Malachi 2:1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

Clearly we see who is addressed here and who God is trying to bring correction to. We must not attempt to put the church here but only apply things to the church if we commit the same sins and are under the same type of law. It is my understanding that the rituals and sacrifices of the law were fulfilled in Christ but the moral law of good and evil are still in effect. A good way to discern this is that any commandment repeated in the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus is still in effect. The commandments Jesus gave are also in effect unless it pertains to one person that had to do something pertaining to the law which was still in effect until after Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial law by His death on the cross.

One example of this was the time when Jesus instructed the leper that was healed to go show himself to the priest in fulfillment of the law. That type of commandment would no longer be necessary for the church.

Mal 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

This type of word can apply both to us today as well as the priests that were given this warning. If we do not hear God's word, a curse is already upon us. Even what we blessed would be cursed if we obey not the word that is in effect in our day which would be contained in the New Testament.

Mal 2:3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

Their religious observances and feasts will profit nothing. This can apply today. If we have church services where we attempt to worship God but our heart is far from Him in that we do not do according to His written word or listen to His Holy Spirit then all worship is vain and for nothing.

Mal 2:4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

Levi was chosen to be the priests who would serve the temple and lead Israel in worship. It was to be done correctly according to the pattern set in the law of Moses. They were not to depart from the commandments of ordinances and sacrifices. They were not to offer sacrifices that were marred in any way which was in reality pointing to that perfect sacrifice to come that was to be without sin. All Old Testament sacrifices had to be without blemish representing the sinless Son of God.  They were careless in this necessary religious observance given to them by Moses. 

Mal 2:5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
Mal 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
Mal 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

This was the way a priest was supposed to be. He was to be the messenger of God without fault. He was to teach God's law to all Israel. He was to turn many away from iniquity or sin. He was to speak truth and not sin himself. They were set apart and called of God to lead Israel in the things pertaining to God. They were the spiritual leaders in other words. They had a very important calling and responsibility and they were not faithful in that calling.

This can apply to modern day pastors. They too are to be messengers of God who walk in the truth and turn many away from sin while they also do not sin. They too are set apart by God to bring the gospel and make disciples of those that hear them.

Mal 2:8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

The priests were not doing their job and it caused the whole nation to sin and turn from God. We have to be faithful in our calling. This is happening today in droves. Many pastors and spiritual leaders are not faithful to the word of God and do not rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance.
They have gotten away from the truth substituting their own traditions or commandments of men. They have gotten away from the word and substituted motivational speaking, jokes, and seminars on everything but the gospel and God's word.

They have gotten away from the leadership of the Holy Spirit, forbidding tongues, interpretations, prophecies and substituting entertainment and programs of men.

I realize that for fear of accesses and abuses of the gifts of the spirit that much of this is done by those who are in control but that is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We need the Holy Spirit and God gave those gifts to the church to be used. They are not supposed to disappear. The use of them is to bring people to Christ and bring glory to God, not exalt an individual. That is where we go wrong many times. We have to stop puffing up personalities and realize these gifts are for the whole church, not just one or two individuals to be exalted above their brethren.  These types of abuses causes many to reject the gifts of the spirit and try to use man made controlled worship services.  For this reason many are leaving the churches being unfulfilled with what God intended for them to have. 

Mal 2:9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

A corrupt priesthood will become partial and not judge fairly. They will prefer those that are rich so that they might gain by their riches. They will give more honor to the so-called important ones over the poor and insignificant.

Partiality does not belong in the church today either. When God places a pastor over a congregation, He intends for that pastor to disciple the poor as well as the rich, the weak as well as the strong. Giving more honor to the highest tithe payer is wrong. Yet this is done all the time.

Mal 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

This can apply in our day also. All through the Middle Ages and even in our day so-called Christian leaders have dealt treacherously with their brethren, even putting some to death for supposed heresy. They say in their hearts that the Lord delays His coming and begin to beat their fellow servants and use forced conversions. This has died out at least in the civilized world but it can return if we do not fear God and walk in the spirit. If we get away from sound doctrine and walking in love, this will happen again.

This may be why God keeps us from going back into one big organized church. He knows that power corrupts and once we join together we will make the same mistake. Instead we should seek a unity of the spirit and peace and worship in small separate groups but are unified in love and truth.

To unite for wealth and politics or for the pride to show off our large numbers of members is not the unity Jesus speaks of.

