Title: Sick Wealth (Mal 01:6-14)
In Contents 1:1-5, we looked at the way the fallen people betrayed God and made them sad. Although God loves us, He loves us selectively and gave His only begotten Son for salvation, but we have betrayed Him. In today's text, the fallen priests neglected to manage the sacrifices, and as a result, the people brought in sacrifices such as sickness and lameness, and they were rebuked by God.
1. A priest who despised God's name (verse 6)
The priest should always have led the people for the glory of God, but he did it according to his own convenience and his own thoughts to anger God.
(1) Unclean bread was offered on the altar (verse 7). Unclean bread is the bread that is corrupt. They offered bread that no man could eat. "How have we defiled you? For you say that you will despise the Lord's table. How is it not evil that you offer sacrifices for the blind? Is it not evil for the lame or the sick? How is it not evil to offer it? Now give it to your governor, is he pleased with you or will he accept you?" (2) He prayed to God, but he would not listen (verse 9) "I ask God for mercy, have mercy on us. Ask me, since you have done this, do I receive it from one of you?" Grace is free to receive, but if you are not prepared to receive it, you cannot receive it.
(3) It was said to be defiled (verse 13), “And they said, “How deplorable, and brought sneer and extortion, lameness, and sickness? If you bring an offering like this, will I receive it from your hand?” “Cursed is the man who offers to me by deceiving a male with a blemish in his vow” (verse 14). He said that those who don't care, cheat, or donate without sincerity should be cursed.
2. The word Jehovah of hosts appears eight times in chapter 1 of the warning of the Lord of hosts. The word Jehovah of hosts means a God who fights instead. There are several names for God.
(1) "El" (EL): used to mean capable, strong.
(2) Eloah: An object of fear, an object of respect.
(3) Elohim: A term often used in the Bible, it refers to a strong person, a powerful person, and an object of fear and respect.
(4) Yahweh: Yahweh in Korean. In Hosea 12:5, Jehovah is said to be a title of remembrance of God. The meaning exists. In other words, "I am forever myself". This signifies his eternal immutability, and at the same time, strongly expresses the meaning of fulfilling what he promised once. What is especially emphasized is the meaning of "to achieve and complete with the beginning".
(5) El-Shaddai: A compound word that means 'enough' and 'God is self-sufficient'.
(6) Tsebvaots: It is often combined with the word Yahweh. YHWH Zbau is the word for "Lord of Armies." The word Zbautsu comes from the etymology of war and army. So David used this word when he killed Goliath.
(7) Eliyon: It is mainly used in psalms, and it means “the most high believer” (refer to Heebo Kim’s [Old Testament Theological Treatise] pp.74-89). What we can think of here is a) Almighty God created the heavens and the earth and planned the work of salvation.
b) Jehovah God is the God who has completed the work of salvation.
c) And the Lord of hosts is the God who fights for us even now so that this work of salvation can be accomplished (Romans 8:26). Therefore, if the work of Almighty God is compared to the Father, Jehovah God can be compared to Jesus and Jehovah of hosts to the Holy Spirit.
3. Punishment of those who offered sick sacrifices
He said he would be cursed. Our offering can be our body, material, or worship. We will have to offer our bodies, minds, and materials to God with all sincerity to avoid God's curse.
Even today, the Lord God Almighty is helping us by force in our weakness. Don't be discouraged, let's become those who do their best to trust.