Malachi Chapter Two, Blind Leaders Of The Blind

 

There is also the notion of familiarity. Levi knew the Lord, and knowing Him provoked Godly fear and the proper exercise of the Jewish religious practices. Again, when you know someone that you admire or respect, you look up to him. Like an apprentice sees their master, a child his father, or a servant his king, they love the man and respect the title and the native elements that constitute his ownership of it. They aspire to be like Him, which would make them zealous for God’s Law. Yahweh Himself told them on numerous occasions, “For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy,” Leviticus 11:45. The Law was a tool to teach Israel separation. It was to teach how to discern between the clean and unclean. It was to demonstrate how the Jews were to approach God and treat their fellow man, Jew or Gentile. The Law was a relational object to demonstrate to them how a nation truly set apart for Him should function. Equity, truth, mercy and justice were to reign. Why? Because God is true, fair and just. Perfectly so. He is the standard bearer, and He is the light that illumines the path of the seeker who wishes to grow into His likeness.

Yet the priests of Malachi’s day walked contrary to the Law, so much so that the prophet actually needed to remind them what their base function was. Their purpose was reverential service ministering in the house of God and rightly handling the word of truth. But not all men had faith, whether they were sons of Abraham or not. We read in the days of Samuel’s parents that Eli ministered at Shiloh, along with his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, 1 Samuel 1:3. Of Eli’s sons it is written, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord,” 1 Samuel 2:12. Two priests, ministering in the tabernacle did not know the Lord they professed to serve. Though they were of the tribes of Israel, whom God called His firstborn son during the days of Moses, they were, to quote slang from that day, sons of Belial, KJV. Jesus warns of this very present danger that is the stark difference between knowing ABOUT Him, and having a relationship with Him. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:21-23.

 

Such are those who have a form of godliness but deny its power, 1 Timothy 3:5. The list Paul cites leading to this sobering proclamation certainly fits the behavior attributed toward Hophni, Phinehas, and the priests Malachi is speaking to. Such people have a “form” or “appearance” of godliness, but inwardly there is nothing of the like. Like a statue may at first resemble a man, the similarity ends with the superficial. Note that Jesus tells these people, clearly deluded in believing they have served Him, that He doesn’t know them. They never had a relationship with Him. They knew of Him, but intellectual acquiescence did not translate into acceptance and surrender. A true keeper of the word of truth must not be godly only in form, but in function. We must internalize the word and allow it, through the Holy Spirit’s superintendence to shape our way of thinking to align it with the One who has redeemed us. If we are at first merely a form and hollow within like a proverbial statue, then we ought to, “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who made him,” Colossians 3:10. We are to be renewed, restarted, reintroduced in the image God originally composed for us in Eden. Adam was a son of God (Luke 3:38) by direct creation, and having God breathe the breath of life into him. Adam was associated with God relationally. The services performed by Adam or obedience given did not garner the intimacy Christ implies when He says, “I never knew you.” You can work for someone your entire life and never know him. I have bosses that have bosses scattered throughout the country, and I do not know them, though I render them service. But if said boss was my father or dear friend, then my investment in that service changes. My outlook on my job and how I present the business transforms. It does so because of my personal involvement with the person that I answer to. Relationship changes everything, including why we do what we do.