Quick Note – Malachi 2:7 – A Messenger of the Lord of hosts

Malachi 2:7 – 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.

Has a friend or relative ever come to you for advice?  Have they ever sought your wisdom and knowledge in order to make a decision?  Just the other day, a friend of mine asked me for advice on what board games to buy, because she knew that I had a vast knowledge of the types of hobby games that are on the market and what games were good for her.  I have also been sought for advice when it comes to some science related topics, since I have prepared my fair share of experiments as I work towards a Ph.D.  People seek advice from those whom they deem experts (or at least more knowledgeable than them) in a certain field.  The question I have for you is this – Do people seek your instruction for wisdom and guidance about life and specifically their spiritual condition?  In Malachi, God rebuked the priests of Israel, because they had stopped being a beacon of light for the Israelites and for the other nations.  Rather than leading them to follow God, the priests had disrespected God and turned people away from Him.  Instead of being a messenger of God that people could turn to and learn His Word from, the priests were the ones committing sin.  This was why God reminded them that it was from their lips that knowledge and instruction should flow from – that they were the ones whom people should seek instruction from.  They had forgotten their responsibility. 

1 Peter 2:9, we as Christians are also called a royal priesthood, which means that this job of being a messenger of the LORD of hosts is given to us, as well.  It is our responsibility to be a light to this world, a city set on a hill, and the salt of this earth.  We should be drawing the world to seek and to know the one and only Savior – our Lord Jesus Christ.  The people around us should be seeking instruction and knowledge, wisdom and guidance from us, because our lives are shining examples of what God can do.  So I ask you one more time – Can people come to you seeking wisdom and guidance in general?  God’s Word is a guide for the daily lives of people, whether they are Christians or not.  More importantly, do people come to you asking for advice about their spiritual condition?  Do they find peace, uprightness, and true instruction on your lips?  Do people know that you can help them to get to know God better?  If they do not and cannot, I encourage you to examine your heart and ask the Lord to show you what needs to be changed.  It is our responsibility to give wisdom and knowledge to this world, to instruct them in the way they should go, for we are messengers of the LORD of hosts.