O Priests That Despise My Name; Ye Offer Polluted Bread Upon Mine Altar - Part 1647

"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?" (Malachi 2:10)

Malachi was recording the burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel. And, herein, we get a glimpse of the long suffering and patience of our Lord God.

"For the Lord thy God is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee; neither destroy thee; nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of [another] nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord -- He IS GOD -- there is none else beside Him." (Deuteronomy 4:31-35; Jeremiah 30:11; Job 8:8; Matthew 24:31; Deuteronomy 5:24-26; Mark 12:32; Hebrews 12:19-25)

And in case we miss His message, the Lord repeats the point therein, saying, "Knowing therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord -- He is God -- in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; there is none else." (Deuteronomy 4:39; Joshua 2:11)

The first commandment -- "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is ONE LORD! And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might . and these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Mark 12:29-31; Matthew 22:37; II Kings 23:25; Deuteronomy 11:18-20)

As Jesus said to to the lawyer who asked Him, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" this is the first and great commandment. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:40)

" ... that [there is] none other God but ONE!" (I Corinthians 8:4-6)

"Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and He lives." (Deuteronomy 5:24)

But, as we read further in Malachi, all the Lord received back from His chosen people (in response to His goodness and mercy and grace) was more questions and complaint. For example, the Lord tells His people -- "I have loved you" but in return, they ask "wherein hast Thou loved us?" It is at this juncture that I begin -- still on the old covenant side, but seeing in the distance His glimmer of hope -- the promise of "a new thing" about to be brought forth into the world. (Isaiah 43:19)

"I have loved you," saith the Lord, "Yet ye say, wherein hast Thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" saith the Lord; "yet I loved Jacob. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons [jackals] of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, "We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places;" thus saith the Lord of hosts. "They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them -- "the border of wickedness" -- and -- "the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever." And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, "The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel." (Malachi 1:1-5)

Apostle Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ and called an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures) confirms the Lord's heavy burden for His people -- from his own perspective.

"I say, the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the servants [of God] and the promises; whose [are] the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed forever -- Amen." (Romans 9:1-5; II Corinthians 1:23; Romans 10:1; Exodus 32:32; Exodus 4:22; I Samuel 4:21; Acts 3:25; Psalm 147:19; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 13:32; Deuteronomy 10:15; Luke 1:34-35; Luke 3:23; Jeremiah 23:6)

Why does apostle Paul have great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart? As Paul alludes, "brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge -- for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God ... for Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes." (Romans 10:1-3)

We see this later in Acts wherein the apostles preach a similar message. "When they heard [it], they glorified the Lord and said unto him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands [myriads] of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law" and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after the customs .." (Acts 21:20-21)

This is why we -- as believers in Jesus by faith are to "be found in Him [the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord] not having mine [our] own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I [we] may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death ..." (Philippians 3:8-9)

Why? "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written -- "The Just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)

"Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham [are they] all children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, "they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:8) "Now we brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise ... we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." (Galatians 4:28-31)

But I digress somewhat. Malachi continues to elaborate on the burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel.

"A son honours [his] Father, and a servant his Master; if then I [be] a Father, where [is] Mine honour? And if I [be] a Master, where is My fear?" saith the Lord of hosts unto you, "O priests that despised My Name? Ye offer polluted bread upon Mine altar; and ye say, "Wherein have we polluted Thee?" In that ye say, "The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifices, [is it] not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, [is it] not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; will He be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. "And now, I pray you, beseech God that He will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will He regard your persons?" saith the Lord of hosts. "Who is [there] even among you that would shut the doors [for nought]? neither do ye kindle [fire] on Mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you," saith the Lord of hosts, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense [shall be] offered unto My Name, and a pure offering: for My Name shall be great among the heathen," saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 1:6-11; Luke 6:46; Malachi 2:14; Deuteronomy 15:21; Ezekiel 41:22; Hosea 13:9; I Corinthians 9:13; Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 59:19; Isaiah 60:3-5; I Timothy 2:8; Revelation 8:3; Isaiah 66:18-19)

"... that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:3; I Peter 2:5)

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" so that he that believes in Him -- Jesus -- shall not be confounded -- "unto you therefore which believe, [He] is precious!" (I Peter 2:5-9; Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; I Corinthians 1:23; Romans 9:22; Acts 26:18)

This is why we preach Jesus, because Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, who after the wisdom and kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. (I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)

The same Lord who loved us enough to come forth as a mighty man so that we may be redeemed is King of kings and Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. (Isaiah 42:13; Revelation 1:8,11)

"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God ... take with you words, and turn to the Lord!" (Malachi 14:1-2; Joel 2:13; Hebrews 13:15)

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. For we which have believed God enter into rest, as He said, "As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world ..." (Hebrews 4:1-9; Hebrews 12:15; Psalm 95:11; Genesis 2:2; Psalm 95:7-8, 11; Joshua 22:4)

But there are those who will not acknowledge Jesus as the Lord God Almighty -- as He who was in the world and the world made by Him but the world knew Him not. There are those who refuse to allow Jesus be their King -- just as in the day when He walked the earth -- "He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)

And, in so doing, these pollute the alter because these despise the Name that the Lord has given us. As Malachi wrote "the burden of the Word of the Lord" to Israel -- "Ye offer polluted bread upon Mine altar." (Malachi 1:7)

Moreover, as the Lord hath said, "ye have profaned [it -- My Name] and ye have snuffed at it," saith the Lord. (Malachi 1:12-14)

"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 ..." (Malachi 2:1-8) Indeed, "ye have been partial in the law." (Malachi 2:9; Jeremiah 18:15; Nehemiah 13:29)

What is the partiality in the law? That these have not understood and presented the first commandment as it is written -- "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is ONE LORD!" (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31; Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35; Acts 1:2-3; Ephesians 4:5-6)

What did Jesus say to satan when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness? "Ye shall not tempt the Lord thy God!" (Luke 4:12; Deuteronomy 6:16) But satan did not recognize Jesus as the Lord thy God, or the Son of man which (even on earth) was still Lord of the sabbath. Sadly, this remains the tradition of men within the religious culture today.

That is, the religious traditions of men have created a false teaching wherein we reduce God to a person (like unto us rather than us having been created in His image), and denigrate His offering of Himself -- wherein He prepared Himself a body so that He could become the "perfect sacrifice" on the cross, shedding His precious holy blood for us, having come forth into the world as a Son so that we might be redeemed, into a treacherous teaching called the trinity, wherein "we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers." (Malachi 2:10)

And, in so doing, the bread presented from the altar is polluted. "The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, [even] His meat is contemptible." (Malachi 1:12)

Still, Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6) And if ye have seen Jesus, just as Jesus told Philip, ye have seen the Father. (John 14:6-12)

One God, and in this current dispensation of grace, His Name is JESUS - for He alone can save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)

Stand in the offering plate.