Malachi 2:2 - Homiletics

Our blessings cursed.

The cursing of blessings is a "strange work" to the blessed God, "the Father of mercies," who rather delights to turn curses into blessings. We may note—

I. THE CAUSES OF THIS CURSE . It may be traced to two things.

1 . A disregard of the great end of life, "to glorify God." The motto of every creature, and especially of every redeemed sinner, should be that of Ignatius Loyola in its best sense, "Ad majorem gloriam Dei." No grander object can be sought. To fail in the endeavour to "give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name" is to begin to lose "the promise" which godliness gives of both worlds. It empties our "blessings" of their true blessedness, and begins to corrupt them with a curse like—

"The little pitted speck in garnered fruit,

That rotting inward slowly moulders all,"

2. Neglect of God's appeals and warnings. He remonstrates, as he did again and again with the Jews, by his prophets. But if we neither hear nor heed, and will not lay these warnings to heart, the corrupting process goes on, the curse is ripening, "the rod hath blossomed; pride bath budded" (cf. Jeremiah 6:16-20 ; Zechariah 1:3-6 ; Zechariah 7:11-14 ). The remedies being cast aside, the disease holds on its course till "the whole head is sick," etc. ( Isaiah 1:5 , Isaiah 1:6 ). It is natural to God to sweeten the bitter waters of life and to neutralize its poisons ( 2 Kings 2:19-22 ; 2 Kings 4:38 41). But sin reverses these miracles of mercy, and constrains God to turn our water into blood, our food into poison, to curse our blessings.

II. THE SIGNS OF THIS CURSE . It may manifest itself in various ways; e.g. :

1 . Withholding the gifts which God delights to bestow ( Amos 4:6-9 ; Haggai 1:9 ; Malachi 3:10 . scarcity implied).

2 . Withholding the power to enjoy the gifts which God does bestow. It may be the food of a wealthy invalid ( Ecclesiastes 6:1 , Ecclesiastes 6:2 ) or the money of a miser haunted by fear of the workhouse ( Job 20:22 ). The loss may be in the spiritual sphere—the power of receiving impressions of truth and duty may have been "taken away" ( Matthew 13:12-15 ), because sinned away. The talents of an ungodly minister may be rather a curse than a blessing to him and to his flock, just as the blessings pronounced in words by these ungodly priests ( Numbers 6:22-26 ) may have become practically curses to the people.

3 . Blessings themselves may be turned into curses. Illust.: The high wages of the working classes in recent years, and the general prosperity of the country, leading to a great increase of extravagance, self-indulgence, and intemperance. The blessing of enjoying free will and the power of self-guidance and control may become a most terrible curse when we "lean on our own understanding" and pursue "a way which seemeth fight" in our eyes, but the end whereof is death ( Proverbs 14:12 ; Psalms 81:11 , Psalms 81:12 ). Our highest privileges may thus become curses to us, as were the Christian profession of Ananias and the apostleship of Judas. Even Christ may become "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence" ( 1 Peter 2:6-8 ; John 9:40 ), and his ministers "a savour from death unto death" ( 2 Corinthians 2:16 ). As John Howe says, "When the gospel becomes deadly to a man, that is a most terrible sort of death; to die by a gospel plague is a most terrible way of dying."