Malachi 1:14

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. BUT CURSED BE THE DECEIVER - the hypocrite. Not poverty, but avarice, was the cause of their mean offerings. WHICH HATH IN HIS FLOCK A MALE, AND VOWETH, AND SACRIFICETH UNTO THE LORD A CORRUPT THING - "a male," required by law (; ). FOR I AM A GREAT KING - (); ). AND MY NAME IS DREADFUL AMONG THE HEATHEN. Even the pagan dread me because of my judgments: what a re...

I come now to the kind of fraud they practiced, _If there be, he says, in his flock a male, that is, a lamb or a ram, when he vows, then what is corrupt he offers to Jehovah_. He then means, that though they pretended some religion, yet nothing was done by them with a sincere and honest heart; for they immediately repented of the vow made to God; they thought that they might be reduced to poverty, if they were too bountiful in their sacrifices. Hence then the Prophet proves that they offered to God with a double mind, and that whatever they thus offered was polluted, because it did not proceed from a right motive. We said yesterday, that the Prophet did not require fat or lean beasts, because God valued either the blood or flesh of animals on its own account, but for the end in view; for these were the performances of religion by which God designed to train up the Jews for the end contem...

6-14 We may each charge upon ourselves what is here charged upon the priests. Our relation to God, as our Father and Master, strongly obliges us to fear and honour him. But they were so scornful that they derided reproof. Sinners ruin themselves by trying to baffle their convictions. Those who live in careless neglect of holy ordinances, who attend on them without reverence, and go from them under no concern, in effect say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. They despised God's name in what they did. It is evident that these understood not the meaning of the sacrifices, as shadowing forth the unblemished Lamb of God; they grudged the expense, thinking all thrown away which did not turn to their profit. If we worship God ignorantly, and without understanding, we bring the blind for sacrifice; if we do it carelessly, if we are cold, dull, and dead in it, we bring the sick; if we rest...

Verse Malachi 1:14. _CURSED_ BE _THE DECEIVER_] Those who act thus, as they cannot elude God's _notice_, so neither shall they escape his _curse_. _AND VOWETH, AND SACRIFICETH - A CORRUPT THING_] The history of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1, c., is a complete comment on this. It was high time to break up this corrupt service and after this time God does not appear to have paid any regard to it, for he sent them no other prophet....

CURSED IS THE DECEIVER - o “The fraudulent, hypocritical, false or deceitful dealer, who makes a show of one thing, and doth or intends another, nor doth to his power what he would make a show of doing; as if he could deceive God in doing in His service otherwise than He required, and yet be accepted by Him.” The whole habit of these men was not to break with God, but to keep well with Him on as easy terms as they could. They even went beyond what the law required in making vows, probably for some temporal end, and then substituted for that which had typical perfection, the less valuable animal, the ewe and that, diseased. It was probably, to prevent self-deceit, that the law commanded that the oblation for a vow should be Leviticus 22:19, Leviticus 22:21,

EXPOSITION VERSE 1:1-2:9 Part I. REPROOF OF THE PRIESTS FOR NEGLECT OF DIVINE SERVICE. MALACHI 1:1 § 1_. Heading and author. _THE BURDEN (Zechariah 9:1; Zechariah 12:1; see note on Nahum 1:1). The word of the Lord is heavy and full of threats, but, as St. Jerome notes, it is also consolatory, because it is not "against" but to Israel. By this name the whole covenanted nation is designated, here, perhaps, wi

BUT CURSED BE THE DECEIVER,.... A cunning, crafty, subtle man, who thinks and contrives, speaks and acts, in a very artful and deceiving manner; though some derive the word from יכל, "to be able"; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "who is able"; to bring a proper offering, a perfect lamb, as it follows: WHICH HATH IN HIS FLOCK A MALE; without spot and blemish, as the law requires: AND VOWETH AND SACRIFICETH TO THE LORD A CORRUPT THING; that was a female, or had blemishes in it; for the law required what was perfect and without a blemish for a vow; what was superfluous or deficient in its parts might do for a freewill offering, but not for a vow, Leviticus 22:18 wherefore such a man must be accursed, and such conduct must be highly resented by the Lord; had he it not in his power to do better, it might be excusable;

THE REBUKE OF THE PRIESTS CHAPTER 1:6-2:9 The priests, the religious leaders of the people, are described first in their evil ways, and rebuked. But the rebuke includes the entire people, for it is true, “like priests like people.” The Lord called Israel to be His firstborn son, and therefore, nationally, He is their Father. He is the Lord, and Israel called to be His servant. But they had not honored Him, as a son should honor the father by obedience; they did not fear Him, but despised His Name. This charge brought forth from the side of the priests another brazen statement, the result of their hypocritical self-righteousness. They answered back, demanding proof of the charge by saying, “Wherein have we despised Thy Name?” They seemed to be hardened in their consciences, though they kept up outward appearances. Such, too, is the religious condition in much of Christendom. Another char...

HATH. Hebrew. _yesh,_ See note on Lamentations 1:12....

Malachi 1:6 to Malachi 3:6. Rebuke and threatened punishment of the Priests and People Ch. Malachi 1:6-14. Rebuke of the Priests _O priests_ On them first the rebuke justly falls, because they were chiefly responsible for the ungrateful return made by the people to the love of Jehovah. But in them, as its representatives, the whole nation is addressed and reproved....