Obstacles to the Enjoyment of God’s Love (1:6-3:12). 

        The love of God, which made Israel His firstborn (Exod. 4:22), expected respect and reverence from His children. Where these did not exist, the love of God could not be ex­perienced. This wrong attitude of the people was shown in five different ways.

        1) There was the gross disrespect shown to Jehovah (1:6-14) by bringing Him sacrifices without heart-respect ver. 7), of a quality unworthy of the Persian governor’s table (ver 8), and by treating the whole matter as indifferent and a burden ‘(ver. 12f); some even descended to gross deceit (ver. 14). Far better no sacrifices at all (ver. 10). Though the priests are specially addressed, for it was they as guardians of the altar who made such behaviour possible, it is clear that we are dealing with a widespread attitude among the people.

        This was the worse because of the growing respect with which Jehovah was being regarded wherever the dispersion extended (ver. 11). This famous verse is interpreted along three lines.

        a) The A.V. in common with most of the early Church Fathers and those moderns who tend to be traditionalists look upon it as a prophecy of the spread of Christianity. Lin­guistically this is entirely possible, but it does not do justice to the context.

        b) Some moderns, specially among the more liberal, take it to mean that Jehovah accepts all true and sincere worship and sacrifice as though it had been knowingly addressed to Him. This” would suit a treatise on comparative religion better than an exposition of the Old Testament and cannot fairly be extracted from the prophet’s language.

        c) The most likely interpretation — which does not rule out (a) as a deeper fulfilment — is that the dispersion, which even then was more zealous than those who had returned, cf. the work of Ezra and Nehemiah, was making the name and worship of Jehovah widely known. Since incense symbolizes prayer, and the offering is the minchah, the meal or gift offer­ing, which could metaphorically be applied to all gifts to God, no actual Temple sacrifices need be envisaged.

        2) The priests are then specially arraigned (2:1-9) for their neglect of their special privileges as teachers of the Law (vers. 7ff). So high do they stand in God’s economy that the priest is called the angel of Jehovah of hosts (ver. 7 — A.V., R.V. messenger; the context prevents any misunderstanding). We can see that we are in the twilight of prophecy, for the priest is now to stand alone as the expounder of the already revealed will of God. It should be noticed that the stress is not on sacrificing, which spiritually was not the chief priestly task, cf. Deut. 33:8ff, where it is mentioned last.

        3) The inhumanity of the people (2:10-16), which was a contradiction of God’s love, was specially shown in the divorce of their wives, and this became apostacy by their subsequent marriage with heathen women (ver. 11). “Malachi” is not seeking to set aside the regulations of Deut. 24:1-4 about divorce but their enforcement in their true spiritual sense, ine phrase “wife of thy youth” suggests a marriage of long standing; lf there had been anything to justify divorce, it would nave shown itself much earlier; in addition after these years it would be very difficult for her to find another husband. These divorces were just treachery. Since no woman was allowed to come to the altar, ver. 18 is a powerful metaphorical expression.

        The Old Testament obviously looks on monogamy as the ideal, and we do not get the impression from it that divorce was common; the better elements in Jewry were always against it. The famous dictum in the Mishnah, “And the School of Hillel say: [He may divorce her] even if she spoiled a dish for him, for it is written, Because he hath found in her indecency in anything. R. Akiba says: Even if he found another fairer than she, for it is written, And it shall be if she finds no favour in his eyes…” (Gitting, ix, 10) is a legal argument. These men did not act according to their argument, nor would they have encouraged others so to act.

        4) There was disbelief in the reality of Jehovah’s promises and threats and much open sin (2:17-3:6). The former reminds us of Zeph. 1:12. These will be dealt with by the coming of the Angel of the covenant (3:2. R.V. mg.), i.e. the Angel of Jehovah, in the judgment of the Day of the Lord. The promise that closes this section (3:6) may seem out of place until we remember that even the judgment of God is a sign of His love and an accomplishing of His purpose. It was the sinners that would be burnt out, not the whole people.

        5) Finally the people were withholding His dues from God (3:7-12). There can be no question of the prophet’s trying to bribe the people (ver. l0ff). It is prophetic logic that if the barrier to the enjoyment of God’s love is removed, the gifts of His love will be enjoyed as well.