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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

THE PROPHET MALACHI

CHAPTER ONE:
PRIESTS INDICTED

Malachi 1:1-5 – I Have Loved Jacob

ML1:1 The sacred pronouncement of Yehowah’s word to Israel by the hand of Malachi: 1

1	Malachi: Meaning “messenger.” [Angel]

ML1:2 “’I loved you,’ Yehowah says. And yet you respond: ‘How have you loved us?’ 2 Yehowah asks: ‘Is not Esau the brother of Jacob? Still I loved Jacob, 3

2	How have you loved us: We cannot conceive of such a response to God, yet this reveals the depths into which Israel has fallen.

3	I loved Jacob: The phrasing is used by Paul. For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Romans 9:13] According to Paul this love will be most manifest in Christ’s sacrifice and the deliverance of a remnant of fleshly Israel.

ML1:3 and I loved Esau less – [Romans 9:13] making his mountains a desolation, and his inheritance a dwelling 4 of desert jackals.

4	Dwelling: The Arab offspring of Isau dwell in one of the worst deserts in the world.

ML1:4 However, Esau claims: ‘We may have been laid waste but we will rebuild out of this desert.’ But this is what Yehowah 5 of Hosts 6 says: ‘They may rebuild, but I myself will tear down, so that people will surely call them, “The land of wickedness,” 7 and also, “the people Yehowah condemned throughout an indefinite period.”

5	Yehowah: The Tetragram, YHWH, occurs about 50 times in Malachi.

6	Hosts: Or, Jehovah of armies; Yahweh Sabaoth. The designation occurs 24 times in Malachi. The Hebrew is YEHWAH' TSEVA·´OHTH' and the Greek LXX, KYRIOS PANTOKRATOR [Lord Almighty].

7	The land of wickedness: God judgment on Esau’s descendents as a whole.

ML1:5 Your own eyes will observe it, and all of you will say: ‘May Yehowah be magnified over the land of Israel.’

Malachi 1:6-9 – How Yehowah’s Name Was Despised

ML1:6 “’A son honors his own father, 8 and a servant his lord. If I am a father, where is my honor? Also, if I am a Lord where is my reverence?’ 9 Yehowah of Hosts has asked all of you, O priests 10 despising my Name. 11 And all of you have asked: ‘How 12 did we despise your Name?’

8	A son honors his own father: In God’s opinion this should be the case but in reality it is not always true.

9	Reverence: The LXX is PHOBOS [fear, deep respect].

10	Priests: The bulk of Malachi is addressed to the Jewish hierarchy.

11

Despising my Name: God’ s Name [the noma sagrada] is mentioned often from different perspectives in Malachi. The word “name” occurs 11 times and “my Name” 8 times. No one can despise or minimize God’s Name Yehowah [Jehovah, Yahweh]. How does on despise His Name? One way is to avoid uttering it, just as some Jews avoid uttering “Jesus.” God’s Name Yehowah is “great” [Malachi 1:11]; inspire fear [Malachi 1:14]; glorified [Malachi 2:2]; thought about [Malachi 3:16]; feared [Malachi 3:16].

12	How: God’s answer indicates by weak or erroneous worship.

ML1:7 ‘Because you offered up polluted bread 13 on my altar!’ You ask, ‘How have we polluted You?’ Because you say, ‘the Table of Yehowah 14 [1 Corinthians 10:23] is something to despise.’

13	Bread: Several grain offerings were of bread and the suggestion here is that these priests chose rotten bread to offer.

14

The Table of Yehowah: In the LXX this is TRAPEZA KYRIOU, exactly as at 1 Corinthians 10:23 where Paul makes the allusion and applies it to the Lord’s Supper. Paul mentions a Christian “altar” [Hebrews 13:10. Paul borrows the phrase here to refer to the unleavened loaf on the Memorial table. Is there a danger of despising God’s Name by offering polluted bread at the Memorial Table? Yes. [For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.]

ML1:8 And when you approach with the blind sacrifice, saying ‘There is nothing wrong with that!’ 15 Or, when you approach with a lame or sick 16 [offering], saying, ‘There is nothing wrong with that!’ Offer the same to your governor. Will he accept it? Will he receive you favorably?’ asks Yehowah of Hosts.

15	There is nothing wrong with that: God is the One who sets the standards of worship, not the worshipper. It is not up to the worshipper to determine how or how often to worship God.

16

Lame or sick: Materialism and greed can greatly affect worship. Here the Jewish priests were accepting and offering the worst of the flocks as if it did not matter the quality of the sacrifice. Some Christians do the same thing but worshipping God with the very least of their talents and riches. [Hebrews 13:15, 16] The rich give token “sacrifices” to the poor and the “Christian” seldom attends church.

ML1:9 So now, I ask you, placate the face of the Divinity, 17 that He may grant us favor. This is all your own responsibility! Will He receive any of you favorably?’ asks Yehowah of Hosts.

17	Divinity: Or, soften the face of God. The Hebrew is EL and the Greek TOU THEOU [the God].

Malachi 1:10, 11 – Great Is My Name!

ML1:10 “’Why not just close the doors 18 and so stop the futile lighting of fires on My altar? I take no pleasure in you,’ says Yehowah of Hosts. I do not look with favor on any of your offerings.

18	Close the doors: If worship is so polluted the Temple might as well be shut down. Worship can be in vain. [For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew 15:9.]

ML1:11 Despite this, from the sunrise unto the sunset My Name will be great among the non-Jews. 19 Everywhere sacrificial smoke will ascend, and an offering 20 will be presented to my Name – a [spiritually] clean offering. Because my Name will be great among the non-Jews,” says Yehowah of Hosts.

19	Among the non-Jews: Suggesting true worship from among the Gentiles or non-Jews as Jesus predicted at John 10:16. Such became true following the record in Acts 10.

20	Offering: God means among non-Jewish worshippers. [For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew. The non-Jews will become the largest number of “true worshippers.” [John 4:22-24; 10:16]

Malachi 1:12-14 – Desecrating Yehowah

ML1:12 “But all of you men desecrate Me by your statement: ‘Yehowah’s table is contaminated, and its produce – its food – something to scorn.’ ML1:13 Also all of you men have said: ‘Behold! What a tedious thing!’ 21 As a result all of you men have caused a snubbing of me,’ says Yehowah of Hosts. “And so all of you have brought forward something whisked away 22 – the lame, the sick – yes, all of you men have brought the same as a gift-offering. How can I be pleased with your offering?" says Yehowah.

21	What a tedious thing: For some worship can become tedious – boring and stale.

22	Something whisked away: That is something hastily grabbed from the flock without inspection and looking for the very best.

ML1:14 “Cursed is the one so fraudulent 23 when there is a sound animal among your herds – the person vowing and then sacrificing 24 a corrupt offering to Yehowah. For I am a majestic King,” Yehowah of Hosts says, “and my Name will be awesome among the non-Jews.”

23

Cursed is the one so fraudulent: Or, acting with cunning, corrupt, cheat, defraud. Defrauding God by bringing worthless offerings. God does not accept all worship. Apply this principle to Hebrews 13:15, 16. The rich worshipper of God may give only token charity thinking he need not make any real sacrifice. Another thinks a mere bumber-sticker or a painted rock is enough “sacrifice of praise.” Others by their actions believe a few hymns and prayers on Sunday only are sufficient to God.

24	Vowing and then sacrificing: Those who promise God something and then sacrifice what amounts to a lame and sickly offering approach the curse of God.

Review Questions on Chapter One