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| 1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. |
The burden – Containing not only a divine rebuke for sin, but also a divine promise for rescue. R4930:3
Serving a double purpose--to reprove and stimulate the people of that time and, more importantly, to give a general lesson applicable ever since. R3683:2
While more or less applicable at the time and to the people addressed, it was evidently intended specially for the Gospel Church. R2542:3
Word of the LORD – The last message sent by Jehovah to Israel. B249
By Malachi – "Messenger of Jehovah." R3683:2, R1537:3
The last of the Hebrew prophets. R1537:3
Malachi. the prophet, spoke for and represented Jehovah to the Israelites. R3683:1
Malachi uttered the words of his prophecy during the period of Nehemiah's absence from Jerusalem at the court of Persia. R3683:1, R2540:2, R2534:1, R4930:3
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| 2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, |
Yet ye say – The needed reformation fits equally well to our day. R4930:3
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| 3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. |
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| 4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. |
Whereas Edom – Christendom. D15
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| 5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. |
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| 6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? |
Son honoureth his father – Such love and reverence should be the greater toward God in proportion as God is great above all others. R2540:3
If they claimed God as their Father, they should render to him the love of children. R2540:3
Disrespect and disobedience to parents fosters proportionate disrespect to God and irreverence in holy things. R2540:6
Because of superior educational opportunities, children today are inclined toward self-confidence and self-satisfaction, and feelings of disrespect toward their parents. R2540:6
A servant his master – If they claimed to be God's servants, they should render to him servant's reverence. R2540:3
Ye say, Wherein – Presupposing that the majority does not realize how completely the spirit of selfishness dominates their hearts. R2540:6
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| 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. |
Ye offer – You Jews, in the days of Nehemiah's absence. R2534:1
Contemptible – Common--they had become careless respecting the things offered unto the Lord. R2541:1
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| 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. |
Ye offer the blind – And not the unblemished fatling. R2534:2
The spiritual Israelite offers the fruit of his lips in prayer and praise; but if in a perfunctory manner as a duty and not from his heart, they are blind, sick and lame offerings, which the Lord despises. R2541:1
So with some in spiritual Israel; they have consecrated but they have lost the spirit of devotion. R2541:1
Ye offer the lame – As Christendom, with an outward show of reverence, observes Lenten seasons as duty, not prompted by the spirit of love. R2542:6
Unto thy governor – Using, for illustration, the custom of that time of entreating an earthly governor for a favor by bringing a gift. R2541:1
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| 9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. |
Hath been by your means – Consider what kind of present you have brought to him. R2541:2
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| 10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. |
Who is there – "O, that there were someone." (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
Shut the doors – Lock up the doors of the sanctuary. (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
For nought – Omit these words. R2541:2
Neither do ye – "That ye might not." (Leeser, R.V.) R2541:2
Altar for nought – From the Lord's standpoint, merely formalistic religion may just as well be abandoned entirely. R2541:2
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| 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
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Shall be – The Common Version, "shall be," in the future tense, is correct; and not "is," in the present tense, as the Revised Version. R3874:2
"Is," in Revised Version, meaning God's name was great at the time of the writing of the prophecy. We have evidence that other nations, even those in idolatry, had a reverence for Jehovah--the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:7,8; 6); Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:37); Darius (Dan. 6:26, 27); Cyrus (Ezra 1:2) and Balaam (Num. 24). R2541:3
Among the Gentiles – As well as among the Jews. A69
Incense – This word is from the same root as the name Keturah. PT379:1*
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| 12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. |
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| 13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. |
Ye said also – Distorting the truth, for the truth had to be the means of giving acceptability to the counterfeit. R358:5*
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| 14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. |
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