the law—like people are the priests. They're no different. The priests can't call the people to a higher standard. Why? Because the priests have a low view of God themselves. That's why I entitled the message, Polluted People, Polluted Priests. Because the defiled table is just a reflection of the defiled priest. So God is taking issue with the leaders, and the reason is you're not calling the people to a higher standard because this is your attitude towards Me, God would say. This is your attitude, and what God makes clear is that their worship was corrupt because their perspectives were corrupt.
Notice with me, beloved, and this is important, the absence of weightiness in their worship. The absence of weightiness in their worship. God is not weighty as they approach Him. The absence of weightiness in their worship—there is no sense of reverence in it. Verse 12: "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.'"
Now what does that mean when you read, "In that you say the table of the Lord is defiled"? Well, that's just a way of saying it's unclean. The altar—it's unclean, or to say it a different way, it's not really set apart. It's not really holy. Nothing holy about the altar. Holiness is not required here, really. That's an overkill. The altar is common, which means that the fruit of the altar, which is put on the altar, can be despised. It can be thought of lightly. To be despised here, in this case, it really means to really view it as light, to view it lightly, not as weighty.
They view their approach to God as though it were common. Nothing holy about the altar. Therefore, nothing weighty about the offerings. And so we can bring our blind. No big deal. We can bring our lame. We can bring our blemished, blemished animals because this really isn't a really big of a deal. We're doing what we've been told to do, but it's not really that weighty. I mean, we're doing it after all. We're taking time, and we're giving of what we have, so that should be enough.
There's the absence of weightiness in their worship. But what is equally disturbing as what is missing from their worship—that sense of reverence for God—what is equally disturbing, beloved, is what is present in their worship. Equally disturbing. And God gives voice to that. God gives voice—something very offensive that is present in their worship—and look at it in the text in verse 13. You know what it is? Weariness. Weariness. "You also say, 'Behold, how tiresome it is!' and you disdainfully sniff at it," says Yahweh of hosts. This is tiresome. We're tired of this. Here they're bringing what was offensive to God, and if that weren't enough, they're bringing it with an attitude that said, we would rather be doing something else. We would rather be somewhere else doing something else.
One commentator put it this way, and I quote: "Even their performance of temple duties is a bother to these priests who clearly would rather be doing something else. They consider their ministry to be a wearisome thing. Its responsibility, something to brush off as hardly worth their time. They go through the motions because it's expected of them, but there's no joy, no satisfaction in it. Rather than take the trouble to ensure that the work of the temple is carried out properly in every detail, the officiants at worship accept any kind of animal from the people, whether it be stolen, lame, or sick, all of which sorts of offerings are strictly forbidden in the law."
And he goes on to say, "No wonder the Lord asked, 'Should I accept them from your hands?' Implicit in the question is whether not only the sacrifices, but also the priests in their service are worthy of His approbation."
The absence of weightiness, the presence of weariness—but there's something more disturbing: the presence of deception. Verse 14, look at it. The presence of deception . "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." The kind of worshipper here described in verse 14 is described as a cheat, a spiritual cheat, a fraud—a fraud. This person purposes one thing at some point in time, but then when he sits and thinks about it more, and when it actually comes time to perform what he vowed, he now counts the performance of it to be, well, too costly for him. It's too much. It's too much.
So what he does—he substitutes something in its place. You know, God, You understand, I would have given You this. That's what I've considered from afar, but now that it comes right down to it, it's just too costly, too much. So here You go. This is what I think You're worth. And they give God the leftovers. And it seems that what God is describing here was something publicly committed to, and so this amounts to a spiritual sleight of hand. You make a promise in the presence of others that you're going to give this, but then you count it to be too costly, so you give something else in its place.
Do you realize that you can sin against God in something that was purely voluntary in the first place? That is, you weren't commanded to do it in the beginning, to begin with. You didn't have to do it. You volunteered to do it, but then you sin against God in the way that you execute it because you're a spiritual hypocrite. To use the language here of Malachi, you're a spiritual cheat. You will leave the impression in the eyes of others that you're one kind of a person, when in reality, you're another kind of person.
