Meaningful WorshipMalachi 1:6-14

Main Idea: Despite God’s sovereign love, Israel’s priests respond with depraved actions stemming from apathetic worship.

1. Introduction: What Is Worship?
2. God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved Actions of Worship (1:6-12)
   1. Israel’s priests despise God’s name in their contribution (1:7-9).
   2. Israel’s priests despise God’s name in their commitment (1:10-12).
3. God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Apathetic Attitudes toward Worship (1:13-14)
4. Conclusion: Christ as the Image of God, Worthy of Spiritual Worship

Introduction: What Is Worship?

It is an unfortunate reality that words like excellent, devoted, and committed are almost exclusively used in our culture to describe the work ethic of athletes, career men and women, and those who take pride in their hobbies or pastimes. These same descriptors, to our shame, are often absent from our lips in describing the whole-hearted devotion of our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Indeed, if we are honest, we know that we, too, lack such devotion in our own worship and obedience.

Given the pervasiveness of human sin and the hardness of the human heart, it is not surprising that Israel likewise lacked such devotion in the time of Malachi. God had given His people the best: He had redeemed them from the Egyptians, led them through the desert, shown them the land, promised the basic necessities of life for herdsmen (i.e., milk and honey), marched them into the promised land, and conquered their enemies. But what was their response to His steadfast love for them? While one would think it would be extravagant praise and loving obedience, they instead offered Him what can only be described as worthless worship.

As we examine this text, we would do well to examine the current state of our own worship and our attitude toward the Lord to determine if it is meaningful—worthy of the God who has saved us in His Son Jesus Christ—or worthless.

First, it may be helpful to ask what is meant by the term worship. Most Christians, when they think of worship, immediately imagine singing, praying, or a certain posture. To be sure, worship will include all of these things, but it must also be more than these. Worship is an attitude of one’s heart. It’s from an old word that means “worth-ship.” It’s to ascribe to something or to an individual honor and respect. It is to proclaim their worth.

In Israel’s case (as in ours) we are talking about God. We worship God most importantly because of who He is: the supreme creator and ruler of the universe. But we also worship Him for what He has done for us. Malachi 1:6 reminds Israel that God has loved them like a father. Furthermore, the word Hosts is a military term. It refers to an army. In this case it is the army of the Lord—likely the angels. Hence, Malachi is reminding the reader that God deserves respect not only like a father of a family or a master of a house; God demands honor based on His status as the divine general of the angelic armies.

So it is clear that Israel’s God is calling for proper worship of who He is and what He has done for them. Because He has set His love upon Israel like a father upon a child, and because He is the commander of an army of angels, He is worthy of meaningful worship. Already in verse 6 we see that God is not receiving the worship due His name, and He holds the priests, in particular, responsible for this failure.

God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved Actions of Worship (Malachi 1:6-12)

God is referred to in this passage and throughout Scripture as a father. He was the Father of Israel. Why? Because He redeemed them. Like a loving father, He nurtured them. Like a loving father, He disciplined them when they were disobedient (cf. Heb 12:3-11). So God is referred to as a father, their heavenly Father. God commanded in the Ten Commandments, “You shall honor your father and mother” (Exod 20:12). Is it any wonder, then, that God as a spiritual Father expects obedience?

However, we see in the text that Israel did not obey Him as a child obeys a father. In the first place, they offered Him no honor. That word honor is an interesting word. It’s the Hebrew word kabod, which is elsewhere translated “glory.” They did not glory in Him. They did not revere Him. They did not respect Him.

Then the Lord issues a second indictment: Israel does not fear God. We must be careful not to take this word fear in the sense of being horrified or frightened. This word refers to an appropriate respect, a reverential honor for a holy God. What God is saying through the prophet Malachi is, “You have not honored Me, and you do not respect Me.”

The text clearly states that the priests were to blame. These were the religious and political leaders of Israel. That is, they were the representatives of both God and His people. They were the ministerial servants in the temple, commissioned to carry out sacrifices and lead the festivals and feasts. The depth of their failure is seen in that, despite their privileged position, they despised God.

