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“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”  Matthew 15:7-8(NLT)

How we treat our spouse, family, close friends, and those who know us best is who we are. We can easily fool ourselves when we receive accolades from the outside world, but those inside our four walls are the true test of our walk with Christ.

As we wrap up the last words of God from Malachi, it is important to note God said this exact thing. He was speaking to Jewish men when He said to them,

“You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping, and groaning

because He pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t

accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the

Lord accept my worship?”  I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord

witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were

young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she

remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.”

(Malachi 2:13-14NLT)

God is not negotiating with those who have disregarded their family, specifically their wives.

If you have been the one disregarded, know that God sees you.

If you have been the one breaking the vows, know that God sees you.

God sees the worship, the offering, the “tears, weeping, and groaning” of the one breaking the vows, and He considers it an act. God tells the men that if they want their worship to be valuable and meaningful to Him, then following His commands, beginning with being faithful to their wife, is the place to start. God does not mince words here. In Malachi 2:16b God says, “…do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

This is not only an Old Testament idea. Jesus tells the Pharisees, “…(you) honor me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me.”

God does not accept any form of worship when our hearts are not following His commands.

God desires real, authentic worship from each one of us. Worship is a heart posture, not an act to gain favor.

In the small book of Malachi, God reminds us He is the Lord of Hosts. Practically speaking, the people of Israel had no army of their own at this time. They were allowed back to their land to rebuild, but they were still part of the Persian Empire. The title  “Lord of Hosts” is used 24 times in these 4 chapters to remind the people that there was an army surrounding them, they just could not see it. The people felt alone, but God was still on the throne. He was still worthy of worship, and His position and covenants did not change based on their circumstances and expectations.

As we move on from God’s last words in Malachi, let’s remember who we are in His presence is Who we are.

“Father, may we worship You in Spirit and Truth no matter the circumstances around us.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (www.TerrieTollerson.com)
TRBC Women’s Life