Malachi Chapter 2. Malachi, the second chapter. My subject tonight is treachery. I tried to find the most contemptible
expression possible with which to entitle the message and treachery
is I believe about as contemptible a word as can be found to describe
a man's actions or his character, treachery, treachery. The second chapter of Malachi's
prophecy is a scathing denunciation of treachery. Here the Lord God
denounces the treacherous deeds of men and he emphatically declares
that he will turn their treachery upon their own heads in judgment. The treachery spoken of in these
17 verses, 17 verses that as you read them seem to boil with
divine anger. It's far worse than the treachery
of civil traitors, men who are traitors against their country.
how we are angered by such actions of men for their own personal
gain would betray a nation. It's worse than the political
treachery of self-serving politicians. We become disgusted by those
men who get into office supposedly to serve the people and they
only line their own pockets and secure themselves a greater future. But this is a worse treachery.
It's worse than the treachery of a one who husband or wife
destroys the lives of their children, their husband or their wife to
gratify their own lust. The treachery that's here denounced
by our God is the treachery that's found in the pulpit. The treachery
of religious leaders, the treachery of that man who is supposed to
be God's messenger to your soul. Now, that's treachery. That's treachery. Such men, Paul
describes in this way, they handle the word of God deceitfully. They preach themselves. That
is, they preach their own dreams. They preach from within themselves,
they preach about themselves, and they preach for themselves.
Treacherous. These men are supposed to be
the messengers of the Lord of hosts, but instead they're the
ministers of Satan. Ministers of Satan who have transformed
themselves into angels of light and ministers of righteousness
to deceive multitudes. as you read through this book,
and I have been for several weeks now trying to prepare this message
and studying particularly the words treacherous and treachery
as they're used in the book. Almost always throughout the
word of God where these words are used, the connection is with
false religion. Listen to this. God says her
prophets, the prophets of my people. Her prophets are light
and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the
sanctuary. That is, they have defiled the
holy place. They've done violence to the
law. They've corrupted the word of God. They have dealt treacherously
against the Lord, for they've begotten strange children. They've
increased the number of the strange children. They, like men, had
transgressed the covenant. They've dealt treacherously against
me. God promised in Jeremiah 315
that he would give his church pastors after his own heart. Pastors after his own heart. Who are they? They are men who
God raises up Gifts and sends to his church who will feed his
people with knowledge and understanding Pastors after his own heart who
feed his people with the knowledge that God has given them and The
understanding God has given them in his word and about his work
and about his person but Satan constantly seeks to fill the
pulpits of churches with treacherous men. Turn to Malachi 2 now and
just hold your Bibles here. Let's look at it. Here's the first thing. The prophet
specifically tells us that God's message here is addressed to
treacherous preachers. Treacherous men as I've already
stated, who are supposed to be the messengers of God to your
soul. The message is addressed specifically
to these treacherous men. But this is God's word and is
given to Darren Duff and Don Fortner. It is God's word for
you. God's word for me. God's word
for this congregation. God's word that we must hear
and must understand. Look at verse one. And now Oh,
ye priest. Remember, the priests were the
instructors in the Old Testament. They were men who did business
continually in the house of God. They were the men who taught
the people the word of God. The prophets guided them with
a vision from God. The priests taught them the word
of God. And now, O ye priest, this commandment is for you. This word from God, this command
of God that you turn from your treachery is for you. Look at
verse seven. For the priest lips should keep
knowledge. You come here expecting to hear
the word of God expounded with honesty, with clarity, with understanding. You come here expecting that
three times a week. It is my responsibility to give
you the word of God with honesty, freshly from the throne of God
himself as God speaks his word to my own heart and to give it
to you exactly as God has given it. The priest's lips should
keep knowledge. And they should seek the law
at his mouth. Seek understanding in God's word
from God's own mouth. For he is the messenger of the
Lord of hosts. That's what I'm here as. And that's what I must be. God's
messenger to your soul. And if I am not, I will be judged
accordingly. Now, if any man ever finds out
what that means, I'll guarantee you to keep him from volunteering
for this position and this office and this work. He's God's messenger
for your souls. That's his responsibility and
God holds him accountable. The Lord's word here is addressed
to these apostate priests. Look at verse eight. Men who
willingly departed out of the way. Here's the way. Lay down plain in the word, right
there. Christ is the way. And these fellas said, we'll
go this way. They willingly depart out of
the way. Men who forsook the word of God
and the glory of God and led his people to do so. Look at
verse 8 again. They corrupted God's covenant. That is, corrupted the covenant
of Levi. Levi, remember, is that one in
the Old Testament who portrays our Lord Jesus Christ and God's
covenant with him. They corrupted the covenant of
grace. They rejected the covenant of
grace, tried to make God's purpose null and void. They despised
the gospel, and they tried to frustrate the grace of God. So
the word is addressed to treacherous preachers. Here's the second
thing. Their treachery is just this. departing from the worship of
God and corrupting the covenant of God, corrupting the gospel.
