The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Heritage” it comes from the Hebrew Word “nachalah” which means “heritage, inheritance.”
Malachi opens with God’s declaration of love, met by Israel’s skeptical question and careless worship. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is Malachi 1.
Malachi records the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel, declaring, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?” the Lord answering that Jacob He loved, but Esau He hated, and laid his mountains and his “heritage,” “nachalah” in Hebrew, waste for the dragons of the wilderness, asking whether Edom will say they are impoverished, but they will return and build the desolate places.
Malachi records the Lord’s rebuke to the priests, who despise His name, yet ask wherein they have despised it, He answering they offer polluted bread upon His altar, and ask wherein they have polluted Him, in that they say the table of the Lord is contemptible, and if they offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil, and if they offer the lame and sick, is it not evil, urging them to offer it now to their governor, asking whether he will be pleased with them, or accept their persons.
Malachi delivers the Lord’s rebuke, wishing someone among them would shut the doors, that they might not kindle fire on His altar in vain, declaring He has no pleasure in them, neither will He accept an offering at their hand, for from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same His name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered to His name, and a pure offering, for His name shall be great among the heathen, closing with a curse against the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a corrupt thing, for He is a great King, and His name is dreadful among the heathen, this opening chapter exposing how carelessly Israel’s priests had come to treat their sacred worship responsibilities.
Malachi’s opening exchange, God declaring His love only to be met with Israel’s skeptical question, wherein have You loved us, exposes a spiritually numb generation that had grown callous toward genuine covenant relationship. This chapter’s rebuke of priests offering blind, lame, and sick animals reveals that careless, minimal worship ultimately reflects a deeper heart problem, treating God as less deserving than an ordinary human governor.
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