When I started our study in Malachi, I challenged each of you to read these 4 chapters at least once a week until we finish. Thank you to all those who have taken the time to read through this short book of Malachi this past week. If you haven’t been able to do it yet, it’s never too late.
A 6-year-old boy, after listening restlessly to a longer sermon, asked his father what the preacher did the rest of the week. “Oh, he’s a very busy man,” his dad replied. “He takes care of church business, visits the sick, works on his sermon, counsels people…and then he has to have time to rest up because speaking in public isn’t an easy job.” The boy thought for a moment and said, “Well, listening ain’t easy, either!”
It isn’t easy to listen, especially when it’s something that we don’t really want to hear! I wonder if the people of Malachi’s day felt the same? The people were to listen to an ordinary man named Malachi who God sent to prepare them for Israel’s Messiah. Likewise, we are to honor the LORD as we wait for His long-sought return.
Let’s review the situation that Malachi is addressing.
The land of Israel was still a discouraging looking place. Zerubbabel and Haggai’s ministry led the people to lay the foundations of the Temple. Later the Temple was completed during Zechariah’s time and then Ezra the priest led another group back to inhabit the city. Finally, under Nehemiah’s leadership the people completed restoring the city walls. Yet with all this progress, they still were nowhere close to the glory days of king David and Solomon. The people were weary waiting for God to fulfill His promises of a Messiah (Their Savior).
As God’s final spokesman at the end of the Old Testament, Malachi comes on the scene to challenge them, and us, to maintain our respect for God. God demands honor and respect and that is where we left off last Sunday at verse 8.
And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts. – Malachi 1:8
The priests were allowing people to bring God disrespectful offerings, the ones that weren’t worth anything! God tells them to try and offer these to the governor and see if he would accept them. In verse 9, God tells them how He responds to this lack of regard.
But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 1:9
These contemptible offerings being brought by the priests were for mediating between God and the people and to bring His blessing. A proper offering brought God’s forgiveness from sins. Other offerings opened the intercession for their prayers to God. But with these evil offerings they thought God would still regard them! One of the results of disrespecting God was that their prayers were left unanswered.
We shouldn’t be surprised at this. In the New Testament we know that God will listen when we are obedient.
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. I John 3:21-23
It’s a sad situation for the people of Malachi’s day. Spiritual apathy had set in so much that they didn’t care what they did and were indifferent towards God. Their worship of God was as if it didn’t matter if they worshipped or not. God wasn’t worth their time. The lesson for us while we wait on God’s plan is that…
We must appreciate the Greatness of God VV.10-14
They dishonored God to the point that they should just shut the doors, notice verse 10.
“Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,” Says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.” – Malachi 1:10
Ironically, similar words are also voiced by God in the last days. God warned in Revelation 2 and 3 that He will remove the lampstand, that is the believer’s power and witness to the world. “Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:4.
God asked us to worship Him properly so we are blessed and others are blessed too. That means how we decide to worship God will affect us and it will affect others. Isaiah wrote these words to the people of Israel.
“It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles.” – Isaiah 49:6
Israel’s example of faith in God was to bring other nations to God. But they were showing their neighboring nations that God meant nothing. This apathy isn’t new, it is a reoccurring problem with God’s people.
Their insulting worship was completely inconsistent with God, Who will one day be worshiped reverently and properly. Note this in verse 11.
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 1:11
God’s testimony and witness to the world will not stop because people refuse to honor Him. Nor, will God’s testimony stop if we refuse to honor Him. God’s purposes will stand. God will select another people whom He will work through. As the apostle Paul stated when Israel would not obey the Gospel, He would turn to the Gentiles.
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” – Acts 13:46-47
Bring your thoughts back to Malachi with me. Notice a portion of verse 11 again, yet with some added emphasis. “For My name (Jesus) shall be great among the nations.” I hope that you can appreciate the words in Malachi for its eschatological messianic message. God will one day reign over all people who would have no choice but to acknowledge Him as Sovereign.
