I have just been reading Malachi CHP 1 NIV, I had to put pen to paper (fingertip to screen!) of my thoughts as I read...
Amazing, starts with God saying he loves Israel, how they ask? God explains...they are a chosen people, not like Esau and his descendants, Esau was in the family, a brother, but God hates Esau, that is strong language, and God will thwart all their attempts to build a name for themselves (v4). And God's greatness will be made known to all (v5) through whatever means. (Romans CHP 9, and particularly 9v17)
But how sad as the passage turns to the failure of God's appointed mediators, the priests. They have turned aside from God's ways, offered blemished sacrifices and so no longer honour God, or as God describes them, a son to a father, and even slaves honour masters, but Israel did not consider God to be either to them.
Not like Christ, our perfect mediator, perfect sacrifice, the true Son, and fully obedient one, ‘not my will, but yours be done.’
Strong warnings and pleading from God for them to stop follows in vs 9-11. And again God repeats that his name will be great among the nations, twice, it’s as if he is saying...'I don’t need you for my Name to be great'. But
, v12 we have a ‘but’, how sad, God’s chosen and redeemed people choose to profane His name by defiling the lord’s table. God says such people are cursed and a cheat.
What about me? In 1 Peter 2v9-12 Christians are God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, made acceptable to God through the precious blood of Christ, the spotless, blameless one. We are to declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness, for we have received mercy. We are to abstain from our sinful desires, live good lives amongst the ungodly, so that, they may see our good deeds and glorify God when he comes again.
Do I profane God’s name when I come to the Lord’s table by bringing with me a life that is continuing in sin, as though it doesn’t matter how I come to the Lord? I should come with a broken and contrite heart.
God is great, he knows us intimately, and he will not have His name profaned. His name, Malachi 1 v14, is to be feared among the nations. That fear starts with the people of God, and I am His chosen child, like Isaac, and He my Father, and how I offer my body as a living sacrifice matters to God, Romans chpt 12.
For His name’s sake
Heather