These men pretend that they are faithfully serving God, but they're
dealing partially with his word. Deal partially with his word.
Most of the preachers you've heard in your lifetime If you've
listened to preachers in various religious organizations, as you
call them, if you listen to preachers on radio, television, most of
the preachers you've heard in your lifetime deal partially
with the word of God. They'll open the book up and
they'll, well, we'll look at Malachi chapter two, nine, and
you read it and then they just run off and say whatever they
want to about it. They handle the word of God deceitfully.
They constantly profane his covenant. They do so by setting the thoughts
of men for the Word of God. They claim to be preaching the
Word of God, but all they're doing is giving you their own
thoughts, thoughts they have parroted from other men, and
mixing the works of men with the work of God in Christ. Let's
see if that's what it says here. Look at verse 9. Therefore have
I also made you contemptible and base before the people. It's a sad commentary, a sad
commentary on religion, that preachers are just about the
least trusted people in the world. I don't know how things are now.
Years ago, this has been a long time ago, I still live in Winston-Salem,
and I had a friend who worked for Grant's department store. Do you know who the number one
credit risk was for whom they would least likely extend credit?
Preachers. Number one credit risk, credit
liability. I've made you contemptible. I've
made you base. According as ye have not kept
my ways, but had been partial in the law. Don't expound the
word, you just give out what you want to of it. Have we not
all one father? Malachi now puts himself with
these men. He's urging these men to repentance. Hath not God,
one God, created us? Why do we deal treacherously,
every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our
fathers? In their self-serving treachery,
the priest led Judah to deal treacherously with her God and
taught Israel to commit abominations in the house of God. When you look at religion, when
you look at the practices of religion, most of us have got
family involved in various shenanigans called religion, these three
ring circuses, and I apologize to the circuses, folks called
churches, and the nonsense that goes on. How do you explain that?
One word is pretty good. Abomination. Abomination. Look at verse 11. Judah hath
dealt treacherously. The priests were treacherous.
They led Judah to deal treacherously. And an abomination is committed
in Israel. The children of Israel, following
after their priest, commit abomination. And they do it in Jerusalem.
That is in the temple, in God's house. For Judah hath profaned
the holiness of the Lord, which he loved, and hath married the
daughter of a strange God. Now, the words have got to be
understood in a figurative sense, because Judah, the individual
man, had long since been dead. And the nation as a whole could
not marry a single daughter. It's talking here about idolatry.
It's talking about Judah mingling the worship of God with idols. She's married the daughter of
a strange God, profaning the holiness of God which he loved. Now, how do you reckon anybody
can profane God's holiness? You're going to reach up and
put your dirty hand on God's character? You want to somehow
alter God's character? No. No. It's not talking about
the holiness of God's character. The word holiness is generally
translated either holiness or sanctification. Hallowed is the
word. Sanctified is the word. Holy is the word. Judah has profaned,
has dirtied, has corrupted. That which God declares is holy. That holiness which he loved. It can't possibly be talking
about anything except God's salvation of his people. The holiness that
God gives his people in Christ Jesus. The gospel of his free
grace. Judah has corrupted the gospel
of God's grace, and she's done this even aware of the fact that
God loves his grace and loves his salvation. She has profaned
Christ himself. These treacherous priests, these
preachers are cursed of God and they shall be cut off by him
because he hateth putting away. What had they done? They had
put aside the people of God, seeking to separate them from
God and marrying a strange God. Then God says, I'm going to bring
your treachery on your own head. Look at verse three. Behold, I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces. What on earth does that mean?
