Malachi Misunderstood
Please take a look at Malachi 3:5 with me:
“So I will come near to YOU (the priest) for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, “says the LORD Almighty.
Notice the things that God is angry about: that laborers are defrauded of their wages; widows being oppressed; the fatherless and deprive aliens (strangers) Why is it the God is silent on Priest not receiving there part of the tithe? Knowing that Malachi and Nehemiah were written in the same context I believe the fraud (robbery) spoken of in Malachi 3, is described in detail in Nehemiah 13:4-13. It is in this context of Nehemiah that we see how that robbery had taking place. What I gather from the scripture, is that it was NOT that the Israelite’s were withholding the tithe from God, but rather Eliashib the priest who opened the temple store rooms to Tobiah and the portions of food assigned to the Levites were not given to them. (Tobiah was an Ammonite who worshipped the pagan-god Molech according to Ezra 2:59-60 and Nehemiah 2:10).
Note: Tobiah was an Ammonite who conspired against the rebuilding of the wall during Nehemiah Governorship. Nehemiah 4:7,8 “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were make up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” So we see from this passage of scripture that Tobiah was the enemy of God!
These next verses in Nehemiah are so important that I will let them speak for themselves. Remember Eliashib the priest had authority over the storerooms and Tobiah was an enemy of God. Also remember that Malachi preached or prophesized to the same people. Before Nehemiah’s return;
Nehemiah13:4-13 “Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the TITHES of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priest. But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib (the high priest) had done for Tobiah (the enemy of God), in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense (NOTICE THAT THE TITHES ARE NOT RETURNED TO THE STOREHOUSE; THEY WERE MISSING). I also realized that the portions (of tithes) for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. THEN all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.” So here we see why Malachi states bring all the tithes into the storehouse. They were replacing what was stolen by wicked priest and the enemy of God!
Note: notice that after they cleanse the rooms they brought back the (articles of the house of God) (grain offering) and the frankincense, but after he gathered them together and set them in their place (tithe of the grain) and (new wine) and (the oil.) were missing.
The “Robbing of God” wasn’t taking place with the “bringing” of tithe. It was taking place with distribution of the tithe to the non-priestly Levites. The wicked high priest Eliashib and his “kinfolk” Tobiah the Amorite (pagan) were apparently raiding the storerooms of the temple for themselves along with other corrupt priest. What God considered robbery (fraud) was withholding the tithe from His non-priestly Levites who abandoned their service to God when they weren’t fed. As a result the Levites didn’t get daily portions (of tithes) and went back to their fields to work.
It’s very important for us to realize that the people as a whole didn’t bring their tithes to the storerooms of the temple; but it was the Levites who brought the tithe of the tithe or 1% of the total tithe which was to be given to the Aronic Priesthood.
It is here in Nehemiah 13:4-13 you have THE VERY picture of what is happening in the church today: the priesthood of believers is being robbed by Pimping Preachers and religious parasites that are in charge of the so called new covenant “storeroom”. Brothers and Sisters, you aren’t the ones robbing God! The ones robbing God are the very ones who are accusing you!
Now let’s looks at one of the most abused scriptures used by these pimps Mal: 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet YOU (THE PRIEST) have robbed me. But you say, wherein have WE (THE PRIEST) robbed you? In tithes and offerings. I am urging the reader to consider a very important question from 1:6 forward, “To whom is God speaking?” Again, “Who is the ‘you’ and ‘we’ of Malachi 3:8?” Although there is a secondary application to the people in general, God is still specifically speaking to the priests. Verse 7 ends with the priests from 2:17 to 3:6 asking God, “How shall we return to obeying you?” In context, they are asking, “What do we priests need to do in order to return to keeping your ceremonial worship “ordinances”?
Verse 8 does not begin in a vacuum! It begins with God answering the question asked by the priests in 3:7. Honesty to God’s Word demands that we do not begin a Bible study at verse 8. God is telling the PRIESTS that THEY have robbed Him in tithes and offerings!
