A person’s character will always predicate their actions. As soon as we understand someone’s character, we know how they will respond to a situation. Never trust a liar, disrespectful people are disrespectful…… People who make rash decisions will always do so. People wasteful with money, will always make poor financial decisions…..A kind person shows kindness to everyone…You can’t stop a generous person from giving.
What I like most about the Old Testament is that it reveals God’s character. Through each of those stories, God’s character is always the same…… God’s character determines how He acts. …….
What we see in Malachi, is not always easy to understand as we live in a different time, but it gives us an insight into God’s character and His ways. How He interacts with man and His expectations.
Essentially, today’s passage tells us that the God of the universe loves humans so much that He gives them the opportunity to be associated with Him. The opportunity to worship Him and to bring Him glory.
What He won’t tolerate is those who say they worship God, but are liars and cheats. They just do it for their own glory and not with their whole hearts. Who ‘worship’ contemptuously. People must either worship God focused on Him or not worship Him at all.
Read the passage:
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.
“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.”
I’m thinking…
Why does God bother with this question answer approach?
Why does he not just say it like it is? I am God and you must listen.
The people are not of course actually challenging Him. This would be downright disrespectful.
God is reading their hearts, assuming what the likely come back could be.
Is God always right? YES
Are we allowed to question?YES
What is the point of questioning God if He is always right?
Hmmm!
Do you and I question God?
Is it a sign of lack of faith?
As a teacher I can tell you that the most difficult thing is to engage the children. To have children thinking about the content and ideas. To have them mull a concept over and allow it to sink in. The whole point of teaching is to engage the children, otherwise typed up notes would suffice…
When children ask questions, then we know that learning is taking place.
Is the lack of engagement in understanding God also a problem in the church? YES.
Even Lawrence said… mind drifts
We don’t ask enough questions.
If you are teaching a class and there are no questions then only one thing is certain. No one is bothering to engage with you. No one is learning. They are in their own worlds. You have to guess where the gaps in understanding are.
A Christian who questions, wants to learn. Wants to grow.
God is putting words in the mouths of the people.
Hey! I said I love you. But… You might ask. How do I love you?
I said that you show contempt for my name… you should be asking, how do I do this? …so that you can learn.
God wants us to take the things of God onboard in a deep way… He wants to engage with us about these things.
Questions are good.
This 2nd dispute is about the lack of honour and respect that God gets from the Israelites, when It comes to worship, and the sacrifices associated with worship.
Especially from those who say they will give the best and then don’t.
The accusation about their attitude is best summed up in verse 12. And you say, “What a burden!” and you sniff at it contemptuously”
God seems put out here that the Israelites are not honouring Him, not respecting Him.
He rightly says that He is a great king. His name will be revered across the whole earth. Pure offerings will be brought to Him. Reflecting on the age of the church and beyond..
Why the big fuss about these Israelites? Why does He not just move on?
He is God, He doesn’t need mere humans to give him honour.
Acts 17
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
If God is so put out by it, why does He not just wipe them all out?
The answer sits in last week's sermon or dispute. God loves the Israelites… He loves us… He wants us to have life and life to the full. He wants us to fulfill our purpose. And our purpose is to bring Glory to God. This is why we were made.
Isaiah 43:7
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
If not bringing glory to God our lives are limited and cannot be fulfilling… This is about Him… but it is also about us and the opportunity to worship… He wants this for us because He loves us…
In addition to this, we are made to be beings that worship. If we are not worshipping God then we are worshipping something else. No matter where you go in the World, gods are worshiped. Look around at the Pop idols, politicians and sports stars of the world. They are worshiped. This is a part of our DNA, our instinct, we are made like this. We have an internal drive to worship…
If we don’t glorify God we will glorify something else ……..with the appropriate repercussions.
Romans 1
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
And the results of this worship…
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
In contrast to this there are consequences for worshipping God…
God through Malachi draws a parallel between our relationship with God and with our Fathers. A father deserves honour and so does God. The consequence for honouring your parents is a that ‘we may live long in the land’ . It is that people who worship God who are a people who will succeed. Who will fulfill their purpose and live life to the full.
Are you and I like these Israelites who pay lip service to God? Who come to church once a week and then do as we wish? Do we offer left overs? Second rate offerings… Stuart, do you give the best of what you have to God? If not then maybe this passage is talking to me… Do we treat God like a chore?
You say NO!!! Of course not… but
How do we bring Glory to God? How do we give Him the very best? We don’t sacrifice sheep and goats anymore…..
To honour something or someone is to value that thing.
To hold it in high esteem. The esteem due to that valuable thing.
To honour is to regard something of value with great respect.
How do we do this? Practically… today?
I am genuinely asking…
If we want to be people who worship God as He deserves and desires… What do we practically have to do?
These people show God contempt with their sacrifices and their attitudes… do we?
I thought it would be useful to use God’s parallel. His own idea… and see if we can make our giving honour to God a practical thing.
Vs 6 A son honours his father… where is the honour due to me?
So think with me… Many of you are parents and all of you were children… How do you honour your parents?
You might have better ideas, but how about these? I found them on the internet. How to honour your parents…. But also many of them are practical ways to glorify God..
1. Tell Them You Love Them. A simple “I love you” can go a long way! There are not many things that a parent appreciates more than an I love you from their child. It ranks closely with, “You are the second best dad ever”
Would it be honouring to God to tell Him that we love Him? Yes…. It places God where He really wants to be in our hearts……we need to be telling God, confessing with our moths that we love him. The very definition of love is sacrifice… to put God’s interests ahead of my own..
