Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Malachi 1

What should I learn from this chapter?

• The difference in Esau and Jacob
• Why God “hated” Esau
• The outcome of despising one’s birthright
• How God compares the priests to Esau

Polluted Offerings to God

Malachi 1:¹ The burden (oracle, prophecy) of the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) to Israel by (Lit. by the hand of) Malachi.

• The literal meaning of the name Malachi is “Messenger”.

• The editors of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia implied that he prophesied after Haggai and Zechariah (Malachi 1:10; 3:1, 3:10) and speculated that he delivered his prophecies about 420 BC, after the second return of Nehemiah from Persia (Book of Nehemiah 13:6), or possibly before his return, comparing Malachi 2:8 with Nehemiah 13:15 (Malachi 2:10–16 with Nehemiah 13:23).

• See Timeline 420 BC

Israel Beloved of God

Malachi 1:² “I have loved you,” says the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) .
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’

Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) .

“Yet Jacob I have loved (‘ahab);

• ‘ahab h157

• The archaic root of love ‘ahab is to be fruitful. God has made Jacob fruitful.

Malachi 1:³ But Esau I have hated (sane’),

• sane’ h8130 enemy, foe, odious

• The difference between hating and loving in Hebrew has to do with our choices of priority. The perfect choice is to follow Jesus from which fruitfulness flows. The other choice is second best and in God’s world, second best is bottom of the barrel.

• When Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup he spiritually relinquished his salvation. Our salvation is our birthright.

• 1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

• God has an agenda which we either follow or we settle for second best, being condemned. God’s agenda is for us to believe in His Son.

• John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

• ► “Because Esau was the oldest son, he received the birthright of the family. When the father of a family dies, all his property, money, and belongings are given to his sons. The son who held the birthright would receive twice as much as the other sons (Deuteronomy 21:15,16, 2 Chronicles 21:3).

• For one bowl of stew Esau gave up his rights to two-thirds of Isaac’s fortune. Isaac was incredibly wealthy. He was so wealthy the entire Philistine nation was jealous of him, and God continued to bless him even beyond that. The Bible says that, “Esau despised his birthright.” This means he acted as though it was worthless.
  https://bible.org/seriespage/11-jacob-and-esau-genesis-2519-34-271-40

• See Genesis Chapter 25

• @Personal Application: Do you see the value in being a child of God, or are you are despising your birthright?

And laid waste his (Esau’s) mountains and his heritage
For the jackals (KJV dragons) of the wilderness.”

• Dragon: H8568 tn
  Jackal, Dragon, Sea Monster, Great Serpent

• This is the dragon/leviathan/beast/sea monster of Jonah, Daniel, Job, Isaiah, and Revelation. It is Satan, and the wilderness is a wilderness of people.

• About Satan

Satan is always described as a reptile in scripture. (while Evil Spirits are described as amphibians – frogs)

“The serpent, dragon, crocodile, sea monster, leviathan, and beast are all reptiles describing Satan.” ~ Barbara Grover

 

• Some translations erroneously use “Great Fish” (a fish) or “Whale” (a mammal) or “Jackal” (a mammal).  Only a reptile fills the bill: the symbolic implication being Satan.

Malachi 1:⁴ Even though Edom (Esau) has said, “We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places,”

• Anything man does without God is fruitless. Man believes he is the only resource for his life and therefore he worships himself.

Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’):
“They may build, but I will throw down;

They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ ) will have indignation forever.

• Gen 36:8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
  Seir = “hairy” or “shaggy” Strong’s H8165 H8163
  sâʻîyr, saw-eer’; or sâʻir; from H8175; shaggy; as noun, a he-goat; by analogy, a faun:—devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr.

• Satyr, may refer to a demon possessed goat like the swine of Gadara (Mt. 8:30-32)

• Gen 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man.
• Gen 27:23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

Malachi 1:⁵ Your eyes shall see, and you shall say,
‘The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

Polluted Offerings

Malachi 1:⁶ “A son honors his father,
And a servant his master.
If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’)

To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

• The priests are compared to Esau. Esau despised his birthright. The priests also have a “birthright” being sons of Levi, but they have despised their place in God’s service.

Malachi 1:⁷ “You offer defiled food on My altar,
But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying, ‘The table of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ ) is contemptible (Or to be despised).’

• The sacrifice is part of God cutting a covenant with men. It is a covenant of death – if the covenant is broken. It is not to be taken lightly because man’s salvation is at stake.

Malachi 1:⁸ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?

The priests who offered the blind, lame, and sick were themselves blind, lame, and sick.

Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably (Lit. lift up your face)?”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’).

• To offer a worthless gift to a king is to risk being killed.

Malachi 1:⁹ “But now entreat God’s (‘ēl‘) favor,
That He may be gracious to us.
While this is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’).

Malachi 1:¹⁰ “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’),
“Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

Malachi 1:¹¹ For from the rising of the sun (the beginning), even to its going down (the end),
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations (gentiles),”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’).

• Prophetic of the 1,000 year millennium when Jesus reigns on earth after the 7 yr tribulation.
  
  • Revelation 20:4 The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years: And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Malachi 1:¹² “But you profane it,
In that you say,
‘The table of the Lord (Yĕhovah) is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’

Malachi 1:¹³ You also say,
‘Oh, what a weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yᵊhōvâ ṣāḇā’).
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the Lord (Yĕhovah).

• The purpose of the sacrifice which God instructed to Moses and the Israelites was to foreshadow the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus the Messiah. The sacrifice without spot or blemish was to illustrate Jesus’ sinlessness, with the understanding that that which is sinless and innocent was to die for the guilty. Therefore; the stolen, lame, and sick was a repugnant sacrifice, spitting in the face of God’s salvation. Jesus’ name literally means “Salvation”.

Malachi 1:¹⁴ “But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,”
Says the Lord of hosts (Yĕhovah),
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.

• The Hebrew meaning of “Hypocrite” is “Actor”. It is wearing a mask of righteousness.
• A religious deceiver is a hypocrite.
  • Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white washed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”