Malachi 1:1-5 v. 1. Malachi was a prophet to the Jews who returned to Jerusalem. He was a contemporary of Nehemiah and Ezra. The Israelites had sinned, been taken into exile in Babylon as judgment God kept his covenant promises and allowed them to return to Jerusalem

But a spiritual apathy has set in. There was decay in their worship, in their marriages, in their finances.

v. 2. There are 23 questions in Malachi – Socratic dialectic God faithful covenant love God’s love for his people is substantiated through his declaration. Asking questions of someone so they think through their position and come to a conclusion on their own instead of a teacher just speaking. God declares – “I have (always) loved you” – perfect tense – completed action with continued ramifications.

The people asked, “how have you loved us?” It seemed to them God had not kept his promise to restore them.

God reminds them his love for Israel motivated him to choose Israel as his people. “loved / hated” have to be understood in covenant terms, chosen / not chosen. Since God chose Jacob, he loved him. Since God did not choose Esau, he hated him. God went against convention by choosing the younger to inherit his promises. God’s love for his people is substantiated through his election.

vv. 3-5 – Both Israel and Edom were destroyed. God allowed Israel to return, to be re-built; while he let Edom remain ruins. God is saying, in love, I made a covenant to you to be faithful to you. I am still keeping my covenant with you, my love for you is faithful.

Application: we go through times when we doubt God’s love. We struggle to believe that he is faithful when we suffer. “How do I know God loves me?” God has declared his love for us. “God demonstrates his love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ die for us.” - Romans 5:8 The cross stands as a historical landmark, a bold declaration: God has loved us.

God chose us out of his love for us. Ephesians 1:3-6 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Malachi 1:6-14 – The people are bringing blind or lame or sick animals for sacrifice. And the priests are allowing it! vv. 11-12. “My name will be great among the nations, but you profane it!” v. 13 – priests say about their ministry of worship – “what weariness!”

God despises apathetic, half-hearted, lukewarm worship. He tells the Israelites, if you’re going to apathetic about this, I’d rather you didn’t pray or offer sacrifices. I wish someone would just close the doors of the temple.

Revelation 3:15-16 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

v. 14. God calls the man who brings his second best for worship “a cheat.”

God is worthy of whole-hearted, devoted, excellent worship. “I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”