The Pulpit Commentary — Malachi — Section 53

Noah builde? an nltAr unto ~he Lord; and took of every clean beMt, and of every clean Jowl, and oflered burnt offermgs on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour." 'l'be opp,,~ite ~ent.iment., God finding man's oflcrings unpleasant, and even offensive reminds of Isaiah's opening reproaches, uttered in God's name: "Incense is an nbomi~ nation unto me.... Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they nro 11 trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them." The carelessness of the Levites in tho time of Malachi had been making the offerings an offence to God. It was evident enough that they were routine and formality. One sign, and the first sign, of spiritual purificntion would be that the public sacrifices and services would take a new and acceptable t.one. L THE GRACE OF GoD WHICH FINDS PLEASURE Ill' MAN'S OFFERINGS. It might have been that God only required offerings, and felt no personal concern in the offerings, as expressing the feelings of the offerers. It is the marvel of God's grace that be puts personal feeling into men'~ ac~s and relations; and by his personal feeling calls upon us to put our persona.I feeling 1nt.o those acts. Then the value of an offerin~ lies not iu what it is, but in the pleasure which it gives to God; and that pleasure depends not on its mere value, but on the feeling of the offerer which it carries. The test of every offering is this-Can God be pleased with it? Of the supreme offering of the obedient Son, God said, " This is my beloved Sun, in whom I am well pleased," Of some offer- ings the apostle could say, "With such sacrifices God is well pleased." IT. THE DUTY OF MAN TO FIND GoD PLEASURE THROUGH HIS OFFERINGS. A duty resting on (1) obligation; (2) gratitude; (3) personal affectioa. If we realize what God claims, we must seek to please him. If we realize what be bas done for us, we must seek t.o please him. And the impulses of love will surely lead us to seek to please him. What man asks by hie gifts and sacrifices is, " Make thy face to shine upon thy servant." "The essence of all sacrifice is the same in every age, No sacrifice is plea.sing to God, if not accompanied with the sacrifice of the heart and will, and of all the faculties, intellectual, spiritual, bodily, of the offerer; and no sacrifice is pleasing to God, except by virtue of its reference to the one sacrifice of the dearly beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased" (Bishop Wordsworth). Still, to God, formality is an offence; routine a weariness; hypocrisy the supreme offence; and still. to God, humility, thankfulness, trust, and love are a holy joy.-R. 'l'. Ver. 5.-Me.~si,ah's rel,ation to society sins. It is important to see that God both considers and deals with society sins as well as individual sins. Not suf!jciently is it pressed on attention, that he deab with the evils which are characteristic of aggregates of men-with sins of classes and of nations. It is in the necessary judgment of classes and nations as such that the innocent are wont to suffer with the guilty; and then the interest of the cla.ss must be seen to override the interests of the single individual. Society sins are much the same in every age. They are classed in this verse. They run riot when the religious restraint is weakened. 1. Religious deceptions. 2. Immor- alities specially bearing on family life. 3. Untrustfuln.ess in everyday relations. "False swearers." 4. Sweating the workman, and forcing down the wage of the labourer. 6. Taking advantage of the distressed to secure selfish advantage; the "widow, fatherless, and stranger." How these sine corrupt society to-day may be unfolded according to the skill of the preacher. The prophets tea.eh that whenever God manifests himself, be puts forth hie power against society sine, and Malachi declares this to be one of the most marked characteristics of Messiah. I. MESSIAH CUTS DOWN SOCIETY SINS .AS BEING FALSE GROWTHS. The farmer will go into his meadows and cut down the coarce grass, which the cattle would not eat, and whose rank growth is crusbing out the useful white clover, When a field is left uncultivated, and the good plants are left unnourished, there soon springs up a plentiful crop of weeds, groundsel, rag-wort, and thistles, and if there is to be any reviving of profitable vegetation in that field, these rank growths must be cut down. Illustrate from our Lord's dealing with the aociety sentiment concerning rabhinism, With some suciety sins the same must be done now. ll. MESSIAH BEEKS TO CLEAR THE BOOTS OF' SOCIETY BINB OUT OF' THE BOIL, Cutting off is only a preliminary to rooting out. Presently the farmer ploughs up and harrows the soil, carefully gathering the roots for the burning, Malachi, in Ood'a on. m. 1-18.] THE BOOK OF MALACHI. 5,3