And this was repeated later on, has been repeated many times throughout the history of redemption, but there's one glaring case that we can all remember very well, and that is the case of Malachi. A glaring case that we can all remember very vividly, right? A couple who promised one thing publicly when they were not required to, but they did, and then they came bringing something completely different. God taught an unforgettable lesson to an infant church in the way that He dealt with that first couple, because if God dealt with everyone who did this in the same way, there would be a lot of funerals.
Turn to Acts 5. Acts 5:1: "A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, kept back some of the price for himself with his wife's full knowledge." There's no misunderstanding here. She was completely on board. "And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet." Apparently, they had made a public commitment that they were going to sell this piece of property and bring the whole amount, and they came representing that they were bringing the whole amount. But in fact, they were really keeping a part of this to themselves, back for themselves, and now they bring the rest and lay it before the apostles. Verse 3- “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God’. And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last, and a great fear came over all who heard. And the young men rose up and wrapped him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now, there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you were paid this much for the land?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that much.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.’ And immediately she fell at the feet, at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And a great fear came over the whole church and over all who heard these things.”
Wow. God is waiting. So the charge is, where's My honor? Where's My respect? Where's My fear? The challenge, the challenge, the charge: How? How have we dishonored You? You can't be serious, God. How did we despise Your name?
Here's the evidence: by what you bring and by how you bring it. By what you bring and how you bring it. You have violated My law. You have disregarded My commands. You wouldn't even bring to a human governor what you're bringing to Me, which leads to the fourth heading we see in this text: the verdict, the verdict.
Now the prosecuting attorney serves as the judge. He is the Judge of judges. He has indicted His people for their sins. Now He pronounces the verdict. Verse 10, God says, I want you to stop. Just stop. Just stop. Stop it. “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates," talking about the temple activity, "just shut the doors enough that you might not light fire on My altar in vain." Your offerings are in vain. They're worthless. They need to stop. Just stop. Stop.
Secondly, He tells them not only to stop, but He tells them something else. "I have no delight in you." These are cutting words. Piercing words. "I have no delight in you," says Yahweh of hosts. You know, I find it interesting. Very interesting. He doesn't say, "I have no pleasure in these things." He doesn't say, "I have no delight in these things," in your offerings. No, no. Though obviously He didn't. But rather, look how He puts it: "I have no delight in you."
The offering simply reflects the offerer—the heart—your heart. "I see your heart," He says, "and I have no delight in you," says Yahweh our host, so that God refuses what they offer. "Nor will I accept an offering from your hand." He starts with the heart and He goes to the hand. It's always with God that way. I don't care what you bring, you must repent. You are the problem. The heart is the problem. And until there's a change in you, there's nothing that I will receive from your hand. Shut the doors. Stop playing church.
In fact, God curses the one who offers like these people do, like these priests do. "But cursed," verse 14, "be the swindler who has a male flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." You are under a curse. Not only will I not receive it, but I will judge such behavior and offerings.
Walter Kaiser said this, and I quote: "Malachi took dead aim at the priest of his day and delivered a stinging indictment of their careless, haphazard, and profane service to the living God. He then enlarges the scope of his message to include all who worship God in a similarly unacceptable way, saying, 'But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.'"
He goes on to say, "Suddenly in a context primarily addressed to priest or the clergy, the focus was extended to include any and all who are indulging in the same kind of practices. While the priests were wrong for accepting it, the people were wrong for bringing it." End of quote.
And then God does something that really ought to weigh down upon our conscience. God does something that really ought to really rest on us. He promises that His name will be honored. God promises that His name will be honored. "You dishonor My name, but My name will be honored. You don't give Me respect, but I will be respected. I'll get it."
Verse 11, "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting"—and you get the picture, from the rising to the setting, from where the sun comes up to where the sun goes down, the whole globe, the whole planet—"My name will be great among the nations. In every place incense is going to be presented to My name as well as a grain offering that is clean, for My name will be great among the nations," says Yahweh of hosts. His name is really wrapped up—in that name is all of His characteristics, His glory, His attributes.
