Malachi 1:1 The burden[a] of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

The prophet Malachi was the last inspired messenger who predicted the advent of Christ. This prophet was a transitional link between the Old and New Testaments, rather than the last of the Old Testament prophets. The prophet Malachi prepares us for what takes place in the New Testament. God was about to turn from His ancient people. He complained of their profaneness, that instead of offering pure sacrifices, they offered the blind and the lame. (ver 8) He blames the priests; it was their responsibility to exclude every sacrifice that had the least blemish about it. These imperfect sacrifices were not excluded by the priests, and the people brought the blind, the sick and the lame, as offerings. Because of this God is turning to the Gentiles and letting them be His people through the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God says have I not loved you yet what is your response.

A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts - Malachi 1:6

1. Focus on the Father’s mission – Don’t you know I am on my Fathers business
2. By obedience – Obedience unto death, Not my will but Yours

1. Be faithful in what was entrusted to him – Joseph in Potifero’s house 
2. Completing the task – the parable of the talents

To the priests He says:

To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' ⁷ You offer defiled food on My altar,But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?'By saying, 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.' ⁸ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? - Malachi 1: 6 - 8

The attitude of the priests is a form of disrespect to God. Even though they know the correct thing to do, they see proper sacrifice as too much trouble (Malachi 1:13). The effect of their mindset is described using the Hebrew word mehal'lehim', which implies staining, wounding, or polluting. In other words, God is not only being insulted, His reputation is being damaged among other people. This is as true today as it was then. When the world sees a believer treating God with contempt, it demeans Him.

The priests are serving up defiled spiritual gifts from the pulpit. They accept whatever the people bring and call it good to please them. Try the same with your Boss and see what happens: ⁸ Yet you ask for God’s favor…  ^9-10 Will God accept and look favorable at such offerings.

"For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations" Says the LORD of hosts. - Malachi 1:11

The ordinary translation in modern versions of the Hebrew "'olah". This term does not mean literally "burnt offering," but "what is brought up" or presented to the Deity. The burnt offering, along with the others described in Leviticus 1-7, was offered on the bronze altar of burnt offering, the plans for which God gave Moses in the Book of Exodus.

Worshipers brought their animals to the priest and laid their hands on them before they were killed and sacrificed (v. 4). A psalm may have been sung at this time, along with a confession of sin, but Matthew Henry explains the most significant thing that happened at this point. The laying on of hands signified “(1.) the transfer of all [the worshiper’s] rights to, and interest in, the beast, to God, actually, and by a manual delivery, resigning it to his service.

Two things unique to burnt offering:

1. No benefit to the offeror

The burnt offering was a whole “burnt offering,” which was totally consumed on the altar. Most of the sacrifices benefited the offerer and the priests, in addition to being pleasing to God. The burnt was different, no one else got anything out of it. It was all for God.

Meat was a rare luxury back then, so it was costly to burn an entire animal on the altar without giving any part of it to anyone but the Lord. This is exactly what happened with the burnt offering (vv. 9b, 13b, 17b).

Ex: Is your worship to show how well you can sing? Is it to compare ad say you are better than someone else? When you come to worship your heart has to be free from such thoughts but focus on lifting up God

2. Always of the highest quality

The animal to be offered in the burnt offering was always to be of the highest quality. A bull, a sheep, or a goat, were all livestock of considerable value. 28 With the exception of the birds which could be offered for a burnt offering, the animal must be a male of the flock (v. 10) or the herd (v. 3).29 The animal was to be young, not a old, unproductive, useless creature, fit only for soup or for the proverbial "glue factory". In fact, it is my impression that the animals were just at the point where they would begin to "pay for their keep". It truly would be a sacrifice to offer up an animal which one had raised, which was about to be productive, and was thus valuable.

Ex: Always focus your attention to be the best worshipper. Take time to prepare, practice and honor God by giving your best.

1. Pure (motive) – without blemish
We see in Leviticus that before the sacrifices were offered they had to be carefully scrutinized by the priest and the inward parts laid open. What we offer God must be a pure offering; where are we to find it? When God lays bare our hearts can we find purity there.  It is the purity of the offering that constitutes its value. We find that God is very pure and very holy; He condemned the Jews for their offerings because they offered in sacrifice beasts that had blemishes.

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. - 1 Peter 2:1

2. Bring your burnt offering (as seen above)

• Always bring to God your best. Your best strength, wealth and time.
• Expecting nothing in return. No glory, recognition, wealth, prestige, etc.

3. Humble / sincere – from the heart

⁶With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? ⁷Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ⁸He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:6-8

My son give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways – Proverb 23:26

Conclusion:

Frank Martin (15 September 1890 – 21 November 1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands. Upon completion of Mass for Double Choir in 1922, he set the work in a drawer, where it remained unperformed for nearly 40 years.  It wasn’t until the title of the work was uncovered in a discography by a German conductor, that the work was pulled out of the drawer and performed.

In some correspondence that Martin had regarding the Mass, he says: "This Mass, was a work of my own free will, without commission or remuneration… As far as I was concerned it was a matter between God and myself." 

In other commentary, he said, "I did not at all desire that the work be performed, believing that it would be judged entirely from an aesthetic point of view, the expression of religious sentiments, it seems to me, should remain secret and have nothing to do with public opinion."

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; - Jeremiah 9:23

This kind of sacrifice is what God calls for from those who would be true disciples. Disciples are those who give up all to follow Christ. They are to count the cost of discipleship, and then to gladly pay it. When we give ourselves to God, as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), we are to do so totally, without reservation, so as to be pleasing to Him. May God enable us to practice this kind of sacrifice in our own lives.

Let us seek God’s approval as our highest priority, and let us forsake all, including self-seeking and self-love to attain it. It is in giving up our life that we gain life. As Christians, no motive should be stronger than that to please God, of hearing Him say to us in that day, "Well done, good and faithful servant".