God reminds them of His greatness over and over in Malachi. Notice again, at least 3 times in verse 11 the greatness of God’s name is mentioned. “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 1:11
This similar prophecy is told to us in the New Testament. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:10-11
God rebuked the people of Malachi’s day by asserting that one day, all the world will offer Him honored recognition. They should be ashamed since He is too great to be treated so contemptuously.
Note again how God emphasized His title “the Lord of Hosts.” In verses 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14.
One of the ways God revealed His character by giving Himself names throughout the Old Testament, for instance, El Shaddai in Hebrew means “God Almighty;” Adonai means “Master;” Avinu means “Our Father.” His names should encourage His people with hope in trials and disappointments, and to help us trust Him, especially when the days are waning.
These names create pictures of our relationship with God, and when He calls Himself “the Lord of Hosts”, God, through Malachi, declared Himself the Yahweh Tzevaot, He says that He is the Self-Existent Warrior, the first and the greatest. This title conveys to the people that no one can conquer God—no one can defeat Him or even stand against Him. There’s simply no competition. He does not merely have the most power—there is no power in the universe that exists without His permission.
Sadly, verse 12 states that the worship that the priests performed was “profane.” The word “profane” means to make “common.” Their offering conveyed that God was common, ordinary – the opposite of Holy. ( the word holy means “Separate from all”). Notice God’s words to them in verse 12,
But you profane it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ – Malachi 1:12
Their offerings indicated that they stopped honoring God as Holy, and as the Almighty. He was common, nothing special to them.
How does a person project the idea that God is “common?” Just look around at our world today. We see evidence that it’s easy for people that once worshipped God, to say going to church is boring! In our modern world, more and more Christians choose to not worship God with believers because there are things in life that are more worthy of their time. They are in effect also saying the Lord is not anything special. In effect they are saying it is a burden to worship God! Notice this attitude in verse 13.
“You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 1:13
They were weary of worshipping God. They did not include worthiness in their worship, they did not delight in serving God, because they did not value God. A large part of that problem originated when they stopped listening and following God’s Word. A point that Malachi will address in chapter 2.
The prophet Samuel had this problem in His day also:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22
They knew from Scripture that they should honor God with their offerings, but they rejected His word and did what they felt they could get away with. Remember how they worshiped?
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus, you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.” – Malachi 1:13
They brought God either leftovers, the unwanted, or things that they did not sacrifice for, they stole to bring an offering.
God affirmed that all such worship will be rejected. But He also gave them a warning in verse 14.
The people’s apathy for God was going on for a while. The people may have thought that they could get away with this. Yet, as we will see, God will correct a believer because they should know better. Sadly, they thought that everything will go on as normal. However, God warned the people in verse 14.
“But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished— For I am a great King,” Says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.” – Malachi 1:14
The word “curse” is the opposite of blessing. In this context it means people will be removed from God’s blessing. Essentially, it refers to the loss of God’s blessing and protection on earth. This curse is not a loss of Heaven, but knowingly treating God this way can bring loss on earth as we wait for heaven.
Importantly, the curse included being removed from being part of God’s plan to bring blessing to the world.
The reality is that if the people and priests continue to dishonor God’s name, God will stop working through them to accomplish His plan or even worse, He may remove their personal purpose on earth, as He promised in Deuteronomy 8
Deuteronomy 8:1 “I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply.”
Deuteronomy 8:19. “If you by any means forget the Lord your God, … I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.”
God’s name will be great. His Glory will go on. We have a great and awesome privilege to join all creation now to honor Him.
- Someday, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!
- Someday everyone will acknowledge His greatness and His grace.
- Someday everyone will acknowledge His supremacy.
We must acknowledge His worth today in our sacrifices of our time and treasures to Him! Are you worshiping Him?
This is the main idea of our passage today. We should never stop honoring Jesus. Nor should we ever let our love for Jesus fade because the only thing that matters in this world and the world to come is Jesus Christ.