Thursday

Malachi 1: 6 – 17
"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?'

"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.
Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

"But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.

"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

In the streets of Monrovia, Liberia, young men push brightly painted carts with the words “COW MEAT” crudely lettered on the side. For a few cents, you can buy a bite of cooked meat on a toothpick to eat. In a poor African country, without the luxury of USDA food and sanitation inspectors, your bite of “cow meat” might easily be a morsel of dog, monkey, snake, or rat. Buyer, beware!

The prophet Malachi saw the way that priests and worshippers tried to cheat God. Instead of blemish-free, perfect animals, they were trying to pass off lame and sick animals as acceptable sacrifices. Their shoddy offerings were an insult to God and to the One Who would be the perfect sacrifice for sin.

How often have we tried to substitute lazy, “it will do” attitudes in worship for the real “cow meat” of true devotion and respect to a Holy God? This “lame, diseased” offering is an insult to the “great King, the Lord of Hosts.” He takes “no pleasure” in it.

Dear God, please forgive us, for Jesus’ sake. His sacrifice was pure, unblemished, and entirely sufficient. Thank you, Lord Jesus, the perfect Lamb.

DB