Malachi 1:1—2:16: How to Offend God
SOME OF US walk around under a cloud of guilt. We can't think of any particular sins, but we have a vague feeling that our every breath must offend God. Other people come from an opposite pole. We spend every day hardly aware of God, who establishes what is right and condemns all wrong. A small lie here, a lustful thought there, a brief grinding underfoot of a person at work. Yet on Sunday, we enter church all handshakes and smiles. The book of Malachi is good for both kinds of people. It does not speak of vague guilt; it speaks of specific offenses against God. And it does not smile at these offenses. But beyond the guilt (or lack of guilt), Malachi speaks of God's power—and his love.
Warming Up to God
Meditate for a few moment on God's holiness—and his power. What does this reveal to you about yourself and your relationship to him?
Read Malachi 1:1—2:16. »
Discovering the Word
- Describe God as he reveals himself in this passage.
- What warning might God's people heed because of his relationship with the descendants of Esau (1:1-5)?
- The priests were descendants of Levi with special responsibility to guard the spiritual well-being of the people and lead them in worship. What accusations did God make against these Hebrew priests (1:6—2:9)?
- What had the people of Judah done that offended God (2:10-16)?
- What concepts does this passage contribute to biblical teachings on marriage, violence and divorce?
Applying the Word
- The people of Judah went through the motions of worship, but God declared in 1:10 that it would have been better if they had "shut the temple doors." What flaws in your own worship might be an offense to God? (Consider your weekday behavior and your personal prayers, as well as your worship with other believers.)
- What is one step you are willing to take toward more holy worship?
Responding in Prayer
Confess to God anything in your thoughts or actions that you know is an offense to him. Read the first sentence of Malachi 1:2 and wait quietly as you once again receive his love.
For Further Study
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi by Joyce G. Baldwin.