Malachi 1
1A Message. GOD's Word to Israel through Malachi:H4853H1697H3068H3478H3027H44012GOD said, "I love you." You replied, "Really? How have you loved us?" "Look at history" (this is GOD's answer). "Look at how differently I've treated you, Jacob, from Esau: I loved JacobH157H5002H3068H559H157H6215H3290H251H559H3068H157H32903and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town."H8130H6215H7760H2022H5159H8077H8568H40574When Edom (Esau) said, "We've been knocked down, but we'll get up and start over, good as new," GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "Just try it and see how far you get. When I knock you down, you stay down. People will take one look at you and say, 'Land of Evil!' and 'the GOD-cursed tribe!'H123H559H7567H7725H1129H2723H559H3068H6635H1129H2040H7121H1366H7564H5971H3068H2194H5704H57695"Yes, take a good look. Then you'll see how faithfully I've loved you and you'll want even more, saying, 'May GOD be even greater, beyond the borders of Israel!'H5869H7200H559H3068H1431H1366H34786"Isn't it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I'm your Father, where's the honor? If I'm your Master, where's the respect?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling you on the carpet: "You priests despise me! "You say, 'Not so! How do we despise you?' "By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship. "You ask, 'What do you mean, "defiling"? What's defiling about it?'H1121H3513H1H5650H113H1H3519H113H4172H559H3068H6635H3548H959H8034H559H959H80347"When you say, 'The altar of GOD is not important anymore; worship of GOD is no longer a priority,' that's defiling.H5066H1351H3899H4196H559H1351H559H7979H3068H9598And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you're trying to get rid of—blind and sick and crippled animals—isn't that defiling? Try a trick like that with your banker or your senator—how far do you think it will get you?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you.H5066H5787H2076H7451H5066H6455H2470H7451H7126H6346H7521H5375H6440H559H3068H66359"Get on your knees and pray that I will be gracious to you. You priests have gotten everyone in trouble. With this kind of conduct, do you think I'll pay attention to you?" GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you.H2470H6440H410H2603H3027H5375H6440H559H3068H663510"Why doesn't one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. I am not pleased. The GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies is not pleased. And I don't want any more of this so-called worship!H5462H1817H215H4196H2600H2656H559H3068H6635H7521H4503H302711"I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They're saying it everywhere: 'God is greater, this GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies.'H4217H8121H3996H8034H1419H1471H4725H6999H5066H8034H2889H4503H8034H1419H1471H559H3068H663512"All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, 'Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,'H2490H559H7979H3068H1351H5108H400H95913and when you say, 'I'm bored—this doesn't do anything for me.' You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it's a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I'm going to accept it? This is GOD speaking to you!H559H4972H5301H559H3068H6635H935H1497H6455H2470H935H4503H7521H3027H559H306814"A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me—an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I'm a great king, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I'll not put up with it!H779H5230H3426H5739H2145H5087H2076H136H7843H1419H4428H559H3068H6635H8034H3372H1471
Columbus, OH