It means exactly what you think it means. What could be more contemptible?
Even the dung of your solemn feast. I'm going to take the
manure of the sacrifices you bring to your solemn feast, and
I'm going to rub your nose in it. And one shall take you away
with it. Verse 12. The Lord will cut off the man
that doeth this, the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles
of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of
hosts. And this have you done again. You just kept it up and
you pretend to be sincere, covering the altar of the Lord with tears.
crying big ol' crocodile tears. Who can doubt his sincerity?
You see these pretentious hypocrites on television, just bawl, just
bawl, drop a hat, get you to send them some money. Who can
doubt their sincerity? God does. You cover the altar
with tears and with weeping and with crying out, insomuch that
he regardeth not the offering any more or receiveth it with
good will at your hand. God won't have it. All right,
here's the third thing. I ask the question, are these
false prophets, these treacherous preachers, anywhere identified
in the book of God? Are they clearly, distinctly
identified in the book of God? Indeed, they are. Numerous places,
but nowhere more clearly than in Jude. Turn, if you will, to
the book of Jude. And hold your hands here at Malachi.
We'll be back in just a little bit. Now, many men name various
false prophets in the scriptures. Paul speaks of Hymenaeus and
Phygelus. He speaks of Alexander the coppersmith.
False prophets are often named Baal, Naqorah. These men were
named and identified as false prophets. But Jude doesn't name
one. Rather, Jude gives us their action
and their doctrine. And Jude knew well their names.
But Jude writes this epistle to make us understand that the
controversy, the conflict in God's church and kingdom is not
about personalities. It's not about this man liking
one better than another. It's about the gospel of God's
grace. It's infinitely more important
than personality conflict. It's a conflict over the glory
of God. Look here in Jude, verse four.
There are certain men crept in, crept in on a wedge. They just kind of slithered their
way under the doorway. They crept in. They found a way
to sneak in without anybody knowing who they were or what they were
up to. They couldn't come in and wave a flag and say, fellas,
I've come to turn you to another way. That wouldn't happen. That wouldn't happen. They ain't
getting in that way. They ain't getting in that way. But they
come sliding under the door, slithering their way in, unawares
and seem so sincere, so good. But these fellows who crept in
unawares were before of old ordained to this condemnation. We talk
about these false prophets, but don't ever imagine things are
out of control. Oh, no, no, no, no. God Almighty is still in
control. He uses these treacherous deceivers
as he will to weed his garden as he will for the damnation
of the reprobate and the salvation of his elect. What is this condemnation? Ungodly men. That's how they're
described. Ungodly men. Well, these can't
be called ungodly men. They wouldn't drink or cuss or
chew. No, they're not ungodly men. I get so sick of hearing this.
I get so sick of hearing this. Somebody look at some more minutes.
Well, well, I couldn't say I couldn't say he's lost. He's such a godly
man. Godly my eyeball. Godly means
you worship God. Got nothing to do with your works.
These are ungodly men because they don't worship God. How do
you know they're ungodly men? They turn the grace of our God
into lasciviousness. How does that happen? How does
that happen? Well, they preach the gospel
and they live horrible. They preach free grace, but they
live in ungodliness. No, no. They declare that the
grace of God will cause lasciviousness. That's a whole different spin,
isn't it? I've been hearing since I was
16 years old, 17 years old. I've been hearing that if you
preach grace, you're going to promote licentiousness. I've
been hearing if you preach predestination, you open the floodgates to ungodliness.
