"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. (Mal 1:6-14 ESV)
In the very first chapter of this book, Malachi gets right to the heart of the matter with what’s wrong with God’s people. The problem with the people was that they despised God.
In verse 6, God tells them that - A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?
It’s as the shepherds go astray that the people go astray, and it’s as the shepherds are brought back in repentance that the people are brought back in repentance. And that’s why God directs this charge against the priests of the people.
Look at how God puts Himself in two roles here – as Father and as Master. While God is a Father to us He is also our Master. He has purchased us with the precious, valuable blood of Christ. He has bought us for His purpose. We’re no longer to live for our own selfish purposes, but for the purposes that Christ has bought us for.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1Co 6:19-20)
Peter gives us a grave warning for those who deny the master who bought them when he says…
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2Pe 2:1)
Now, if this same charge was leveled against you, that you were denying your Father and Master, what would your response be? Would you examine yourself in the light of Scripture with honesty and integrity? Or would you react in the same way that these rebellious people reacted…in disbelief?
These people who God called to task couldn’t see how they were denying God. Their response to God was, “how have we despised your name?” Though their transgressions were obvious to God, they were hidden from them. This can happen to us as well. That’s why it’s so very important to take the Scripture to heart and allow it to search out any hidden faults that we may be in. After all…
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer 17:9)
The Psalmist says…
Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me… (Psa 19:12-13)
Though their faults are hidden from them, God declares them plainly:
- He is not honored as their Father.
- He is not feared as their Master.
The despising of God is a charge leveled at the priests, those whom God has placed as shepherds over His people. These very same shepherds that were supposed to teach the people how to worship were themselves despisers of God. And there’s no way that someone who despises God can teach others anything besides how to despise God.
It’s a biblical truth that the people will follow their leaders, whether towards the love and fear of God…or towards the love and fear of the world. God holds the shepherds responsible for what they do with the sheep, and it’s a terrible thing for the shepherds to be found unfaithful in their calling by the God who called them. Jeremiah speaks condemnation to unfaithful shepherds when he says…
"… surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. (Eze 34:2-10 ESV)
So if it’s found that a church is despising the Lord by not honoring Him as their Father or not fearing Him as their Master, then the leaders of that church are partly responsible for bringing them to this state. The people of the church are a direct reflection of the leaders of the church.
As leaders we must ask ourselves:
- Have we been feeding ourselves or the sheep that God has entrusted to our care?
- Have we strengthened the weak, healed the sick, and bound up the injured?
- Have we brought back the straying and sought out the lost?
Does the church seek out the lost? Do they proclaim the Gospel of Christ to those who are perishing? If they’re not doing this important kingdom work then as a church they must ask themselves, “Are we being led to proclaim the Gospel?”
What kind of shepherd would not seek out lost sheep? What kind of shepherd, knowing that there are sheep ready to perish at the mouths of lions, would sit in comfort by the fire with the rest of the sheep and ignore such a great tragedy?
Shepherds are not only called to care for the sheep that stay close, but they are called to care for ALL sheep, even if it means getting uncomfortable by moving away from the campfire and moving into the cold darkness that’s found outside of the Church.
So as leaders we must ask ourselves these questions…and as a church we must ask ourselves if our leaders are caring for the people as they should.
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