CHAPTER 1

(397 B.C.)

GODS LOVE FOR JACOB (ISRAEL)

¹The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. (Malachi was one of the three Prophets after the Exile, the others being Haggai and Zechariah; however, he ministered about 100 years later than Haggai and Zechariah. In fact, the greater bulk of his Ministry was during the time of Nehemiahs second visit to Jerusalem, of which we have only the barest and most summary account [Neh. 13:7-31].

Malachis Book proves, as history affirms, that reformations and revivals are short-lived. It also demonstrates the corruption of the natural heart; for although God preferred Israel to Edom [1:2-5], had just delivered them from captivity, and blessed their land with abundance [Hag. 2:19]; yet, they questioned His Love, treated with contempt His worship, and put aside the Book of the Law.

After Malachi, there was no Prophet until John the Baptist, claiming an interval of prophetic darkness for about 400 years.)

²I have loved you, says the LORD. Yet you say, Wherein have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacobs brother? says the LORD: yet I loved Jacob (I have loved you, says the LORD, is meant to proclaim to the people Gods Love and its past action, in contrast to their ingratitude for that Love. The question, Yet you say, Wherein have You loved us?, provides the unjust complaints of the people. They doubted Gods Love and Faithfulness, because events had not turned out as they expected.

The question, Was not Esau Jacobs brother?, was meant to draw Israels attention to the miserable condition of the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau, in comparison to the fortunate and blessed condition of the Israelites, who were descendants of Jacob, despite their Spiritual declension! Says the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, does not refer to an arbitrary choice. The Lord loved Jacob because Jacob loved Him),

³And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (And I hated Esau, is used here as an idiom of preference [Lk. 14:25-27]. It does not express personal malice as we think of such presently. In fact, if Esau, as Jacob, would have honestly sought the Lord in Repentance, he would have been treated with the same kindness, love, and help that his brother, Jacob, received.

And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness, refers to the ultimate destruction of Edom, which sprang from the loins of Esau. By comparison, Israel was greatly blessed.)

⁴Whereas Edom says, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus 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 forever. (Whereas Edom says, presents this country in defiance of God. Edom boasted that she would be restored; however, Edom never actually recovered its power. It became the prey of the Persians and others, with the Mohammedan conquests finally effecting its utter ruin.

And they shall call them, The border of wickedness, means the territory of iniquity. The people against whom the LORD has indignation forever, is a statement spelling the doom, not only of this people, but also of any and all against whom it is uttered.

While the Lord is angry with the wicked every day [Ps. 7:11], the indignation spoken of here concerns an added infraction, which in Edoms case was their gloating over Judahs fall to the Babylonians.)

⁵And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. (And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, portrays the very opposite concerning Israel, relative to Edom. The last phrase means that Israel will yet become as the Garden of Eden; and its beauty and fertility will magnify Jehovah-Messiah. This will transpire in the coming Kingdom Age.)

ISRAELS DISOBEDIENCE: SINS OF THE PRIESTS

⁶A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a Father, where is My Honour? and if I be a Master, where is My Fear? says the LORD of Hosts unto you, O Priests, who despise My Name. And you say, Wherein have we despised Your Name? (The Priests and the people despised the ineffable Name by agreeing that anything was good enough for God. They showed Him no respect, gratitude, or acceptable service. The Lord was the Father of Israel, and consequently, they were His Children. As such, they were to honor Him as any child, at least one who is trying to do right, would honor his Earthly father. However, they did not do such.)

⁷You offer polluted bread upon My Altar; and you say, Wherein have we polluted You? In that you say, The Table of the LORD is contemptible. (You have offered bread upon My Altar, is a covering term for all Sacrifices. The word pollution spoke of imperfect Sacrifices, which is outlined in the next Verse.

The question, And you say, Wherein have we polluted You?, means that they did not acknowledge the Truth that when the Sacraments were violated, He Himself, Whose Sacraments they were, was violated. It is ironical that they considered the ritual itself as containing Salvation, and yet they would offer improper Sacrifices!

The phrase, In that you say, The Table of the LORD is contemptible, refers to the Brazen Altar. Even though they probably did not actually say the words, still, their actions did say it, and loudly!)

⁸And 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? sa ys the LORD of Hosts. (The question, And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil?, has reference to the Law of Moses, which ordered that the victims [lambs] should be perfect and without blemish [Lev. 22:19-25]. The question, Offer it now unto your Governor, will he be pleased with you, or accept your person?, is speaking of the rulers set over Judah by the Persian King. The Lord is actually saying, Would you dare offer such things to your Governor?, irrespective as to who the Governor was!)

