But you profane it

“But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.” (Malachi 1:12)

 

It seems that there are not a few church members who do not read the Bible. The special reason to evade reading the Bible is that it contains elements that get on their mind uncomfortable when they read it. Malachi the prophet firmly pointed out the impurity of the people. In believing in God, it must be accompanied devotion, but they claimed that it was not even though they had acted falsely. It is too foolish thing to think that they can deceive God. To live by false faith is a tragic life not to be acceptable to the Lord. Malachi criticized strongly toward Israel, nevertheless he said hopeful words as conclusion of prophecy.

 

How would people who don’t even like to read general books like to read the Bible? First of all, the Bible seems uninteresting and boring, and when you read it, there are many contents that make them feel uncomfortable. In fact, that’s what, to speak paradoxically, is a real value and meaning what the Bible has. If from the view point of the fleshly human, there cannot be felt no general fun from the Bible. Rather books such as cartoons and novels about cooking, travel, and entertainment will be much more interesting for those people. It’s not interesting, and the more they read it, the more it stimulates their conscience, so they have no choice but to stay away from the Bible. However, the more they read the Bible, the more stimulated their mind and certain changes occur in life finally. This is because the Bible was recorded with inspiration by the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit inspires person for realization when reading the Bible.

 

Malachi pointed out that the priests did not respect the Lord God or fear God. But even though they were pointed out, they rather protested they hadn’t done so. The unrighteousness of the priests arose from the mind of non-faith despising the Lord’s table. Here the Lord’s table refers to an altar sacrificing to God. Those priests sacrificed the blind and sick things to God. Malachi pointed out such wrong deeds and rebuked them like this way, “Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” The sacrificial rites of Old Testament is like the worship in the New Testament era. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth,” says in John 4:24. Worship has to be offered to God with sincere heart that believes in Christ, following the guidance and the inspiration by Holy Spirit. Even a person can perceive the other person’s lies, moreover would the Lord God who looks at the inner mind be ignorant of it?

 

The most important thing in the following Jesus Christ is the true heart and the faith of practical behaviors. If the core is missing, outer elaborate and colorful ceremonies are good for nothing. If you look open at the box of fruits you received as a gift during the holidays, you can know such the similar case. The outer appearance is colorful excessively, but, the fruit inside the box is ugly and tasteless, and even was spoiled. The person who sent the gift must have spent a lot of money with good mind, but the contents are like that, so I think it’s a waste. Such those points make reduce the precious value of the gift. If it tells lies between people, it might be able to deceive roughly or to be deceived, but affectation and lies cannot work in serving God in Christ at all. God will not rejoice to accept them; He will block them not to enter the gates of the holy temple.

 

Malachi prophesied that the name of the Lord would be revealed among the Gentiles, because of the unrighteousness by Israelite. The unrighteousness of this era is consistent with the situation in Israelite during the period of Malachi. Many think worship is cumbersome, and they even think worship like a ridicule stock. While attending church members’ meal meetings, but some try to avoid worship time. Under the name of offering at church, they stole, they lied, they cheated, they offer the money taken from others. The Lord does not receive those things with pleasure. Would the money offered by a man ignoring worship, indifferent, and not even attending, to the Lord be accepted? Every unrighteousness will bring about God’s punishment for itself. People may receive that defiled money because they need money, but the Lord does never. Those who have lived wrong because they do not rightly understand the faith, now let realize Jesus’ redemption again and have to return to the act of sincere faith.

 

Those who cling to the doctrine of receiving whole redemption if believing once are likely to fall into error conversely. Bear in heart the words in the Hebrew 6:6 that it’s impossible to bring back to repentance those who have fallen away after once being enlightened. Without true heartful faith and practical behaviors, the person is not the one who was saved by Jesus. If you don’t live right at an opportunity given once, the opportunity goes to someone else. There are still left in the world many nations for God to save. Accepting Malachi’s point, abandon affectation and falsehood, and live by practicing true faith in Christ.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on March 5th 2023)