Scripture Reading : Malachi 1
Theme : Love and Honour
Along with Haggai and Zechariah, Malachi wrote during the period after the Jews returned from exile. He most likely prophesized in the 5th century B.C., about one century after Haggai and Zechariah. The whole society again started to rebel against God; therefore, God sent Malachi to correct them. After Malachi, Israel did not have any prophets for almost 400 years until John the Baptist arrived around 27 A.D.
Repudiating God’s Love (1-5). The Jews doubted God’s love for them. But God demonstrates His love by reminding them that He elected them, but not Esau, which is tantamount to “hating” Esau. Paul uses this in Romans 9:13 to prove God’s sovereignty in election. God freely elects us because He freely loves us, not because there is something special about us compared to others. If God were to elect someone based on something inherent in a person, then He would never elect anyone because we all fall short of His glory. We all belong to the same fallen “lump” (Rom. 9:21), unwilling to commit to God until God enables us. So God demonstrates His love for the Jews by graciously electing them. God graciously redeems one beggar, but not another. He did not have to redeem anyone, especially in light of the high cost of redemption: the sacrifice of His son. This is highest love and mercy. A right view of God’s love is critical to our relationship with God; therefore, God addresses this problem first with the Jews.
Refusing God’s Honour (6-14). God loves Israel. He is like a master and a father to Israel. But Israel dishonours God by not treating God with the proper respect He deserves. The Jews disrespect God by offering blemished animals for sacrifice. They would never do this to their governor, how can they do this to God, the King of the world? The Jews complain these sacrifices are too burdensome. Such complain profanes the honour of God before the world because His honour is as good as the blemished animals; therefore, God has no pleasure in their outward rituals that is empty of inward love for Him.
Praying the Scripture
- If you have heard the gospel and believed then you are elected by God and loved by Him intimately. Never doubt God’s faithful love for you. This doubt is from Satan and it is a common method by which Satan will lead you astray from God, just as he caused Eve to doubt God’s love for her by suggesting God is withholding the fruit because God does not love her and does not want the best for her. God’s love has been conclusively and decisively demonstrated through the sacrifice of His most precious Son: Jesus (Rom. 8:32). No matter what situation or trial you are in, never doubt God’s love for you. But always go before the throne of grace, trust Him and plead with Him who loves you beyond measure (Matt. 7:11). Pray that God will strengthen your faith in His love.
- God is humble and reasonable. God only demands reasonable service and honour to Him. He told David that He never demanded the Israelites in the wilderness to build Him a temple because it would be burdensome to the people, even though He had the right to do it (2 Sam. 7:6-7). This is humility. All the commandments that God has given to us in the Bible are our reasonable worship of Him. God does not need our services as if He is lacking something, just as He does not need animal sacrifices and a temple. But our loving and sacrificial service demonstrate our honour for Him, which is a proper response to His love for us through Jesus. Our loving and sacrificial service also reflect the greatness and beauty of the image of God.
经文：玛拉基书1
主题：爱和尊敬
玛拉基与哈该和撒迦利亚一样，是在犹太人流放归回时预言的。他最有可能在公元前第五世纪开始预言，晚哈该和撒迦利亚一个世纪。那时，整个社会又开始对抗神，所以神差玛拉基纠正他们。以色列在玛拉基后便没有先知的出现，直到四百年后施洗约翰在公元后27年的诞生。
拒绝神的爱（1-5）。犹太人质疑神对他们的爱；神提醒他们说自己已拣选了他们，不是以扫（也就是“恶”以扫的意思）；这就是祂的爱。保罗便在罗马书9:13引用这个例子证明神在拣选人这件事上的主权。神自由地拣选我们是因为祂自由地爱我们，并非我们比别人特别。如果神要凭人的特质或成就拣选人，祂就不会选任何人，因为我们都亏缺了神的荣耀。我们同是那堆堕落的泥团（罗9:21），是无法自愿来到神面前的，除非神领我们。因此，神以恩典拣选犹太人，从而彰显了祂的爱。神在恩典中拣选一个乞丐，却不选另一个。祂不需要拯救任何人，尤其当祂必须附上赎罪的重价：牺牲自己的儿子。这是至高的爱与怜悯。若要与神建立良好的关系，我们就必须对神的爱有正确的认识。因此，神首先向犹太人解释这件事。
拒绝尊敬神（6-14）。神爱以色列。祂犹如以色列的父亲和主人，但以色列却不以神所配得的尊敬崇拜祂，从而藐视神。他们甚至献上污秽或残缺的祭物给神。倘若他们不会如此对待自己的省长，他们怎能如此轻视神，世界的王呢？犹太人埋怨献祭是种负担；这种怨言是在世人面前对神的藐视，使祂的尊贵同等于污秽的祭物一样。因此，神不喜悦他们外在的礼仪形式，因为他们的心是空虚的。他们不爱神。
用经文祷告
- 你若听了福音并信靠神，你就是神所拣选的，是神密切所爱的。不要质疑神对你信实的爱。这种疑虑源于撒旦，是撒旦普遍使用的手段，叫你离开神，如同牠在夏娃心里产生疑虑，说神之所以保留那个果子是因为神不爱她，不要把最好的东西给她。神的爱借着祂最宝贝的儿子耶稣之牺牲，坚定地、彻底地向世人展现（罗8:32）。不论你处在何等境遇或试炼中，请不要质疑神对你的爱，乃要来到那施恩的宝座前，相信、祈求那位极其爱你的神（太7:11）。祈求神会在祂的爱中坚固你的信心。
- 神是谦卑的，也很合理。神只要求我们在所能的范围内侍奉、尊敬祂。神告诉大卫祂没有要求以色列人在旷野中为祂造殿，因为即便祂有权力这么做，这只会造成人民的负担（撒下7:6-7）。这就是谦卑的表现。神在圣经中所给予的一切诫命都是我们对祂合理的敬拜。神不需要我们侍奉祂，好像祂缺了什么似的，就如祂不需要祭物或圣殿一样。然而，我们在爱中舍己的侍奉展现了我们对祂的尊敬，而这是他借着耶稣对我们之爱的妥当回应。我们的爱与舍己的侍奉也反映了神的伟大和荣美。
