There was a problem in Israel. The people were not giving God the honor He deserved. This was evident in the poor quality of sacrifices that the people were bringing to the temple in Malachi’s time (400 B.C.). Because of this, God speaks through the prophet Malachi, “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’” (Malachi 1:6)
The problem starts with the priests. God addresses them here, “O priests who despise My name.” The message here is addressed to the priests directly, but because of their failures the nation of Israel was also guilty. And Israel invites God to present the case here when they respond, “How have we despised Your name?” So God says, You asked, let me tell you.
The regular sacrifices the people brought God were supposed to praise Him for what He had done for them as well as cleanse their sins before Him. The sacrifices had different purposes. Some were for forgiveness and acceptance while others were for dedication and celebration. We don’t know exactly which sacrifices Malachi is describing here (Sabbath offering, New Moon, Passover, Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur). But the occasion or specific example was not important. What was important was doing the sacrifices in the right way.
The offering had to pass two important tests that only the people bringing them and God would know. It had to be the first of the flock and it had to be the best of the flock. To bring God a poor-quality offering revealed that you thought of God in a poor manner. In other words, “the quality of the gift indicates the value the giver places on the one receiving the gift.”[1] The sacrifices had to be perfect, also because those sacrifices pointed to the perfect Lamb of God who would in the future die for the sins of the world (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 10:1-14). If those sacrifices weren’t perfect how could they predict the perfect sacrifice: Jesus Christ the Son of God!
It’s important to note that no one was ever saved in Israel because they brought sacrifices to God. The sacrifices were a way to maintain their relationship with God. Nowhere in the Old Testament does it say that someone followed the Law and he or she was saved. The Law and sacrifices were a means of sanctification, not salvation. Salvation came through faith in God (see Gen 15:6). Sanctification came through animals and offerings.
While we who live under the new covenant and not under the Old Testament Law no longer bring sacrifices to the temple to atone for our sins, we are still expected to bring the best of what we have to God. We must give God our best. We should dedicate a portion of our time where we are the most awake, alert, and attentive to Him to read His word and to pray to Him. We need to make it a priority to give financially to church as one of the first things we do when we are paid. We need to make it a priority in our week to gather with God’s people—the church—in fellowship each week. We do these things because God deserves our best.
[1] Allen Ross, Malachi Then and Now (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 51.