A Challenge from Malachi
As I was praying about what to write for my newsletter article for this month, I felt the Lord reminding me of my devotions from this morning. In Malachi 2 the Lord rebukes the priests for not giving honor to his name. In that rebuke he takes them back to his covenant with Levi, and the priesthood that comes from his family line. It is a covenant of love and peace that God gave them. In verses 5-6, God specifically points out a few things about the history of this relationship that were commendable:
He feared the Lord and stood in awe of his name
True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips
He walked with God in peace and uprightness
He turned many from iniquity
Yes, in these verses God is speaking specifically about Levi and the line of priests and ministers that came from his family line and their role within the community of Israel, but it is easy to see how good it would it be if these words were true of us as ministers within the Body of Christ today.
In the next verse (Malachi 2:7) God goes on to add two things that should be true of a priest:
The lips of a priest should guard knowledge
People should seek instruction from him, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts
Again, I realize that this is directed specifically to the priests of Israel and we need to be careful in the ways we extrapolate that in light of our ministry within the Church today, but I believe these words provide a strong reminder of the responsibility we bear. In these verses we see some great questions to ask ourselves as we consider what we preach and teach, how we counsel others, and the way we lead. Would the people to whom we minister use words like this to describe us and our ministry? If not, why not?
The phrase that most stands out to me comes at the end of verse 7: “people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” That causes me to ask myself, should people seek instruction from me? I remember when I first began teaching at Crown College and I was standing before a classroom of students that were taking notes on what I said. It was a strange feeling and I felt a weight of responsibility. These students who were preparing for life in the world were looking to me to impart wisdom that was worthy of them taking notes and applying to their lives. That classroom setting provided a realization that is true not just when I teach, but whenever I have opportunity to speak into someone’s life as a minister of the word of God. What people need from me is not my wisdom, ideas or instruction, but rather what the Lord has for them. Whether I am standing behind a pulpit on Sunday morning or having a conversation in a coffee shop with someone who is seeking counsel from me, what am I giving to them? Are they my words or am I letting God speak through me? As I look at the rest of these words from Malachi 2 I realize that the more those things are true of me, the more likely I will be ready to share the things of God rather than just my words alone. May we, as ministers of the Lord, bring honor to his name.
Rob Mapstone
Director of Recruitment and Placement