The Call to Corrupt Shepherds

Malachi 2:1-9 

1 "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If you will not hear,
And if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,"
Says the LORD of hosts,

"I will send a curse upon you,
And I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them already,
Because you do not take it to heart.

3 "Behold, I will rebuke your descendants
And spread refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts;
And one will take you away with it.

4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,"
Says the LORD of hosts.

5 "My covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth,
And injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And turned many away from iniquity.

7 "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But you have departed from the way;
You have caused many to stumble at the law.
You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,"
Says the LORD of hosts.

9 "Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown partiality in the law."

The lips of a priest should keep knowledge as God’s messenger and keep the word of God himself as an example of faithfulness to that word brought to the flock as a good shepherd.  Unfortunately, the priests had misled and betrayed the flock by their lack of fear and disobedience as they continually broke the covenant of works which the LORD had made with them and all His people.  Malachi spoke faithfully to them as he called them to account that they would take God’s word to heart and glorify Him in their personal obedience and obligation to teach the whole counsel of God to the sheep put in their charge.  They should have been reading the scriptures and explaining (Nehemiah 8:8) who God is and what is required of them (Micah 6:8), but instead they were to reap the consequences of continued disobedience and disregard for their calling and spiritual responsibilities.  The covenant made with Levi as the head of the priests was to give life and peace and he feared the LORD as he was reverent in regarding the holiness of the LORD whom he served.  The Law of Truth lived on his lips and walked it out to others in word and deed as he turned the flock from sins and their iniquity of idolatry and immortality.  The principle was clear, that a priest should treasure the knowledge of the LORD that others would come to him for godly counsel.  Unfortunately, they had wandered away from listening to that still small voice within (Isaiah 30:21) and actually led the flock astray by corrupting the truth and its covenant.  Because of this disobedience and disregard for their calling, they were exposed and made contemptible to all instead of ones to look up to for guidance in word and deed.  Their favoritism and self-seeking was their demise as they served themselves in place of the LORD AND his people.  May those of us entrusted with the gospel and positions of shepherding learn from these mistakes and submit our desires (1 John 2:15-17) to His in being examples (1 Peter 5:2-4) to the flock and feeding them His word faithfully and impartially and fully with the whole counsel (Acts 20:27-28) of God as we walk out the truth in word and deed.  It is a call to corrupt shepherds to bring them back to serving God faithfully when they stray from selfless service.