The term despise is significant. It is the attitude of ongoing disrespect. It also refers to the act of conveying insignificance or worthlessness upon an object, idea, or individual. It is the same word used in the Genesis story concerning Esau and Jacob, when Esau thought that his birthright was insignificant, so much so that he could trade it away for stewed meat (Gen 25:34). In the present context the priests are said to despise God’s name, which is shorthand for the person, character, and work of God. They despised who God was. He wasn’t important to them anymore. He wasn’t breathtaking to them anymore. He wasn’t significant to them anymore. Even though they gave extravagant sacrifices, they considered God to be without worth, and this estimation affected the form of their worship.

Israel’s Priests Despise God’s Name in Their Contribution (1:7-9)

At the end of verse 6, Malachi asks a question that God knows the answer to. God knows their hearts, and He will show them how they have despised His name. The people ask, “God, how in the world is offering unclean sacrifices polluting to You? How is our offering contaminating, Lord?” And to this God responds, “Just look at what you’ve done!”

What they were doing was no minor sin. The word defiled or polluted can also be translated “unclean.” It is a ceremonial way of saying “unauthorized” or “unacceptable.” As we know, and as the priest should have realized, God takes His sacrifices very seriously. When Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered unauthorized sacrifices to the Lord (Lev 10:1-3), do you remember what the Lord did? He sent down fire and consumed them! But in spite of such a stark demonstration of what kind of holiness God demands, the priests here are offering unclean sacrifices to the Lord and acting as if there is nothing wrong. In verse 8 Malachi points out that the priests were offering crippled, lame, and blind animals to the Lord, even though God expected a spotless sacrifice. He didn’t want the second best. He didn’t want “good enough.” He wanted the very best they had.

When God asked the question “Is it not wrong?” the answer should have been obvious: Absolutely it was wrong! It is embarrassing that God would even have to point this out to the priests. God basically says, “Use common sense here, guys. Don’t you see that this is wrong? You should never offer this to Me, and you sure wouldn’t offer this to the governor!”

When He says, “Present that to your governor,” He uses a Persian loan word to describe this pagan leader. One commentator says,

The governor’s table was a lavishly prepared banquet that included offerings from the people. Certainly the governor would not have been pleased with the meat of blind or crippled or diseased animals. In fact, he would not have accepted it. How much more absurd it was to expect the favor of the Lord almighty with such offerings. He did not accept such sacrifices nor did he accept the priests. (Blaising, “Malachi,” 1578)

In modern times God may have reason to say something to you like this: “You offer your best to Uncle Sam, but you offer less to the work of God. You spend all your time watching college football, but you spend minimal time reading My Word. You spend all your time in your hobbies, but you devote little time to praying, seeking, memorizing, and meditating. And now you solicit the favor of God?”

This is exactly what He says in verse 9. The term ask, when woodenly translated, means, “to smooth over.” In the vernacular of today it could be translated, “butter someone up.” And as ridiculous as this sounds, we do the very same today: “God, I know I haven’t attended church in a while; I know I haven’t been faithful to read the Word; I know I haven’t given any of my resources to the ministry; I know I haven’t devoted any time to the work of sharing the gospel; and I know I haven’t memorized and meditated on Your truths. But God, would You PLEASE bless this situation at this time?” Of course this is not to suggest that we ever merit God’s favor by actually doing any of these things, but the inconsistency is appalling! Really?! Now we want to honor God and ask Him to honor us? We betray our lack of reverence, and we despise His name with such requests.

From this rebuke we can clearly see this important truth: Before God ever accepts your gift, He inspects your heart. The value of the offering is determined by the heart of the one who is offering it. Before you give anything to God, you must give Him yourself completely.

This truth reminds me of the young believer who had attended church shortly after being baptized in Africa. During part of the service, they were passing the plate. Because she was a new believer, this was an unfamiliar practice. She saw people taking money out of their pockets and their wallets and putting it into the offering plate. She, as a new believer and living in menial conditions, reached into her pockets and realized she had no money. As the plate was being passed down her row, the usher handed it to her. She didn’t know what to do so she set it on the ground, and she stood inside the plate before speaking out loud, “God, I don’t have any money but You can have all of me.” Surely this was an acceptable act of worship.

