1. MALACHI SERIES 3: GOD’S FIRST CHARGE OF SIN (1:6-2:9) I. GOD’S LOVE FOR JACOB (1:1-5) II. GOD’S FIRST CHARGE OF SIN (1:6-2:9) A. THE SIN OF THE PRIESTS (1:6-14) 1. The Priests Present Defiled Offerings (vv. 6-8)  So, rather than upholding the character and reputation of the holy God, His own ministers tarnish it  So, rather than upholding the character and reputation of the holy God, His own ministers tarnish it.

2.  Read Mal 1:6c.  To this God responds in v. 7a. ~ The priests, charged with bringing right sacrifices, were instead bringing “defiled” sacrifices.  Read Mal 1:7b&c. ~ The Lord’s table or altar, like Yahweh’s name (1:6), is treated lightly, as something undeserving of serious consideration.

3.  The Lord continues in v. 8. ~ The uncaring and irreverent attitude of the priests is seen in the sacrifice, a fundamental priestly function (see Leviticus 1-7). ~ God accused the priests of dishonoring Him by offering imperfect sacrifices, and He was greatly offended. ~ The priests were setting a very bad example to God’s people.

4.  Recall Rom 12:1. ~ If we give God only our leftover time, money, and energy, we commit the same sin as these worshipers, who didn’t want to bring anything valuable to God. ~ If we give God only our leftover time, money, and energy, we commit the same sin as these worshipers, who didn’t want to bring anything valuable to God. ~ WHAT WE GIVE GOD REFLECTS OUR TRUE ATTITUDE TOWARD HIM.

5.  God challenged the priests – and by extension, the people – through 2 rhetorical questions about the governor’s acceptance of such inferior gifts. ~ In the context of defilement, especially from God’s perspective, this was not only just “wrong” – God called it “evil”. ~ This denotes moral depravity and wickedness (e.g., Gen 6:5; 13:13; cf. Isa 32:7).

6.  In these two verses, the people sacrificed to God wickedly through: (1) expedience (2) neglect (3) outright disobedience  How about your attitude? Do expediency, neglect, or disobedience characterize your giving? Your serving? Your worshipping?

7. ~ Our relationship to God, not only as our Father but also as our Creator and Master, strongly obliges us to fear and honor Him in all that we do, but especially in our worship. ~ When we live in careless neglect of the spiritual disciplines, or perform them without true devotion and reverence, or finish them without being affected we are guilty of despising “the table of the Lord”.

8. ~ What makes our neglect and lack of reverence worse are God’s tender mercies toward us that “never cease” and “never fail” but “are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23).  Matthew Henry: “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

9. 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.”

10. ~ To God, why we do what we do is more important than what we do.