Malachi 1:6-10, 12-14
[6] The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ [7] “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. [8] When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. [9] “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. [10] “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.
[12] “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. [13] You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the LORD. [14] “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!”
God’s statement to the priests—You have shown contempt for my name. The priests’ reply—How? God’s explanation—You’re offering defiled sacrifices on the altar. The priests ask again, “How?” God continues His condemnation—You are essentially saying the Lord’s altar does not deserve respect.
Then God gives the details. The priests are offering animal sacrifices that are stolen, blind, crippled and diseased. He tells them He will not accept their sacrifices, and He will not show them any favor because of the defiled offerings. God then dares the priests to try to give their governor gifts like they are giving to God and see how the governor responds.
The rejection of the defiled sacrifices is emphasized as God tells the priests that He would like someone to close the doors to the temple so the sacrifices cannot be given. He reiterates that He will not accept the offerings and considers them offensive.
God adds to their sins by explaining that they are desecrating the Lord’s altar and are declaring through their actions that following God’s commandments and serving Him are too hard to do, and that would imply following God is not worth the effort.
He next asks the priests, “Should I accept these defiled sacrifices?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. God concludes His statements by telling them they are cheating Him if they promise a perfect ram and give a defective one instead. And the cheater will be cursed because he fails to do what he promised.
Notice in these verses God is speaking primarily to the priests. He does involve the rest of the people through the condemnation of bringing the defiled offerings, but the focus is on the priests, who are actually doing the sacrificial ceremonies. Malachi describes the role and duties of priests later, but suffice it to say the priests are coming under serious reproof and correction from God because of their involvement in the whole situation. The priests are not properly fulfilling their responsibility as intermediaries between God and the people. We’ll continue this line of thought in the next lesson.