Poor Offerings Malachi 1:8

The nation of Israel could not understand where they despised and dishonored the name of the Lord. The Lord told them they said, “The table of the Lord is contemptible” as they offered “polluted bread” as sacrifices to Him. In chapter one and verse eight of his prophesy Malachi continued the Lord's description of how the people of Israel offered poor offerings to Him. We read:

And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto your governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your person? says the LORD of hosts.

The verse begins, “And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?” Apparently those who offered sacrifices for Israel were bringing “blind”, “lame” and “sick” animals as offerings unto the Lord. Rather than selecting the best of the animals for a sacrifice as instructed in the law, those who offered them would choose animals with flaws. The Lord's question for these sacrifices was, “is it not evil” which means “bad, disagreeable, malignant, or unpleasant”. Though the Israelites were going through the routine of offerings, they were not putting forth the effort to insure they gave their best to the Lord.

The verse continues, “offer it now unto your governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your person? says the LORD of hosts.” As a challenge to those who made these offerings, the Lord told them to “offer” which means “to come near, approach, enter into, or draw near” “it now unto your governor” who was their earthly lord and ruler. God's first question to them was, “will he be pleased with you”or “be favorable to, accept favorably” to you? The obvious answer to this question is “no”, and the Lord continued, “or accept your person” which means “lift up or exalt your face”. Once again we are brought to the rhetorical answer “no”, and let us be reminded again of who is making this statement, “the LORD of hosts”.

As we think about these questions and statements from the Lord, let us use our imaginations and picture the flailed sacrifices which were being offered by Israel. Blind sheep, lame oxen, sick cattle and basically the worst of the worse of the sacrificial animals were being offered to the Lord by them. What if we were to sit down at a meal to eat and had the worst of bread, meat and other foods as our dinner? Would we be pleased? Would we offer a poor meal to our Governor or leadership within our country? The Lord pointed out Israel's flaw in worship, and because they did not care to find their best for Him, they were looking upon the Lord and His altar with condescension. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to show us areas where we are disregarding the altar of the Lord with contempt, and when He points out our poor offerings may we change our ways and seek to worship Him as “the LORD of hosts” whom He is.

Next time Malachi brings another question to his readers, 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.

Polluted Altars and Tables Malachi 1:7

Thus far in the prophecy from Malachi the Lord has told the people of Israel that He loves them. They wondered how, so He gave them the example of choosing Jacob over Esau. The Lord then told them they disrespected and dishonored Him, but they wondered where? In chapter one and verse seven, the Lord gives them an answer to their question where we read:

You offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and you say, Wherein have we polluted you? In that you say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

The verse begins, “You offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and you say, Wherein have we polluted you?” God told Israel where they dishonored Him in that they “offer polluted” or “defiled and desecrated” “bread” on His “altar”. Though they were going through the motions of offering “bread” sacrifices to the Lord, the “bread” they offered was like moldy bread or inedible grain. Even though the Lord told them this was where they were disregarding Him, still they wondered “Wherein have we polluted you?”

The verse goes on to say, “In that you say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.” The Lord answered their question with their words, “The table” or “place of sacrifices” “of the LORD is contemptible” which means “despised, hold in contempt, or disdained”. Rather than being a Holy table of the Lord, the people within Israel were saying by their words and actions that the “Lord's table” wasn't valued and precious. They were going through the motions of sacrifices, but had no heart toward the sacrifices they made.

When we think through these words brought by Malachi, we may be challenged to ask ourselves, “Are we going through the motions when practicing the sacrifices to God?” Has church attendance and activities become more mundane, routine, and going through the motions? It is easy for us to stand in judgment against the people of Israel, but have we treated the things of the Lord with contempt as well? Perhaps these words will help us to know the heart of the Lord as He beckons Israel to understand what He sees in them, and when He discovers pollution within us, may we turn our hearts and lives toward His Holy ways and never disdain our relationship with Him.

Next time God tells the Israelites about their poor sacrifices, 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.

No Honor and Despised Malachi 1:6

After beginning with the premise that He loves the people of Israel by showing His preference of them over Edom, God turns His attention toward the lack which He has found within them. Malachi the prophet records the Lord's words in chapter one and verse six where we read:

A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And you say, Wherein have we despised your name?

The verse begins, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor?” Malachi wrote God's questions to Israel, and the Lord gives two examples of those who are subject to another. The first is “A son honors his father”. Most generally it is expected that“a son honors” which means “to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honorable, be glorious, or be burdensome” to“his father”. Secondly, He uses “as servant his master” which we shall take up in the next portion of this verse. The idea is that it is normal for a son to give honor and respect to his father, and since the Lord is as a “father” to Israel, He questioned their honor of Him.

