Malachi 1-2

Chapter 1: The Jews despise the Lord

The word of the Lord comes to Israel through Malachi “I have loved you… Yet you say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? …yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and I laid his mountains [Edom] and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” (Malachi 1:2-3) Despite the resolve to return and rebuild, Edom will become known as “…The Border of Wickedness..” (Malachi 1:4).

The Lord continues to address Israel through His prophet Malachi, He asks: “A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? …O priests, that have despised my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Malachi 1:6) During this time the priests were offering polluted bread on the Lord’s altar as well as offering sacrifices of defiled and blemished animals (blind, lame, or stolen animals).The Lord’s name shall be dreadful among the heathens.

Chapter 2: The Priests do not keep the Covenants

God sends a word of warning for those who corrupt his gospel, mainly to the wicked priests; “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings… I will corrupt thy seed…” (Malachi 2:2-3) The example of Levi, who made a covenant before the Lord is mentioned, the Lord says that those priests have made others to stumble at His commandments.

During this time the Jewish people were dealing treacherously between one another and the Lord asks; “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?” (Malachi 2:10)

We all have ONE father and therefore have no reason to treat each other (strangers or not) as our brothers and sisters.