Malachi 01
Malachi 01:1 What follows is divine revelation. The word of the Lord came to Israel through Malachi:
The Hebrew word for “divine revelation” is מַשָּׂ֥א (masa), meaning a divine revelation that will threaten those who hear it. Malachi means “my messenger.” The message comes to Israel, and not Judah. After the Babylon Captivity, the term Judah was not used again. The entire nation was once again called Israel. This threatening message will be the last message to Israel until John the Baptist arrives.
2 “I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?” “Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob
Jehovah had shown love to Israel, but Israel did not believe that God loved them. The temple had been built for over 100 years, yet the Messianic Kingdom predicted by Zechariah and Haggai had not yet come. The people thought that the Messianic Kingdom would come after the temple was rebuilt. The prophets never said this, but the people believed it. Therefore, since the Messianic Kingdom had not arrived, the people believed that God did not love them.
Esau was the twin brother of Jacob. Esau became the Edomites while Jacob became the Jews. The Hebrew word for “choose” is אָהַב (ahav), meaning to love or to choose. Many English versions translate this verb as “love” instead of “choose.” Before the foundations of the world were even created, God chose Jacob to become the father of the Jewish race.
3 and rejected Esau. I turned Esau’s mountains into a deserted wasteland and gave his territory to the wild jackals.”
The Hebrew word for “rejected” is שָׂנֵא (sana), meaning to hate, or to not choose. Jacob was chosen to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. Esau was not chosen to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. These two Hebrew words have nothing to do with the love-hate relationship between God and people. God chooses those for salvation and leaves the others to make their own choice. God chooses some to do a certain task for God and leaves the rest to follow their own human will.
Other examples of this “love-hate” meaning of choosing or not choosing are in Genesis 29:30–33 and Deuteronomy 21:15–17. Jesus Himself said that unless a person “hates” his mother, father, wife, children, brother, and sister, then he cannot be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus was not speaking of emotional hate. He was talking about choice. One cannot choose to follow Jesus if he chooses to follow his mother, father, wife, brother, or sister. The point is that if a choice must be made, Jesus would be the one chosen first, not the family member.
Esau used his own human free will to reject God. He was not interested in the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world to be born into his family line. The Edomites eventually rejected God and became an enemy of Israel. They plundered, killed, and turned the Israelites over to slavery to their enemies. For this reason, God turned the mountain of Edom into a desert wasteland.
Edom is currently Southern Jordan. During the Millennial Kingdom, the Jewish race will be the rulers of the world, but the Edomites will be extinct. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world, but Edom will be uninhabited.
4 Edom says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the world (except for Edom and Babylon) will be restored to their previous Garden of Eden conditions. Edom and Babylon will be desolate, uninhabited, and a prison for demons.
5 Your eyes will see it, and then you will say, ‘May the Lord be magnified even beyond the border of Israel!’ ”
The Edomites never recovered from the Babylon Captivity. Israel did recover. They returned to the land and rebuilt their temple. The Gentles saw the recovery of Israel and they praised Jehovah. Jehovah is a God who keeps His promises.
6 “A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’
A son honors his father. A slave respects his master. However, Israel did not honor God. The priests did not honor God.
The priests answered the Lord’s accusation with a question, “How do we not honor you?”
7 You are offering improper sacrifices on my altar, yet you ask, ‘How have we offended you?’ By treating the table of the Lord as if it is of no importance!
The Hebrew word for “improper” is גָּאַל (gaal), meaning polluted, defiled, stained, or unclean. The sacrifices were not being inspected. They were blemished and should have been rejected. These sacrifices were an object lesson of Christ, so they were to be perfect and unblemished.
The priests answered this accusation with a question, “How have we offended you?”
Jehovah answered. “You are placing spoiled food upon my table”.
8 For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick, is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering them to your governor! Will he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord who rules over all.
Offering lame and sick animals on the altar was a violation of the Mosaic law. The Hebrew word for “governor” was פַּח (pach), which was a translation of the Persian governor. These sacrifices were so bad, that the Jews would not ever offer these to their Persian government. However, they would offer them to God. They were showing more honor to a Gentile governor than they were to Jehovah.
9 But now plead for God’s favor that he might be gracious to us. “With this kind of offering in your hands, how can he be pleased with you?” asks the Lord who rules over all.
Malachi urged the priest to seek God’s favor by pleading to God to be kind to them. The priests were the spiritual leaders of Israel. They received more light and would be punished more severely. Their only hope was that God might listen to their prayers and decide to be nice to them. God, not the Persian governor, is the One who rules over all things.
10 “I wish that one of you would close the temple doors, so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will no longer accept an offering from you.
The sacrifices on the altar were object lessons of Christ. The sacrifices were dishonoring God and polluting the temple. Therefore, it would be better for the priests to close the temple door and not accept these unclean sacrifices.
11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord who rules over all.
These unclean sacrifices were not honoring the name of God. In the Millennial Kingdom, the Gentiles will do what the Jews were not doing. They would honor God’s name by bringing incense and pure offerings to God.
12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings despicable.
These Jewish priests knew that they should not be offering these unclean sacrifices to God, because they were telling each other that these sacrifices were common and despicable. However, they did not reject the sacrifices as they were called to do. In this way, they were dishonoring the name of Jehovah. They were telling the world that God is not very important. One does not have to offer their best to God. God will accept blind and sick lambs. These sick lambs were an unholy object lesson of the Lamb to come.
13 You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?” asks the Lord.
These priests had been divinely given the highest honor of teaching an object lesson about the future Christ, but they were bored of the ritual.
14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Any individual or priest who offered a blind or sick animal would be cursed by God. The reason was that it was an object lesson of God’s son who was to come. Jesus is a great King who will one day rule over the whole world. He will shed His own blood for His Kingdom. Therefore, His Kingdom should honor Him with their very best.