You ask, “Where does the Bible say that God is speaking only to the priests?” And I answer:
(1) since God clearly BEGAN speaking to the priests in 1:6,
(2) emphatically continued speaking to the priest in 2:1
(3) must still be speaking to them about their altar in 2:13
(4) is clearly still speaking to them from 2:17 to 3:4. THEN
(5) God is still specifically addressing the priests in 3:8! I ask, “When did God STOP speaking to the priests? The burden of proof must fall on those who say that God has suddenly changed from His audience from the priests to the people.
Who has thus far robbed God in the context of Malachi 3:8?
First, Bible students simply cannot ignore Malachi 1:13-14 which is clearly addressed to the priest from 1:6. The NAS reads, “…you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! …But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord …” Again, where the KJV reads “torn,” the NAS says “taken by robbery, “the NKJV says “the stolen,” the RSV says “taken by violence,” and the TLB says “stolen.” God says that the priests had “stolen” either more than their tenth of the tithe, more than their share of offerings, or both! Malachi also points out that the priests had robbed God by not giving Him the best which they had vowed.
Second, when we compare Nehemiah 10:37, 38 and 12:44, 47 with 13:4, 5, 10, 11 it is clear that the high priest had stolen the Levites share of the tithe because everything else was at hand to replace. Undeniably the priests had stolen the tithe from the Levites! “And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field” (Neh. 13:10).
The objector says, “No! No! You have it all wrong! The priests are completely innocent! The people are guilty of not bringing tithes to the priests! The people are guilty of robbing God!”
I answer this objection by asking, “Where do you find this from Malachi 1:6 to 3:7?” Throughout the book of Malachi, THE PRIESTS HAVE BEEN THE VILLAINS, the guilty party, the robbers---and, now, suddenly, you say that they are the mistreated party. How inconsistent can one be! God has already CURSED the priests FOUR TIMES for robbing him and for not bringing what they already possessed. The priests are not the poor innocent victims which so many preachers want us to think. The priests are the “robbers” and “swindlers” who already have the tithes and offerings (from Nehemiah 10:38; 12:44, 47), but are not giving God the best and are not sharing with the Levites in Nehemiah 13:10 and the needy in Malachi 3:5.
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation.” KJV
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you! NASU
“Finally, “the tithe-teacher will say, “you must admit that NOW God is speaking to the WHOLE NATION and not to the priests in the verse!”
I reply, “What is the context? Up to this point, the pronoun, YOU, has almost exclusively referred to the priests receiving the curses which God had placed on them because of their guilt. Are we justified in concluding that NOW the pronoun, YOU, suddenly refers to the people and that the people have wronged the priests?” The first four curses had been placed on the dishonest priests (1:14 and 2:2). These ministers were guilty of robbing God and received the longest and most harsh rebuke in Malachi (1:6 to 2:9). They had robbed Him by not offering the best (1:7-8). Their worship was not acceptable (1:8). God desired that one of them would stop the hypocritical worship and lock the temple doors (1:10). He was tired of their dishonesty (1:13-14) and curse them as deceiver or swindlers (1:14). Even their children would be affected by their sin and rebuked (2:3). God promised to even spread dung in their faces during their religious festivals (2:3)
“But,” objects the tithe-teacher, “verse 9 clearly says “this whole nation.”
I reply, “Look at the verse more closely.” For some good reason many scholarly Hebrew translators think that verse 9 should read, “This whole nation OF YOU.” Although “of you” does not appear in the King James Version, it does appear in the more literal NAS and RSV (and also the very popular NIV). The purpose of adding “of you” is unclear unless it distinguishes the whole nation “of you priest” from the rest of the nation! A possible contextual biblical precedent is seen in the theft of tithes from ministering Levites by Eliashib in Nehemiah 13:7-10 which had to involve other priests. Again, the main point thus far, however, is that (until now at least) God had been cursing the priests as thieves instead of expressing sorrow for them.
Exactly what is the “CURSE” of Malachi 3:9? Deuteronomy 27:26 reads, “Cursed is he that does not confirm all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen” (quoted in Gal. 3:10). This was the curse of the Old Covenant. I repeat, the curse of Malachi 3:9 was the curse of the Old Covenant! The nation had promised God that they would completely obey every single part of the whole Law, or else agree to place themselves under a curse. Malachi’s audience, in Nehemiah 10:28-29, renewed their Old Covenant vows and, again, asked God to place them under the curse if they failed to comply with every single part of the Law.