The people of Israel had despised God’s name. They had forgotten about His wondrous nature and His glorious works. He wasn’t impressive to them anymore. Therefore, they dishonored God in their contribution, and as a result they defiled His altar. Unfortunately, their trespasses extend greater than this.

Israel’s Priests Despise God’s Name in Their Commitment (1:10-12)

Notice, also, that the people disgraced God’s table in verses 10-11. In emphasizing how great His name will be among the nations, God is indicting Israel for her lack of esteem for His name. In essence, the Lord says, “Apparently My name is no longer great to you, Israel, but it will be great among the nations.”

He moves His attention to their lack of commitment in verse 12. Their service to the Lord was monotonous. It was a job to them. The priests were merely going through the motions in the temple, and God wanted to shut them off from His presence because of it. He was sick and tired of their heartless rituals and routines. He wanted no more of their prayers and hymns. He was done with their sacrifices and feasts. His desire was for heartfelt devotion, which, judging by their commitment to His worship, was absent.

Because of their actions, God would not accept their offerings. We know the full realization of this condemnation to be in AD 70 when the temple was utterly destroyed and not one stone was left upon another. It is very difficult for modern Christians to comprehend the force of this event in Israel’s history. It would be roughly similar to God saying, “Shut the doors to every church in the world. No more church. No more meetings. It’s over.” But that analogy doesn’t really convey the whole picture, because the Israelites were dependent upon the temple for everything—for their sacrifices, for the forgiveness of their sins, and for their festivals, feast days, and offerings. The temple was even the center of national banking and Jewish political power. Without the temple, the nation would cease to function.

Why would God call for such destruction? In the New Testament we find that the temple is no longer needed because Christ is the fulfillment of everything the temple offered in the life of the Israelites. But in Malachi 1, the reason is that the priests, the socio-religious leaders of Israel, were playing games with God. And when the leaders possess a lackadaisical attitude toward God, the people adopt the same mentality. But now, Malachi reports, the games are over.

We should resolve decisively today to cease the spiritual farces. Let’s be through with casual Christianity once and for all. Let’s be through with worthless worship. Let’s be through with selfish service that we give in order to get, and let’s come before the One who knows all. We can’t hide from this God. You can fool your husband. You can fool your wife. You can fool your kids. You can fool your co-workers. You can fool your Sunday school class. You can fool your pastor. But you cannot fool God. In our offerings of worship and in our commitment to obedience, may we give to the God of Israel meaningful, heartfelt worship.

God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Apathetic Attitudes toward Worship (Malachi 1:13-14)

Malachi proves that when there are listless actions, at the root is always an apathetic attitude. When your actions are tedious toward the Lord, when you’re monotonous in your rituals, it’s always stemming from an apathetic attitude. We have seen the actions; verses 13-14 reveal the attitude.

The priests had become tired of the sacrificial system. It was a burden to them. The word nuisance is used five times in the OT. It’s the same word that’s used to describe the weariness of the Israelites as they walked through the wilderness (“hardships” in Exod 18:8; Num 20:14). They were just burdened by the process. The priests had viewed their service as a system of checking boxes or punching cards and they just wanted to get their work done in order to return home to relax.

Up to this point, we’ve seen two forms of unacceptable sacrifices: the people were offering both lame and sick animals (1:8). Now God introduces a third category: those that are “defective.” They were stealing animals without paying for them. They weren’t offering the best animals they owned. Obtaining them in an illegitimate manner, they offered them up secretly. It didn’t cost them anything. And because it cost them nothing, it was no sacrifice at all. In fact, we might say that if there’s no sacrifice in your sacrifice, it’s not a sacrifice.

Worship is more than words. It’s an attitude of the heart. I believe someone’s offering and actions are connected to their attitude and, in particular, to their view of God. For when you see God for who He is and what He’s done, your worship will be affected.

This reminds me of the Archbishop of Paris. Many years ago he told the story of three young men who were traveling around Paris indulging in all the sensual appetites that the city had to offer. They sampled all the delicacies of sin, if you will, and at the end of their night, parading and carousing through the city, they found themselves on the steps of the cathedral, sprawled out in a drunken stupor. As the sun rose, the partygoers relived their escapades from the night before.

