Malachi 1:13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. 14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
This passage of scripture is an indictment against the sacrilegious practice of bringing a lame offering to God, whether it be of service to The Master or pecuniary contributions to His cause. Some of the Hebrews formed the habit of devoting that which was lame and sickly among their flocks as sacrifices to be brought to The Lord's courts, and by doing so they showed both contempt and a greatly depreciated estimation of His exalted nature and Personage. God utterly refused such offerings which were an insult to His intelligence, very much the same way in which we would refuse gifts that were given to us as unwanted leftovers fit for the garbage.
Whatever our service and offerings may be to the cause of God in the earth, they should always be the best of the very best, and nothing less, for this is in accordance with the scriptural teaching of bringing gifts or services to God. Let's read:
Leviticus 22:20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. 22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord.
2nd Samuel 24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
The habit of giving second class offerings and services to God is productive of great evil and only does harm to those who indulge in this practice. If we have pledged to serve The Lord in His courts, our service should not be done in a slip-shod manner, nor should it be performed only when we are feeling good, or only when we are encouraged by other members of the household of faith. Our service should be done faithfully and consistently with no regards to applause or ridicule, and if in the process of serving we are taunted and heckled by others who are bent on discouraging us, yet we should keep an eye single to the glory of God, by doing the very best that we can by His grace, with a meek, humble and quiet spirit.
And the same principle holds true for our financial contributions to the cause of God in the earth. We should never leave our tithes and offerings for last, after taking care of the mortgage, electricity, or water bills, neither should the car note or the college tuition take precedence over our financial obligations to God. The Lord should have the first place in our affections in every area of our lives, for as the scripture teaches us, God is greatly to be praised, not only for His merciful kindness that is renewed to us every morning, but much more for His great sacrifice for us on Calvary, so that we might have eternal life.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates the general principle which should govern our priorities, and if we are found faithful in implementing it on a consistent basis, an entirely new day will dawn in our religious experience, and we will find out for ourselves, the sacred truth which states that the blessing of The Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it. Let's read:
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!