I Have Loved You! Malachi Pt 1 Series

“I have loved you!”

Malachi Part 1

Thesis: I have loved you so why do you bring defective sacrifices to my altar and think that I don’t mind! Why do you turn your nose at me and say serving me is such a burden and such a hassle? Do you not know that I am the Great and Mighty One?

Video Illustration: From DVD Worship “Growing To Be Like Christ” Track 7 “I’m Amazed” This song and video reminds us about how amazing God’s love is for us. It ties in with what Malachi is saying about what the love of the Lord has done for us.

Introduction:

Malachi’s name means “My Message”. This off course is the last prophetic book in the OT. The message of the book addresses the sinful condition of the priests of God and the people of God. The book paints a picture for us of a people who say they are of God and His children. They believe they are right with God even though they are disrespecting God, in opposition to the ways of God, and living in sin. The book is a call to holiness and repentance so that God’s hand is not forced to pronounce judgment on the remaining tribes of Israel. It is a call from God to remind the people of God that the Day of the Lord is coming and with it comes judgment for unrepentant sin. The message of the book of Malachi can be outlined as follows:

1. Stop – I love you! 1:1-5

2. Look – I see you! 1:6-2:9

3. Listen – I know you! 2:10-4:6

Holman notes this about Malachi: The purpose of Malachi was to assure his people that God still loved them, but He demanded honor, respect, and faithfulness from them. Malachi pointed out religious and social abuses and warned that judgment would come to purge the people of sin unless they repented. The style of the Book of Malachi is that of disputations. This style is not unique to Malachi. Micah and Jeremiah had disputes with false prophets (Mic. 2:6-11; Jer. 27-28). Jeremiah also disputed with God (Jer. 12:1-6). Job disputed with his friends. The Book of Malachi is made up of six disputation passages and two appendices. The disputes follow a regular form: (1) the prophet stated a premise; (2) the hearers challenged the statement; and (3) God and the prophet presented the supporting evidence.

Scripture Text: Malachi 1

1An oracle: 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?” the LORD says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

4Edom 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. 5You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

6“A son honors his father, and a servant 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, O priests, who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

7“You place defiled food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the LORD’S table is contemptible. 8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled 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 implore 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. 11My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.

12“But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ‘It is defiled,’ and of its food, ‘It is contemptible.’ 13And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty.

“When you bring injured, crippled 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.