I've been hearing from people all my life. Oh, you can't talk
about people being free from the law. That'll mean they're
like hell. And do you know who says that? Folks who deny the
gospel. Folks, I've never heard, I have
never heard, not one time in my life have I heard a child
of God, anybody who had any respect for God, any respect for the
things of God, warn somebody that grace is going to lead you
to licentiousness. Whoever thought such a thing, except a licentious
man. How is it that they turned the
grace of our God into lasciviousness? Denying the only Lord God and
our Lord Jesus Christ. A denial of grace is a denial
of God, a denial of Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance,
though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that
believed not, and the angels which kept not their first estate,
but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness, under the judgment of the great day.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like
manner. In like manner to what? These false prophets who change
the grace of God into lasciviousness, who deny the only Lord God and
our Lord Jesus Christ in like manner to Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, you can't compare preachers
to Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't
dare. Jew did. I reckon it's hard to
read it, isn't it? It's hard to read what God says
about them, isn't it? Giving themselves over to fornication
and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise, these filthy
dreamers. These filthy dreamers. He that
has a vision, let him declare his vision. He that has my word,
let him declare it faithfully. These filthy dreamers defile
the flesh. They defile the flesh, teaching
you to mortify the flesh. And what they mean by mortifying
the flesh is you, boy, if you like Coca-Cola, quit drinking
it. That's bad for you. It's not spiritual if you like
it. Drink vinegar instead. Mortify the flesh. That's not
got anything to do with mortification. But they defile the flesh, teaching
that righteousness can be attained by works of the flesh. They despise
dominion, despise dominion, particularly the dominion of God. I know that
because the next word is this. They speak evil of dignities.
The word dignities is glories. They speak evil of the glories
of God, the glory of his sovereign rule. the glory of God revealed
in the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ. Yet Michael, that
is Christ Jesus, the archangel, when contending with the devil,
Zechariah chapter 3, he disputed about the body of Moses, that
is, about the law, does not bring against him a railing accusation,
but said, the Lord rebuke thee. He didn't have to bring a railing
accusation. He spreads his hand and says, the Lord rebuke thee.
Moses has got nothing to speak against my Joshua. But these
speak evil of those things they know not. They speak evil about things
they don't know. Speak evil about free grace.
Speak evil about sovereign election. Speak evil about imputed righteousness.
Speak evil about imparted righteousness. Speak evil about substitution.
Speak evil about atonement. Speak evil about Christ being
made flesh. Speak evil about Christ being
made sin. They speak evil about things they don't know. But what's
this? But what they know naturally
as brute beast. what they know naturally as brute
beast. I have in my hand the Word of
God and if you read it and study it and learn the languages, do
you know what you can do? You can figure out every doctrine
revealed in this book. You can figure it out. It doesn't
take a rocket scientist to recognize this book teaches election. It
just takes a fellow who will read it and not shut his eyes
while he's reading. That's all it takes. It doesn't
take a rocket scientist to figure out that this book declares that
God predestined all things before the world began, because the
book says so. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure
that out. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that
this book speaks of Christ Jesus, God's son, never ceasing to be
God, yet being made flesh. It speaks of that one who knew
no sin, never knew sin, being made sin. And it doesn't take
a rocket scientist to figure out that's what it says. But these things that they know
naturally, they learned only as brute beast. Brute beast. Did you ever try to teach a dog
how to sit up? It takes a little while, but if you get a number
of biscuits in a newspaper, you can do it. You feed him when
he does what he says he's supposed to, and you beat him when he
doesn't. And they learn how to do it. And before long, you can
give commands like this. They learn naturally as brute
beast. That is, they have nothing but a carnal knowledge of religious
things revealed in the book. In those things, those things
they learned as brute beast, they corrupt themselves. They corrupt themselves. Now listen to how they corrupt
themselves. These are those priests. Malachi is talking about. Woe
unto them. Damned they are. Damned they
are, for they've gone in the way of Cain. The way of Cain. What was it that Cain did? Cain
brought the fruit of the ground, the produce of his hands to God.
His brother Abel brought a sacrifice of God's provided. His brother
Abel brought the kind of sacrifice that God showed his father Adam
in the garden he must have. The kind of sacrifice that represented
that one who's the seed of the woman. He brought a blood sacrifice
of God's providing, a lamb, a victim, dying in his stead. And with
that lamb's blood, he worshiped God. And God had respect to Abel
in his offering. God accepted him. That's what
it means. He accepted it. But Cain, his
offering, the Lord left this to him, but it's there to rot.
