Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
Context: Malachi 2:1 And now, O priests, this command is for you. 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts.
From the Lexicon: Lay=take. Give=give personally. Glory=honor. Curse=bitterly curse. Blessings=that of God, parent, of people.
In other words: Malachi 2:2(To the priests of fallen Israel) If you will not listen to my voice and take my words to heart, to honor Me, says God, I will curse you and all the good things you have. Indeed, they are cursed already, because you do not take me seriously.
Pulling it together: The people of Israel in Malachi’s day had strayed from serving the living God. Their leaders are called to task over this. The indictment was that they did not take God’s commands seriously, nor did they honor Him. The result was that God promised to withhold blessing from them. In the following verses, we find they would be carried off in disgrace, and their descendants be rebuked so they would know that God does not fool around when it comes to sin.
Those priests are long gone, but God has raised up a new priesthood—those who believe in Christ (1Peter 2:9). We have the responsibility to relay to those all around us God’s Word. This requires we honor Him in all that we say and do. It requires us to take sin seriously and to avoid the way of the world. When we do God’s blessings will follow. To fail to do that removes us from position to receive all He has promised us.
Lord I pray for grace to honor You in all that I do and to be bold for You in this day of need.