The LORD Warns the Priests

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Malachi 2:1-9. The LORD spoke to the priests through His servant Malachi. The LORD said if the priests didn’t listen to His commandment, take it to heart and give glory to His name, He would curse their blessing. In fact He had already cursed them because they hadn’t taken it to heart. The LORD expected them to honor His name.

The LORD said He would corrupt their seed. He said He would spread refuse on their faces, which was the manure from their somber feasts; that was burned outside the sanctuary. He warned them that then the people would take them away, like they take the sin offering away.

If they were unclean they were not considered to be fit vessels to carry out the work of the priests. In order for them to be able to do the LORD’S work and offer the sacrifices that were required for their position as priests their hearts and lives had to be right with the LORD. They weren’t to go around sinning and expect the people or God to respect the work they were doing.

Exodus 29:14 tells us about the sin offering, “But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.”

The LORD told Malachi to tell the priests when this happened they would know that His covenant with Levi would continue. The LORD was hoping this warning would make the priests realize their shortcomings and turn their hearts back to God and back to respecting the covenant He made with Levi. Priests were prosperous on the outside. They were respected by the people because they held a place of prominence as priests. They were going through the rituals, but their hearts and lives weren’t always right with God.

The LORD reminded them that His covenant with Levi was for life and peace. He promised these to Levi and his descendants because Levi feared the LORD and respected and honored His name. The LORD wanted to give them the same blessings He promised Levi, but they weren’t performing in a way to show they respected the LORD, so He couldn’t bless them with His blessings.

The LORD reminded them that Levi spoke the truth of the law, he didn’t speak wickedly. Levi walked with God in harmony and justice, and he turned many away from sin, though he wasn’t perfect. The priests were to share their knowledge of the laws of God with the people. The people should be able to listen for the commandments of God from the priest’s mouth: the priest was supposed to be the messenger of the LORD.

It was the priest’s duty to study the Word of the LORD and reveal it to the people so they might do what was right in the sight of God, and not sin against the LORD. The LORD rebuked them because they turned away from the laws of God and caused many people to stumble at the law. By doing this, they broke the agreement that God made with Levi. The LORD told them that because of their disobedience He had made them disreputable and limited their influence among the people, since they hadn’t kept His ways, but were half-handed concerning the law.

How can we apply this to our lives today? We need to be careful not to be going through the religious rituals of serving God and not worship Him with our whole heart. We need to make sure we aren’t saying one thing and doing another.

Daily Bible Reading:

Malachi 2:1-9

1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

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: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

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.

4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

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.

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.

7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

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.

Things to think about:

• What was the LORD’S concern in this Scripture?

• What did the LORD say He would do as a response to their disobedience?

• What did you learn from this Bible Study?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today, as we study this Scripture from the book of Malachi we see that the priests of that day dishonored You by not following Your ways. Help us to make sure that whatever we do, we honor Your name. Forgive us of the many ways we’ve failed You. We want Your blessings on our lives and don’t want to do anything to turn You away from us. Help us, LORD. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Have you read

The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the Book:

The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. Malachi was considered to be a “Messenger of the LORD.” God delivered His message to the people of Israel through Malachi. Malachi was one of the twelve prophets from the Old Testament. The book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD includes eight Daily Bible Reading Lessons. Each lesson contains a brief commentary from the author, the Daily Bible Reading Scriptures, a few questions for discussion or contemplation, and a prayer for the day to go along with the lesson. This book is great for a personal daily devotional or for a group Bible study.

For those of you interested in Bible journaling, may I suggest you pick your favorite Bible verse from each lesson and journal about it. This will be a great reminder of the lessons you learn as you read and study this book.

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Deborah H. Bateman

Deborah H. Bateman encourages other believers in their walk with Jesus Christ through Bible study. She is a Christian Author, Blogger, Website Designer, and Book Publishing Coach. She is the Founder of Christian Daily Resources a Christian online ministry dedicated to "Sharing God's Word". Deborah is the author of more than thirty books in the Daily Bible Reading Series and one book about self-publishing called: Self-Publishing Simplified: How to Publish a Book on Kindle. Deborah shares Daily Bible Reading lessons here on her blog at http://DeborahHBateman.com/blog Her website: Christian Daily Resources is at http://ChristianDailyResources.com She shares a Daily Bible Verse on her blog Bible Verse Tweet at http://www.bibleversetweet.com/. Deborah has a family favorite recipe blog called Recipe for Life at http://deborah-bateman.blogspot.com. She invites you to check them out and subscribe to the ones you like.