In many ways, a leader’s competency can be assessed by the response of those he is leading. For example, a teacher’s competency to teach may be assessed by how well his or her students retain the information being taught in the classroom. If students learn the material and pass their exams, the teacher has probably done well educating his or her students. On the other hand, if nobody passes his or her exams, the teacher may not have done such a great job of helping the students learn the material.
Of course, there is always the possibility that the blame should be placed on the students. Perhaps they did not pay close enough attention during their lectures. Yet when students who put forth diligent effort to listen to lectures and study outside of class time fail their exams, the teacher may well be the issue. In the book of Malachi, we see this concept play out in a religious context and can learn critical lessons that are applicable to church leaders today.
The Context
The primary issues with which God’s prophets dealt before Malachi’s time were idolatry and pagan corruptions to Israel’s worship. Now, however, worship was being corrupted by peoples’ indifference and selfishness. Malachi opens his book of prophecy by addressing the apathetic attitude people had toward worship. The people of Israel were failing to honor and admire God as they were expected. Therefore, God directly addresses the people’s failure to give Him the reverence He deserves (1:6) through His prophet Malachi. Instead of bringing appropriate sacrifices to worship, they were bringing defiled and unclean food to the alter (1:7). Malachi points out that the people were offering crippled, lame, and blind animals to the Lord, even though God expected a spotless sacrifice (1:8).
And all along the way in Malachi 1, God blames the priests for the apathetic worship of the Israelites. In 1:12, the priests are called out for their lack of commitment. Their service to the Lord had become monotonous to them, and they were tired of the sacrificial system (1:13). It had become a burden to them so that they lowered the standards of worship for the people of Israel, allowing them to offer sacrifices that were unclean, defiled, and stolen.
In Malachi 2, God addresses the priests’ approach to worship more directly. Worship in the Old Testament looked much different than it does today. We no longer have human priests to mediate God’s presence and offer up sacrifices on behalf of God’s people because Jesus is our Great High Priest who lives eternally and is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25). The role of a minister today, therefore, is different than the Levitical priests. Pastors today are called to shepherd God’s flock by faithfully proclaiming the Scriptures and leading by godly example. Despite the differences, however, there are at least three lessons New Testament church leaders should learn from this passage.
We should minister in a way that brings God glory.
In verses Malachi 1:1–4, God reminds us through the prophet Malachi that we should minister in a way that brings God glory:
And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts (ESV).
The priest’s job was to cut out the internal unclean parts of the animal sacrifices and then take them outside of the camp and burn them. God was telling the priests that, if they did not take worship seriously, giving God the proper reverence He deserved, then God would not honor their sacrifice. Instead, says Malachi, the priests were unclean and deserved to be carried out with the intestines and dung because their ministry was useless to Him. These verses show that God is most glorified when ministers adhere to God’s holy standards rather than lowering the standards to make worship easier or perhaps more seeker sensitive.
This reminder is helpful for church leaders today. It does not matter how successful things may appear on the outside. One can build a church of thousands of people, but if it is done in a way that does not bring glory to God, his ministry is no different than the priests’ in the book of Malachi. God was not impressed by the priests just going through the motions halfheartedly and checking off boxes on their priestly to-do lists. He was much more concerned about their hearts, their motives. In the same way, God is most glorified today when ministers humbly submit to ministering according to the standard of His holy Word. Therefore, church leaders today should take care always to minister for God’s glory alone and nothing else.
We should always teach and live the truth.
The second lesson this passage teaches New Testament church leaders is that we should always teach and live the truth. This is seen particularly in 2:5–7:
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
God reminds the rebellious priests of Malachi’s day of the earlier priests who not only embraced the ministry and recognized what an awesome task it was but also were given life and peace so that they might fear God. If priests, or even church leaders today, are given opportunities to serve God in this capacity but do not fear the Lord, then they have missed the fundamental meaning of serving Him. YHWH is the all-powerful God who created and sustains all things. When leaders fully recognize this truth, they serve with reverential fear.
Malachi 2:6–7 emphasize the faithful and effective ministry of the former priests. Teaching the truth was evidence that they feared God. They also lived out what they taught. They walked with God in peace and uprightness and, as a result, “he turned many from iniquity.” Their ministry was fruitful as people turned from iniquity to righteousness as they trusted in the Lord. This example is perfect for church leaders to follow today: fear the Lord, faithfully teach the Scriptures, live a life of obedience, and bring people to repentance and faith in the Lord.
We should never lower God’s standard.
Finally, Malachi 2:8–9 teach us that we should never lower God’s standard.
But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.
The priests were supposed to guard knowledge and promote sound doctrine (2:7), but, instead, 2:8–9 state that they had turned aside from the way and caused people to stumble. The priests to whom Malachi was speaking had completely changed their job descriptions. They lowered God’s standards both for themselves and those under their ministries. Their teaching caused people to stumble, they were not practicing what they were teaching, and they were not making converts. Verse nine shows us that God was clearly displeased with this type of ministry. The priests corrupted the covenant. They dishonored God, so God then dishonored them.
The temptation to lower God’s standards was not unique to the priests of Malachi’s day. Church leaders throughout history have faced the same temptation. Some have fallen into lowering standards for themselves. Like the priests, they fail to teach the Scriptures faithfully and, as a result, have caused people to stumble. On the other hand, some have lowered the standards for the people under their ministry. Just as the priests allowed people to offer up sacrifices that were unclean and corrupt, ministers today may alter the expectation for what it means to take up one’s cross and follow Christ.
Perhaps it is possible to increase attendance and participation in our churches if we are willing to change aspects of our worship and the expectations for Christian living in a way that appeals to the world around us. But if we do so, we are no better than the priests in Malachi to whom God said, “I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
Conclusion
God’s message to the priests in Malachi 2 reminds church leaders of how much God cares about how we minister. At times, we fall prey to seeking glory for ourselves rather than God alone. We often come short of teaching the truth and are inconsistent in how we live. We sometimes consciously or subconsciously lower the standards that God has set in His Word. And though there were good priests who appropriately did their jobs, and though there are church leaders today who are striving to do what is right, we know that no one has fully lived up to God’s standards and that all of us need God’s grace. So, with humility, we need to hold one another accountable as we seek to minister to our churches in a way that brings honor and glory to God alone.
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