2 Samuel 24:18-19 – Better To Shut The Doors
Sometimes it’s good when the doors of a church close. It’s right that we have a pang of regret when we see a church building where God was once worshipped turned into a restaurant or a pub or a carpet showroom. But if by the end the gospel wasn’t being preached in that church, then it’s better for it now to be a nightclub than a church. Because at least if people go to a nightclub, they know what they’re going into. But if they go to somewhere that says ‘Church’ on the outside, and where Christian words are used – they will assume that what they’re hearing inside is the gospel – even if it’s not. God himself says the same thing. Malachi 1:10: ‘Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!’ There was a time when God himself longed that someone would shut the doors of the temple. Why? To stop people offering him things that cost them nothing. He says two verses earlier: ‘When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favour?’ So what were they doing? They were looking at their flocks. And they were saying: ‘there’s a blind animal. It’s no use to me. So I’ll take it to the temple to offer it to God, rather than bringing a healthy one’. They were saying: ‘There’s a sick animal. It’s not going to live long, so I might as well use it the next time I have to go and sacrifice to God. I’ll give the sick one to God, and keep the healthy ones for myself.’ And God says: ‘Oh that someone would shut the doors’. Because he’s not going to accept it. He says in v. 13: ‘You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand?’ What’s the attitude behind offering God lame or sick animals? It is that the worship of God is a waste, that what is given to God is loss. That attitude is: I’m certainly not going to bring him offerings that actually cost me. I’m going to give him the things that no-one else wants. And that might satisfy their conscience. But it certainly won’t satisfy God. And so he says it’s better not to do it. Because if you do do it, you’re cursed. Cursed in a way that you wouldn’t be if you just didn’t bring anything. Malachi 1:14: ‘Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished’. In other words, cursed be those who like the appearance of being devoted to God – but aren’t willing to ‘take the hit’ that the reality would require. Some people want to give the impression of being committed to God. But they think that the reality of it is too costly.
Question
- In what circumstances is it better for a church building to close?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would give the best to God.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.