Malachi 1
Verse of the Day: V2 “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,”
1. Polluted (V1-9)
V2 “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,”
The Almighty God through Prophet Malachi declared to the people of Israel (Jacob) that He truly loved them. However the people of Israel were ungrateful and unthankful, and they only pretended to love God. They offered polluted bread upon His altar assuming that the Lord would accept their offering. They failed to realise and understand that the Lord saw through their pretence and rebellion, and would never accept their polluted bread. It grieved the Lord that the people He truly loved would sin and rebel against Him.
V7 “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.”
2. Pleasure (V10-11)
V10 “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.”
God had no pleasure in the people of Israel because they were impure and insincere, and pretended to worship Him in order to receive His blessings. However God is not mocked, and He will never accept our worship unless we truly repent of our sins and hypocrisy.
V11 “For 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, saith the LORD of hosts.”
3. Profaned (V12-14)
V12 “But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.”
The people of Israel profaned and corrupted their worship before the Lord, their great King, and subsequently He severely judged and punished them for their sins and rebellion.
V14 “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to love You with a pure and sincere heart and mind.
