Do we fear G-d? Over and over in the Scripture, G-d’s people are called to fear Him (Ps 34:9, Rev 14:7). Although the fear of G-d does mean respecting or reverencing G-d, it also means that we need to give Him priority over every aspect of our lives. This means that we need to be subjected to Him, in submission to Him. When we make G-d the priority in our lives, He will begin to instruct us, through His Holy Spirit, and He will give us wisdom, understanding and knowledge in order that we will know His will (Prov 9:10). The fear of the L-rd positions us (in our perspective, as well as in placing us in the correct location/position) whereby we are able to do the will of G-d. It is only when we are in the will of G-d that G-d can move in our lives to bring us joy, satisfaction, peace and contentment. The fear of G-d causes a change to occur in our lives. It helps us to become more sensitive to the instructions/commandments of G-d.
v1: Now: A word that carries with it a sense of urgency (Mal 1:9)
· Priests: The priests were casual and careless, doing nothing to stop the worthless sacrifices that were being offered up. They were not committed to the Holiness of G-d. They were not behaving in the way that G-dly leaders should behave.
· This commandment: This is the commandment that relates to them being called as priests. One of the primary things a priest was called to do was to teach the Word of G-d to the people and to oversee the sacrificial service (Deut 33:10). In the days of Malachi, the priests were not fulfilling these commandments because they did not revere G-d – He was not the priority in their lives.
v2: Will not hear: They are not listening.
· You will not take it to heart (thoughts): This is a Hebrew idiom that means to pay attention to. The problem is that the priests were not paying attention, they were not thinking properly. They were not sensitive to the commandments of G-d. When we are insensitive to the commandments of G-d it is an indication that we are not interested in glorifying G-d. The priests were not demonstrating love toward G-d (1 John 5:3), but instead they were behaving according to the desires of their flesh. This is unacceptable to G-d.
· Name: Name is synonymous with character. G-d is Holy. He is righteous. He is the Almighty Judge and L-rd overall. As such, we need to come before Him humbly, with fear and trembling (Ps 2:11, Ps 119:120, Phil 2:12).
· Send a curse upon you: There are two ways that G-d works in the lives of those who are in a covenantal relationship with Him. He either works mightily to bless us – if we are walking in faith and demonstrating His priority – or, if, He is not working to bless us, He is working to curse. That curse acts as a message to the one who is not receiving G-d’s blessing (joy, peace, etc) that something is wrong. G-d is not pleased with them. That curse is a call to repentance and to change (Heb 12:6-11).
· I will curse your blessings: In the original, this is not written in the future tense. These priests have already suffered loss. They have already experienced judgment because, for a period of time, they have not been faithful, they have been insensitive to the Word of G-d and have not shown Him glory or respect. They have not honoured Him. They have not walked before Him in love. They have not revered His Name, His character. They did not demonstrate that G-d was the priority in their lives and because of this they had suffered loss.
· I have cursed them already: He was going to curse the priesthood and the calling that they had. This means that He was not going to bless their call because they were not paying attention. Their service to G-d was inadequate.
· You do not take it to heart: Not paying attention. Not thinking about what they were doing. We need to position our hearts, our minds, so that we can consider the things that are important to G-d. We need to think about, and do, the things that are pleasing to G-d (Phil 4:8-9)
v3: Descendants: Seed. Offspring. Because of their insensitivity to the commandments of G-d, and their indifference to His call on their lives, G-d is going to move against them. This will not only have implications for them but was also going to impact their offspring, future generations.
· Refuse: Dung. Excrement
· Refuse of your solemn feasts (festivals): They went to Jerusalem for the festivals that G-d had commanded them to celebrate but they celebrated these festivals in a carnal way. They celebrated to please themselves and gave no thought to how G-d truly required these festivals to be celebrated. They were indifferent to true worship. True worship is not there to please us. We need to worship in a way that pleases G-d.
· It will take you away unto it: Like dung is swept up and taken away so too were they going to be swept up like dung and removed from the priesthood.
v4: You shall know that I have sent: G-d is not going to be idle. These are indeed His covenant people; therefore G-d is going to move in a way so that they will know that He is displeased or dissatisfied with their leadership.
· Levi: The tribe of Levi – those who had the calling to be priests (Num 3:5-13)
v5: (The) life: The definite article ‘the’ (in the original) makes this life very specific. It is a specific quality of life – abundant life (John 10:10)
· Peace: Peace is related to the fulfilment of G-d’s will. G-d desires to bless His children and give them good gifts (James 1:17). However, we may be in a position whereby G-d is unwilling to bless us because we are living indifferently to Him, and because we may lack a reverence or a fear of the L-rd. He desires, however, to bless His children with life and peace.
· Fear: Fearing G-d means serving and honouring Him properly, demonstrating love for Him. When we fear G-d the outcome of that is life and peace. When we recognize what G-d wants to do in our lives, the plans that He has for it, then we are going to give Him priority (another way of saying that we are going to fear Him).
· He feared Me and was reverent before My Name: When we fear G-d and demonstrate His character then we will have a proper testimony.
v6: The law of Truth was in his mouth: The priesthood used to teach truth and they needed to start teaching it once again.
· Injustice: Wickedness, unrighteousness.
· In peace: Meaning in the fulfilment of G-d’s will. We are going to be recipients of what G-d wants us to have. When we submit to the enemy, we are going to suffer loss – losing the things that bring us joy. We will not experience peace in our lives when G-d is not the priority in it.
· In peace and equity (uprightness): If we are following where G-d is leading us, if we are walking with Him, then we are going to experience peace and uprightness. Uprightness reflects the character of G-d.
· Turned many away from iniquity: As disciples of Yeshua, and as a royal priesthood (1 Pt 2:9) this is one of our purposes in life – to turn people away from iniquity.