relationship (Malachi 2:1-17) Seeking Peace

(Malachi 2:1-17) 

“And now, this commandment is for you, the priests. 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of armies, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. 3 Behold, I am going to rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. 4 Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, so that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and justice, and he turned many back from wrongdoing. 7 For the lips of a priest should maintain knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of armies. 8 But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have ruined the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 9 “So I also have made you despised and of low reputation in the view of all the people, since you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.”

10 Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, may the Lord eliminate from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of armies.

13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your marriage companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why the one? He was seeking a godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Often, when God's word gives us a bad example of what not to follow, He gives us a good example to follow.  In this chapter, our good example is Levi.  And, most often, when God's word tells us what not to do, He then tells us what we should be doing.  These are all the points found in this chapter:

• being saved is to be in a personal relationship with the Lord,
• as the Lord is committed and faithful to those who love Him, strive to be committed and faithful,
• live in God's life and peace which is an eternal blessing,
• walk with the Lord in spiritual peace,
• in the Lord's peace, seek to be peaceful with others,
• therefore DO NOT deal treacherously with others or be violent

• be careful about your spirit,
• nurture your personal relationship with the Lord by drawing closer and closer to Him,
• cherish your personal relationship with the Lord by putting Him first,
• show reverence to the Lord and His name,
• be in awe and give honor to His name
• be awake and answer to the Lord while giving your offering with a humble and thankful heart,
• therefore DO NOT profane the sanctuary

• obey the commandments which are given as an object of reverence to revere the Lord
• faithfully pursue and keep the Lord's way,
• therefore DO NOT cry to God when you are willfully living in sin and expect Him to find favor with you

• seek instruction from spiritual leaders who are messengers of God
• listen to what God's says and take it to heart, 
• pursue truth, understand it, and maintain knowledge,
• give true instruction,
• teach your children to be godly,
• therefore DO NOT twist God's word to consider evil things good, or twist them to try justifying sinful behavior

• walk with the Lord in justice, 
• stand up for the true victims and be on the side of true justice,
• therefore DO NOT show partiality

• turn others from wrongdoing,
• therefore DO NOT cause others to stumble

• a believer should marry another believer,
• be committed to your marriage in God's will
• nurture your marriage in God's will, so that as you grow closer to the Lord, you grow closer to each other,
• cherish your marriage by putting God first in your lives and consider your spouse next in importance, which is to consider others (especially your spouse) more important than yourself,
• therefore avoid divorce and DO NOT treat your spouse treacherously