Old Testament Commentary - Malachi 1

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
            CHAPTER 1             

The Jews despise the Lord by offering polluted bread upon the altar and by sacrificing animals with blemishes—The Lord's name shall be great among the Gentiles.

  1 THE burden of the aword of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
  2 I have aloved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I bloved Jacob,
  3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his aheritage bwaste for the cdragons of the wilderness.
  4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
  5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
  6 ¶ A son ahonoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
  7 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 contemptiblea.
  8 And if ye offer the ablind for bsacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer cthe lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
 7a The table of the LORD is contemptible While this is clearly in reference to those sacrificial ordiances of the Law of Moses, it has a striking parallel in today's gospel and church. That parallel is in the sacrament and sacrement table of the church today. That is 'The Table of the LORD' in today's church and we do offer upon it a broken heart and a contrite spirit as we partake of its sacramental offerings and covenant with the Lord according to those sacramental prayers that we do always remember him, this is have him and what he has done for us in remembrance, and that we do take his name upon us, that we are his followers, and that we well keep his commandments which he has given us, thus renewing all our covenants made with him from those baptismal covenants to those made in his Holy House unto the sealing us his in family units unto heaven. It is when we belittle and tend to hold lightly and disregard the significance of the sacramental covenants that we do dishonor him in our day. Every Sunday, every Sabbath, we hold this special Holy Convocation in prayer, in hymn, in witness and in preaching, that is reading and discusing his scriptures, which does remember him on his Holy Day, and recommit ourselves unto him and his gospel unto eternal life. If we do not do this and do it seriously with real intend then we are as the Hebrew of old who had slaken their commitments unto the Lord in offering meaningless sacrifices, performances and ordinances unto the Lord.
  9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
  10 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 aaccept an offering at your hand.
  11 For from the arising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my bname shall be great among the cGentiles; 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.
  12 ¶ But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The atable of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
  13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have asnuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the blame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I caccept this of your hand? saith the LORD.
  14 But acursed 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 bdreadful among the heathen.