ChristmasReading2022A - Flipbook - Page 4
DAY ONE: NOVEMBER 28 - MONDAY
Look Again!
For from the rising of the sun to its se ng my name is great among the
na ons, and in every place incense is o ered to my name, and a pure
o ering; for my name is great among the na ons, says the Lord of
hosts. Malachi 1:11 (RSV)
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his ock, and vows it, and yet
sacri ces to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the
Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the na ons.
Malachi 1:14 (RSV)
As Malachi writes (420 B.C.), the
people of YHWH have come
It’s not okay to be
back into the Promised Land of
okay with just going
Israel a er years in Babylon. At
least some of them have
through the
returned and are a emp ng to
motions.
become, once again, the Israel
of past glory. The temple has
been rebuilt, albeit a less than
glorious replacement of Solomon’s original temple. Sacri ces have
been reins tuted and priests are serving once again. On the surface, it
appears that all is going in the right direc on a er decades of cap vity.
And yet below the surface, things are not as they appear to be.
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Israel is going though the mo ons of what it means to be the people of
YHWH, and yet, without the heart and soul of it. The old ac ons have
lost meaning for many. Israel is weary, red, distracted, burdened and
there’s a distance creeping into their rela onship with YHWH. Maybe
it’s the nature of rela onships, but it’s an old and recurring problem for
Israel. Years earlier, Isaiah, speaking for YHWH said: “this people draw
near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts
are far from me…” (Isaiah 29:13). In the same vein, Malachi calls out
the priests who know the Levi cal regula ons for worship and sacri ce
and yet have become u erly complacent and careless in their voca on
(Isaiah 1:7-10). YHWH says: “I will not accept an o ering from your
hand” (v. 10). Going through the mo ons. Singing the same songs.
Si ng in the same pew. No enthusiasm. Same old same old. Ho hum.