Malachi 1:1 - 3:6

Study 1 – Malachi 1:1 – 2:9

1. The Lord points out the difference between Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) as a sign of His blessing and love upon the nation of Israel.
   
   
2. The priests were guilty of offering unfit sacrifices and thereby dishonoring the Lord. The punishment was lack of acceptance and the terms of that punishment were set out in extremely graphic terms. The Lord spoke of it being better off that the Temple doors were closed and that the offal of the sacrifices be spread upon the faces of the priests and they be banished as well as all of their blessings becoming curses. God demands sacrifice of His people and He demands that the sacrifices that they offer be of the very best quality possible!
   
   
3. Our role as believers is to glorify God. We are to give Him the honor that He is  

Study 2 – Malachi 2:10 – 3:6

1. The Lord would not accept their offerings because they were married to those outside of the covenant. I would liken this to the churchgoer that gives 10% of their income and attends regularly yet in all other aspects of his/her life lives in exactly the same way as the rest of the world. The outward appearance is that they are o.k. while the reality is that they are no different than anyone else.
   
   
2. The people demand justice and the Lord lets them know that they aren’t ready for divine justice. It reminds me of Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men yelling, “You can’t handle the truth!” The day of the Lord’s coming is likened to: a refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap. He comes to purify and to cleanse.
   
   
3. There can be only one thing demanding the attention of a follower of the Lord – To Glorify God! The seeking of personal blessing is not what being a follower of the Lord is all about. This is something that we have missed in our culture.