Malachi 1:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.

NIV: 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.

NASB: You also say, ‘See, how tiresome it is!’ And you view it as trivial,' says the Lord of armies, 'and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I accept it from your hand?' says the Lord.

CSB: You also say: ‘Look, what a nuisance!’ And you scorn it," says the Lord of Armies. "You bring stolen, lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?" asks the Lord.

NLT: You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,' says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 'Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?' asks the Lord.

KJV: Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.

NKJV: You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.

The first message from Malachi is directed at the priests, and focuses on their improper sacrifices. Recent verses have addressed the insulting attitude of Israel's spiritual leaders. This is so degrading to God that He would rather they simply stop offering sacrifices completely (Malachi 1:10). Verse 12 has stated that the priests' careless disrespect for God has "profaned" His name, meaning it has been degraded and insulted.

This verse explains part of the flaw in the priests' mindset. Bringing the correct sacrifices is harder than offering whatever is laying around. Diligently following God is more challenging than laziness and selfishness. And yet, the priests choose not to honor God, since doing so is "weariness." Once again, this has application for our lives today. Sneering at God's will, or His honor, when it conflicts with our preferences is a dangerous mindset.

God's point here is the same as given in verse 10: improper offerings will not be accepted. This has been expanded to include not merely the physical sacrifice, but the attitude with which it has been brought. God will not honor actions that contradict His will, or His word. At the same time, He will not honor actions which come from impure motives or an arrogant heart. What we do and how we think are unavoidably intertwined.

Malachi 1:6—2:9 is directed specifically at the priests of Israel. Despite having knowledge of the Old Testament Law, they are offering improper sacrifices to God. Instead of following the requirements for pure offerings, they are sacrificing animals so defective that a mere politician would not accept them. This shows their apathy and disrespect towards God. In response, God warns that He will be praised properly, even if it's by the Gentiles, even if it's in spite of His own chosen people. This includes a threat to humiliate the priesthood, if they don't lead the people as they have been instructed.

Chapter 1 begins the first of three main messages in the book of Malachi. This is addressed to the priests, who have failed to do their duty. They are allowing improper sacrifices, they are not teaching the people, and they are acting in legalism and apathy. If the priests do not change, they will be under the curse of God. God's love for Israel is demonstrated by the counter-example of Edom. Edom's complete destruction was foretold in the book of Obadiah. This shows that God can punish disobedience with annihilation, but has not done so for Israel.

Malachi's structure is complex, and chapter divisions are not helpful in seeing the pattern. There are three primary messages in this book, the first running from Malachi 1:2 through Malachi 2:9. Most of chapter one is the first message, directed to the priests of Israel. This is an important first step, since the priests were responsible for teaching the people. Failures by the priests would inevitably lead to failures by the people. The second and third messages are delivered more generally to the nation of Israel.

Malachi is the last message of prophecy given to Israel prior to 400 years of silence. Israel has rebuilt the temple, following the invasions of Babylon, but they are still under foreign oppression. Israel's spiritual condition, however, is dire. Hosea depicted Israel as prone to failure, but repentant. Later, Ezekiel exposed Israel's blatant disobedience. By the time of Malachi, Israel has passed into numbness and apathy. Unlike other Old Testament prophets, Malachi takes the form of a dialogue, where Israel responds to accusations as if unaware that they've occurred. The next prophetic voice from God would not come until the ministry of John the Baptist.