Malachi 1:1-5

God continued to love His people -- Malachi 1:1-5: The Jews had become disobedient in their sacrifices and in their living. Malachi pictured the fact that God continued to love them even in their rebellion. All that we know about Malachi is that he is God's prophet. His message is a very strong message of repentance. Malachi is the practical prophet writing about daily things like sacrificial worship, the work of the priests, marriage and divorce, tithing, and the coming of the Redeemer. Many of the things in Malachi correspond to the events described by Nehemiah. Malachi likely added to the work started by Nehemiah. Malachi used questions and answers as a great way of teaching God's message. This was a heavy message because it was described as "The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi." (Malachi 1:1) Malachi reminded the people that God continued to love the Jews in spite of their rebellion. God's love for the Jewish nation was pictured by the prophet. He chose this people to be the nation through whom the Messiah would be born. The proof of God's love for the Jews was seen in that they were His chosen nation. God rejected Esau and the nations that descended from him and chose Jacob and his descendants. Descendants of Esau could be saved but they were not the chosen nation through which the Messiah came. God gave the Jews His Law, the Temple, priests, prophets, His care and finally the Messiah. The Jews were under God's care but the Edomites experienced His wrath.