The Reality of Our Sinful Nature (Malachi 1, 2)
A. The prophet Malachi and his generation (1:1)
An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. (1:1)
B. Sin...
1. ...as not trusting God (1:2-6)
You will see it with your own eyes and say, `Great is the LORD--even beyond the borders of Israel!' "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, `How have we shown contempt for your name?' (5, 6)
2. ...manifested as a betrayal of God (7-14)
"You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, `How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty. (7-9)
3. ...manifested as a betrayal of other people (2:10-17)
Have we not all one Father ? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. (2:10, 11)
"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?" (2:16, 17)
C. The end result of continuing to live in sin (2:1-9)
"And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. (2:1, 2)
But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the LORD Almighty. "So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.” (2:8, 9)
Summary
Sin is knowing what God's will is and yet living in a way that is contrary to that will. God's original design was a relationship between God and people based on trust. People chose to break that trust and we see the result of that broken trust in our world today. Continuing to live in this way only leads to destruction. Prophets like Malachi were warning people about this 2500 years ago. God is prepared to give us hope, but in order to receive it, we need to understand the reality of our sin.
For Discussion
1) What did Malachi want to say to his?
2) Is humankind forsaken by God?