Read 1 Chronicles 23, Malachi 1, and 1 John 5.
This devotional is about Malachi 1.
The book of Malachi starts with a statement of God’s unconditional love. Verse 2 says, “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord.” When Israel questioned God’s love in verse 2c, God reminded them in the remainder of verse 2 and verse 3 that he chose their forefather Jacob instead of his brother Esau. This choice was an act of unmerited and unconditional grace. It was an expression of true love because it wasn’t based on anything about Jacob or what Jacob had done. And, fast forwarding through hundreds of years, God had not given up on Israel, even though the children of Israel had sinned grievously and continually against him. This is what Malachi 1:1-5 is all about.
Although God loved Israel, Israel was not loving God. In verses 6-14, God complained to his people about the complete lack of respect they were showing to Him, their father. Specifically, the priests were acting contemptuously toward God. Priests were supposed to be devoted God and his Word. They were supposed to know God’s word so that Israel’s worship conformed to God’s commands. The priests were also charged with teaching God’s word to his people so that they would live righteous and godly lives and worship God appropriately. So, the Lord’s charge here that the priests were the ones “who show contempt” for God’s name (v. 6h) was especially serious.
The Lord detailed his charge against the priests in verses 7-14. The proof of their contempt for YHWH God was that they were offering damaged and diseased animals in sacrifice to God (v. 8). The gist of this charge is that Israel’s spiritual leaders were giving God their garbage and calling it a sacrificial act of worship. God concluded his argument against Israel’s priests with these words in verse 14: “‘Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations.'” Instead of giving God their best out of love for him and faith in his provision, God’s people were giving what was useless and nearly worthless to him.
What if you picked flowers for your wife, but instead of taking the freshest, most vibrant looking flowers, you picked the wilted and dying flowers, and some weeds as well to finish the bouquet. Would she feel loved? Likewise, when God’s people worship him with their worst instead of their best, their actions show a disregard for God and a complete lack of love for him.
In this age, all of us are priests before God, as 1 Peter 2;5 tells us. But what does our worship look like? Do we stand mute while others sing on Sunday? Do we give God our pocket change or what’s left over at the end of the month instead of intentionally tithing and giving generously? Do we “prepare” for our ministry in the church in the car on the way to church in the morning? All of these indicate a life that is “serving” God by going through the motions and trying to keep the cost down rather than really giving God our best, even our all.
God has loved you with his best. He gave his son to save you and continues to love you even when you sin against him or are just cold and indifferent. Instead of giving God token love and partial obedience, think about what it would look like to, as Romans 12:1c says, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Let’s love God in the way that live! Then people will see the greatness and glory of God through our lives. That’s what the end of our passage today, Malachi 1:14c says, “‘I am a great king,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and my name is to be feared among the nations.'”