Jonathan Kithcart points out this very important point, “Why would Christ die to redeem us from the curse of the law, and then turn around and place us right back under the same curse? That’s crazy, man!
Malachi 3:10, “ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open to you the window of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” At first glance, the superficial preacher, student, or lay person ( there need to be clarification here I do not believe in the terms “lay” and “clergy” these are not biblical terms but man-made terms to separate the body of Christ) thinks that this verse is self-explanatory, it is actually very far from such. One must understand the inspired biblical context of both Malachi and Nehemiah in order to understand Malachi 3:10
Actually, beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL THE TITHES into THE storehouse in Jerusalem. This needs to be said again, “Beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL the tithes into THE storehouse in Jerusalem.” In fact, just the opposite is true!
There were actually THREE different tithes required in the Old covenant, and only a small part (1%) of the first was commanded to be brought into the storehouse. Therefore, something is seriously wrong with the tithe-teachers explanation of Malachi 3:10.
We will take a look at these three tithes later but we MUST remember that Malachi’s words are written to the Nation of Israel because they were the ONLY nation given a system of tithing. To try and place Malachi upon the church is jacked up and deceptive! And to go beyond that is flawed reasoning and invokes a claim of robbery on God’s New Testament Saints is more than flawed reasoning; it is an abuse of scripture and a slight of hand in interpreting the word of God. Clearly as you read on in this book, God says that all Nations (Gentiles) will call THEM (Israel) blessed and they will be a delightful land (Malachi 3:10-12)
What’s so interesting is that Malachi is a call for Israel to return to the Law of Moses! Should Christian return to the law? Not according to Paul Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: For it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. This doesn’t sound like Paul wants us to return to the law! Then he also states in Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from Grace.” Instead We should do what Paul suggest in Galatians 5:1 and Stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free, and so not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” That yoke of bondage is the law! Again I would like to reiterate that if you read the book of Malachi in its entirety you will find that God is speaking primarily to the Priest, Not the people. It is important for us to remember that God held the priest responsible for the sin of the people related to the sanctuary.
NUMBERS 18:1 “Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.
“So I will come near to YOU (the priest) for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, “says the LORD Almighty.
Notice the things that God is angry about: that laborers are defrauded of their wages; widows being oppressed; the fatherless and deprive aliens (strangers) Why is it the God is silent on Priest not receiving there part of the tithe? Knowing that Malachi and Nehemiah were written in the same context I believe the fraud (robbery) spoken of in Malachi 3, is described in detail in Nehemiah 13:4-13. It is in this context of Nehemiah that we see how that robbery had taking place. What I gather from the scripture, is that it was NOT that the Israelite’s were withholding the tithe from God, but rather Eliashib the priest who opened the temple store rooms to Tobiah and the portions of food assigned to the Levites were not given to them. (Tobiah was an Ammonite who worshipped the pagan-god Molech according to Ezra 2:59-60 and Nehemiah 2:10).
Note: Tobiah was an Ammonite who conspired against the rebuilding of the wall during Nehemiah Governorship. Nehemiah 4:7,8 “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were make up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” So we see from this passage of scripture that Tobiah was the enemy of God!
These next verses in Nehemiah are so important that I will let them speak for themselves. Remember Eliashib the priest had authority over the storerooms and Tobiah was an enemy of God. Also remember that Malachi preached or prophesized to the same people. Before Nehemiah’s return;
Nehemiah13:4-13 “Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the TITHES of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priest. But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib (the high priest) had done for Tobiah (the enemy of God), in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense (NOTICE THAT THE TITHES ARE NOT RETURNED TO THE STOREHOUSE; THEY WERE MISSING). I also realized that the portions (of tithes) for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. THEN all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.” So here we see why Malachi states bring all the tithes into the storehouse. They were replacing what was stolen by wicked priest and the enemy of God!
Note: notice that after they cleanse the rooms they brought back the (articles of the house of God) (grain offering) and the frankincense, but after he gathered them together and set them in their place (tithe of the grain) and (new wine) and (the oil.) were missing.
