Friday, October 14, 2016

In our study today of Malachi 2 we will see a whole list of things we should avoid in our lives. Though the prophet was primarily addressing the priests, what they as leaders were guilty of was creeping into the lifestyle of the people. The priests refused to set their hearts to honor God. This lead to their turning from the way and by their teaching caused many to stumble. They violated the covenant God had with Levi. In addition, they showed partiality in matters of the law. Bad attitudes and conduct always lead to bad outcomes. Avoid them at all costs. It’s not surprising that all of this negativity infected marriages and families. Men became disenchanted with the wives of their youth and divorced them so they could marry women who worshipped false gods. These were unholy marriages that began to infect the whole family unit. Again, it’s not surprising the outcome of all this in their society led to what the closing verses of the chapter describe: “You have wearied the Lord with your words. ‘How have we wearied him?’ you ask. By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them’ or ‘Where is the God of Justice.’” They distorted God’s justice and accused Him of viewing those who do evil as being good and pleasing to Him. This distortion of truth is the outcome of refusing to honor God. This reminds me of Paul’s devastating argument in Romans 1 about the destructive outcomes of not honoring God for who He is. Check it out as you reflect on what Malachi says we should avoid.