Malachi 1 - Printer Friendly

What does Malachi 1 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Malachi is an excellent example of how sophisticated Old Testament poetry can be. Modern chapter and verse divisions don't accurately capture the structure used in this book. Malachi brings three primary messages, addressed to different groups of people. Each message is further divided into two halves, for six total "oracles" within the book. Each message half / oracle is a mirror-image of the concepts mentioned in the first half. As a result, the subject matter of Malachi flows back and forth between ideas, reversing through themes after reaching a main point.

The first of the three main messages in Malachi includes all of chapter 1 and the first nine verses of chapter 2. These messages are presented in the form of a dialogue, where God's messenger accuses Israel of various sins. In response to almost all of these, Israel responds with indifference and ignorance: "how have we done that?"

"Malachi" literally means, "My Messenger," so this may or may not be the name of a particular person (Malachi 1:1). Since the priests were supposed to be the messengers of God, attributing these words to God's messenger is a wake-up call to the priesthood. Further supporting this point is that the first portion of Malachi (Malachi 1:1—2:9:) is directed at the priests.

The first accusation given to Israel is simply that God has "loved" them (Malachi 1:2). In other words, God has cared for and protected them. For perspective, Malachi refers to the fate of the nation of Edom. Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel, and Esau, the father of the nation of Edom, were brothers. As prophesied in Obadiah, Edom was destroyed for their many sins (Malachi 1:3–4). Even though Israel has been persecuted and scattered, God has kept them alive and intact. The same was not true of Israel's national "brother." This is given as proof that God has shown more favor to Israel than other people.

The priests are specifically accused of "despising [God's] name." They do this by offering unacceptable sacrifices (Malachi 1:6–7). The priests had been given detailed instructions by Moses on proper sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–33). Instead, they were offering sick, crippled, or otherwise impure animals. The quality of their offerings was so poor that even a human government official would not have taken them (Malachi 1:8). Likewise, their attitude is bitter and lazy (Malachi 1:13). These are both an insult to God.

God's response to this is a rejection of Israel's worship. In fact, God says He would rather the priests offer no sacrifices at all, rather than improper ones (Malachi 1:10). The sin of bringing God apathetic, selfish, or profane worship is worse than offering no worship at all.

This chapter also includes a combined prophecy and threat to Israel, regarding the Gentiles. Israel knew they were the "chosen nation" of God. The Gentiles, all the non-Jewish people, were not. When God says that He will be worshipped, in purity, by the unclean Gentiles, this is a slap in the face to Israel.

Verses 13 and 14 demonstrate the general apathy of Israel. The priests, in particular, know the right things to do. They are aware of the proper sacrifices, and the right way to teach the people. But they see these as too much trouble (Malachi 1:13). Men routinely make promises to God that they don't keep for selfish reasons (Malachi 1:14).

Even in this condemnation, God's mercy is evident. The penalty for profaning God's holiness, in the Old Testament, is death (Numbers 18:32). Despite their disregard for Him, God is still trying to reach His people, for their own benefit.

Malachi 1:1–5 introduces this prophecy as one from Malachi, meaning ''My Messenger.'' This passage summarizes the basic spiritual problem facing Israel: apathy. God has shown His love for them, but they don’t recognize it anymore. To show how He has loved them, Malachi points to the destruction of Edom. Israel has suffered, but God has kept them through those struggles. Edom, on the other hand, has been obliterated. God's chosen people have sinned, but they haven't been destroyed, which is an act of God's love and mercy towards them.

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 Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 6:52:17 AM