The “Robbing of God” wasn’t taking place with the “bringing” of tithe. It was taking place with distribution of the tithe to the non-priestly Levites. The wicked high priest Eliashib and his “kinfolk” Tobiah the Amorite (pagan) were apparently raiding the storerooms of the temple for themselves along with other corrupt priest. What God considered robbery (fraud) was withholding the tithe from His non-priestly Levites who abandoned their service to God when they weren’t fed. As a result the Levites didn’t get daily portions (of tithes) and went back to their fields to work.
It’s very important for us to realize that the people as a whole didn’t bring their tithes to the storerooms of the temple; but it was the Levites who brought the tithe of the tithe or 1% of the total tithe which was to be given to the Aronic Priesthood.
It is here in Nehemiah 13:4-13 you have THE VERY picture of what is happening in the church today: the priesthood of believers is being robbed by Pimping Preachers and religious parasites that are in charge of the so called new covenant “storeroom”. Brothers and Sisters, you aren’t the ones robbing God! The ones robbing God are the very ones who are accusing you!
Now let’s looks at one of the most abused scriptures used by these pimps Mal: 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet YOU (THE PRIEST) have robbed me. But you say, wherein have WE (THE PRIEST) robbed you? In tithes and offerings. I am urging the reader to consider a very important question from 1:6 forward, “To whom is God speaking?” Again, “Who is the ‘you’ and ‘we’ of Malachi 3:8?” Although there is a secondary application to the people in general, God is still specifically speaking to the priests. Verse 7 ends with the priests from 2:17 to 3:6 asking God, “How shall we return to obeying you?” In context, they are asking, “What do we priests need to do in order to return to keeping your ceremonial worship “ordinances”?
Verse 8 does not begin in a vacuum! It begins with God answering the question asked by the priests in 3:7. Honesty to God’s Word demands that we do not begin a Bible study at verse 8. God is telling the PRIESTS that THEY have robbed Him in tithes and offerings!
You ask, “Where does the Bible say that God is speaking only to the priests?” And I answer:
(1) since God clearly BEGAN speaking to the priests in 1:6,
(2) emphatically continued speaking to the priest in 2:1
(3) must still be speaking to them about their altar in 2:13
(4) is clearly still speaking to them from 2:17 to 3:4. THEN
(5) God is still specifically addressing the priests in 3:8! I ask, “When did God STOP speaking to the priests? The burden of proof must fall on those who say that God has suddenly changed from His audience from the priests to the people.
Who has thus far robbed God in the context of Malachi 3:8?
First, Bible students simply cannot ignore Malachi 1:13-14 which is clearly addressed to the priest from 1:6. The NAS reads, “…you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! …But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord …” Again, where the KJV reads “torn,” the NAS says “taken by robbery, “the NKJV says “the stolen,” the RSV says “taken by violence,” and the TLB says “stolen.” God says that the priests had “stolen” either more than their tenth of the tithe, more than their share of offerings, or both! Malachi also points out that the priests had robbed God by not giving Him the best which they had vowed.
Second, when we compare Nehemiah 10:37, 38 and 12:44, 47 with 13:4, 5, 10, 11 it is clear that the high priest had stolen the Levites share of the tithe because everything else was at hand to replace. Undeniably the priests had stolen the tithe from the Levites! “And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field” (Neh. 13:10).
The objector says, “No! No! You have it all wrong! The priests are completely innocent! The people are guilty of not bringing tithes to the priests! The people are guilty of robbing God!”
I answer this objection by asking, “Where do you find this from Malachi 1:6 to 3:7?” Throughout the book of Malachi, THE PRIESTS HAVE BEEN THE VILLAINS, the guilty party, the robbers---and, now, suddenly, you say that they are the mistreated party. How inconsistent can one be! God has already CURSED the priests FOUR TIMES for robbing him and for not bringing what they already possessed. The priests are not the poor innocent victims which so many preachers want us to think. The priests are the “robbers” and “swindlers” who already have the tithes and offerings (from Nehemiah 10:38; 12:44, 47), but are not giving God the best and are not sharing with the Levites in Nehemiah 13:10 and the needy in Malachi 3:5.
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation.” KJV
Malachi 3:9, “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you! NASU
“Finally, “the tithe-teacher will say, “you must admit that NOW God is speaking to the WHOLE NATION and not to the priests in the verse!”
