A Warning to the Priests
Study note
God gives the priests a stern warning. If they refuse to honor His name, He will curse their blessings. He even says He has already started doing this because they refuse to take His words to heart.
1 "Now listen carefully, priests — this command is aimed directly at you." And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2 "If you refuse to listen and will not commit yourselves to honoring my name," says the LORD of Armies, "I will send a curse on you. I will curse the very blessings you enjoy. I have already started cursing them, because you refuse to take this seriously." 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 "Watch what I do — I will punish your descendants. I will smear the dung from your festival sacrifices all over your faces, and you will be hauled out with the rest of the trash." 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 "Then you will see why I sent this warning. I did it to guard my covenant with the tribe of Levi," says the LORD of Armies. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
The Covenant with Levi
Study note
God recalls His original covenant with the tribe of Levi, the priestly family line. The first Levite priests lived with honesty and peace, and they turned many people away from sin. But the current priests have abandoned that path and caused others to stumble. Because of this, God has made them look foolish before the people.
5 "My agreement with Levi was about life and peace. I gave him those gifts, and in return he honored me and stood in humble awe of my name." 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 "Truthful teaching came from his mouth — nothing dishonest ever crossed his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he guided many people away from sin." 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 "A priest should be a guardian of knowledge. People should be able to go to him for solid teaching, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Armies." 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 you have abandoned the right path. Your teaching has tripped up countless people. You have wrecked the covenant I made with Levi," says the LORD of Armies. 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 "So I have made you look foolish and worthless in front of everyone, because you have not followed my ways. You play favorites when you teach the law." 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.
Unfaithfulness in Marriage
Study note
Malachi shifts from the priests to the whole nation. The men of Judah had been marrying women who worshipped foreign gods, breaking their covenant with the LORD. Others were divorcing the faithful wives they married when they were young. God hates this kind of betrayal and calls the people to be loyal to their marriage promises.
10 Do we not all share the same Father? Did the same God not create every one of us? Then why do we betray one another and disrespect the covenant our ancestors made with God? 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?
11 Judah has been disloyal. A sickening thing has taken place in Israel and Jerusalem. The men of Judah have dishonored the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship foreign gods. Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
12 May the LORD cut off anyone who does this. May he remove them from Israel's people. This is true even if they keep bringing gifts to the LORD of Armies. The LORD 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.
13 Here is something else you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and groan because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them from your hands. 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.
14 "Why not?" you ask. Because the LORD witnessed the vows between you and the wife you married when you were young. You have betrayed her — your partner, your wife by covenant. 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.
15 Did God not make you and your wife one? You belong to him — body and spirit. And why did he make you one? Because he wanted godly children from your marriage. So guard your hearts and do not betray the wife of your youth. 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.
16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel. "It covers a person in violence like a garment covers a body," says the LORD of Armies. So guard your commitment and do not be unfaithful. 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.
The People Weary God
Study note
The chapter closes with another of Malachi's dispute-style exchanges. The people have worn out the LORD's patience with their twisted words. They claim that God delights in evil people, or they question whether God even cares about justice. This sets the stage for God's answer in chapter 3.
17 You have exhausted the LORD with your words. "How have we exhausted him?" you ask. By saying, "The LORD thinks everyone who does evil is good — he likes them!" Or by asking, "Where is this God of justice, anyway?" Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When 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?