The verse goes on to say, “ and if I be a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name.” As the Lord employed the example of a “son” with his “father”, He also used the servant's relationship to his master as part of His questions to Israel. He asked, “where is my fear?” which means “reverence or terror”. As a servant gives such a high regard to his master, so should the children of Israel have “fear” or reverence toward “the LORD of hosts” which is a reference to God being over the heavenly hosts or army of angels. However, the children of Israel do not reverence the Lord, and God's reference to the “priests, that despise” which means “hold in contempt and disdain” God's “name” or “fame, reputation and glory” is an example of their rejection.

Finally the verse says, “And you say, Wherein have we despised your name?” Although God pointedly tells the Israelites that they have dishonored and not feared Him, they questioned Him as they did when He told them He loved them. “Wherein have we despised” which means “hold in contempt, disdained, deemed to be despised and worthless” “your name”. Though they were told directly by God they “despised” His “name”, still they could not perceive His conclusions concerning them.

As we ponder the words in this verse, let us put ourselves in the places of the Israelites. Do we “honor” God as a son honors his father? Do we “fear” or “reverence” the Lord as a servant does his master, or do we rather “despise” and deem as worthless the “name” of God? As we read these words it is easy to condemn the Israelites for the appraisal that God has given them, but would He give to us the same? The wonderful part about taking our time through the scriptures is that we allow the Holy Spirit to convict us in areas within which others have been challenged, and as He does, may we yield to Him rather than question His perfect assessment of that which He sees.

Next time we will see how Israel dishonored the Lord's altar, 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.

Your Eyes Shall See Malachi 1:5

Malachi the prophet began his prophecy by telling the people of Israel the Lord loved them, and even though Israel doubted His love, God reminded them that He chose Jacob over Esau who was called Edom. Edom was to be destroyed, and although the Edomites believed they could rebuild anything that was torn down, the Lord would wipe out any efforts they made. In chapter one and verse five of Malachi's prophecy, the Lord told the Israelites they would see these things come to pass and would magnify Him because of it. We read:

And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

The verse begins, “And your eyes shall see,...” There is something special about being able to “see” something come to pass that has been promised. As a continuum to the Lord's promise that Edom would be destroyed, God assures the people of Israel their “eyes shall see” what He was going to do to them. Once again, the Lord uses this example to demonstrate how much He loved Israel.

The verse goes on to say, “and you shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” When the people of Israel saw the promises of the Lord fulfilled, their reaction would be, “The LORD will be magnified” or “to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things”. This expansion of the Lord within the minds of the people of Israel would be “from the border of Israel” which means “throughout all the land or to the boarders of Israel”. The seeing of the destruction of Edom would cause magnification of the Lord and belief in His love throughout all the land of Israel.

There are times in our lives when the Lord will allow us to see the manifestation of His love just as He did Israel. Other times it seems that His demonstrations are limited. In those times of “darkness” we may rely upon the Holy Spirit of God to give us the strength to live through them. The Israelites were going to magnify the Lord throughout all their land when their “eyes” would see the destruction of Edom. As we ponder these words, perhaps the Lord will allow us to see some demonstrations of His love for us and we will magnify His name for them, however, the greater question may be, “will we be able to give Him praise and adoration and believe that He loves us even when our eyes do not see”?

Next time we will see further proof of God's love for 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.

Esau's Rejection and the Lord's Indignation Malachi 1:4

As Malachi the prophet shared the “burden of the word of the Lord” with Israel, he began by telling them the Lord loved them. Proof of God's love was that He chose Jacob over Esau, and the Lord's destruction of Esau was a demonstration of it. In chapter one and verse four of the prophecy of Malachi, God shares Esau or Edom's rebellion against him after their destruction and His response to their dissent where we read:

Whereas Edom said, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; therefore says 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 has indignation for ever.

The verse begins, “Whereas Edom said, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places;” “Edom” which means “red” became the name for “Esau” after he sold his birth-rite to his brother Jacob (See Genesis chapter twenty-five). We are told Edom reacted to their destruction by declaring “we are impoverished” which means “beat down or shattered”. They purposed with resolve to “return and build the desolate places” or their “place laid waste, ruin, waste, and desolation”. Though the Lord was ultimately behind their devastation, Edom or Esau believed they could rebuild and make a place for themselves again.

The verse goes on to say,”therefore says the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness,...” In reaction to Edom's resolve, the “Lord of Hosts” declared, “they shall build, but I will throw down” which means “tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, or ruin” any efforts they make. Their destruction will be so great that those who look upon them will call them “the border of wickedness” which means “the territory or region of guilt and unrighteousness”.

Finally the verse says, “and, The people against whom the LORD has indignation for ever.” Not only would people refer to Edom as “the boarder of wickedness” but they will also deem them as “the people against whom the Lord has “indignation” or “denounced, abhorred, cursed and shown anger” “for ever”. There would be no time in the future where the Lord would alter His “indignation” against Edom. In other words, the fate of Edom or Esau was final, and there would be no place of repentance for them ever again.

