After telling the people of
Israel that they despised and dishonored His name, the LORD God told
them how they had done so – they polluted His altar with poor
offerings. Instead of offering their best animal sacrifices and bread
to the Lord, they offered blind, lame and sick animals and bread that
was moldy. God questioned them as to whether they would offer those
sacrifices to their governor, and in verse nine of chapter one, the
Lord appeals to their common sense by asking:
And now, I pray you,
beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this has been by your
means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
The
verse begins, “And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be
gracious unto us:” Malachi recorded God's charge to the people
by writing, “And now, I pray you, beseech God” which
literally means to “make your presence or face weak, sick or
diseased before God” and “ask God that he will be gracious”
or “show favor and pity” “unto us”. The idea is
that after considering whether they would offer such poor sacrifices
to their governor, do they really think that God will be gracious to
them?
The
verse goes on to say, “this has been by your means: will
he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.” The
Lord continued his questioning by making this statement - “this
has been your means” or
literally your “hand”, and it refers to the offering works of
their own hands. “The LORD of hosts”
once again asked, “will he regard your persons”
or “to lift, bear up, carry, or take your faces”. In other
words, because they have been so contemptible in their offerings do
they believe that God will lift them out or deliver them from their
difficulties and troubles and in times when their faces are downcast?
The people of Israel were
questioned for the content and manner in which they brought
sacrifices to the LORD. It was as though their hearts and minds were
not really engaged in the worship of God, and although they continued
to go through the motions, worship was nothing more than mundane and
routine ritual. When we ponder Israel's condition, would we be
questioned by God for our offerings of late? Has going to church,
reading our Bibles, giving, testimony and prayer become as “poor
offerings” before the Lord, or are we fully engaged with our best
before Him at all times? As we consider these things, may the Lord
bring to our minds times when we slack in our worship of Him, and may
we adore Him with all our might so He will be gracious to us and lift
our faces in our time of need.
Next
time Malachi tells of God's displeasure with Israel,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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