Read 1 Chronicles 24-25, Malachi 2, and 2 John.
This devotional is about Malachi 2.
God’s people, the nation of Israel, struggled with idolatry for most of the time they were a nation. God cured Israel of idolatry through the conquest of Assyria over the Northern Kingdom and through the exile of the Southern Kingdom to Babylon. When Israel returned to the land after 70 years of exile, they no longer worshipped idols.
But they had other sin problems and the prophet Malachi was sent by the Lord to address those. In our reading for today, Malachi 2, the Lord continued the rebuke of Israel’s priests, which rebuke he began in Malachi 1. There, in Malachi 1, God rebuked the priests for offering their worst to God instead of their best in worship. I talked about that in yesterday’s devotional.
Here in Malachi 2, God’s complaint against the priests is that, in the final words of verse 2, “…you have not resolved to honor me.” Specifically, the priests have failed in their role as teachers to Israel of God’s word. Verses 7-8 say, “‘For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. 8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,’” says the Lord Almighty.” Let’s take a closer look at what those verses said.
First, verse 7 says, ““For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge….” The word “preserve” in Hebrew means, among other things, “to watch or to guard” so the NIV’s translation “to preserve” gives us a good idea of what God was saying. Teachers of God’s word shouldn’t make up new ideas. We don’t seek to be innovative in the matter of doctrine nor do we add to God’s word with our own observations or claims. To faithfully teach God’s word, you have to study and understand it and then preserve it, guard it, and keep it safe from contamination or replacement.
And, why is it important for teachers of God’s word to guard the knowledge that God’s word gives? Verse 7 tells us two reasons why. First, verse 7b says, “…because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty….” A biblical teacher speaks for God, therefore he needs to be sure that he knows what God says and that he properly presents, explains, and applies what God said. This is the first reason why we should preserve knowledge.
The second reason why God’s teachers should protect good doctrine is given in verse 7c, which says, “…and people seek instruction from his mouth.” God’s people need to know what God has said if we are going to know God himself and order our lives according to God’s commands. If we guard truth and teach it right, people can apply that and lives can be changed for the better. But, if we are careless with God’s word, add to or edit God’s word in our teaching, lives can be destroyed because God’s people will be living their lives based on falsehoods, not truth. Verse 8 explains the consequences of bad teaching when it says, “But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble….” We don’t want what we’ve said or taught to cause people to sin. So, teachers of God’s word need to be very careful with God’s word.
If you are a teacher of God’s word–in your home, in church, among friends, or whatever–are you seeking to understand God’s word and preserve its truth first? Are you aware of the life-altering consequences of truth from the Lord? Are you aware of the life-altering consequences of NOT teaching God’s word correctly?
As a Christian, are you careful about who speaks truth into your life? Can you draw a straight line from the biblical text to whatever explanation or application made by the preacher you listen to or the author you read?
God’s truth saves souls and keeps lives from the destructive power of sin. Be careful, then, to find good sources to help you understand God’s truth. Be careful, too, to do what God’s word says when it has been explained and applied to you.