Malachi Chapters 1 & 2

We’ve always had weekly family meals, but now we spend more time really talking-talking. My dad has been sharing some of his wishes to us, basic things like planning for the times in the future when he may not be around. Some people tell him not to think so much about being gone, and to focus on getting better, but I understand why my dad does it.

1. He’s being realistic (the prognosis isn’t good).
2. My dad does it for us, because he doesn’t want to trouble us after he’s gone.

He wants everything in order, and wants it easy for us to figure out.
It makes sense to prepare appropriately. It’s better to get it all out in the open instead of wasting our family dinner times talking about inconsequential things.

More importantly than just the logistics of preparing for the future, though, my dad has been sharing his spiritual insights with us. We’ve been talking about Malachi the past couple of weeks. It’s hard to summarize what we’ve been discussing in a blog post, but I will try to hit the highlights.

Malachi 1:2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?'

The Israelites were asking God to prove how He has shown His love towards them! They didn’t recognize God’s amazing love for them already. This is the root of the Israelites’ problem. Leading into:

Malachi 1:6 “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?'

The Israelites were sacrificing crippled and diseased animals to God (showing that they did NOT love God first and foremost). The priests even allowed this to happen– they were supposed to be the ones guarding and following God’s word, but they did not (follows in Ch. 2). Specifically God calls out that the words they spoke caused others to stumble. They were not being messengers of the Lord.

Malachi 2:16 “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.”

God uses the word hate twice – he hates divorce and hates violence of a husband toward his wife. These words are not meant to be followed just as law, but have a deeper meaning to it, as a representation of God desiring to be one with the church. It’s such a profound concept. It’s made very clear throughout the NT also, that He desires to be one with the Church. And this is why he makes such a strong statement against divorce – it isn’t meant to just be kept as a law, but instead there’s a much deeper meaning and reason for God’s words here, giving us insight into His heart's desire.

My dad urged us to read the Bible from the viewpoint of trying to learn more what is in God’s heart, instead of trying to read it like we would any other book, or just as an academic study. We're finishing the rest of Malachi next week.