1:6 This second oracle begins like the first one, with a statement by Yahweh and a challenging response (cf. Isa. 1:2-3). The first oracle appealed to the Israelites generally, but this one is addressed to the priests. The priests were responsible to teach the other Israelites the Law, to mediate between Yahweh and His people, and to judge the people.
Almighty Yahweh asked the priests of Israel why they did not honor Him since sons honor their fathers (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16), and He was their Father (Exod. 4:22; Isa. 1:2; 63:16; 64:8; Hos. 11:1). Since servants respect their masters, why did they not fear Him since He was their Master (Isa. 44:1-2)?
Speaking for the priests, Malachi gave their response. They denied having despised His name.18By asking how they had despised His name, rather than saying, "We have not despised your name,"the priests were claiming ignorance as to how they were doing this. However their question also carried a challenge; they resented the suggestion that they had despised His name.
"Intimate familiarity with holy matters conduces to treating them with indifference."19
1:7 The Lord responded through Malachi that the priests had despised the Lord by presenting defiled sacrifices to Him (cf. Lev. 22:2, 17-30, 32). Defiled sacrifices were sacrifices that were not ritually clean or acceptable, as the Law specified. By doing this they defiled (made unclean) the altar of burnt offerings and the Lord. The Law referred to the offerings as food for God (Lev. 21:6), though obviously He did not eat them. The use of "food"for "sacrifice"and "table"for "altar"continues the human analogies already begun in verse 6. Moreover, these terms also connote covenant relationships because covenants were usually ratified when the participants, typically a king and his vassals, ate a meal together.20
1:8 Furthermore the priests were offering blind, lame, and sick animals as sacrifices. These were unacceptable according to the Law (Lev. 22:18-25; Deut. 15:21). The Lord asked them if this was not evil. Of course it was. They would not offer such bad animals to their governor because they would not please him, but they dared offer them to their King. The governor in view would have been one of the Persian officials who ruled over the territory occupied by Judah. Nehemiah held this position for a while, but others preceded and followed him in it. It is impossible to tell whether the governor in view in this verse was Nehemiah, though the book seems to date from his leadership of Israel.
Anything second rate that we offer to God is inappropriate in view of who He is. This includes our ministries, our studies, physical objects, anything. The Lord is worthy of our very best offerings to Him, and we should give Him nothing less. To give Him less than our best is to despise Him. Shoddiness is an insult to God. Shoddy holy is still shoddy.
1:9-10 How foolish it was to pray for God to bestow His favor on the priests when they were despising Him in these ways. The Lord wished the priests would shut the temple gates and stop offering sacrifices since they had so little regard for Him. He was displeased with them and would not accept any offerings from them. They might continue to offer them, but He would have no regard for them.
1:11 It was particularly inappropriate for Israel's priests to despise Yahweh because the time would come when people from all over the world would honor His name (person; cf. Isa. 45:22-25; 49:5-7; 59:19). Incense accompanied prayers (cf. Rev. 5:8) and grain offerings were offerings of praise and worship (cf. Heb. 13:15-16). In that day people from many places would offer pure offerings. This refers to worship in the Millennium (cf. 3:1-4; Isa. 11:3-4, 9; Dan. 7:13-14, 27-28; Zeph. 2:11; 3:8-11; Zech. 14:9, 16).
1:12 Yet the priests of Malachi's day were treating Yahweh's reputation as common. The proof of this was their statements that the altar was defiled and the offerings on it were despised. Their attitude as well as their actions were wrong.
1:13 They were also saying that it was tiresome to worship the Lord. Their worship should have been passionate and joyful instead of boring and burdensome (cf. James 4:17). They were sniffing at it as something they despised and were bringing as offerings what they had stolen as well as lame and sick animals (cf. 2 Sam. 24:24). Did they expect Him to receive such sacrifices from them? How could He?
1:14 The people also were playing the old bait and switch game; they were swindling God. They vowed to offer an acceptable animal as a sacrifice, but when it came time to present the offering they substituted one of inferior quality. How totally inappropriate this was since Yahweh was a great King, the greatest in the universe. His name would be feared among all the nations, yet His own people and their spiritual leaders were treating it with contempt.
Lack of true heart for the Lord and His service marked these leaders of God's people. They evidently thought that their actions and attitudes went unnoticed by Him, but Malachi confronted them with their hypocrisy. The prophet's words should also challenge modern servants of the Lord and leaders of His people to examine our hearts.