It's there to rot. Why? He polished those things
up prettier than Susan polished her shirts up for the produce
stand. I mean, he had them shining. And God left them there to rot.
And Cain was enraged at God, but he couldn't reach God, so
he killed Abel. How come? Because the way of
Cain is to mix works with grace. And God will never accept it.
And these priests who are treacherous will be enraged against any whom
God accepts without works, trusting Christ Jesus alone. Not only
have they gone in the way of Cain, the way of works, righteousness,
they ran greedily after the error of Balaam. The error of Balaam. What did
Balaam do that was so bad? Would you find me something in
this book that Balaam said that was wrong? Find me something
he said that was wrong. I can't find anything he ever
said that was wrong that's recorded in the book, but is set forth
in the scripture as one of the greatest, most deceitful, most
cunning, most destructive false prophets that ever walked on
the earth. What did Balaam do? He taught Israel to compromise
the glory of God. To mix the worship of idols with
the worship of God. That's all he did. And in doing so, taught them
to commit abomination in the house of God. I'm sure that occasionally These
thoughts cross your mind, they do mine. Wouldn't you love to
see all these seats filled? Wouldn't you love to come in
that door every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Tuesday
night, looking for a place to sit down? Wouldn't it be great?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had to knock these walls out
and expand the stakes of our tent? Wouldn't it be great? Well,
maybe we ought to be doing something different. Maybe we need to have
us a program. Maybe we need to start dividing
up and having prayer groups rather than preaching. Maybe we need
to have a new focus for the ministry. Maybe we need to be more contemporary,
you know. Maybe what we need to do is we
need to start lessening the confronting issues, making them,
you know, kind of kind of hide those things. Don't don't let
everybody see everything right out in front. No. I love something
I heard Brother Steve Carpenter say one of the messages over
Kansas City a few weeks ago. He said the gospel is compared
to a net. You catch the fish in a net.
It's never compared to a hook. Never. How come? Because modern
religion uses a hook. You can't put the hook in the
water and expect to catch any fish. I've tried. You throw the
thing out there and you throw your cricket off, you may as
well reel it in because the fish aren't going to bite that hook.
In order to get fish to take a hook, you've got to cover the
hook. Not only have to cover the hook,
you've got to lie to the fish. Otherwise, he'd never take the
bait on the hook. And that's what the whole religious
world does with its programs, and its entertainers, and its
special things. No, the gospel's a net. We just
cast the net and keep pulling it in. Man, what happened? God brought some fish this time.
What do you do? What do you do? We keep preaching
the word. Paul speaks of those who build
on the foundation, but they build not with gold and silver and
precious stones, not with the gospel of God's free grace, not
with blood atonement, not with perfect righteousness. They build
with wood and hay and stubble. And everything they build with
wood and hay and stubble is going to see burned. Read on. Verse 11, Jude. And for reward,
they went after Herod Balaam for reward and perished in the
gainsaying of Korah. In the rebellion of Korah. What
was it that Korah did? You remember Korah, Dathan and
Abiram, their families were killed? killed by the judgment of God,
what was it they did? They envied Moses. Korah loved
praise and preeminence. Now look on what it says about
these false prophets, these who run after the way of works and
who compromise after the way of Balaam because it's good for
them as far as their pocketbooks are concerned, as far as their
position is concerned. They get rewarded for it. These fellows
who love preeminence and the praise of men. These are spots
in your feast. Your feast of charity, these
fellas, they're corruptible spots in them. When they feast with
you, they feed themselves without fear. They're not serving God,
they're serving themselves, Ron. They preach for profit. Maybe
not for monetary profit. Preach for whatever it is they
want to get. And they do it without fear.
