The Malachi Message: The Indicative and The Imperative In The Message
Note
The Priests honorable positions as the mediators between God and his people (Exod 28: 1-29) demanded a corresponding faithfulness in the performance of their duties. They were urged to listen to The Lord continually.
Malachi Chapter One in Four Versions:
AMPLIFIED VERSION:
“THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi [My messenger].
I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, How and in what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob (Israel),
But [in comparison with the degree of love I have for Jacob] I have hated Esau [Edom] and have laid waste his mountains, and his heritage I have given to the jackals of the wilderness. ……………..
Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say, The Lord is great and will be magnified over and beyond the border of Israel!
A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the [reverent] fear due Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name.
When you [priests] offer blind [animals] for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present such a thing [a blind or lame or sick animal] now to your governor [in payment of your taxes, and see what will happen]. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you graciously? says the Lord of hosts.
Now then, I [Malachi] beg [you priests], entreat God [earnestly] that He will be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand [as a defective animal for sacrifice], will He accept it or show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts”.
NLT VERSION:
This is the message that the Lord gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi.
First Message:The Lord’s Love for Israel (1:2- 5)
“I have always loved you,” says the L ord.
But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”
And the Lord replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau’s inheritance into a desert for jackals.” Esau’s descendants in Edom may say, “We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.”
But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies replies, “They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as ‘The Land of Wickedness,’ and their people will be called ‘The People with Whom the Lord Is Forever Angry. ’ When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ‘Truly, the Lord ’s greatness reaches far beyond Israel’s borders! ’”
Second Message: Indictment of a Corrupt Priesthood (1:6–2:9)
Unworthy Sacrifices
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? ’
“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.
MESSAGE VERSION:
No More of This So–Called Worship!
God ‘s Word to Israel through Malachi:
God said, “I love you.”
You replied, “Really? How have you loved us?”
“Look at history” (this is God’ s answer). “Look at how differently I’ve treated you, Jacob, from Esau:
I loved Jacob and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town.”
When Edom (Esau) said, “We’ve been knocked down, but we’ll get up and start over, good as new,”
God –of–the–Angel–Armies said, “Just try it and see how far you get. When I knock you down, you stay down. People will take one look at you and say, ‘Land of Evil!’ and ‘the God –cursed tribe!'” Yes, take a good look.
Then you’ll see how faithfully I’ve loved you and you’ll want even more, saying, ‘May God be even greater, beyond the borders of Israel!’
“Isn’t it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I’m your Father, where’s the honor? If I’m your Master, where’s the respect?“
God –of–the–Angel–Armies is calling you on the carpet:”You priests despise me!
” You say, ‘Not so! How do we despise you?’
“By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship.
” You ask, ‘What do you mean, “defiling”? What’s defiling about it?’ “When you say, ‘The altar of God is not important anymore; worship of God is no longer a priority,’ that’s defiling. And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you’re trying to get rid of––blind and sick and crippled animals––isn’t that defiling? Try a trick like that with your banker or your senator––how far do you think it will get you?” God –of–the–Angel–Armies asks you.
“Get on your knees and pray that I will be gracious to you.
You priests have gotten everyone in trouble.
With this kind of conduct, do you think I’ll pay attention to you?” God –of–the–Angel–Armies asks you.
God’s Definition Of A Good Father
Ps 103:13 “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him”
Ps 103:13 (MSG) “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him”
God’s or Fathers’ caution:
Eph 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”
Eph 6:4 (NLT) “And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord”
Who is a Bad Father? What are the characteristic?
He is Invisible
He is Impossible
He is Inconsistent
A Good Father carries The Ark for The Family
Every father must be aware that being a competent and spiritual father in our days will be a test of our faith and our obedience.
Josh 3:15-17
“And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
[16] That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
[17] And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan”
Jordan was overflowing its banks at the time of the harvest. They had faced challenges in the past and now this was just another one in the long list of them.
Now the priests were faced with a great challenge on that day, one that is elaborated on in this chapter and the next one. Jordan at flood stage was a dilemma in itself. But when they stepped down into the water, the power of God went into overdrive.
Then to consider that these priests stepped down into the edges of this frothing and boiling water is almost beyond belief.
Just to do this was a test of their faith and of their obedience. Every father will soon discover that being a competent and spiritual father in our days will be a test of our faith and our obedience. We also have to grasp that we will never make it unless we are given to becoming spiritual men!
A few good men. . . men full of compassion. . . men full of faith. . .
The Weight of the Ark
Just think for moment about the responsibility of what these priests did on that particular day. They were bearing the Ark of the Covenant while all the people of Israel passed over to the other side. They could not move or let the Ark down even for a rest, they had to shoulder their responsibility.
1. A Good Father is a PROVIDER for his family.
He must responsibly provide for his family’s physical needs.
1 Tim 5:8 (NIV) “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”.
He “manages” his family so they can get the most out of life.
1 Tim 3:4 (NIV) “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect”.
2. A Good Father is a MINISTER to his family.
He must lovingly provide for his family’s spiritual needs.
Col 3:21 (MSG) “Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits
He “ministers” to his family by giving himself to them.
1 Thess 2:8 (LB) “We loved you dearly – so dearly that we gave you not only God’s message, but our own lives too”
What you ARE always determines what you DO.
What you DO always wins over what you SAY.
A father teaches his children how God ACTS and REACTS.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN, NATURALLY, THAT A SON OR DAUGHTER WILL BEGIN TO DOUBT DADDY’S LOVE?
1) Un-understood chastisement, especially scourging.
2) Painful rebukes and reproofs
3) Withholding of things desired.
4) Perceived favoritism towards a sibling as compared to us.
5) Perceived lack of show of emotional attachment or affection or care in moments of despair.
These were the issues that came up in the time of Malachi’s ministry.
These were their unspoken grievances against God. Are these not with us today as well?
The Unconditional Love of God is clearly Indicated and Declared!
His Sovereignty to ‘have mercy on whom He will have mercy and hardens whomsoever, He will’ (Rom 9: 15, 18) is reserved.
However, please note that this INDICATIVE love is not without the IMPERATIVE to conform to the stipulations of God’s Word (The Tora).
After reminding Israel of the indicative in verses 2 to 5, God now confronts them with the imperative!
Dictionary:
“Indicative” – Showing, signifying or pointing out expressive (e.g. behaviour indicative of mental disorder)
Synonyms
Apocalyptic, demonstrative, augural, emblematic, diagnostic, connotative, prognostic, connotative significatory, suggestive, symptomatic indicatory, evidential.
“Imperative” – Absolutely necessary or required ; unavoidable a nature of or expressing a command. (e.g. it is imperative that we leave).
Synonyms
Acute, burning, crucial, inescapable, importunate , indispensable, inescapable, essential, compulsory, critical, exigent, obligatory, vital, urgent, pressing.
The Hebrew word “Kabad” has one literal meaning and several figurate extentions.
Let us note that there is world of difference between the two “C”s.
What are the two Cs? CORRECTION and CONDEMNATION.
Many people get lost in the house today because they don’t know the difference between the two Cs.
- 1. Correction
- 2. Condemnation
There is a difference between the two. If Children do not know the difference they end up becoming social misfits.
Correction is to train one so as to become a better citizen. There is hope for someone that is still being corrected.
The demand is HONOUR due to His Fatherhood!
The scripture makes us realize ultimately that God demands of us Honor and Reverence.
God, as a Father and Master, demands honor and reverence from all those who are His.
To maintain that relationship we need to have referential fear.
God’s love does not nullify His terror!
There are two (2) sides to God;
1) THE MERCY SIDE OF GOD
2) THE WRATH SIDE OF GOD