Where Is My Honor?

CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING GOD’S DISAPPOINTMENT Disappointment is the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations. It is similar to regret, but slightly differs in a sense that, a person feeling regret focuses primarily on the personal choices that contributed to a poor outcome, while a person feeling disappointment focuses on the outcome itself. Not very often does one read in the Bible about God being disappointed in His people. Not many biblical authors focused their writings on the priest’s disobedience to God and His disappointment in them. However, in the Book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, that is exactly what we see happening. God appears to be disappointed in His people for different reasons, and the author wants us to know that and to see if we can avoid the mistakes made. Basically, the Book of Malachi was written to correct the lax religious and social behaviors of the Israelites – particularly the priests – in post-exilic Jerusalem. In this book, we also read about the people of Israel questioning God's love for them. The introduction to the book of Malachi illustrates the severity of the situation which is addressed therein. The writer accuses his audience of failing to respect and honor God as He deserves. One way in which this disrespect was made manifest was through the substandard sacrifices, which were being offered by the priests. While God demanded animals that were "without blemish" (Leviticus 1:3), the priests, who were "to determine whether the animal was acceptable", were offering blind, lame and sick animals for sacrifice, because they thought nobody would notice. God, according to Malachi, noticed and was disappointed. In 2:1, Malachi states that, Yahweh Sabaoth was sending a curse on the priests who had not honored Him with appropriate animal sacrifices: "Now, watch how I am going to paralyze your arm, and throw dung in your face--the dung from your very solemnities--and sweep you away with it. Then you shall learn that it is I who have given you this warning of my intention to abolish my covenant with Levi, says Yahweh Sabaoth." In 2:10, Malachi addresses the issue of divorce. On this topic, Malachi deals with divorce, both as a social problem ("Why then are we faithless to one another ...?" 2:10), and as a religious problem ("Judah ... has married the daughter of a foreign god" 2:11). In contrast to the book of Ezra, Malachi urges each man to remain steadfast to the wife of his youth. Malachi also criticizes his audience for questioning God's justice. He reminds them that God is just, and therefore exhorts them to be faithful as they await that justice. Malachi quickly goes on to point out that the people have not been faithful in their relationship with God. In fact, the people are not giving God all that God deserves. Just as the priests have been offering unacceptable sacrifices to God, the people have been neglecting to offer their full tithe to God. The result of these shortcomings is that, the people had come to believe that no good comes out of serving God. Malachi assures the faithful among his audience that, in the eschaton, the difference between those who served God faithfully and those who did not will become clear. The book concludes by calling upon the teachings of Moses, and by promising that Elijah will return, prior to the Day of Yahweh.