I reply, “What is the context? Up to this point, the pronoun, YOU, has almost exclusively referred to the priests receiving the curses which God had placed on them because of their guilt. Are we justified in concluding that NOW the pronoun, YOU, suddenly refers to the people and that the people have wronged the priests?” The first four curses had been placed on the dishonest priests (1:14 and 2:2). These ministers were guilty of robbing God and received the longest and most harsh rebuke in Malachi (1:6 to 2:9). They had robbed Him by not offering the best (1:7-8). Their worship was not acceptable (1:8). God desired that one of them would stop the hypocritical worship and lock the temple doors (1:10). He was tired of their dishonesty (1:13-14) and curse them as deceiver or swindlers (1:14). Even their children would be affected by their sin and rebuked (2:3). God promised to even spread dung in their faces during their religious festivals (2:3)
“But,” objects the tithe-teacher, “verse 9 clearly says “this whole nation.”
I reply, “Look at the verse more closely.” For some good reason many scholarly Hebrew translators think that verse 9 should read, “This whole nation OF YOU.” Although “of you” does not appear in the King James Version, it does appear in the more literal NAS and RSV (and also the very popular NIV). The purpose of adding “of you” is unclear unless it distinguishes the whole nation “of you priest” from the rest of the nation! A possible contextual biblical precedent is seen in the theft of tithes from ministering Levites by Eliashib in Nehemiah 13:7-10 which had to involve other priests. Again, the main point thus far, however, is that (until now at least) God had been cursing the priests as thieves instead of expressing sorrow for them.
Exactly what is the “CURSE” of Malachi 3:9? Deuteronomy 27:26 reads, “Cursed is he that does not confirm all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen” (quoted in Gal. 3:10). This was the curse of the Old Covenant. I repeat, the curse of Malachi 3:9 was the curse of the Old Covenant! The nation had promised God that they would completely obey every single part of the whole Law, or else agree to place themselves under a curse. Malachi’s audience, in Nehemiah 10:28-29, renewed their Old Covenant vows and, again, asked God to place them under the curse if they failed to comply with every single part of the Law.
Jonathan Kithcart points out this very important point, “Why would Christ die to redeem us from the curse of the law, and then turn around and place us right back under the same curse? That’s crazy, man!
Malachi 3:10, “ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be FOOD in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open to you the window of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” At first glance, the superficial preacher, student, or lay person ( there need to be clarification here I do not believe in the terms “lay” and “clergy” these are not biblical terms but man-made terms to separate the body of Christ) thinks that this verse is self-explanatory, it is actually very far from such. One must understand the inspired biblical context of both Malachi and Nehemiah in order to understand Malachi 3:10
Actually, beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL THE TITHES into THE storehouse in Jerusalem. This needs to be said again, “Beyond this single verse, God NEVER commanded anybody to bring ALL the tithes into THE storehouse in Jerusalem.” In fact, just the opposite is true!
There were actually THREE different tithes required in the Old covenant, and only a small part (1%) of the first was commanded to be brought into the storehouse. Therefore, something is seriously wrong with the tithe-teachers explanation of Malachi 3:10.
We will take a look at these three tithes later but we MUST remember that Malachi’s words are written to the Nation of Israel because they were the ONLY nation given a system of tithing. To try and place Malachi upon the church is jacked up and deceptive! And to go beyond that is flawed reasoning and invokes a claim of robbery on God’s New Testament Saints is more than flawed reasoning; it is an abuse of scripture and a slight of hand in interpreting the word of God. Clearly as you read on in this book, God says that all Nations (Gentiles) will call THEM (Israel) blessed and they will be a delightful land (Malachi 3:10-12)
What’s so interesting is that Malachi is a call for Israel to return to the Law of Moses! Should Christian return to the law? Not according to Paul Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: For it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. This doesn’t sound like Paul wants us to return to the law! Then he also states in Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from Grace.” Instead We should do what Paul suggest in Galatians 5:1 and Stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free, and so not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” That yoke of bondage is the law! Again I would like to reiterate that if you read the book of Malachi in its entirety you will find that God is speaking primarily to the Priest, Not the people. It is important for us to remember that God held the priest responsible for the sin of the people related to the sanctuary.
NUMBERS 18:1 “Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.
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