Malachi 1:6-8 – “‘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?’ ⁷ You are presenting defiled ^[i]food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ ⁸ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.

In Malachi, God began by asking a chastening and challenging question: “A son honors his father, and a slave his master.”  Then, he came to the point. He took their own words and challenged them—and he still does today.

God said, “If, as you declare, I am your Father, where is the honor you should be giving me?”  He was not looking for words but the commitment of heart and obedience.   Words have power but can be empty if the heart is not in the words.  They continually said the words but kept back their hearts.

Next, He said, “You call me Lord (master); IF I am, then why don’t you have fear and respect for Me?”  They were dumbfounded.   After all, they attended church and said all the right things, wasn’t that what was required?

Defiled food on the altar.  What is that?   It is giving God second best and leftovers.  Spare Change (money and heart).  Tipping living.  They were allowing the profane to thrive and not shutting it out.  Feasting at tables, they should be overturned.   God accepts no offering that is not pure (whole-heart commitment).

In Malachi 2:17, God said, “You have wearied Me with your words.”  His statement is penetrating, “You say evil is good, and everybody and everything is okay.”  Calling evil good and good evil incurs God’s disfavor, not blessing.   

Chapter 3 reveals that the tithe is more than just the tithe. It is about obedience, commitment, love, faith, and revelation.  God invites us to put Him to the test and prove to ourselves and the world His faithfulness. Obedience in faith produces an open heaven.  The blessings promised are “until it is Beyond Enough.”  Beyond enough indicates abundance and even lavishness. 

Then, He promises that the devourer will be rebuked and restrained.   What you have and do is protected from corruption.   That means you have pure offerings that invoke more blessings and greater protection.   It becomes a perpetual cycle.  For His Glory.   Money is not the object; God is.  Fulfilling the purposes of God is.  The harvest is.  Functioning in power is.

Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith through the personal prophecies he had received.  He later spoke of imparted gifts through the laying on of hands and prophecy.  We have a commission, and Malachi reveals a pathway to God’s person, provision, and power.  Timothy shows how to function in that.

I heard in my spirit: “Give Me Your Whole Self, all you are and have, and I will give you Myself, all that I am and have.  I will open heaven, and NOTHING will be impossible or withheld from you.”  What is our part?  Obedience and faith.   We must train ourselves to expect God’s promises to become realities Now!

GOD will not receive superficial offerings but will bless and multiply pure-hearted offerings.  Therefore, we need to speak to our problems.  We are to speak the Word of God to them.  Give God your best, and He will do the rest.

May the Lord of Hosts guard and guide you today in your new journey of Faith and Victory!