Examining The Scripture CLI: Polluted Offerings & Polluted Priests

Wow. We've reached the last book of the Old Testament. A few years ago I'd wouldn't have even believed that I would read the entire Old Testament let alone write 150+ articles on it. I guess when the power of Christ compels you things in life take on more gravity...

Malachi 1-3 is a series of rebukes to the post-exilic people of Jerusalem. God has serious issues with the temple priests and their behavior in 1:6-2:9.

There is a lot going here so I will outline this...

Malachi 1

God is indicting the priesthood. Instead of living exemplary lives they were guilty of breaking the very Law they were charged to uphold. They way they were “serving” the Lord was disgraceful and a dishonor to His name.

(1) First and foremost they were treating their obligations and subsequently God, with utter contempt. This head and heart attitude pretty much formed their precepts and concept for behavior for and towards God. It tainted how their duties were performed for Him and towards Him. Inevitably it led to contemptuous behavior towards God and worthy of God’s wrath. It showed that they were totally insensitive to their sin and others which didn’t allow them to realize they were “despising” God.

(2) They were offering blemished sacrifices. Levitical priests where raised and taught what was considered defective sacrifice but did so anyway and thereby defiled God’s name. The priest where then naïve enough (or brazen enough) to ask, "How have we shown contempt for your name?” and “How have we defiled you?” They just didn’t get it, they were clueless and shouldn’t have been. It is like saying a builder doesn’t know how to hammer a nail. They could not plead ignorance. They had become so hardened in their sins they were behaving as if they had gone insane.

(3) Then a stinging and convicting reproach …they say that the Lord’s table is contemptible by their actions by bringing blind animals, when sacrificing crippled and diseased animals.
(3a) He asks them if they think that is wrong and their answer should’ve been “yes”. We sadly see the depraved condition of their minds and hearts. These are animals that wouldn’t even have been offered to the governor in a banquet. So why would God accept them?

(4) Malachi implies that it would be better to shut the doors to the temple than to continue such worthless sacrifices.
(4a) God would no longer accept the offerings from their hands
(4b) He was not pleased with them…at all. If they couldn't serve Him with their full hearts He didn’t want any of their worship. God is either worthy of all our praise or none of it. Either put on your big boy/big girl pants and buck up or go home.

(5) We then see the reason for the Lords refusal to accept the sacrifices. At some point in the future, “His name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations…"
(5a) As designated by the word “will” a time was coming when the message of salvation would be taken to all nations (gentiles included)
(5b) What the priests failed to understand is that it is better to obey completely rather than to sacrifice negligently.

Malachi 2

(1) The priests are then are admonished harshly.
(1a) If they did not listen [obey], and if you do not set your heart to honor my name” God was going to send a curse upon them, and even curse their blessings.
(1b) As a matter of fact He had already cursed them, because they had not set your heart to honor Him.
(1c) He would rebuke their descendants
(1d) He would spread on your faces the offal (term used to refer to the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal) from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.

(2) The Lord then reminds the priests because it is clear they are either spiritually calloused or purposely recalcitrant and/or filled with contempt for the Lord. He states that His covenant was a covenant of life and peace and He gave it to them and because He did this there was reverence and awe expected in return. They have obviously failed to live up to the covenant. They took their privileges for granted.

(3) They are essentially cautioned against the perversion of their duties and their office. The Lord had made a covenant with Levi and what he was expected to do is EXACTLY what the post-exilic priests were failing horrendously to perform: Faithful service.

(4) What is worse is their apostasy and turning away has led others astray because they were following the lead of the priests…and that is worse than leading one’s self astray. “It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Luke 17:2

Baldwin, Joyce G.. "A Privileged Priesthood." Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi: An Introduction & Commentary (The Tyndale Old Testament Commentary Series). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1981. 224-231. Print.

Longman, Tremper, and David Garland. "The Sacrilege of The Priests." Daniel-Malachi (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The). New Rev ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009. 846-856. Print.

Wiersbe, Warren. "The Sins Of God’s People" Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament: The Prophets (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 2003. 478-482. Print.