The priests now get further warnings. Now everyone is responsible for their own life. No matter whatever anyone else does, I have the responsibility to live my life for God, but leaders have a special responsibility.
The priests are called on to honour God with a warning of judgement if they do not do so. Indeed the judgement is already coming upon them. We need to honour God. Verse 3 expresses this in no uncertain terms, and in most churches if a preacher or prophet spoke like this we would be greatly offended!
Notice what it then says in verse 4. The purpose of this warning is so that covenant may continue. And the covenant is a covenant if life and peace. God's plan for our life is life and peace, but to receive this we need to honour and fear the Lord. Now all this talk of Levi being absolutely wonderful seems odd, because Levi was not perfect. But Jesus is our perfect high priest.
The role of a priest (and we can apply this to all leaders) is to "preserve knowledge", that is knowledge of God. We are sent to give the Lord's instruction. We meant to help people follow Christ. But the priests of Malachi's day, and many leaders today, had instead caused people to stumble, to disobey God. If we do this then we will be humiliated by God.
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