HONOR THE LORD ALMIGHTY

Passage: Malachi 1:1-14

Key verse: 14b

NIV

1 A prophecy:(A) The word(B) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

2 “I have loved(C) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,(D) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,(E) 3 but Esau I have hated,(F) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland(G) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.(H)”

4 Edom(I) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild(J) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.(K) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.(L) 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great(M) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’(N)

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

6 “A son honors his father,(O) and a slave his master.(P) If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect(Q) due me?” says the Lord Almighty.(R)

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask,(S) ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

7 “By offering defiled food(T) on my altar.

“But you ask,(U) ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table(V) is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,(W) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased(X) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.(Y)

9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings(Z) from your hands, will he accept(AA) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,(AB) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased(AC) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept(AD) no offering(AE) from your hands. 11 My name will be great(AF) among the nations,(AG) from where the sun rises to where it sets.(AH) In every place incense(AI) and pure offerings(AJ) will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table(AK) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food(AL) is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’(AM) and you sniff at it contemptuously,(AN)” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,(AO) should I accept them from your hands?”(AP) says the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal(AQ) to the Lord. For I am a great king,(AR)” says the Lord Almighty,(AS) “and my name is to be feared(AT) among the nations.(AU)

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Footnotes
  1. Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.[a]

The Lord's Love for Israel

2 (A)“I have loved you,” says the Lord. (B)But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau (C)Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet (D)I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. (E)I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 (F)Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

The Priests' Polluted Offerings

6 (G)“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am (H)a father, where is my honor? And if I am (I)a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. (J)But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 (K)By offering polluted food upon my altar. (L)But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that (M)the Lord's table may be despised. 8 (N)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 favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now (O)entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, (P)will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 (Q)Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, (R)and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name (S)will be[b] great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name (T)will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that (U)the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, (V)‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. (W)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? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has (X)a male in his flock, and (Y)vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For (Z)I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name (AA)will be feared among the nations.

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Footnotes
  1. Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger
  2. Malachi 1:11 Or is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI

Malachi's name means 'my messenger.' He was a great prophet who spoke God's message to the people of Israel around 44

B.C. This was about 1

years after the first exiles had returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. That generation flourished spiritually under the ministries of Haggai and Zechariah. God had fulfilled his promise through Jeremiah that the people would return to Jerusalem and Judah after 7

years in Babylon. With great spiritual fervor the temple of God had been rebuilt. Against this backdrop of fulfillment and with eager expectation, the Israelites hoped the Lord would also fulfill his promise to shake the nations (Haggai 2:6-8), restore Israel's glory, and bring about an earthly messianic kingdom.

As time passed and a new generation came, the Israelites became cynical, worldly and cold in their relationship with God. They lost hope that God would keep his promises. They complained about God.

Malachi addresses these complaints in the form of six disputations. Malachi reminds the people that God loves them and that God is to be honored in every way, from their offerings and tithes (1:8,13; 4:9,1

), to faithfulness to their spouses (2:14-16), to their obligations to love their neighbors as themselves (3:5).

Malachi looks forward to the coming of the Messiah (3:1-3) and the day of the Lord when the wicked would be judged and righteousness restored. May our hope in Jesus' second coming and our reverence for God in daily life be strengthened through our study of Malachi.

1. The Lord declares his love (1-5)

Malachi's prophecy starts as all prophesy should-with the direct word of the Lord. The Lord proclaimed his love for his people. But people in Malachi's time doubted the Lord's love for them. They asked how he had loved them. The Lord had demonstrated his love for his people in his choosing Jacob over his twin brother Esau. Much later, the Lord punished Esau for his sin and pride. We cannot always understand the Lord's ways. But when he proclaims his love, we can be sure we are loved.

2. 'My name will be feared…' (6-14)

The people doubted God's love because they held the Lord in contempt. They held him in contempt by their offerings, which were lame and diseased. They offered to the Lord sacrificial offerings they wouldn't have offered to their governors! The Lord doesn't want offerings. He wants our hearts. When we come to the Lord with a contrite heart, he accepts us, even if we make a heart offering that is worth only a fraction of a penny (Mk 12:41-44) He is worthy of our love and honor and devotion and fear, because he is our great king. His name should be feared by all nations.

Prayer: Father, Thank you for your love. Bless us to love, honor and fear you as our great king.

One Word: The Lord is our great king.