Then He repeats it in verse 14, "For I’m a great King," says Yahweh of hosts. "My name is feared among the nations." So here's what you and I need to get, beloved. This is what ought to rest on us. It ought to. Let us not miss this. Let us not leave this place without really having this really resting upon us.
The question is not whether the day will come when God's name will be properly acknowledged, when people will sense and know the worth of God, when people recognize His majesty and respond to Him as is appropriate. That day is coming. It's inevitable. But the question is: where do we stand in relationship to that day? "I will be honored," God says. Now you dishonor Me. The problem is not for God. It's not. You see, God is worthy whether we ever acknowledge it or not. He is worthy whether we acknowledge it or not, and one day the whole world will acknowledge it.
The question is: will you be among those who acknowledge it in love and acceptance and worship and reverence, or will you be one who acknowledges it on a bended knee that lived out its lifespan in rebellion towards God? Where will you stand? Where will you stand? The other question is: is His worth being realized by you right now?
The sins that are on display here—let me ask this evening as I'm trying to bring this to a close—the sins that are on display here, were these things written down here in Malachi? Here's the question: were they just written down for Malachi and Malachi's generation? Or did God know of a congregation sitting in Markham, Ontario in 2025 when these words were penned? Is it just for them, or does this instruct us about our worship?
1 Corinthians 10:11 settles it, right? It just settles it. It's one place; there are many others. "These things happened to them as an example and they were written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived." Makes it clear, doesn't it? So it's not just for them, it's also for us.
And so I'll finish tonight by asking us some questions. And I pray to God that the Holy Spirit will bring those questions to bear upon your conscience and mine this evening. Are we dishonoring God in our worship? Are we refusing Him what should be His from the standpoint of relationship and reverence? If you say Christ is your Lord, then God is your Father. And if you know that you're to honor a human father, shouldn't you honor your perfect Heavenly Father also? If God has loved you, if in His great grace He chose you for salvation and brought you to Himself and rescued your life, should you not honor Him?
And consider our God from the standpoint of His sovereignty, His Lordship—Creator, Sustainer, *El Gibborr* ( אֵל גִּבּוֹר), Almighty God. Just consider Him now as a Master—*Kyrios* (κύριος) Despot. Should you not fear Him? Should you not reverence Him? Take an account of your life and ask yourself, as I had to ask my own self: does this look like love in my life? How I'm living right now, does this look like loving God? Is this what reverence for God looks like in a life?
And then I would ask us to examine what we're presenting to God, what we call worship. We came tonight to worship, didn't we? We came tonight to worship God. We came this morning to worship God together corporately, to do corporately what you and I are called to do every single day. So we bring to God, we give to God worship. Consider what we call worship, and then ask this question: is my heart in it? Is your heart in it? Do you bring out your best?
How many times we've heard this? Maybe you've said it yourself. Oh, I've got this big meeting Tuesday morning. I mean, it's huge. It's a big meeting. You know what? Because it's a huge meeting; critical meeting, Tuesday morning, I'm just going to make sure that I am rested, prepared for the meeting the next day. My mind needs to be sharp. I need to be at my best. I wonder how many of those conversations have taken place in households in our midst over the years. I've got a big meeting tomorrow. I've got a big deal going on. I've got this big thing going on and, you know, I've got to make sure that I'm ready for this.
I wonder how we prepare for Sunday morning. How we approach our time in the Word, prayer. What do you occupy your mind and heart with as you prepare for the Lord's Day? As you come into this place to meet with the living God, for the reading of Scripture, the singing of songs, and the hearing of sermons, how much real thought do you even give to being ready for such meetings? And what are you presenting that you're calling worship? What am I presenting that I'm calling worship? Could it be that you wouldn't even give that kind of preparation to your boss? To a job interview? But you'll give it to God.
