Malachi 1
1
1A prophecy:#1:1. Literally, “burden.” This message came from the Lord concerning Israel through Malachi.
2I have loved#1:2. The tense of the verb indicates not just a past action but a past action that continues in the present. you, says the Lord.
But you ask, “How have you loved us?”
Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother? the Lord responds. But I loved Jacob 3and despised Esau. I have made Esau's mountain homeland into a wasteland, and turned his inheritance into a desert for jackals.
4The people of Edom may be saying: “We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says, They may try and build, but I will tear down. They will be called a land of wickedness, and the people those who make the Lord angry#1:4. Divine anger must not be equated with human anger. Here it has the sense of God's total hostility to evil, rather than an emotional self-centered reaction. forever. 5You#1:5. The people of Israel. will see this destruction with your own eyes, and you will say, “The Lord is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.”
6A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. So if I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? says the Lord Almighty to you priests who show contempt for me.
But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for you?”
7By making defiled#1:7. “Defiled”: the concept here is that the priests have not followed the Lord's instructions as to how sacrifices were to be offered, showing a careless contempt in their worship of the Lord. offerings on my altar.
Then you ask, “How have we defiled you?”
By saying#1:7. The priests may not have said so audibly but their actions show what they were saying to themselves. the Lord's table doesn't deserve respect.
8When you offer a blind animal as a sacrifice, isn't that wrong? Or when you offer an animal that is crippled or sick, isn't that wrong? Would you give such gifts to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Would he be kind and show favor to you? asks the Lord Almighty.
9So why don't you try being kind to God, begging him to be merciful to you?#1:9. This line is usually taken as ironic. But when you bring such offerings, why should he show favor to you? asks the Lord Almighty. 10I really wish one of you would shut the Temple doors to stop you lighting pointless fires#1:10. Fires were lit on the altar to burn up the sacrifices. God is saying he doesn't want such sacrifices. They are pointless, because they do not represent any repentance on the part of the worshipers. on my altar! I am not pleased with you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept offerings from you.
11I am honored by nations from the farthest east to the distant west; everywhere people make offerings to me of incense and pure sacrifices. I am honored among the nations, says the Lord Almighty.
12But you dishonor me when you say the Lord's table doesn't deserve respect, and that its food can be treated with contempt. 13You say, “All this is too much trouble!” and you sniff scornfully at it, says the Lord Almighty. But when you bring animals that are stolen or crippled or sick and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept what you're giving? asks the Lord. 14Cursed are those who cheat by vowing to bring a ram as a sacrifice and then offers an imperfect animal to the Lord. For I am a great King, says the Lord Almighty, and I am respected#1:14. Literally, “feared,” but in this instance is linked to the respect that is missing mentioned in 1:6. among the nations!
Currently Selected:
Malachi 1: FBV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Malachi 1
1
“I Loved Jacob, but Esau I Hated”
1This is a divine revelation. The Lord spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.
2“I loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, 3but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.
4“The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’
“Yet, this is what the Lord of Armies says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is always angry.’ 5You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel the Lord is great.’
The Priests Offer Unacceptable Sacrifices to the LORD
6“This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7“You offer contaminated food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated you?’
“When you say that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.
9“Now try asking God to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.
10“I wish one of you would shut the doors ⌞to my house⌟ so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
11“From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies. 12“But you dishonor it when you say that the Lord’s table may be contaminated and that its food may be despised.
13“You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the Lord.
14“Cheaters are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow to give ⌞as a sacrifice⌟. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to the Lord instead. I am a great king,” says the Lord of Armies. “Among the nations my name is respected.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.