Malachi Chapter 2

Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
Mid-Week Teaching Service on 28 Mar 2001

v. 1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you -What was said in the previous chapter Was directed to the priests (1:6). However, the priests were probably justifying their sin of offering unacceptable sacrificial animals at the Altar, by blaming it on the offerors - after all, it was they who brought these unacceptable animals to be sacrificed! Therefore, God tells the priests that His commandments and warnings were directed at them. God holds them accountable because they had not taught the people, they had set a poor example by not reverencing God's things and they had failed to rebuke the people who brought unacceptable sacrifices.

v.2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, -and I will curse your blessings - The merciful God promised them that He would forgive them "if they will lay His warnings to heart." The priests were specially privileged to serve God and were specially blessed by Him. However, if they continued to be unrepentant God would turn their blessings into curses.

v.3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts, and one shall take you away with it - The word "seed" could refer to their descendants, their crops, or the Word of God that they preached. To "spread dung upon their faces " was a picture of supreme humiliation. As the dung of the sacrificial animals was taken outside of the Temple for disposal, God would also take away the priests from serving Him in the Temple.

v.4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi - When God dealt with their sins, they would know that it was Him who sent this commandment (of honoring His house) unto them. God warned the priests so that His covenant with their forefather Levi would be reestablished.

v. 5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name - God's covenant with the priests was one of mutual responsibility, in which God expected reverence for Him in exchange for life and peace (NUM 3:44-48, 18:8-24, DEU 33:811). The priests had deceived themselves by claiming the privileges of the covenant and neglecting the conditions of it. Life and peace are man's two most cherished blessings. We Christians, who are God's priests (lPE 2:5) are also promised eternal life and peace, as we place our trust in Christ, as our Savior. God chose their forefathers 'for the fear wherewith they feared, and was afraid" Note the repetition of the word "fear" (ie, honor, reverential fear) to emphasize its importance because "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (PRO 9: 10). Their forefathers had reverenced God's honor when they bravely stood up against the worshipers of the golden calf (EXO 32:26).

v.6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips. he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity - Their forefathers faithfully preached God's truth (ie, "the law of truth was in his mouth"). They not only preached the truth but also lived it in their lives - they "walked their talk" and fulfilled their mission of turning the people away from iniquity, unto God.

v.7 For the priest's Ups should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts - The priest should know God's law and the people "should seek the law at his mouth," (ie, consult him regarding spiritual matters)for he is the messenger of the LORD.

v. 8 But ye are departed out of the way; and ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi - The priests had not only themselves "departed out of the way' but had also "caused many to stumble at the law," (ie, by their disregard for God's law, they had also made the people despise it). The ungodly behavior of God's people (especially of the leaders) is the greatest "stumbling-block" to unbelievers. Their contempt for the things of God, makes unbelievers think that religion is just a pretence. The most despicable person on earth is a minister of God who "stumbles" people from seeking God. God's covenant with Levi was conditional, ie, He would bless them if they obeyed Him. But they had "corrupted the covenant' by neglecting their part of the covenant.

v. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law - According to their sins, God repays them. They contemned His laws, so he made them contemptible before all the people. The priests had dishonored God's ordinances and therefore the people dishonored them (who attended to these "dishonorable" ordinances). Furthermore, they had been partial in administering God's law, ie, they applied the law differently to different people favoring the rich and oppressing the poor.

v. 10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? - The 'father" mentioned here refers to Abraham (not Adam), who is regarded as the Father of the Jews. God had "created' the Jews as His special people, who were to be separated from the others (DEU 7:3). But the Jews were "profaning the covenant of their fathers" to be a separated pure people, by intermarrying with people of other religions (v. 11).

v. 11 Judah bath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is commanded in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah bath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved and bath married the daughter of a strange god - In the previous verse, the Jews were accused of dealing treacherously with their brothers by polluting their rare. In this verse, they are accused of dealing treacherously with God by breaking their covenant with Him. They had profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved by marrying the daughter of a strange god (ie, girls of another religion). This sin was even committed in Jerusalem - under the eyes of the priests.

v. 12 The LOPD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts - God will excommunicate from the nation of Israel (ie, cut off, out of the tabernacles) the man that intermarries, irrespective whether he was a priest (ie, the master) or a Jew (ie, the scholar). Even those who offered an offering unto the LORD of hosts would be excommunicated.

v. 13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand - The discarded Jewish wife "covered the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and crying out." Therefore, God rejected the offerings of their wicked Jewish husbands.

v. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant - The Jews thought that God was unjust to reject their offerings. God tells them that he was the witness when they took their marriage vows before Him, and has now witnessed how they dealt treacherously with their wives. Marriage-vows, taken before God and His people, are the most important part of the marriage ceremony. Their wives had been faithful to them (ie, she is thy companion). The priests broke their covenant with God, therefore, it is no surprise that they also broke their covenant with the wives.

v. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth - Did not God make one wife for Adam? He had the "residue of the spirit' and could have easily created many wives for Adam, if He desired Adam to have many wives. The reason why God created only one wife for Adam was that He might have a godly seed - children that were brought up in godly homes, rather than in homes which were filled with carnal lusts. Since it is God's will that man have one wife, men have to "take heed to their spirit," (ie, be careful of their thoughts) and not allow them to stray - for out of the heart are the issues of life (PRO 4:23). A man that forsakes the wife of his youth (ie, the wife whom he chose), whom he had pledged to love for better or for worse, deals treacherously against her.

v. 16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts,: therefore, take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously God warns the Jews that he hates divorce (ie, putting away), though He permitted it to the Jews 'for the hardness of their hearts" (MAT 19:8) to prevent a greater catastrophe. The Jews had covered their violence done to their wives. Or it can be read: that they covered themselves with violence.

v. 17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? Why ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? - The Jews had wearied the LORD by saying that "evil is good in the sight of the LORD" because they had seen evil men prosper. Even those priests, who had corrupted God's service, had not yet been judged for their sins. They erred in assuming that earthly prosperity was a mark of God's blessings, and failed to realize that God does not really judge men's sin in this world (HEB 9:27). Therefore, they scoffed at God's claim that He is "the God of judgment."