True worshiper (3)

As the true descendent of Abraham, they built the temple of Zerubbabel and it seemed that their faith was outwardly good. The Israelites who freed from captivity were given the hope of opportunity in the last time of the Old Testament. However, they were gotten the poisonous arrow. They were in the crisis of the spiritual worship. The spiritual disease syndrome was exposed in the field of worship.

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ (Malachi 1:6)

If we have a trouble in the relationship with the Lord and fall out of love, we despise God. The spiritual leader, the priest who led worship. Their worship was just perfunctory. Even though they offered offering, worshiped, God said that they showed contempt for God’s name. To make matters worse, they felt somewhat upset. The Lord said to them “And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty. “When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD.” (Malachi 1:13)

The offering must be without defect. The gift for king must satisfy king’s taste. If they give anything to king, they will die for contempt. Likely, even though the priest kept the form of worship, they offered to God injured, crippled or diseased animals. They got disease because their worship was just perfunctory and there was no godliness, power and love with God. Their spiritual disease was exposed in worship.

Each of procedures and formalities in offering has meaning. Each ritual such as killing animal, keeping fire in altar, burning offering, and washing hands in basin has meaning. Just imitating without heart insults God. We are willingly to spend time for ourselves, but we grudge time to spend to worship God. To examine whether our spiritual condition is good or not, we have to examine our attitude toward worship. Worship shows our center and attitude toward God. When we face the crisis of worship, we despise worship and mock.

You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” (Malachi 2:17)

Something that make God weary is doing evil while worshipping. Even though we cry “My Lord, Lord” in worship, God does not endure our attitude if we commit sin and evil in our life. If we do not forgive someone and keep envy, wickedness, and adultery, we make God weary. Worship that has just form is very serious crisis condition. <Continued>

Missionary Kim Yong Eui

(Current missionary. Representative of LOG Mission)

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