Today you should read: Malachi 2
A quick fact about the book of Malachi is that the phrase “The Lord of Hosts” appears more than in any other Old Testament book. This is because the Northern Kingdom had been overrun and destroyed by the Assyrians and the Southern Kingdom was wiped out by the Babylonians. This is a point where God’s people where painfully aware of their situation. So there could be nothing greater than to hear from the God of the Universe.
You and I find ourselves in this situation at times. We desperately want to hear from God in the times that we are at the bottom. When we should have that desire all the time. We even tend to question whether God is there or if He loves us. Israel did the same thing. Malachi makes it clear that it is not God’s love that should be questioned, rather, it is their love for God that should be in question.
The priests at this point had failed to keep the purity of the temple. They were making compromises at every turn because they had lost faith. They crumbled under their circumstances instead of leaning into God. As followers of Jesus we have a great responsibility to live according to the will of God. This is for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. When we do not do that, and we decide to go the other direction (towards the world and sin) we become like the priests. Matthew Henry says this, “Nothing profanes the name of God more than the misconduct of those whose business it is to do honor to it.”
We have a responsibility to be the ambassadors of Jesus. I ask myself and you today, are you handling this responsibility well? What can you do today to honor the name of God and be more like Jesus?
By: Dakota Gragg — Student Ministry Associate
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