New Wine worship in the main arena, 2014. Several thousand New Testament ‘priests' in the presence of God, enjoying vibrant heart-felt worship. Dress is distinctly casual but reverence is not lacking.

Malachi 2:1
And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not take to to heart to give honour to My name… then I will curse your blessings.

MALACHI the messenger has a lot to say about priests – and it is not a comfortable read. “This commandment is for you…" we read, and we get ready to side-step what is surely a telling-off that couldn’t apply to us.

Priests in the Old Testament had a lot of complicated rituals and rules to go with them. Here in Malachi’s experience they were clearly bending the rules. Worse, they were condoning the sacrifice of animals the owners would not have been able to sell – and they were offering them to the Lord.

We don’t do animal sacrifice and priests – that’s very Old Testament. So skim over this bit?

Not so fast. Who are the priests today? Priests do not figure at all in the post-resurrection New Testament church (although some more formal traditions seem to overlook that). But they do get a mention.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.

This is Peter explaining what was to him and the other Jewish believers an old principle, in a new way.

Exodus 19:3
Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:…'If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession… and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’"

The nation of Israel was to be set apart to God and dedicated to Him – a holy people to be distinct in their beliefs and values among the child-sacrificing idol-worshipping tribes around.
Now the believers, the followers of the Way, are to be that holy priestly ’tribe’. And that’s us. Not just church leaders. All of us who have the ‘Jesus life’ have a responsibility to live that life in a way which represents Jesus to others. 'What Would Jesus Do' has relevance here – it is what sets us apart in the perspective of not-yet-Christians who observe our life and our values.

  • Do we give God our best – and (Mal. 2:2) listen to Him carefully and take to heart what He says to us?
  • How do we honour Him in other ways? As evangelical Christians, not greatly attracted to ritual or hierarchy, do we lapse into being casual and dishonouring, rather than reverent?