Malachi 1:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

NIV: You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD--even beyond the borders of Israel!'

NASB: And your eyes will see this, and you will say, 'The Lord be exalted beyond the border of Israel!'

CSB: Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, 'The Lord is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.'

NLT: When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ‘Truly, the Lord’s greatness reaches far beyond Israel’s borders!’'

KJV: And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

NKJV: Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

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.

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.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 11:15:45 AM