Malachi chapter 1

Respond to the love of the LORD God. Honor the LORD God.

 


 

RESPOND TO THE LOVE OF THE LORD GOD

 

VERSE 1. A revelation, the LORD’s word to Israel by Malachi.

revelation. The Hebrew word is massa. It means “burden.” The NIV translation says “oracle.”

the LORD. When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

Malachi. The Hebrew word is malakee. It might be a shortened version of malakeeya.

Malachi is a prophet. Nothing is known of his family line. He is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the Bible.

 

VERSE 2. “I have loved you,” says the LORD. Yet you say, “How have you loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the LORD, “Yet I loved Jacob;

I have loved you. This is in the past tense.

How have you loved us. They question the claim of the LORD God.

I loved Jacob. Rebekah loved Jacob, whereas Isaac loved Esau.

The Hebrew words for loved and hated refer not to emotions, but rather to a choice of one over the other for a covenant relationship.

So “I loved Jacob” can be paraphrased as “I chose Jacob.”

 

VERSE 3. but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.”

Esau I hated. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

The Hebrew words for loved and hated refer not to emotions, but rather to a choice of one over the other for a covenant relationship.

So “I hated Esau” can be paraphrased as “I did not chose Esau.”

 

VERSE 4. Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places,” the LORD of Hosts says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom the LORD shows wrath forever.”

Whereas Edom says. Esau is also known as Edom. He is the father of the Edomites.

They shall build, but I will throw down. Edom will try to rebuild its ruins. But the LORD God will frustrate their efforts.

 

VERSE 5. Your eyes will see, and you will say, “The LORD is great—even beyond the border of Israel!”

 

HONOR THE LORD GOD

 

VERSE 6. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise my name. “You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’

priests who despise my name. Their religious leaders were corrupt. They were false shepherds.

 

VERSE 7. You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘The LORD’s table is contemptible.’

 

VERSE 8. When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says the LORD of Hosts.

your governor. This reference to a Persian governor shows the book was written after 538 BC.

 

VERSE 9. “Now, please entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?” says the LORD of Hosts.

God. The Hebrew word rendered “God” is אֱלֹהִ֑ים (“Elohim”).

 

VERSE 10. “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

 

VERSE 11. For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.

 

VERSE 12. “But you profane it when you say, ‘The LORD’s table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.’

 

VERSE 13. You say also, ‘Behold, what a weariness it is!’ And you have sniffed at it”, says the LORD of Hosts; “and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?” says the LORD.

Behold. This is from the Hebrew word הִנֵּה. It means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

 

VERSE 14. “But the deceiver is cursed who has in his flock a male, and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

the Lord. The Hebrew word translated “Lord” (mixed case) is “Adonai.”

a defective thing. Their tithes and offerings were scraps. They sacrificed to the LORD God the worst things they had. However, they should have been sacrificing their very best.

my name is awesome. One of God’s names is “Awesome!”

 


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MALACHI

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.