They're unashamed. Clouds are there, promising water,
but they've got no water. Carried about of winds, trees,
whose fruit is wither, withereth. Without fruit, twice dead, plucked
up by the roots, raging waves of the sea. Watch this, foaming
out their own shame. Wandering stars, to whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness forever. Jude says, Enoch warned you about
these fellas. He warned you about them. telling us that Christ
is coming to execute judgment on these ungodly men. Look at
verse 60. These are murmurers, complainers
and gripers walking after their own lust and their mouth speaketh
great swelling words. Oh, he's so smart. Oh, I wish I could understand
what he said. You could if you if he understood it. You could
if he wanted you to. Great, swelling words. I recall
years ago, I was sitting in chapel one day at Piedmont Bible College,
and we commonly had Arminian blasphemers come in, as all we
had come in. And after chapel services one
day, this fellow walked by me, and he said, oh, wasn't that
deep? I said, you must not have been
around much water in the country. He said, huh? I said, there's
a big difference between deep and muddy. is just muddy and
muddy, not deep. Great swelling words. They just
muddied the waters. Tell you nothing. How come? Here's the answer. Having men's
persons in admiration because of advantage. Oh, beloved, remember ye the
words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ. How that they told you there
should be mockers in the last days, in the last time, who'd
walk after their own ungodly lust. These be they who separate
themselves. They separate themselves. And
then they cry, everybody's left me. They separate themselves
from everybody, and they say, nobody will put up with me because
they've isolated me. And they whine, but they separate
themselves. Sensual, motivated by the senses of the flesh. And
the real root is just this, having not the spirit. Oh, how quickly
churches are corrupted from the simplicity that's in Christ Jesus
by treacherous, self-serving false prophets. I told you the
other night about the church started by our friend, Brother
Bill Clark. This summer, just abandoned every
principle. Every principle Bill would have
stood firm for and did stand firm for. having cricketeers
and rowers and scientists. Oh, but message is good. It can't
possibly be. Or message didn't change. If
the message hadn't changed, the method wouldn't change. You mark
it down. When methods change and music
change, the message has changed. After pastoring at Ashland for
54 years, A slithering serpent crept into
the congregation and turned the congregation from the doctrine
that Brother Mahan had taught there for those 54 years. Now, teaching nothing on this
earth but Gnosticism, denying the work of God's spirit in a
man, the new nature of the believer, denying it altogether. Mr. Spurgeon, just before he
died, addressed his congregation just shortly before he died and
he said, I had a dream. I dreamed that I had gone on
to glory and I had anticipated how long the congregation might
stand after my departure. A church had been established
and had faithfully preached the gospel of God's free grace for
200 years, 200 years. And at Mr. Spurgeon's recommendation,
called a man to follow him immediately afterwards who was an Arminian
and denied the gospel of God's grace. But the Dan Parks, I just learned
This little bit ago, church where I was ordained, Hillcrest Baptist
Church, Winston-Salem, his father, Brother Ernest Parks, a man for
whom I have great respect, decided it's time for him to quit pastoring.
He's pushing 90 and, uh, looked and looked and looked and got
a man that just be just right. And now he can't even worship
where he pastored all those years. No deviation. No deviation. No compromise. No compromise
of God's glory and God's gospel. No dealing partial with God's
word. No being dishonest, handling
the word of God deceitfully. Now, let me give you a cause
for joy. to the book of Malachi, chapter
2. Look at verse 16. Brother Don, what comfort can
we possibly have if this has happened with others?
Why not us? The Lord, the God of Israel,
saith that he hateth putting away. Ah, these treacherous deceivers
of men's souls who profane God's holiness, profane God's salvation,
profane God's covenant, profane God's holy name. They would turn
you away for their own lust, like a man putting away the wife
of his youth because he found somebody else just for his own
lust, casting her aside. But the Lord God will never put
away his people. And as you follow him, he will
never put you away. And if you're his, though you
may be sidetracked by this, that or the other, you may be sidetracked
and hindered by these deceivers. I think of my friends, many friends,
many friends right now under the influence of deceitful, cunning
men. I'm confident they know God,
worship God, believe God. They've just been duped. They've
just been duped. God will take care of them. For
the Lord hateth putting away. This is our joy, our comfort,
our cause of unceasing praise and gratitude to God. He won't
leave us to ourselves. Now it's my heart's desire and
prayer to God for you, who without Christ, that God won't leave
you to yourself. Oh God, don't leave you to yourself. I pray that he will sovereignly
interpose and interrupt your life and stop you in your mad
rush to hell. and calls you to see and believe
on His darling Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.