What does Malachi 1:5 mean?
Part of Israel's spiritual apathy is their tendency to doubt God. Almost every time Malachi brings up their sin, Israel responds with disbelief. In verses 2 through 5, God has explained how His destruction of Edom is proof of His love for Israel. Instead of allowing them to be obliterated, as happened to Edom, He has preserved them. They may be oppressed and unhappy, but they have a future. Even though Edom was a closely-related nation, they have not been given this chance (Malachi 1:2–3).Malachi's purpose here is to explain to Israel that God is not just the God of the Jews, but of all people. His choice to allow Babylon to attack Israel, His destruction of Edom, and the return of Israel to Jerusalem are all examples of God acting in the world. God intervenes, not merely within the borders of Israel, but on the entire earth, in order to make His promises true.