One of the men had the bright idea, “Why don’t we go inside and find a confessional booth. We’ll ask the priest to forgive us of all of our sins that we just committed by confessing them out loud.” They were going to do this in a blasphemous manner, not seeking true forgiveness from God, believing this act would be the crowning glory of a night to remember.

Invigorated by the laughter of his friends, one young man volunteered to do it. He walked into the chapel and requested the attention of a priest. He sat in the confessional booth and confessed his sins loudly one after the other in lurid detail. The confession was concluded with these words, “I know all that You did for me, and I don’t give a @!#!”

The priest, realizing what was happening, stopped him and said this to him: “Young man, I have heard enough. You don’t need to confess anything else to me. If you would like to be forgiven of your sins, you only need to do one thing. Outside of the confessional are steps leading up to an altar. On the altar is a statue of Jesus on the cross. Simply go to the statue, kneel down at the steps, look at Christ on the cross, and say these words: ‘Lord Jesus, I know all that You’ve done for me and I don’t give a @!#!’” The boy, if you can imagine, was shocked. So the priest repeated those words again to him. “You will be forgiven if you go outside, look at the cross, and say to the Lord Jesus, ‘I know all that You’ve done for me and I don’t give a @!#!’”

At this point the boy, now surprisingly sober, stumbled out of the confessional booth and into view of his friends. Wondering how the priest had responded to the vulgar confession, his partners in crime watched their friend walk toward the steps. He knelt down on the stairs, looked up to Jesus hanging on the cross, and said, “Lord Jesus, I know all that You’ve done for me. Would You forgive me of my sins?”

The Archbishop of Paris said, “I know that story is true because that story is of me.”

As long as the boy was playing games, his sacrifice and his worship meant nothing. When he was forced to take a serious look at Christ, he responded in worship. The same happens to us, too.

Conclusion: Christ as the Image of God, Worthy of Spiritual Worship

When you get a glimpse of the greatness of God, when you gain a proper perspective of who Christ is and what Christ has done for you, you’ll never again play games with God. When we see Christ as the image of God, clearly presented to us as worthy of worship and praise, we must respond with loving worship and heartfelt obedience. And because of Christ, we are able to offer these sacrifices from a pure heart. In Romans 12:1 Paul says as much:

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

Malachi was talking about Aaronic priests, a class that does not exist today. Paul says that every believer in Christ is a priest, called to offer spiritual sacrifices of worship. You don’t need an outfit. You don’t need a white collar. You don’t need a black robe. First Peter 2:5 confirms this:

You yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So you and I, as priests, offer up sacrifices to the Lord. Living sacrifices, as opposed to dead sacrifices, regularly crawl off the altar on which they are laid. So we must continually recommit ourselves to God.

Now what do we offer up? Let me briefly list five things. First, you offer up your body (Rom 12:1-2). You also offer up your finances to the Lord as a spiritual sacrifice (Phil 4:14-18). Third, you offer up your praise to the Lord (Heb 13:15). Fourth, you offer up your good works (Heb 13:16). Finally, you even offer up those who have accepted the gospel as a result of your sharing (Rom 15:16). By God’s grace, may we offer meaningful worship to the only One who is worthy of all honor and glory and praise, even among all the nations (Mal 1:11).

Reflect and Discuss

1. Who is someone you admire for their devotion to their craft? What would your worship look like if it reflected such devotion?
2. What are some characteristics of worthless worship in our own day?
3. If worship is an attitude of the heart, why did it matter what Israel brought for their sacrifices?
4. How had God shown Himself to be a father to the people of Israel? What are some other ways Israel failed to treat Him as a father?
5. What are we called to contribute in worship? How can we despise God in our contribution?
6. To what/whom are you tempted to give your highest worship—that which only belongs to God?
7. How can we often reflect the hypocrisy that Israel demonstrated in verse 9?
8. How does Matthew 22:15-22 instruct us on what we are to give God in worship?
9. How can cultural, casual Christianity resemble Israel’s defective worship?
10. How does the coming of Christ empower meaningful worship greater than was possible in the OT?