#DailyDevotion Do You Really Love And Fear The Lord Jesus? It Will Show In Your Offerings.
September 25th
Read Mal 1:1–14
Mal 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob.” 6-9 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ (7) By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. (8) When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. (9) And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts.
The Lord loved Jacob. He chose Jacob over Esau that we may learn the love of God in that in Jesus, He chose you. The Lord had blessed Jacob and called him Israel. He gave the Israelites a great land and they rebelled against Him. When the Lord brought Judah out of exile and rebuilt the temple, what did they do? How did they respond to the great love of the Lord towards them? Instead of in faith, giving the best of the flocks and fields, they like Cain give the Lord some of their flocks and fields, and it was the flocks which were diseased and lame and not the first-fruits. The book of Hebrews says Cain gave that way because he did not offer up his gift in faith. The Jews of Malachi’s day were acting like Cain. They were not offering up to the Lord their best but their worst because they did not believe in the Lord their God. Since they did not trust Him they did not love Him and they did not offer Him the best. The Lord’s example of what would the governor do if you offered him such rubbish is simply classic. If you offered the rulers of the world such things they would have you thrashed and imprisoned and probably have all your property confiscated.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ has shown His great love for you. You have found favor and grace with the Lord the Father because of Jesus’ sacrifice in His passion and death. He has called you out from the world through Holy Baptism, placed His name on you and has given you Christ’s righteousness purely as a gift. How have you responded in thanksgiving? Jesus has not prescribed like He did Israel in the Law of Moses certain gifts, offerings and sacrifices. Yet we are impelled by the Holy Spirit to give thanks and praise unto the Lord our God, Jesus Christ. We offer our thanks and praise with the wealth He has bestowed upon us. We give to the Lord Jesus through those whom He has appointed as His representatives. Who might that be? Pastors, the poor, childless widows, and those in need.
You may say, “O but Lord, I give all my old clothes to the pastor and his kids and to goodwill. When I get a good sale on meat, I take out all my old meat and give it to the pastor or the homeless shelter. After I pay all my bills I remember you and give some of what is left over.” While the prescriptions and precepts and details of the Law of Moses no longer apply to the Church, do you not think that the principles of His mind are the same? When we make such offerings, the question is are we acting like Able who gave the best and first-fruits of his flock because he trusted in the Lord or are we giving some of our crops like Cain because we really don’t trust Jesus.
The Father has given His only-begotten Son, Jesus, the first-fruits and best, for you, that you may have eternal life.
Father, grant us such faith in Jesus’ work for us that we offer to you proper thanks and praise. Amen.