Malachi 1

God's Special Nation

Mal 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

The burden (oracle) of the word of God

Malachi: "The LORD'S Messenger", Not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.He was the last of the prophets, some 450 years before the New Testament. The temple had been built when this was written.

A covenant with Jacob, not Esau; Israel not Edom.

Mal 1:2 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,
Mal 1:3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Mal 1:4 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.

I love you Israel, but Esau is loved less. Israel was accepted, while Esau was rejected; but all are received in the Lord Jesus Christ

Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

"his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness."

Jer 49:16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
Jer 49:17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
Jer 49:18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

Mal 1:5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

Psa 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
Psa 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Unfaithful Priests with unacceptable sacrifices

Mal 1:6 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?

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mal 1:7 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.

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The word of God is our spiritual bread. It must be fresh from the throne of God and not stale or careless words.

1. Pastor, your sermon is filled with funny jokes, clever anecdotes, and emotional stores but it lacks God's word. You throw in a few Scriptures here and there to illustrate or back up your stories, but your sermon is really all about you. It isn't about Jesus, it isn't about His Word. Pastor, you are settingdefiled food on God's altar.

2. Pastor, your sermon is sloppy - you don't do your work in the study, and you shoot from the hip. Worse yet, you don't labor in prayer and meditation over God's word and seek His message for the people. You don't hold fast the pattern of sound words. You don't rightly divide the word of truth. Pastor, you are setting defiled food on God's altar.

3. Pastor, your sermon is cold - God forbid you should show some concern or passion in the pulpit. Your passion is reserved for other things - like football or golf. You can pontificate or argue with the best of them, but your messages have no deep passion for God or your people. You punch the clock and put in the time, but your heart for Jesus is cold. Pastor, you are setting defiled food on God's altar. (David Guzik)

Mal 1:8 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. Lev 22:22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

Mal 1:9 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.

Seek grace from the LORD, for your performance is unworthy.

Psa 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

Mal 1:10 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.

"How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered!" (NLT)

Their offering was polluted, they were sinful and careless.

Isa 1:9 Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Isa 1:10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
Isa 1:11 What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

Mal 1:11 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. Grace went out to the Gentile nations and this is the Church age, the age of grace.

Isa 42:8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth.
Isa 59:20 And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah.
Isa 59:21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever.

1Ti 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing.

Mal 1:12 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.
Mal 1:13 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.

Isa 43:20 The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
Isa 43:21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
Isa 43:22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

Lev 22:20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

Gal 6:8 For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Mal 1:14 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.

Psa 47:2 For Jehovah Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.
Psa 47:3 He subdueth peoples under us, And nations under our feet.
Psa 47:4 He chooseth our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

We are to give our best to the LORD. We offer him holy sacrifices, with a heart of reverance, love and worship. Careless religious practices where the heart is not in it, is not acceptable to God. Thank God for Jesus and his grace. Lord forgive my failings by the blood of the Lamb. I want to serve you in holiness and truth.

Malachi 2
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