April 13th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Misrepresentation

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Opening Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your inspired and inspiring Word. May the Holy Spirit illuminate it so I might better understand.

Read Malachi 2:10-3:5

[10] Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? [11] Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. [12] As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob-even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty. [13] Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. [14] You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. [15] Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. [16] “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,” says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. [17] You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By 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?” [1] “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. [2] But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. [3] He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, [4] and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. [5] “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“These (sufferings) have come so that Your faith…may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:7).

Think Further

Many countries these days have advertising laws which are responsible for making sure that what you see (in the ad) is what you get (in the product). If it is not, then the ad, and even the product must be withdrawn. Malachi is accusing his fellow Jews of this kind of misrepresentation. On the surface they were all children of one Father, all members of the same covenant community, but under the surface it was very different. What you saw was definitely not what you got.

On the surface there were lots of sacrifices being offered to God but, underneath, there were community members marrying worshipers of other gods and thus betraying their covenant with the Lord. On the surface we have tearful pleading but, underneath, we find adultery, divorce and the betrayal of other community (family) members through injustice. On the surface we have many prayers but, underneath, we have a complete denial of God’s Word—in particular, taking things that God has declared to be evil and calling them good.

There have been those in the church who have longed for the coming of the Savior and, yet, have defended racism, or have argued that “as long as there is love” all sexual relationships are okay, even adultery and betrayal. There are those who have seen the underpayment of employees, or depriving the government of its revenue (and thus depriving the widows and orphans supported by the government) as normal and acceptable business practice. Life does not seem to have changed much since Malachi’s day! Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21–23 reflect Malachi’s comments and warn us that maintaining a family likeness is much more important than simply claiming to be part of God’s family.

Apply

Look over the six sins mentioned in v. 5. Is there anything listed that you need to deal with?

Closing prayer

Lord, in all aspects of my daily life may I so reflect You that when You return You will recognize me as a member of Your family.

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