MALACHI

The Lord has loved us, the Lord loves us, the Lord will always love us. Malachi 1 is about offering and sacrifices. God shows his displeasure to the priests who are ask God why their offerings are not acknowledged. The Lord was not satisfied with the man who brought to him the "defiled" animal onto his alter. It is not right to give the Lord a blind, crippled or diseased animal for offering. The Lord's name is supposed to be glorified throughout the nations but when something corrupt is given to Him, it is disrespectful and does not show how grateful we are. It should not be accepted from God. The Lord says in Malachi 1:11, "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." AMEN! :) The Lord also says that those who cheat shall be cursed when they give the weakest, smallest animal as offering instead of the finest from the flock. God continues chapter 2 of Malachi talking to the priests about cursing them since they dishonor his name. He says in Malachi 2:2, "If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,' says the LORD Almighty, 'I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me." God also says that he will maintain the curse onto their offspring, etc. He talks about Levi and God's covenant with him. His "covenant of life and peace". Levi "stood in awe" of the Lord's name unlike the priests who defile it. Levi spoke the truth and followed the Lord's instructions. God says that priests should follow after Him and preserve knowledge and seek instruction but instead they choose to turn away and therefore they have "violated the covenant with Levi". (Malachi 2:8) Because they have ignored God's ways and lived on their own they will be despised and humiliated by the nations. There comes a time