Malachi 1:12 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Malachi 1:12

Comments

Further charges are brought against the priests, which follow as implications from their corrupt practices. Unlike the Gentiles who will worship sincerely, they have in effect profaned the name of the Lord in that they have treated the table of the Lord as polluted. How have they done that? Again, by offering up defective sacrifices, animals that they did not want because they were deformed in some way and of no use to the owner. They have treated the meat that is put on the table, the offering made to the Lord, as contemptible. The people have sinned; the priests have sinned in allowing this. If they had been asked about this, then no doubt they would have denied it, just as they denied the other charges brought by Malachi. But once it is proved to them, they cannot deny it. They knew what they were being charged with in the Lord’s follow-up accusation, and that showed how deceptive they were being all along. They hoped they could keep a certain amount of what they did out of sight. To this extent they were deceiving themselves also.

Application

How careful we need to be about the sin of hypocrisy. It is a sin that involves wearing a mask, pretending to be what we are not. We cannot commit this sin without trying to bind the eyes of the Lord also. But he knows all that we know and far more. We cannot come into the house of God with known sin unrepented of, or our worship will be rejected by God. We can bring our sins to him on a daily basis, but we cannot pretend that they are not sins.

Do we put ourselves first, and the Lord last? Israel was taught to do the opposite in their offerings and sacrifices. They were to bring the firstfruits of their fields to the Lord (Leviticus 2:14); they were to bring animals that were without defect (Exodus 12:5); and it was their firstborn that belonged to the Lord (Exodus 13:15). Do we give the Lord what remains over after we have taken all we want, both in terms of energy and time and possessions?

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Malachi 1:12 Commentary and Bible Study