God's Love for Israel
Study note
Malachi begins with God reminding Israel of His special love for them. He points to His choice of Jacob over Esau as proof. Esau's descendants, the Edomites, had been judged and would not recover. Israel, by contrast, was still standing because of God's faithful love.
1 This is the message the LORD delivered to Israel through the prophet Malachi. The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
2 "I have loved you deeply," the LORD says. But you respond, "How have you loved us?" The LORD answers, "Esau and Jacob were brothers. Yet I chose to love Jacob." I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
3 "But Esau I rejected. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and handed his territory over to the wild jackals of the desert." And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Even if Edom says, "We have been smashed, but we will rebuild from the rubble," the LORD of Armies answers: "Go ahead and build — I will knock it right back down. People will call their land 'The Land of Wickedness' and 'The People the LORD Is Angry With Forever.'" Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
5 You will witness this with your own eyes and declare, "The LORD's power reaches far beyond Israel's borders!" And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
Unacceptable Offerings
Study note
God now turns His attention to the priests. A good son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. But the priests showed no honor to God. They offered unclean and worthless animals on the altar, treating God's table with disrespect.
6 "A son gives honor to his father. A servant shows respect to his master. So if I am your Father, where is my honor? If I am your Master, where is the respect you owe me?" says the LORD of Armies to the priests who look down on his name. Yet you ask, "When did we ever disrespect your name?" A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 "You put contaminated food on my altar and then ask, 'How did we contaminate it?' By treating the LORD's table as if it does not matter." Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
8 "When you sacrifice a blind animal, is that not wrong? When you offer a lame or sick animal, is that acceptable? Try giving that to your governor and see how he reacts! Would he be happy? Would he do you any favors?" says the LORD of Armies. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
9 "Go ahead — try begging God to be gracious to us. With pathetic offerings like these coming from your hands, why would he show you any kindness?" says the LORD of Armies. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
God's Name Will Be Great
Study note
God declares that He would rather have the temple doors shut than accept worthless offerings. He looks ahead to a day when His name will be honored among all nations. Meanwhile, He pronounces a curse on anyone who has a good animal to give but cheats God by offering a damaged one instead.
10 "I wish somebody would bolt the temple doors shut so you would stop wasting my time with your useless altar fires! I get no pleasure from you," says the LORD of Armies. "I refuse to accept anything you offer." Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 "From the eastern horizon to the western horizon, my name will be honored among the nations. Everywhere — in every place — people will bring pure offerings of worship to my name. My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of Armies. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 "But you drag my name through the dirt when you say, 'The LORD's table is not worth anything,' and when you complain, 'This food is garbage.'" But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 "You also whine, 'What a chore this worship is!' and you turn up your nose at it," says the LORD of Armies. "You bring animals that were stolen, crippled, or diseased as your offerings. Do you honestly think I should accept that?" the LORD asks. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.
14 "A curse falls on the cheater who has a perfectly healthy male animal in his flock. He promises it to God, but then swaps in a flawed one. I am a great King," says the LORD of Armies. "My name is respected among all the nations." But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.