If we take the time to think about these words of the Lord as recorded by Malachi the prophet, we cannot help but wonder if there are those in the world who align themselves with the same position as Edom. Have they been so rebellious against the Lord that no matter what destruction and rebuilding they endure, the Lord's “indignation” will be against them? As we ponder this idea, let us keep in mind that this is proof of the Lord's love for Israel. Though Israel has been rebellious, yet the Heavenly Father loves them still, and though they were often far from Him in relationship, He demonstrated His care for them over and over again. If there are any lessons in these words, they are to align ourselves with the Lord no matter what happens in our lives lest we too be called “the boarder of wickedness” and “the people against whom the LORD has indignation for ever”.

Next time we will see further proof of God's love for 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.

Esau Hated by God Malachi 1:3

As Malachi began his prophecy concerning “the burden of the word of the Lord”, he wrote God's first words toward Israel - “I have loved you”, and though Israel questioned God's love, God assured them that his choice was “Jacob” over “Esau”. In chapter one and verse three of Malachi's prophecy we see just how emphatically against “Esau” God was where we read:

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

The verse begins, “And I hated Esau,...” The Lord God had Malachi write that He “hated” which means “to hate, be hateful toward” “Esau” which means “Hairy”. Notice too that this is a continuation of the last verse and is connected by the word “and”. God is determined to let “Israel” know that He loves them, and by having them recall His selection of them over “Esau” they should remember that He loves them dearly.

The verse continues, “and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” To further His dedication toward the people of Israel, God relays to them two things He did to “Esau” whom He hated. First, He “laid his mountains” which refers to God “setting aside or making for a sign for” the mountains in which Esau dwelt. Secondly, God made Esau's “heritage” or “possession, property, inheritance, or portion” “waste for the dragons of the wilderness” which means “devastation or desolation” for the “habitations of jackals” which lived in the “wilderness” or “uninhabited plain country”. Not only was Esau's land made for waste in the wilderness, but so was any hope for future generations to inherit their substances.

Upon consideration of this verse we may be inclined to wonder why God would choose one person over another to love. In other words, why would God love Israel and hate Esau? The answer is that God is Sovereign and All-Knowing, and He knew that Esau would despise Him. Israel, though they would go away from the Lord in their relationship at times, would return to the Lord. Because of Esau's rejection of the Lord, the Lord rejected them and made an example of them through their desolation. As we relate this to our lives we can ask ourselves this question, have we so rejected the Lord that He would reject us like He did Esau? Let the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God be with us as we consider our position with God once again, and remember there is no love like God's love, and if we reject Him there is not a hate in the world that compares to when He is against us.

Next time we will see Esau's reaction to God's promise against them, 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.

I Have Loved You Malachi 1:2

Malachi the prophet whose name means “my messenger” was given “the burden of the word of the LORD”. His prophecy was to be the last given for four hundred years before the coming of the Messiah Jesus. In chapter one and verse two Malachi begins to share what the LORD had to say to Israel through him where we read:

I have loved you, says the LORD. Yet you say, Where have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

The verse begins, “I have loved you, says the LORD.” The first words the Lord had for Israel was “I have loved you” which means “to desire, to breathe after and to delight in”. The Lord was passionate about His care, concern, and involvement with Israel, and before He gave them further instruction, God desired that they know His love for them.

The verse goes on to say, “Where have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the LORD:” Israel's response to the Lord's love was to question it, “Where have you loved us?” Like so many to whom the Lord has expressed His love, the Israelites questioned whether God loved them at all. The Lord's response to them through Malachi is an interesting one as God basically carries the whole discussion and answers them with this question - “Was not Esau Jacob's brother?” The Lord reminded them of His selection of them over their “brother” Esau.

Finally the verse says, “ yet I loved Jacob,”. The Lord gives emphasis to His selection of them historically by repeating “I loved Jacob”. Malachi added the Lord's word “yet” which means “over and above, beyond, in greater acceptance and importance”. Though the opportunity for loving Esau was available to the Lord, He chose to love “Jacob” over “Esau”.

When we consider the Lord's words through the prophet Malachi, we may be inclined to think, “That's not fair for the Lord to love one brother over the other”. However, the Lord has the advantage of seeing into the future and knowing who would ultimately love Him in return. Esau turned his back upon the Lord and kept it turned. “Jacob”, or “Israel” had times where they turned their backs upon the Lord, but they came back. God loved “Israel”, and when someone is loved, they are cared for enough to share the truth with them. God loves us, and through the words of Malachi we will learn His truth for our lives. The basis for all that will come in the verses ahead must be the love of the Lord. Israel needed to know the Lord loved them, and we need to know the Lord loves us too. May He reveal His love to us over and over again as we consider the words of Malachi which are just ahead.

Next time we see God speaking directly about Esau and what happened to them, 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.