Mal 1:2-3 | MHM | STEP | v. 2 : God begins by reminding Israel of his great love: I have loved you, saith the Lord . God wants his people to remember that everything he does comes from his love. He has always loved them, just as he said long ago: I have loved thee with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3 ). Even when he corrects them, it is because he loves them (Revelation 3:19 ). But Israel has not returned God’s love or acted thankful for all he has done. The people question God’s love and complain, Wherein hast thou loved us? Instead of being grateful, they ignore or forget his kindness. This attitude is wrong, because God’s love is clear in everything he has done for them. It offends God when his love is doubted or treated as unimportant. v. 2-3 : God proves his love by reminding them that he chose Jacob (Israel) and not Esau (Edom). Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord : yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau (Malachi 1:2-3 ). God gave special blessings to Jacob’s family, but not to Esau’s. This shows God’s right to choose and his generous love. Paul explains this in Romans 9:13 and Genesis 25:23 . God’s gifts and promises to Israel prove his love.

‏ Malachi 1:2-3

v. 2: God begins by reminding Israel of his great love: I have loved you, saith the Lord . God wants his people to remember that everything he does comes from his love. He has always loved them, just as he said long ago: I have loved thee with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3 ^a). Even when he corrects them, it is because he loves them (Revelation 3:19 ^b). But Israel has not returned God’s love or acted thankful for all he has done.

The people question God’s love and complain, Wherein hast thou loved us? Instead of being grateful, they ignore or forget his kindness. This attitude is wrong, because God’s love is clear in everything he has done for them. It offends God when his love is doubted or treated as unimportant.

v. 2-3: God proves his love by reminding them that he chose Jacob (Israel) and not Esau (Edom). Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau (Malachi 1:2-3 ^c). God gave special blessings to Jacob’s family, but not to Esau’s. This shows God’s right to choose and his generous love. Paul explains this in Romans 9:13 ^d and Genesis 25:23 ^e. God’s gifts and promises to Israel prove his love.

v. 3-4: God shows the difference between his treatment of Israel and Edom. He destroyed the land of Edom and left it in ruins, while Israel was rebuilt after trouble. The Edomites said, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places (Malachi 1:4 ^f). But God said, They shall build, but I will throw down. Edom’s punishment would last, showing that God’s anger is real against those who oppose him. Israel, even if punished for a time, would be helped again. This is further explained in Isaiah 34:6,11 ^g and Psalm 137:7 ^h.