Malachi 1

Scripture Reading:  Read Malachi Chapter 1. 

Offering Crippled Cows:

Malachi 1:8 – “When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.” (NIV)

Can you imagine the uproar in the church if the giving records somehow mistakenly became public for anyone to see?  I don’t think that would be helpful or healthy.  It's a good thing that giving records are confidential in most churches. 

The Lord levels against the people of God in Malachi’s day a strong indictment.  Their sacrifices were hypocritical.  Sure, they brought sacrifices to the altar, but those sacrifices were not of much value.  They had a habit of offering the crippled cow yet pretending like they were offering the prized bull.  Their giving was, in truth, filled with hypocrisy. 

The local church might be the most notorious place for hypocrisy.  Dr. G Campbell Morgan gives us some insight here - “I am more afraid of the profanity of the sanctuary than I am of the profanity of the street.”  (Dr. G. Campbell Morgan)

The application for us today is to consider our faith as a whole.  Does my faith in private match up with the version of me that attends church on Sunday?  This challenge should also dial down our giving and serving.  Am I giving and serving out of a heart to serve the Lord or to bring attention to myself?  

Prayer:  Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve pretended to be pious.  Give me a heart of service and generosity.  Amen.