1A revelation, Yahweh’s word to Israel by Malachi.
2“I have loved you,” says Yahweh.
Yet you say, “How have you loved us?”
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says Yahweh, “Yet I loved Jacob; 3but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places,” Yahweh of Armies says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever.”
5Your eyes will see, and you will say, “Yahweh is great—even beyond the border of Israel!”
6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says Yahweh of Armies to you priests who despise my name. “You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is contemptible.’ 8When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies.
9“Now, please entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?” says Yahweh of Armies.
10“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies. 12“But you profane it when you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.’ 13You say also, ‘Behold, what a weariness it is!’ And you have sniffed at it”, says Yahweh of Armies; “and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?” says Yahweh.
14“But the deceiver is cursed who has in his flock a male, and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
In the time of Malachi the prophet, the priests had “corrupted” the ministry entrusted to them (Mal 2:1-9). They offered blemished sacrifices on behalf of the people (Mal 1:6-14), although they had ample instruction not to do so (Lev 22:17-25; Deut 15:21). They refused to teach the people the word of God, the fear of God, repentance toward God, and walking with God (Mal 2:5-7). They showed “partiality in the instruction,” meaning that they taught the parts of Scripture they wanted and ignored other parts (2:8-9). Men divorced their wives and married others who worshiped foreign gods (2:10-16). The people practiced sorcery, adultery, false oaths, and oppression (3:5). They also robbed the Lord by withholding tithes and contributions (3:8-12).
As a result, the priests and the people did not trust the love of God (1:2), challenged the prophet whether they actually despised and defiled the name of the LORD (1:6-7, 12-13), received a curse from God (2:2; 3:10-12), questioned the justice of God (2:17), and asserted that it was vain to serve God (3:14).
Jesus and His apostles taught similarly of the dangers that ministers can bring on themselves and on those who follow them. He said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matt 7:13-23),” and, “they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Matt 15:14; see also Matthew 23).” Peter warned, “There will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves (2 Peter 2:1).” Because of the gravity of the office of teacher, James also admonished us, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1).” For further study, consult Jer 23-29, Ezek 13 and 34, and Acts 20:17-38.