Reading: Malachi 2:1-10 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. 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. 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. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?
Commentary: We see here the consequences of sin, and God's curse upon those who despise His grace. Note the sin of the priests in Malachi's day: "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." Instead of rebuking sin, these priests were allowing it or even giving evil their blessing. Since they had corrupted God's people by perverting God's Word, God would likewise allow the children of the priests to be corrupted. Likewise the people would lose respect for such priests, becoming "base" in their sight. These words concerning priests and corruption apply well to the Roman Catholic Church today, even as they now work to elect a new pope in the midst of bribes, corruption, and scandel. But let us apply Malachi's words of warning to ourselves also, for we too must rihglty proclaim God's law. If we take away from the severity of the law, we help to secure people in their sinful life which leads to destruction. If we don't rebuke the sins of our day (gambling, drunkenness, communism, socialism, laziness, premarital sex, same sex marriage, etc), God's curse will befall them and us, for "This commandment is for you. 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."
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