Our Daily Scripture – 2/24/25 (Monday)

SCRIPTURE:  MALACHI 2

ADMONITION FOR THE PRIESTS (vs. 1-9)

SINS OF THE PRIESTS:

  1.  They did not honor God. (v. 2)
  2.  They taught false teachings causing many to stumble.  (v. 8a)
  3.  They had violated the covenant with Levi. (v. 8b)
  4.  They have not followed God’s ways. (v. 9a)
  5.  They showed partiality in matters of the law. (v. 9b)

GOD’S ADMONITION:

  1.  God will send a curse and He will curse their blessings. (v. 1)
  2.  God will rebuke their descendants. (v. 3)
  3.  God  caused them to be despised and humiliated before all the people. (v. 9a)

JUDAH UNFAITHFUL (vs. 10-16)

ACTS OF UNFAITHFULNESS:

  1.  Judah had desecrated the sanctuary of the Lord by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. (v. 11)
  2.  They practice divorce. (v. 16a)
  3.  They are violent. (v. 16b)
  4.  They break faith. (v. 16c)

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT (v. 17)

“The people were saying: “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”  In other words, they considered God’s silence as his approval and there is no punishment.  That is incorrect because God will punish those who professed a counterfeit faith while acting sinfully.

THOUGHTS:

This chapter emphasized on three covenants:

  1. Covenant  with Levi  – covenant of life and peace.
  2. Covenant with Israel – covenant of faith
  3. Covenant of marriage  – covenant of husband and wife with the Lord

God expects us to honor Him by keeping the covenants.  So guard yourself not to break faith with God.

The priests had allowed influential and favored people to break the law because they were dependent upon them for support.  Do your church allow certain people to do wrong without criticism?  Is there a double standard based on wealth or position?

Divorce was rampant because men were unfaithful to their wives and ignoring that their bonding relationship was an illustration of their union with God.  The reason for divorce was the desire for change.  So God refused to accept their offerings.  In the same way, disloyalty to spouse is contrary to the wedding vow that God had instituted.  So guard yourself and always remain faithful and loyal to your spouse.