Malachi 1 · The Lantern

The LORD’s Love for Israel

The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by the hand of Malachi.

I have loved you, says the LORD. And you say, In what have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother — the utterance of the LORD — and I loved Jacob,

and Esau I hated; and I made his mountains a desolation, and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.

Though Edom says, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the ruins — thus says the LORD of hosts: They will build and I will tear down; and they will call them the territory of wickedness, and the people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.

And your own eyes will see, and you will say, The LORD is magnified beyond the territory of Israel.

The Polluted Offerings

A son honors a father, and a servant his master. And if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, the priests who despise my name. And you say, In what have we despised your name?

And indeed Balaam the prophet, when he had corrupted Israel by Baal-peor, suffered punishment; and Caiaphas at last was his own murderer; and the sons of Sceva, endeavoring to cast out demons, were wounded by them and fled away in an unseemly manner; and the kings of Israel and of Judah, when they became impious, suffered all sorts of punishments.

"There is a great distinction, then, between the fear that lacks for nothing, which is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, and the one that is imperfect, which is called "the beginning of wisdom." This latter has punishment in itself, and it is cast out from the hearts of the perfect upon the advent of the fullness of love.

If a man is impious, he is in need of punishment; if he is foolish, he is in need of understanding. Wherefore it is also said in Malachi: "The son honoreth the father and the servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear?"

Bringing defiled bread to my altar. And you say, In what have we defiled you? In your saying, The table of the LORD is despised.

And when you bring the blind for a sacrifice — is that not evil? And when you bring the lame and the sick — is that not evil? Bring it near to your governor: will he accept you, or will he lift up your face? says the LORD of hosts.

WHY WAS ABEL’S SACRIFICE ACCEPTED, AND CAIN’S REJECTED? — This can be gathered from the words of the very passage itself, since the story is not wrapped in literary pretense. For Scripture’s own language shows Abel to be wise and devout in what he did, but Cain careless and thoughtless, and therefore less devout.

(Verse 8) If you offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and sick animal, is it not evil? Offer it to your governor; see if he is pleased with it or accepts your face, says the Lord of hosts. LXX: For if you offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and sick animal, is it not evil?

Such was the offering of the murderous Cain that was rejected. He had been told by God, "If you act well, I will receive it." Such again were all the offerings of the Israelites that were rejected, whereby they received the curse of the prophet who says, "Cursed is the man who has a ram in his flock, and he vows and sacrifices to the Lord one that is sickly." He rebukes and rep…

And now, entreat the face of God, that he may be gracious to us. From your hand this has come — will he lift up faces from you? says the LORD of hosts.

Who among you would even shut the doors, so that you would not kindle my altar for nothing? I have no delight in you, says the LORD of hosts, and an offering I will not accept from your hand.

"And the offering of fine flour, sirs," I said, "which was prescribed to be presented on behalf of those purified from leprosy, was a type of the bread of the Eucharist, the celebration of which our Lord Jesus Christ prescribed, in remembrance of the suffering which He endured on behalf of those who are purified in soul from all iniquity, in order that we may at the same time t…

(Verse 10 seqq.) I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

Lastly, O Jews, if you try to distort these prophetic words into another meaning according to the dictates of your heart, you resist the Son of God against your own salvation.… The house of Jacob or Israel is the same people, both called and cast off—not called in respect to some and cast off in respect to others, but the entire house called to walk in the light of the Lord.… T…

For from the rising of the sun to its going down my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is brought to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

But every Lord's day do ye gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.

And in addition to what has been said, it is good with our head cleansed, as the head which is the workshop of the senses is cleansed, to hold fast the head of Christ, from which the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted, and to cast down our sin that exalted itself, when it would exalt us above our better part.

It was with bread and wine that Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, received Abraham, when he was returning from the slaughter of the alien tribes. That altar prefigured this mystical altar, even as that priest was a type and a figure of the true archpriest, who is Christ.

But you are profaning it in your saying, The table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit, its food, is despised.

And you say, See, what a hardship! and you blow on it, says the LORD of hosts. And you bring the seized and the lame and the sick — and you bring the offering. Shall I accept it from your hand? says the LORD.

And cursed is the crafty one who has a male in his flock and vows, and sacrifices a ruined thing to the Lord. For I am a great king, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is fearful among the nations.

Malachi1

The LORD’s Love for Israel

The Polluted Offerings