Malaquias 1
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Malaquias 1
Henry applies God's charges to believers today We may each charge upon ourselves what is here charged upon the priests. Our relation to God, as our Father and Master, strongly obliges us to fear and honour him. But they were so scornful that they derided reproof. Sinners ruin themselves by trying to baffle their convictions. (cp Pr 28:13-note) (Ed: When the Spirit convicts us and we ignore His gentle promptings, doing our will, going our way instead of God's, we hurt the heart of God, grieving His Spirit!) Those who live in careless neglect of holy ordinances, who attend on them without reverence, and go from them under no concern, in effect say, "The table of the Lord is contemptible." The table of the LORD is to be despised - "'The table of Jehovah -- it is despicable." (YLT) "The table of the LORD is contemptible." (KJV) "The altar of the LORD deserves no respect." (NLT) In Malachi 1:6 God says they had despised His Name and here he uses the same Hebrew word to say they have despised His table (altar)! This is amazing! How great is His mercy which led Him to begin His conversation with Israel by saying "I have loved you!" knowing that they despised His Name! If we are honest, we have all at times been where Israel was in her heart - cold, callous, indifferent, apathetic, rejecting, etc. In fact, do we not despise and reject God (and His Lordship over our lives) every time we willfully, wantonly sin against Him! We say "My will God, not Yours!" And we forget how our "adulterous actions" hurt Him (Ezek 6:9). And all through out willful sinning, He continues to love us! How great are His lovingkindnesses and compassions! (Lam 3:22, 23) In short, the priests had despised God's Name by despising His Table! Their actions reflected how much value or worth they gave to His great Name! G Campbell Morgan The Divine requirement under the Mosaic economy was that “the lamb placed upon the altar should be without spot or blemish—the finest of the flock,” but these men have lost the sense of what worship means, in that they have retained the finest of the flock for themselves, and brought to the altar that which engenders its contempt, simply to keep up the form of sacrifice and the appearance which they so much covet. Defiled (01351) (ga'al) signifies ritual pollution or contamination that makes one ceremonially unclean (La 4:14) and thus disqualifies or renders them unfit for divine service (Ezra 2:62, Neh 7:64). Ga'al means to defile, to pollute, to stain, to make impure. In Isa 59:3 one's hands are polluted with blood. In Isa 63:3 Messiah's garment is polluted with blood as a result of His judgment of the nations. This ritual pollution or contamination is the result of some violation of the holiness code specified in the law of Moses (in this case the laws concerning acceptable animal sacrifices, cf. Lev 22:17–25; Deut 15:21). R. Laird Harris says - This root doubtless is to be distinguished from gā'al I, “to redeem.” It appears that this root is a secondary formation from the similar root gā'al found also in Aramaic, meaning “abhor,” “loathe.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) The Septuagint (Lxx) translates ga'al in Dan 1:8; Mal 1:7, 12 with the verb alisgeo meaning to pollute. Alisgeo is not found in the NT but the derivative noun alisgema is used once in Acts 15:20 where it speaks of the effect of contact with idols causing (ceremonial) pollution or ritual defilement. In other passages (La 4:14), ga'al is translated with the verb moluno (cf cognate - molusmos), which means to cause something be become dirty or soiled (used metaphorically of saints in Sardis - Rev 3:4) or to cause to become ritually impure. This Hebrew word shares the same root form with the Hebrew word for kinsmen-redeemer, but has a much different meaning. Albert
Malaquias 1
Henry writes that God reminds Israel that He... loved them because he would love them (Dt 7:7, 8), loved them in their childhood, Hos. 11:1. His delight was in them, Isa. 62:4. "I have loved you, but you have not loved me, nor made any suitable returns for my love.’’ Remember that Jesus equated love with obedience, not legalistic obedience but obedience as a loving child would show their father who loved them. And so we read His words to His disciples in the Upper Room discourse just before He went to the Cross... If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15) Comment: The only way we can love Jesus in this way is by the enabling work of the the Holy Spirit in us, Who gives us both the desire and the power to obey Him (Php 2:13NLT-note). If we try to keep His commandments in our own strength we will fall into the trap of legalism and ultimately will fail to keep them! We see God's unconditional love portrayed in His choosing Israel to be His very own possession... Dt 7:6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen (Isa 41:8, 9) you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 (Why did God do it this way?) The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers (Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Dt 10:15 “Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. Isa 43:4 “Since you (Israel) are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Amos 3:2 “You (Israel) only have I chosen among all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Ed: Divine "Tough Love!" a phrase we often hear today from parents of rebellious sons and daughters!) These previous passages are all from the Old Testament and beg the question "Is God through with Israel as a nation, as a ethnically distinct people group" as many in our day teach? Paul answers this question in the New Testament writing... I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin (Ro 11:1-note).... From the standpoint of the Gospel they (Israel) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they (Israel) are beloved for the sake of the fathers for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Ro 11:28-29-note) A C Gaebelein: observes that Jehovah's message to Israel that "I have loved you" is written large on every page of their history....And this generation, brought back through His mercy from Babylon, the generation that had listened to the marvelous words of Haggai and Zechariah, could brazenly answer back, “Wherein hast Thou loved us?” How deep they had sunk! Greater still is the insensibility of nominal Christendom which rejects, yea, despises, the great love wherewith He has loved us in the gift of His Son. Spurgeon in His comments on Ps 46:10 (note) made an interesting statement about the love of God observing that... Either by terror or love, God will subdue all hearts to Himself. Dear brother or sister in Christ, when we find ourselves in a "slough of despond," experiencing discouragement or disillusionment in our spiritual life, even to the point that we wonder if God really loves us, we do well to re-read John's amazing declaration... See (aorist imperative - command to "Just Do It!") how great (not just love, but great love!) a love the Father has bestowed (not earned, but given as a gift of grace) upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason (Term of conclusion) the world does not know us, because (term of explanation) it did not know Him. (1John 3:1-note) And Can It Be That I Should Gain by Charles Wesley And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? But...yet - Both are Terms of contrast - Always pause to ponder (meditate) the passage in the power of the Spirit (His teaching ministry), asking at least "What is contrasted?" which will force you to examine the context. Beloved of God, this divine declaration of redeeming love begs the question - How would we respond to Jehovah's declaration? Would we be like Israel and ask "How have You loved us God?" John
Malaquias 1
Henry applies this section to us today... They despised God's Name in what they did. It is evident that these understood not the meaning of the sacrifices, as shadowing forth the unblemished Lamb of God; they grudged the expense, thinking all thrown away which did not turn to their profit. If we worship God ignorantly, and without understanding, we bring the blind for sacrifice; if we do it carelessly, if we are cold, dull, and dead in it, we bring the sick; if we rest in the bodily exercise, and do not make heart-work of it, we bring the lame; and if we suffer vain thoughts and distractions to lodge within us, we bring the torn. And is not this evil? Is it not a great affront to God, and a great wrong and injury to our own souls? In order to the acceptance of our actions with God, it is not enough to do that which, for the matter of it, is good; but we must do it from a right principle, in a right manner, and for a right end. Pulpit Commentary... “A cheap religion,” says one, “costing little, is rejected by God, worth nothing: it costs more than it is worth, for it is worth nothing, and so proves really dear.” God despises not the widow’s mite, but he disdains the miser’s gold. Why not offer it to your governor? - The NLT picks up the hint of sarcasm "Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" God asks the priests if they would dare present a blemished sacrifice to their governor? The point of course is that they would not dare do that to a human authority, so how much more evil and blameworthy to do that to the Supreme Authority, the LORD of hosts. Hallmark cards used to have a saying that you would buy their cards “When you care enough to give the very best!” Clearly this was not the brand of "greeting cards" sent by these polluted priests because just as clearly, they did not care enough about God, His Name and His Altar to give their best! What brand of greeting card do I send to the LORD of hosts? A C Gaebelein explains that the priests... had considered the table of the Lord contemptible; instead of offering upon the altar the very best, as demanded in the law, they showed their contempt by bringing the blind, the lame and the sick, a thing which they would never have done to an earthly governor, who would have been sorely displeased at such an insult and rejected their person on account of it. They had treated the Lord of Hosts shamefully in their worship. Is it different in Christendom? Under such conditions, even if they were to pray to Him to be gracious, would He, or could He, regard their persons and listen to their prayers (Mal 1:9)? "NOISE WITHOUT MUSIC" G Campbell