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Where is the Love? (Mal. 1:1~5)

2015.08.16Mike Lee

God's heavy word to Israel begins with the declaration 'I have loved you.' His love is not earned, it protects His people from their enemies, and it leads them to rejoice and give Him glory.

Malachi's heavy word rests on God's comfortless-looking love

Malachi is a minor prophet who appears after the Israelites' exile. The people had returned home, the ruined temple had been rebuilt, and the sacrificial system was reestablished, yet they had become comfortable and indifferent toward God. The word translated oracle can also mean burden, a message heavy and hard to bear. Yet God does not begin with accusation. He begins with the words 'I have loved you,' a relational love written in the perfect tense. It means God loved them, and still loves them, regardless of what they had done.

God's love begins with 'I have loved you' (vv. 1-2)

When the people answer, 'How have you loved us?', their words reveal rebellious hearts that reject God's love and treat it as a slap in the face. God's love is not a reward for good performance. It is a love that pursues people who have not earned it. The prophet's message is built on the continuous love God has shown throughout Israel's history, from beginning to end. Even before the law confronts them, God gives them the gospel and speaks of His love face to face.

God chose Jacob not because of who he was (vv. 2-3)

God compares His love for Jacob with His rejection of Esau, a story rooted in Genesis 25 and echoed in Romans 9:13 and Hebrews 12:16-17. The word hate here does not mean literal hatred but a choice that sets one above the other, as Jesus speaks in Luke 14:26 about loving Him above everything else. The question is not why God rejected Esau but why He chose Jacob. That is the gospel: Christ chose us not for our achievements but because we are His children, like children adopted from an orphanage who were chosen out of love and not merit.

God's protection over Israel shows His love (vv. 3-4)

God gives Israel concrete proof of His love by protecting them from Edom, their longest-standing enemy, who had opposed them from Exodus through the days of Saul, David, and the prophets. No matter how hard Edom tried to rebuild, God would tear down what they built. The Israelites failed to see God's hand protecting them, and we often forget His provision in our lives as well. Like Edom, we also try to build our own city by our own strength, but Christ came to save sinners, and God still gives us time to repent.

Responding to God's love with rejoicing and praise (v. 5)

God's evidence of His power calls His people to declare, 'Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel.' To be loved by God means knowing that He reigns and that His purposes cannot be frustrated by human wickedness. Israel was chosen to be a missionary people so that His name would be exalted to the ends of the earth. We have received the greatest gift, salvation, and we are not called to keep it to ourselves. The right response is to love Him back, sing passionately, give generously, and serve diligently.

Apply to Life

  • Let us receive God's love in faith, even when we have not earned it, and love Him in return.
  • Let us look back over our lives and recognize God's protection and provision that we have so often forgotten.
  • Let us examine our own pride and stop trying to build our own city apart from God, turning to Him in repentance.
  • Let us take part in God's mission by praying for and serving beyond these walls, so that His name is proclaimed.
  • Let us declare with our lives that our God is great, singing, giving, and serving with a heart that is not apathetic.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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