⁹And now, I pray you, beseech God that He will be gracious unto us: this has been by your means: will He regard your persons? says the LORD of Hosts. (The first phrase is not actually an earnest, sincere appeal of repentance, but rather irony. In other words, the Prophet is saying, Will you come and beseech the Lord with these polluted sacrifices? This has been by your means, refers to the Priests, who were responsible for this disobedience to Gods Word, for they were appointed to teach that Word [2:7].

The question, Will He regard your persons? says the LORD of Hosts, actually has reference to the Priests acting as mediators, which they were called to do. The Lord is actually saying that He would not accept them as mediators between God and the people, simply because of their sinful actions.)

¹⁰Who is there even among you who would shut the doors for nought? neither do you kindle fire on My Altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, sa ys the LORD of Hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. (The idea of this Verse is: it would be morally better to close the Temple than to continue such hypocritical services; actually, the Priests had come to the place that they would not perform the smallest function without pay. I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of Hosts, is a striking term indeed! It points to Gods Displeasure and places the blame at the doorstep of religious leadership.

Neither will I accept an offering at your hand, refers to any type of Offering, even the Meal Offerings, which were naturally pure and unpolluted. Presently, it strikes at motive of the heart for God not to accept what we give. Paul said that we give to the Lord to prove the sincerity of our love [II Cor. 8:8].)

GODS PLAN FOR THE MILLENNIUM: PURE WORSHIP UNIVERSAL

¹¹For 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, says the LORD of Hosts. (The first phrase presents a prediction and was fulfilled when the Gospel went to the Gentiles [Acts, Chpt. 10]. Actually, this prediction has come to pass exactly as the Lord promised, with the Church made up mostly of Gentiles. And in every place incense shall be offered unto My Name, and a pure offering, refers to prayer and praise based on the Offering of Calvary [Heb. 9:14; 10:10], and presented by the Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ [Heb. 13:15].)

THEIR HYPOCRISY AND CORRUPT OFFERINGS TO GOD

¹²But you have profaned it, in that you say, The Table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even His meat, is contemptible. (But you have profaned it, refers to the fact that the Work of God can be profaned; tragically so, it is profaned most of the time! In that you say, The Table of the LORD is polluted, refers to the Priests saying that it was polluted, but not for the same purpose and reason as spoken by the Lord.

The phrase, And the fruit thereof, even His meat, is contemptible, is a complaint offered by the Priests of the sickly animals brought for Sacrifice, which provided them sustenance, because it was, as the next Verse proclaims, torn, lame, and sick.

Of most of the Sacrifices offered, the Priests were to receive a portion of it for their own use, which provided a part of their living and sustenance for them and their families. However, the Sacrifices were so contemptible that there was nothing for the Priests. In other words, the people were bringing as Sacrifice their sickly animals instead of the best; this is what the Lord is addressing.

The Priests didnt care about the Lord being insulted only that they didnt get what they wanted.)

¹³You said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and you have snuffed at it, says the LORD of Hosts; and you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus you brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? says the LORD. (The first phrase portrays the Priests complaining because the service and worship of God was a drudgery. Such proclaims those who do not have a proper relationship with the Lord. And you have snuffed it, says the LORD of Hosts, means that the people complained by sniveling at this service for God.

And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick, means they gave to the Lord that which was of no service to them. In other words, they could not sell it or even give it away, so, in their minds, and inasmuch as the offerings were to be burned on the Brazen Altar, why not bring these torn, lame, and sick?

They completely misunderstood the meaning of the Sacrifices. It had degenerated until it was a mere ritual. They did not understand anymore that these Sacrifices represented the Coming Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as such, were to be without blemish.

Thus you brought an Offering, is said with contempt! The answer of the Lord is: Should I accept this of your hand? says the LORD. The idea is: He did not accept it!)

¹⁴But cursed be the deceiver, which has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, says the LORD of Hosts, and My Name is dreadful among the heathen. (But cursed be the deceiver, concerned those who offered a female of his flock, claiming that he had no male lamb, when such was not true. The phrase, And vows, sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing, concerns a vow made to the Lord and then paying it by presenting a blemished animal [Lev. 3:1, 6].

For I am a great King, says the LORD of Hosts, is meant to portray the seriousness of the matter, in that God should be given our very best. A Great King deserves a Great Sacrifice. And My Name is dreadful among the heathen, refers to the tremendous miracles God has performed, of which the heathen were aware, and yet even though they held Him in high regard, His Own People showed Him nothing but disrespect.)