December 13, 2011
SO YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT CLOSE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH?
Malachi 1
Carlos Sepulveda
Central Truth
Jews were offering God less than what they would give to a government official they wanted to impress. In part, this was because they did not appreciate that God was using the temporary system of animal sacrifices to show that the ultimate promised sacrifice of His Son was yet to come.
Key Verse | Malachi 1:8
"But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 1:8)
Malachi 1
1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 1 1:1 Malachi means my messenger
The LORD's Love for Israel
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”
The Priests' Polluted Offerings
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be 2 1:11 Or is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14) great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 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. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
Dive Deeper | Malachi 1
We now arrive at the last book of the Old Testament, written about 400 B.C. This first chapter deals with a number of topics, including how the priests (professional religious representatives) were falling short of honoring and respecting God. Malachi was God's messenger in communicating God's thoughts about what the priests were doing.
Before the Book of Malachi was written, God had established an animal sacrifice system for His people to follow. God gave very clear specifics about these sacrifices, including how blind, lame, or defective animals were NOT to be used (Leviticus 22:20-23; Deuteronomy 15:21). Over the centuries, people compromised and sacrificed defective animals, as they were less desirable to breed for their flocks and worth less money in the marketplace.
So they gave God less than what He required. They may very well have thought, "That's close enough." How often do we do the same today?
The animal sacrifice system was a "placeholder" for God's people to follow until the time when the Lord Jesus Christ (in accordance with Old Testament prophecies) would be born of a virgin; live a perfect, sinless life; and then voluntarily lay down His life on the cross as the ultimate, perfect, and final sacrifice for the sin of all mankind. God, therefore, required animals without defect to be used in the temporary sacrifice system because they were pointing to the future sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus.
Using defective animals was honoring economics over God, disobeying God's specific directives, and profaning the holiness and perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
"Close enough" is NOT good enough for God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the uniquely perfect sacrifice required for sinful man to enter into a right relationship with God. If we rely on anything other than the death of Christ to open the way for us to be in right relationship with God, we are missing THE vital message of the Bible.
Discussion Questions
1. What does it show us about God that He institutes an animal sacrifice system and communicates His displeasure to those that are not obeying that system 1,000 years later?
2. Jews in 400 B.C. are not the only people to give God less than what He requires. How do people do that same thing today?
3. The sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is the way that God opens the door for people to come into right relationship with Him. What are other ways that people try to please or appease God today instead of trusting in the work of Christ?
4. Are you trusting solely in the work of Christ on the cross for eternal life?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
ZECHARIAH 14-MALACHI 4 (DECEMBER 12-16)
Read Malachi 3:16-18.
Whose names are written on the scroll? What does it mean to fear God? What does it mean to honor the name of the Lord?
What does verse 17 call those who are written on the scroll?
Read 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT).
How can you be a part of God's people? How does someone care for a treasured possession? How does it make you feel knowing that God cares for His people this way?
ACTIVITY: Let's make scrolls! Fold a piece of paper long ways and cut it along the fold. Gather sticks from the yard and glue one on each end. Then roll the paper from both ends to meet in the middle. Now open the scroll and write on it the names of people you know have trusted Jesus and are a part of His people. Celebrate their relationship with Jesus -- the great joy it is to be in relationship with Him.
Now get another piece of paper and write on it the names of people who you think are not a part of God's people. Keep this as a reminder to pray for them to come to trust Jesus as their Savior. Also, think about a way as a family that you can reach out to them to share about God's love. If they do accept Jesus, add them to your scroll!