November 26, 2024 | Be God's Light
Showing Contempt through Blemished Sacrifices
Scripture: Malachi 1(NIV)
1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.
“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. 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.
Devotional
After eleven months of study, we have come to the last book of the Old Testament. At the outset, we set this aim:
“Together, the Old Testament and New Testament are part of God’s continuous story. That is why they are both in the Bible! Along the way, we will examine how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and how the two testaments fit together.”
I hope we have accomplished that goal.
Malachi became a prophet in 430 BC, just fifteen years after Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. In fact, Malachi began his ministry at about the same time that Ezra was establishing the reforms related to the temple, Sabbath, and intermarriage. We looked at that in yesterday’s reading.
Apparently, Ezra’s reforms didn’t solve all the spiritual deficiencies of the people of God. Here in Malachi chapter 1, the prophet confronted the people when they would “bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices.” These animals couldn’t be sold on the open market or bred with other animals. They were useless. So, why not give them to God?
It is a common temptation to want to give God our useless leftovers.
Clothes that are out of style? Give them to a resale shop.
Meat that is freezer burned? Donate it to the food pantry.
Car that is on its last miles? Offer it to someone else.
Exhaustion at the end of a busy day? Pray for a few seconds while falling asleep.
Money left over after spending the rest on self? There’s always the church.
The Lord’s response to this kind of gifting is unnerving: “Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?”
How is today’s passage inspiring you to give your best?
Poem
How Do I Know?
How do I know that you love me?
How do I know that you care
When the demons are loud
When I’m lonely in crowds
When my whole life is filled with despair?
How do I know that you see me?
How do I know that you’re there
When your voice is now stilled
When your face, I can’t see
When surrounded by sin everywhere?
How do I know that I love you?
How do I know I have faith
When I’m often in fear
When I doubt you are near
When I’ve nothing to bring to the plate?
Child, your eyes are dimmed, not fully seeing
Your ears are deaf, heart stony cold
Still I’m faithful and love you
Beside you and for you
My grace will keep you in my fold
