MALACHI 1:1-14 (kjv)

1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?'
"Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob,
3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland
and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."
4 Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins."
But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish.
They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD.
5 You will see it with your own eyes and say,
'Great is the LORD-- even beyond the borders of Israel!'

6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master.
If I am a father, where is the honor due me?
If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty.
"It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.
8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-- says the LORD Almighty.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.'
13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.
14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

Ro 9:10-13 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-- in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "

vs 1:6-2:9 The prophet reproves the priests and people for sacrificing the refuse of beasts; and denounces punishment against the former for not teaching the people their duty in this respect.

De 15:21 If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

Ro 2:24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

• From your understanding of the Old Testament, how had God shown love to Israel?
• Is this the kind of love that you would expect from one who says "I love you"?
• Wasn't it unfair for God to show this love to Jacob (Israel) and not Esau (Edom)?
• In what way has God demonstrated his love for us? (Rom 5:8)
• But what if your circumstances or experience conflict with the idea that God loves you? How do you deal with that?

• Why is God so picky about the quality of the sacrifices offered him?
• What might be the modern equivalent of animal sacrifices that would apply to us?
• A Christian example of "cheating" (vs 14) can be found in Acts 5:1-10. What might be other examples of "cheating" or otherwise offering low-quality service to God?
• How would you evaluate the quality of your service to God? Or how might you measure it?