The book of Malachi contains strong rebukes from God to the Israelites for their unfaithfulness and disobedience. In Malachi 1:8, God specifically calls out the priests for offering defective sacrifices, saying “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.”
This verse raises an important question – how can we as believers bring our best to God, rather than our leftovers or blemished offerings? Here are some principles to keep in mind:
We Should Give God Our Best
Throughout Scripture, the principle is clear – God deserves our highest and best. When it came to sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament, God was very specific about what He would accept. Only unblemished lambs and goats without defect were permitted for sacrifice (Leviticus 22:21). Blemished or defective animals were forbidden from being presented on the altar (Deuteronomy 15:21). Why did God require that only the best animals be sacrificed to Him? Because the sacrifice represented the person bringing it. Giving defective animals displayed an attitude of not valuing God or revering Him worthily.
King David understood this principle well. When Araunah offered to give him oxen for a sacrifice, David replied “No, but I will buy them from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). David recognized that not only should the animal itself be the best, but also that the sacrifice should cost him something. God deserves our best – not just what is convenient or comfortable for us.
We Should Give Cheerfully, Not Grudgingly
Attitude is just as important as action. This was another area the Israelites fell short in. God made this clear through the prophet Malachi “But you say, ‘How wearying it is.’ You snort at it, says the Lord of Hosts” (Malachi 1:13). Even while making their offerings, they were complaining, seeing it as an inconvenient burden rather than a joyful act of worship.
God cares about the motivation of our heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” It’s not just about checking things off a to-do list. God wants us to serve Him with gladness – a genuine willingness to put Him first in every area, including finances.
We Should Give Proportionally
The Bible challenges us to give proportionally – to put God first based on how He has blessed us. In Malachi 3:10, God says “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Tithing was the standard form of giving in the Old Testament. Giving 10% back to God was an act of worship that acknowledged His provision and demonstrated trust in His continued blessing.
Under the new covenant, tithing is not commanded, but the principle of proportional giving still applies. As 1 Corinthians 16:2 says, “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper.” The essence is this – the more God blesses us, the more we respond by generously giving back to Him. It’s a reflection of putting Him first in our lives and trusting Him to provide for us.
We Should Give Sacrificially
Christ praised the widow who gave two small coins to the temple treasury, saying “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44). To truly honor God, we should be willing to give sacrificially out of our need, not just out of our excess.
When it comes to financial giving, most of us only contribute what we conveniently can without impacting our lifestyle. But 2 Corinthians 8:3 says “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord.” Giving sacrificially means going beyond comfortable giving to giving that requires faith and trust in God.
Of course, sacrificial giving should always be done wisely and without recklessness. But the essence is this – is God worth re-arranging our priorities and giving up something valuable to us in order to generously provide for His work and advance His kingdom?
We Should Give Ourselves Fully to God
More foundational than how much we give is this question – have we fully surrendered ourselves to God? He wants us first and foremost, not just our money. Romans 12:1 urges us “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
This starts by humbly repenting of sin and receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. From that foundation, it means choosing each day to make Him the supreme priority in all areas – our time, gifts, desires, relationships, work – everything. It’s holding nothing back from His rightful claim as Lord.
When done with the right heart, financial giving naturally flows out of a life unconditionally yielded to God. But the giving on its own means nothing if He does not have all of us.
We Should Remember the Purpose of Giving
While we can never repay God or buy blessings from Him, our giving does bring Him joy and furthers His work on earth. As Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Giving generously to God demonstrates that our heart and affection are centered on the eternal, not the temporary. It displays trust that God will abundantly provide for us. And it advances the spread of the Gospel and ministry done in Jesus’ name – the only eternal investment. As believers, we have the privilege of partnering with God to make Christ known and leave a lasting legacy. Our giving should be motivated by eternal reward, not earthly return.
In summary, Malachi 1:8 reminds us that God deserves much more than our religious leftovers and token contributions. He wants all that we are and have – our best, our cheerfulness, our proportional and sacrificial giving, and our whole hearts yielded fully to Him. That is the offering that brings our Creator joy and honors Him in true worship.