And then I wonder if the truth be known, how many of us are just like those priests in that we continue to do what we do because we know we should. We do what we do because we know it's expected of us, but if our hearts could be unveiled, there's weariness in it. It's tiresome. I mean, it's really something else we would rather be doing. Somewhere else. Listen to Walter Kaiser again. And I quote, "They complain too if the Word of God is still being expounded upon for more than the anticipated half an hour." End of quote.
Do you realize that the things we gather to do, that we didn't invent? The gathering together of the saints for the reading of Scripture, for the singing of songs, spiritual songs, and Scripture songs, and for the declaration of the Word of God, and for the mutual exhortation of the saints, for prayer. Do you realize we didn't invent this? God gave us these things. And He said, now this is how I want you to worship Me. In fact, I don't want you to neglect these things. It's the manner of some, but you don't let it be your manner also. When the church gathers, be present. "Hebrews 10:25."
And yet how many find two services a week to be wearisome? Considering the drive here, the drive home, the length of the worship services, and let's not include corporate prayer meeting. I mean, two and a half hours in a week. It's just too much. How wearisome. And so we come and say, here's my worship. Ah, but where's your heart? Where's your desire? Where's your zeal? Do you understand the worth of God? Do you understand that you and I didn't invent this? God gave us these things, and we honor Him by believing Him regarding the means that He uses, not only to save us, but to transform us into the image of His Son—means of sanctification. Do you want to honor the One who will be honored? He's going to be honored. Do you want to honor Him?
I find it really interesting how many times you find this description of God in the verses we just read. Those words again and again and again—Yahweh of hosts, Yahweh of hosts, Yahweh of hosts. Isn't that amazing? He's the Lord of the armies of heaven. He's the Lord of heaven and earth. Holy angels cover their face, cover their feet in His presence, and cry out, "Holy, Holy, Holy." He's honored in heaven, and here they were on earth, bringing blind, lame, blemished, second best to Him. What blindness. How sad.
One day we're going to meet Yahweh of hosts face to face. Yahweh is the Lord of hosts, and Jesus is one with the Father. He commands the armies of heaven. Listen to the words found in Revelation 19:11: "His name is also called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wrath of the rage of God the Almighty. And He has on His garment and on His tie a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Jesus, Jehovah Jesus, is Yahweh of hosts. The One who is coming, the Lord Jesus Christ—He's honored in heaven. He will be honored on earth.
Do you want to honor Him? Does your worship, my worship, honor Him? Did today honor Him? John 5:22, "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." Our worship, beloved, must acknowledge the worth of God to be worshiped. Worship is acknowledging God's worth, and that means that we bring to Him our very best. Our very best.
It means that we recognize His majesty, His greatness. It means that we honor Him as the perfect Father, that we reverence Him as the perfect Lord. It means that we obey His Word. We don't bring what He expressly commands us not to bring, and it means that we worship Him. We don't count it when we worship Him as a weariness, tiresome. We count it a privilege. We count it a delight. We count it joy, exceeding joy. Do we battle with our weariness, with the remaining corruption? Of course we do, but we press on by the grace of God. Oh, God, help my heart catch up with my head. This is, beloved, the best day of the week. We worship Him every day, and then we get to come together and give worship to our great King. He will be honored all over this planet. Let Him be honored here in this place.
You know, I couldn't help this week in preparation but think about the fact that what we see here—it was very convicting. What we see here is like the priests were the people, like the people were the priests. See, if you're the one calling, you can't call them to a higher standard than you yourself are committed to. And so I want to address my fellow elders this evening before God's people. If we desire for this church to be a worshiping church, then we must be worshiping elders. If we desire for this church to acknowledge the worth of God, then, my fellow brothers, we must acknowledge ourselves the worth of God.
And if we desire for this church to be zealous for God, not counting it weariness to serve Him, then we must be men who clearly reflect the fact that we wouldn't rather be somewhere else doing something else. That we will gladly spend and be spent. And as for us and as for our families, we resolve that we're going to serve the Lord. That is the standard. May God help us.
Let's pray.
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