Malachi 1:10 NIVUK
[10] ‘Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will accept no offering from your hands.
I don’t know if you have ever played the childhood game ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’, where your hand is shaped into one of the three objects, and rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper and paper covers rock.
It's quite a neat game. The rules are very simple.
But let me also introduce you to a very simple rule which is much less fun and a lot more challenging:
Religion beats religion.
That is, a meaningless, empty shell of religion, without God and without a purpose other than to perpetuate itself, will eventually consume itself and cease to exist.
Do you want proof of this?
Look at the precipitous decline in members of national churches across the western world.
Look at the serious decline in membership of liberal congregations.
Look at the incredible struggles in many denominations to find pastors and leaders.
Why is this?
Because this is often the situation, not in our secular world, but in the church:
Revelation 3:20 NIVUK
[20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
God is outside the church.
Why is He outside the church?
Because that’s where those who are inside the church put Him.
Why?
Because He challenged them to repent and they would not.
Because He challenged them to obey, and they would not.
Because He wanted to be their God, and they would not allow it.
They just wanted their nice rituals and rites and customs and for nothing to change, so when God Himself challenged it, God had to go.
That is why these churches are in the mess they are in.
It’s nothing to do with the devil or demographics or a disobeying neighbourhood.
It’s because God is on the outside.
What we are reading here is the most stark, the most shocking warning to a people with God on the outside. After this book, this happened:
Amos 8:11-12 NIVUK
[11] ‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. [12] People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.
Do you know how long that famine lasted?
Four hundred years!
This is God’s last word. This is God’s last knock at door before He goes away and they don’t hear from Him for a very long time.
So we really ought to listen to it.
Here, in this deeply challenging word on how godless religion destroys itself, we see God’s plea, His knock at the door, focused on three roles – three people whom we ought to respect: God Himself, and two other people from their daily life. God is comparing their attitude towards Him with their attitude towards these two other groups.
And the outcome of this comparison is not pretty.
The first of these is with Fathers.
Fathers
Malachi 1:6 NIVUK
[6] ‘A son honours his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due to me? If I am a master, where is the respect due to me?’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘It is you priests who show contempt for my name. ‘But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for your name?”
A number of years ago, when I was in a lowly admin job, trying desperately to earn some money to get married, I came across a young girl who simply shocked me. She told me that it was her life’s ambition to have five children.
A rather painful, stressful ambition, but so far, so good.
But she wanted them with five different fathers.
I was absolutely flabbergasted.
I mean, nowadays we’re all about freedom to live how you want. Maybe some of you reading this wonder why I could have any right to be so shocked.
But there are consequences to actions like this. There are children: children who would have been deprived of the necessary influence of both parents.
I saw her decision, and the decision of many others who choose similar lifestyles, as fundamentally selfish: treating children as commodities and a means for you to feel good about yourself, rather than human beings who need to be reared and raised in the best possible environment.
And yes, I believe that best environment is in the company of two committed, loving parents, one male and one female, providing healthy role models from both genders, who love their children and want the best for them.
Nowadays there is a massive crisis in parenting, specifically fathering. I'm not blaming parents for this – I am one myself. Sometimes parents themselves were not raised in the optimum environment. However, we are right now seeing attempts to erase the identity of father and mother, even from being part of the expression of who God is.
And that is wrong.
Fundamentally wrong.
Clearly things weren’t exactly okay in Malachi’s day either, because later on in his short book, we see this:
Malachi 4:5-6 NIVUK
[5] ‘See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. [6] He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.’
So strong relationships between parents and children are absolutely critical, which is why we see them mentioned in detail later in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20-21).
They are a reflection of how God relates to us: with provision, protection, affection and direction.
I don’t count myself as an expert in parenting – the only people who seem to be experts these days are those who don’t have children of their own – but I know this: perhaps if we sorted this one out, there would be a lot fewer issues in the world, particularly with mental health.
In Malachi’s day, society was highly patriarchal. That was just a fact. So children respecting their parents was a real thing. There was even a law which provided for some pretty extreme punishment if a son did not respect his father (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
I am absolutely not advocating for a return to that law.
Suffice it to say that respect for parents was baked into their law and culture.
God, though, was making a different point:
He was their Heavenly Father. He provided for them, guided them, led them and taught them, not to mention loved them, more than their earthly parents ever did.
Yet where was the respect due to Him?
He was being a better Father than any human father, or mother, ever could.
Yet through their empty, hollowed-out, superficial, meaningless religion they were seriously disrespecting Him.
And that was not the only picture He used. He also used the picture of their Governor.