2. Show Appreciation. Let your parents know that you understand what they do for you and your family.
Thanking God. Acknowledging His presence and blessing and His love. Acknowledging that He is the source of all the good in our lives, not me. How often do we thank God for His goodness to us?
3. Do a Chore for Your Parents. This one is a bit different because if we do the Lord’s work we are not saving him from doing it. Someone else will do it.
But serving God brings glory to His name and is a direct sacrifice honouring to His name. It must be amazing if your child volunteers to help out… It must be a sign that you have succeeded as a parent… That our child gets it.
Are we involved in His service? God’s name is honoured when you and I serve with gladness.
4. Show Love to Your Siblings. Make an effort to get to know and understand each other and get along as often as possible.
What a fantastic way to bring glory to God. Get to know the saints. Don’t slip out as soon as you can on a Sunday morning. God loves everyone of His children and it brings him great joy to see us caring for each other.
By this everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another.
5. Plan a Family Game Night or Adventure. Your parents will appreciate your creativity and will be excited to spend time with you and the rest of your family.
Attending social events together… camp… enjoying each others company brings glory to God.
6. Take an Interest in Their Hobbies. Show interest in something your parents love. Take the time to learn a new skill or do those activities with them.
Pick up the guitar, sing along to worship music in the car. Become a councelor. Help the poor and needy. These are things that separate us out from the World…
7. Listen to Their Stories. Ask your parents to tell you about what life was like when they were a teenager. This does not just show an interest in them, it gives a deeper understanding of them.
Yes, yes. Read God’s Word. He is in the stories. There is so much that He wants us to know. He prepared this book for us to learn and to get to know Him. Reading the Bible will give us a much greater understanding of who He is and what he wants from us.
8. Share Your Stories with Them. Communicate with your parents. Tell them about your day, dreams, struggles, and aspirations.
Really? Does God want to hear from us? About daily non-sense? Yes. How did Adam worship? He walked each day in the cool of the evening… Just talked. Pure Worship.
9. Ask Them for Their Opinion. Your parents have a lot of experience and wisdom to share. Asking for advice not only shows them that you value their insight but helps you grow as well.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you
Not just very useful to have God's wisdom, but honouring to God that we value His wisdom over our own. Deferring to His Wisdom. And then following that wisdom brings Glory to him by our lives.
10. Tell the Truth. Always be honest with your parents. This will build trust between you. Christians who are known to be trustworthy bring Glory to God.
11. Don’t Talk Back When you disagree with your parents or are feeling emotional, it’s easy to be disrespectful.
Address God with respect. The temptation is to be over familiar with God. Our prayers should be honest and straight yet always remembering that we are talking to God… Disrespect is precisely what the Israelites are accused of…
12. Speak Well of Your Parents. Whether in public or private, make sure to keep your parents in high esteem by the things you say about them. Honor your father and mother by only speaking highly of them.
Our words matter. What we say about God, His people and our church can bring honour or dishonour to God.
13. Research Your Geneology. Investigating your family’s history with your parents can be an excellent way to learn about your relatives and unearth some incredible family stories.
‘Brothers in an endless chain’... We are brothers in an endless chain. Knowing church history and the giants of the Faith. This gives our faith context… And shows our interest in God’s people… It is not just about me and my problems…
14. Serve Others with Them.
Neville always used to say, “We are not working for God, we are working with God” That semantic shift changes many things. It grows our relationship with God, but it also shifts both the glory and the responsibility from us to Him.
15. Be Aware of Your Reactions. When you feel frustrated, angry, and emotional, it’s so easy to react strongly. Try to behave in calm and respectful ways when you disagree with your parents.
When we are under stress our true character and attitude is revealed. This is a great test. How do we react to others in the church? How do we feel about ‘yet another’ meeting?
16. Be Teachable. When they offer you advice, be intentional about learning from their stories.
Children of God who have great respect for our father are always learning. They never feel that they know better than all others. They are humble and look to learn. When we feel that we understand all then we are furthest from God and His glory.
17. Plan Time with Your Parents. Schedule time on the calendar to spend one-on-one with your dad or your mom. Put the phones and devices away and use that time to get to know each other.
Do you and I have time for God? If not then perhaps we are treating Him with disdain. The first sign of respect for God should be that we can put a bit of time aside each day to spend with Him.
How would you do on this ‘test’? As a son? Not great. As a Christain and child of God, I’m afraid that I am way off the mark.
Something to contemplate… Do I respect and bring Glory to God as I aught.
The good news of course is found in Chapter 2. Who is to blame for this sad state of affairs?
2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you. 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.
3 “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants[a]; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. 4 And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. 5 “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.
7 “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. 8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty. 9 “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”
It’s the priests who are to blame… Shew! Thank goodness, we can blame the church leaders for our poor efforts. If only they were better at running the church and teaching us how to live, then we would be better. They should inspire us….
And, Yes, you would be correct… it is the responsibility of the church leadership to lead and direct. God will hold your church leadership responsible for the condition of the church.
We take this job seriously. It is a burden we are called to carry, and we carry it with joy. We are not in any way able to do it on our own, but through the power of Christ…..
This about church leaders… except that, 1 Peter 2 tells us
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
With the death of Jesus the curtain is torn and with Jesus at your side, you can now enter God’s presence on your own. You don’t need a priest acting on your behalf. You and I are therefore now responsible for our own worship. No one else is to blame.
Even with the worst church leaders, you and I are still personally responsible for our own lives, our worship and bringing Glory to God…
Note how many of the things we identified as honouring are attributed to Levi. He revered God.. true instruction was in his mouth… He spent time with God… Nothing false on his lips… He walked in peace… he was upright… Fairness
These are all things God holds in high esteem and expects from His priests….
