Malachi 1

Starting a new Bible Study series in my class feels like embarking on a new journey and looking forward to what is going to be encountered.  We're starting the last book in the OT, both by order and chronologically.   I'm calling the series "Listening for God's Message", in line with strengthening our spiritual senses as we did with the last series, "Looking for God's Hand at Work".   It is important for us to listen for God's message, especially in light of what happens after Malachi... that when God's People refuse to listen, God may stop speaking until they are once again ready to hear, as evidenced by the 400 years of silence after Malachi and before the NT.

Malachi's name means "my messenger", and he was God's prophet about the time towards the end of Nehemiah.   The temple and the wall have been built, BUT the people have backslidden and fallen into disobedience a mere 15 years after the completion of the wall (~430 BC).  So, Malachi is given an "oracle" or heavy message which includes judgment.

However, Malachi 1 begins with God reminding His People that He LOVES them and chose them above Esau/Edom.  He reminds them of the covenant and how He has given them their land as their inheritance.   Yet, they do not give Him the honor and respect that He is due.  They offer defiled sacrifices with attitudes of contempt.   God said He would rather the doors of the temple be closed so that these vain sacrifices would no longer be offered, for they are unacceptable.

The People needed to listen to God's message of LOVE, for if they had recognized how much God loved them, they would in return love Him, obey Him, and want to offer Him their best.   They would honor His Name and worship Him.   In the same way, if we truly see how that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins, we should love Him and seek to obey Him and give of our best to Him.

22-Sept:  There was a very important insight that came out of my class study.   The offering of the blemished (blind, lame, sick) sacrifice is no sacrifice at all; because the sacrifice is to symbolize the real sacrifice which is Christ Jesus who died on the cross for our sins.  He was sinless and perfect, so likewise the sacrifice offerings, as stated in the Law, also needed to be unblemished.  This helps show why God took such a strong stand against the defiled offerings.