Governor
Malachi 1:7-8 NIVUK
[7] ‘By offering defiled food on my altar. ‘But you ask, “How have we defiled you?” ‘By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. [8] When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?’ says the Lord Almighty.
Now, here things become very interesting.
Malachi’s message came to the people around the time of the ministries of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah. The Israelites had returned from their seventy year exile under the Medo-Persian king Darius. They had rebuilt their Temple and the Jerusalem city wall. There had been something of a national awakening and revival.
But all of that was old news now.
They were living back in their old cities again. However, they were not entirely free – they were being administered and led once more by the Persians.
They were not masters of their own destiny.
Even the word used here for ‘governor’ comes from Assyrian, not Hebrew, and denotes a regional prefect, administrator or mayor.
In all likelihood, in this case, either a foreigner or a collaborator.
Years previously, Nehemiah, a Jew, had been appointed their Governor. He was clear that he had no intention of being as hard on them as his predecessors:
Nehemiah 5:14-18 NIVUK
[14] Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year – twelve years – neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. [15] But the earlier governors – those preceding me – placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. [16] Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. [17] Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. [18] Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
I seriously doubt if the pagan, foreign governors were as easy on the Jews as Nehemiah.
And one area they absolutely would not go easy on was the quality of their food.
Which made the quality of the sacrifices the Jews were offering in Malachi’s day all the more galling.
After all, the law was very clear:
Leviticus 3:6 NIVUK
[6] ‘ “If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the Lord, you are to offer a male or female without defect.
Yet while the Jews were likely being scrupulously careful with the food offered to the governors imposed by their pagan overlords, they were treating God with utter contempt and bringing poor quality sacrifices to the Temple:
Malachi 1:12-14 NIVUK
[12] ‘But you profane it by saying, “The Lord’s table is defiled,” and, “Its food is contemptible.” [13] And you say, “What a burden!” and you sniff at it contemptuously,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?’ says the Lord. [14] ‘Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Now, we don’t offer animal sacrifices now – much to the delight of vegans and vegetarians everywhere. However, we have a different sacrifice to offer:
Romans 12:1 NIVUK
[1] Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.
And God is looking for us to offer it whole-heartedly:
John 4:23-24 NIVUK
[23] Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. [24] God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’
What this means is that we worship God in our spirit and with heart-felt honesty and integrity, not performing or playing pretend, but being present with Him as who we really are.
And boy, do we get this wrong!
Because this has nothing to do with playing our instruments well or hitting the right notes.
I’ll give you a good example.
I used to attend a church in Romania that had a great worship band – they sung country and western, which was decidedly odd, but they sung well. They had a really good choir. Very well conducted and led.
One day they had a visit from a church they had decided to support. A Roma (gypsy) church. The choir from this church sung loudly, enthusiastically, rhythmically, whole-heartedly.
But not at all tunefully.
Their worship may have almost caused me to have a headache and a dose of tinnitus, but its integrity, its honesty, was a breath of fresh air.
And I loved it.
Their host church, though, did not.
A month later and the choir returned. I looked forward to it. My ears, not so much.
But this time when they performed, it was all so different. They were in tune. They had the beginning of a harmony. But the energy had gone. The spirit was gone. They were now so concentrated on being technically correct, on being in tune and in harmony and at the right volume, that I could see they were not worshipping God in spirit and truth anymore.
They were no longer themselves.
It was to no-one’s surprise that the partnership between the churches was dissolved.
And that was sad.
Because for all that gypsy church lacked in musical quality, they more than made up for in authenticity, enthusiasm and spirituality.
And these are what God is looking for – not necessarily sweet harmonies.
The Jews had made a serious error. They were seeking influence with their foreign, pagan governor, so they honoured him with the best quality produce they could find.
But God is the great King of all the Earth, and they gave Him nothing more than cheap leftovers.
It has to be said that these days churches that are close to power make the same awful mistake. They seek influence and power for themselves. They cosy up to politicians and governors and prime ministers and presidents. They find themselves uneasy bedfellows with people who, on the surface, seem to agree with them, but are just using them as a stepping stone to power.
These churches prioritise their relationship with their earthly governors, while their obedience to the King of Kings is neglected. Earthly rulers get their best; the Lord of all gets the rest.
Is God pleased with that?
Not one bit.
After the roles of father and governor, the last role we see here for comparison is God.
God
Malachi 1:11 NIVUK
[11] My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty.
Here the comparison reaches its high point. They have honoured fathers over their Heavenly Father and their governor over the King of all the Earth.