We see so many parallels in the stories of God and Israel that is similar to God and the church. We never replace Israel in that sense but we can learn from the mistakes of Israel.

Mal 2:11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

This was actual idolatry in the case of Israel. Many times they desired to worship the gods of the nations that surrounded them thinking they could be spiritual and still be free to commit sin. God finally allowed the nations they were copying after to take them into slavery.

We will become a slave to whatever we put ahead of God. That is why it is important to return to our first Love for Christ and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit that the Lord gave to us to abide within us, to teach us and actually worship through us after Jesus returned to the Father.  We must not neglect the Holy Spirit's role in our lives and the life of the church along with maintaining the foundation that is in Jesus Christ.  The true Holy Spirit will always glorify Christ and keep Christ as our foundation.  He will never lead us into majoring on manifestations to the point that the gospel of Jesus takes a back seat. 

Verse 22 mentions that they profaned the holiness of the Lord. They ruined or married the holiness of God with their idolatry and sin.

The church does this also by forsaking holiness as described in the New Testament.

2Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Are we doing this? If we are not then we are doing the same things that Israel did. We are profaning the holiness of God and doing our own thing. We have let the fear of legalism or misunderstanding of holiness hinder us from the real, pure holy living that God intends for us to have. God saved us and filled us with His Holy Spirit to enable us to live in holiness.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

True salvation saves us from past sins and also brings us into a life of holiness.  This is all part of salvation.  We are set apart, sanctified and are vessels of the Holy Spirit.  We are not saved from sin only to return to it and then claim we are covered by grace.

Mal 2:12 The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

The priests were told plainly that they would be cut off if they failed to repent and serve God faithfully.

According to John 15, unfruitful branches are also cut off. We are never given a license to return to sin after we have been saved from sin by believing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mal 2:13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Mal 2:14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
Mal 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Mal 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

Not only did they profane the office of the priesthood and offer defiled sacrifices as described in chapter one and allowed idolatry which is spiritual fornication but they sinned against the wife of their youth.

This shows us that God hates divorce. When one partner desires to divorce his wife (husband) and marry another, someone always gets hurt. Marriage is similar to God's desired relationship with Israel. They were to love Him and serve Him without going after strange gods. Divorce shatters that union. Divorcing a wife or husband is like leaving the shelter and safety of the presence of God and living for the foolish things of this world.

Once we've known God and have been partaker of His holiness, to be moved away and allow other things to become our priority is one step to backsliding and allowing sin back into our lives. It is like a divorce. It separates us from God. Sin separated us from God in the first place. Jesus removes that sin and cleanses us when we believe in Him to the point of forsaking or repenting of sin. If we go back into willful sin without repenting, we allow sin to separate us again just like before we were saved and yes, we can end up being lost.

Mal 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

They were calling evil good and good evil just like they do today.

Those that stay faithful to God and try to correct the sin that is killing the flock of God, are considered hate mongers, fundamentalists, bible thumpers, fanatics, prophets of doom and so forth. Those that speak great swelling words of comfort and never reprove, correct, rebuke and do good deeds to be seen of men are considered to be the good guys in today's society.

Just like in Old Testament times when prophets who really spoke truth and represented the real God were mocked and persecuted even so is it now. The real messengers of God are mocked, scorned and ridiculed.

Yet I see people leaving institutional churches in droves because they are tired of the empty motivational speaking, the lies, the hype, the programs, the entertainment, the foolishness and the fleecing done to the flock.

Some of them backslide and no longer walk with God. Some of them form home churches and that may be a solution in some cases but they too can get into negative murmuring and complaining against the churches they came out of that they do not feed the flock of God.  We still need good pastors and centralized church buildings to meet in for the worship and discipleship of the believers.

It is a shame to see people leaving when we need each other so desperately. People are hungry for the truth and the way of holiness. (Not heavy shepherding or legalism).

People want the real move of God that comes from the Holy Spirit (not shows or hyped up stuff that exalts a man (woman) instead of Christ). They need the return to the foundation which is to be upon Jesus Christ and no other. His is the only name by which we can be saved. Jesus is the one who gives the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him. Jesus is still the author and finisher of our faith.  We need all that God makes available for us through the Holy Spirit.  Man's programs, creeds, politics, and hype are not substitute for the real gifts of God. 

Will the real pastors and teachers please stand up?  We need you.