Malachi 1:13 “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.”
Revealing God
Do you remember the game “Hide and Seek”? You probably played it as a child, but have you ever played the game with kids? Sometimes they hide by simply putting their hands over their eyes. They figure if they can’t see you, you can’t see them!
That perspective is childish and funny for a game like hide and seek, but God’s people had the same attitude towards the Lord in Malachi chapter one. They felt like since they could not see God, somehow He could not see them. Is God unable to see or hear? Is He clueless when it comes to life and the world around us? To even ask the question is silly, but that was how they treated God Almighty!
High highly you esteem God boils down to your attitude and your actions. Your attitude and your actions reveal to others a God that no one has seen. No one you know has actually seen God; but everyone you know has made some judgment about God by your attitude and actions. What does the caliber of your work say about your God to those around you?
Reading through the first chapter of Malachi, you will catch the wrong attitude of the children of Israel. They were mostly characterized by questioning. Now, asking questions is not wrong, but there is no more effective tool in a rebel’s toolbox than the tool of questioning. You can never satisfy a rebel’s questions!
Not only were their attitudes rebellious, Israel’s sacrifices were inferior. They were bringing sacrifices that were torn, sickly, and lame. They brought less than God deserved and were insincere in their giving. God’s reply was, “Should I accept this of your hand?” He is the Lord of hosts and deserves the very best, but their actions did not reveal that truth.
The question to ask yourself this morning is this: Would the perfect Master be pleased with the caliber of my work and my attitude today? What do your attitudes and actions reveal about your God? Is He getting your very best? Would a lost world have a high estimation of God by watching you?