Here God seems to be comparing Himself with the Persian King, Darius. Darius was definitely Lord over all he surveyed and king over the known world.
But God, on the other hand, would be great among the nations. He would be honoured in far-flung nations where the name of Darius would not even be spoken.
Therefore the Jews’ cosying up to their governor made no sense. He was just a petty functionary; their God was God over the whole earth.
More than that, God is telling them what His plan is.
God’s Name will be great among the nations.
We see that plan unfolding in the New Testament:
Philippians 2:9-11 NIVUK
[9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 7:9-10 NIVUK
[9] After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. [10] And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
This will happen. This prophecy will be fulfilled. Jesus Christ will be worshipped by people from every single people, tribe, nation and language. Including Jews. Including Babylonians. Including Medo-Persians.
Including our nation.
So tell me this:
What is the point of giving God second-rate worship and a half-hearted religion, while pledging our allegiance and giving our best to human beings who die and are gone?
Isaiah 40:6-8 NIVUK
[6] A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. [7] The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. [8] The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for ever.’
And do you know what will happen to those who give themselves over to an utterly fake and false religion?
They will be cursed:
Malachi 1:14 NIVUK
[14] ‘Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations.
So tell me: who gets your best? Who do you worship? Is your allegiance to God genuine or is it just for show.
Because, let me tell you: God knows the difference.
Conclusion
Malachi 1:11 NIVUK
[11] My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty.
In certain parts of the world – these days mostly eastern – there are markets, and sometimes entire shopping malls, that sell goods which are one hundred percent fake.
It’s not a secret. Everybody knows. Even law enforcement.
No-one is tricked there. No-one is conned. Because they know that if they buy their goods from there, they will be fake.
So why do they do it?
Simple.
The genuine goods are so expensive that they cannot even aspire to own them.
So they go to these stores, they buy the fake goods, and then they boast about the purchases on social media.
The thing is: all of their followers know these goods are fake.
Why?
Because they know this person they are following cannot even aspire to buy the real thing.
So you have these people showing off fake goods and their fake followers offering fake congratulations.
Quite remarkable.
A product of a fake materialistic life.
But no-one is harmed by this fakery.
Except for the luxury brands.
And the poor mafia-employed factory workers who make the fakes.
However, when religion and devotion to God is faked, that is another matter entirely.
Jesus even warned they would come, and how people would be taken in by them:
Matthew 24:23-26 NIVUK
[23] At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it. [24] For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [25] See, I have told you in advance. [26] ‘So if anyone tells you, “There he is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here he is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it.
These are men and women without morals or conscience, who manipulate those who feel left out and left behind and use religion to add a veneer of respectability to their naked populism.
But we should not be surprised by it.
It’s been happening in both the left and the right for years.
And Jesus warned us it would happen.
But He will not stand idly by while these people take His Name in vain:
Ezekiel 36:20-23 NIVUK
[20] And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, “These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.” [21] I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone. [22] ‘Therefore say to the Israelites, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: it is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. [23] I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
Do you honestly think for one second that God will continue to tolerate His Gospel, His Church and His Name being blasphemed on social media or on TV or in newspapers because of these false believers?
Let me tell you: He will not!
He is only patient to give them time to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
But that should not be understood to be acceptance.
Or even tolerance.
They must repent, or they will be exposed for the fakes they are:
Matthew 7:21-23 NIVUK
[21] ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” [23] Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
But what about us? Can we be certain that we are not fakes, that we are genuine believers?
And how should we react to the malevolent, hypocritical, pretend Christians?
Many are so taken in by their fakery and so angered by what they say that they are turned off Christianity and the Gospel.
But in all seriousness and compassion, I have to say that this is the wrong thing to do.
Why?
Because these fake believers with their hollow, meaningless religion are habitual liars.
The last thing they would want anyone to do is believe the truth.
They are creatures of the shadows and the darkness.
The last thing they would want anyone to do is to step out into the light of the Gospel.
So when you see these conmen and shysters and religious snake-oil salesmen and they make you so angry that you want to rebel against them, do you know the greatest, most rebellious thing you can do?
Disbelieve them.
Believe in Jesus Christ.
That is how you are saved.
While they are cursed and damned.
They receive the fate they deserve.
You receive grace.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am sickened by those who claim to Your followers but are so clearly not. I don’t want to be like them. I want to follow You. Show me how so I can prove my faith is genuine and attract others to follow You. Amen.
Questions
What does Malachi say are the signs of a fake believer? What are the signs of a true believer?
How do you feel about worship? Is it hard or does it come easy to you?
What is the best way you can rebel against those who preach a fake Christianity?
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