Page 16 - Florida Sentinel 3-27-20

Need For Just Leaders MALACHI 2:1-9; 3:5-7a (KJV)
Scriptures
Malachi 2:1 And now, O ye priests, this com- mandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear, andifyewillnotlayitto 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 al-
ready, because ye do not lay it to heart.
3 Behold, I will cor- rupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
4 And ye shall know that I have sent this com- mandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith
the LORD of hosts.
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.
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and eq- uity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
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.
8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have cor- rupted the covenant of
Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
9 Therefore have I also made you con- temptible and base be- fore all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.
Malachi 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swear- ers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
6ForIamtheLord,I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7a Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Re- turn unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.
Their Example (Malachi 2:1-6)
`This lesson is specifically about the priests and their responsibility to lead justly and with no favoritism; to lead according to the Mosaic law.
One of God’s complaints was that the priests sacri- ficed blemished animals on their altars rather than um- blemished ones. They even thought that God would bless their defective offer- ings.
Some priests had abused their position and distorted the process of making sacri- fices. As an example, some sacrificial animals that fell short of the requirements were sacrificed anyway.
God warned them that because of their refusal to do what honored Him, their blessings would be turned into curses. Their offsprings would be affected as well.
God wanted the current
priests to walk “in peace and uprightness” (Mal.2:6) as an example to the people.
The Consequences (Malachi 2:7-9)
Malachi reminded the priests that their role was to preserve the knowledge of what is right both through their words and their ac- tions. Their failure to do so was causuing others to stum- ble
To lead justly is what is meant by honoring God's name for if you lead in His name you have a great re- sponsibility to lead according to His wishes.
Any leader in the church today has a moral responsi- bility to lead justly. We would have a hard time find- ing any position in church leadership in which the peo- ple being led expect the leader to be unfair or to pur- posely not follow what is right and honest.
What leaders are we re- ferring to? It could be anyone who has a position in tradi- tional leadership or anyone who is a leader based on what others think of them.
An Alternative (Malachi 3:5-7a)
God said He had a list of charges against the people and would put them on trial for their sins. The priests should have known that God would someday judge the unrighteous while rewarding those who were faithful to Him.
God said they were guilty of following the disobedient ways of their “ancestors” (vs. 7) who did not obey His laws.
If people have come to trust us based on our previ- ous actions, we have become a moral leader and have — perhaps inadvertently — as- sumed a responsibility to maintain that trust.
We can be good examples to others of what God says is right, or we can be bad ones. You do have a choice. Does your example help or harm?
PAGE 4-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020