Powerpoint - Guiding Light Christian Church

MALACHI SERIES 4: GOD’S SECOND
AND THIRD CHARGES OF SIN (2:10-17)
I. GOD’S LOVE FOR JACOB (1:1-5)
II. GOD’S FIRST CHARGE OF SIN
(1:6-2:9)
III. GOD’S SECOND AND THIRD
CHARGES OF SIN (2:10-17)
A. THE PEOPLE’S SIN OF
UNFAITHFULNESS TO THE
COVENANT (2:10-16)
1. The Sin of Unfaithfulness Revealed
(v. 10)
a. Through the sin of mixed
marriages (vv. 11-12)
b. Through the sin of hypocritical
tears (v. 13)

Read Mal 2:13.
~ actually connected to vv. 14-16 in
thought.


“Another thing” indicates that this verse
continues the theme of vv. 11-12 (and
later on connects this to the issue in
vv.14-16): intermarriage and divorce.
“You cover the altar of the Lord with
tears…”
~ These tears are the false tears of
hypocrisy, not genuine tears of
repentance.
~ The people weep because the Lord
will not hear them, not because of
their sin.

~ Many times we weep because God
disappointed us, not because we
disappointed God.
“… with weeping and with groaning…”
~ “tears,” “weep,” “groan” – terms of
emotional distress; denotes extreme
agitation and disturbance.
~ arise from a break in the relationship
between Israel and her covenant God,
which is supposed to be maintained
by purity. (cf. Matt 5:8)



Read Mal 2:13b.
God’s distance is described in two ways
in v. 13: inattention (“no longer regards”)
and rejection (“no longer… accepts”).
This verse emphasizes the hypocritical
and insensitive attitude of those who
sinned against God through
intermarriage.
~ probably thought their religiosity would
cause God to overlook their sin and
bless them anyway

~ REPENTANCE MUST COME
BEFORE ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP.
See Eccl 5:1.
~ “The sacrifice of fools” was empty
sacrifice, going through the ritual but
missing its meaning.
~ the basic purpose of the offerings that
God required: communion with God
~ The people forgot that spirit and
heart were essential ingredients of
true sacrifice.

~ Ps 51:16-17
~ 1Sam 15:22
Just a few words on the issue of
hypocrisy.
~ comes from the Gk. word hypokrisis:
pretending to act one way while
secretly acting in a different (often the
opposite) way
~ A “hypocrite” (hypokritēs) then is “a
person who pretends to be something
he or she is not.”

No wonder hypocrisy is abhorred by
God:
~ Ps 10:16-21
~ Prov 15:8
~ Isa 1:11-17
 This shows us how lethal hypocrisy
is to worship!
~ It is not only offensive to God; it
renders our worship and whatever
else we do for God unacceptable.
~ At the very least it hinders growth in
grace; at worst, it invites the curse of
God for the unbeliever and the
chastening of God for the believer.
 That is why it is rebuked by Jesus:
~ Matt 15:7-9
~ Lk 6:46
~ Lk 11:38-42
 For those who teach, hypocrisy is
teaching what you do not believe and
preaching what you do not practice.


John MacArthur: “The worst type of
pride is external spirituality without
internal holiness….You may look
spiritual on the outside, going to church
and acting ‘Christianly,’ but your heart
may be full of sin.”
~ If hypocrisy is not confessed and
repented of, it will separate a person
increasingly from the truth.
Paul exposed the sin of hypocrisy:
~ Rom 2:1, 3
~ Titus 1:16
 The biggest example of hypocrisy in the
bible is Judas.
~ Recall Jn 12:3-6 & Matt 26:25.
 The problem is, not even believers are
exempt from the sin of hypocrisy.
~ Look at Peter in Gal 2:11-13.
 Stephen Charnock: “It is a sad thing to
be Christians at a supper, heathens in
our shops, and devils in our closets.”

When we sin the way the Judeans in
Malachi’s time did it betrays in us a
wrong view of God.
~ When you are guilty of hypocrisy and
thus think that you can get away with
it, you need to ask this question in
your heart: What is your concept of
God?

Although it is easy to cover up,
hypocrisy will eventually come to light
because God, who is holy and who sees
what is in the hearts of men, will expose
it for what it is.
~ See Jesus in Jn 2:24-25
~ John Milton: “For neither man nor
angel can discern Hypocrisy – the
only
evil that walks invisible, except to
God
alone.”
~ 1Pet 2:1

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