Malachi 1:9
And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
And now the priests are challenged to beseech God to be gracious, while their sacrifices show they dishonor Him as Father and Master, exposing such pleading as useless while the dishonor continues. The dishonor consists in bringing cheap, defective, dishonest, scant, grudging and inferior sacrifices — the blind, the lame and the sick — instead of giving the best freely. What would not please a governor or gain acceptance from him will not gain acceptance from the Lord of hosts. Therefore God will not regard the persons of those who do this, has no pleasure in them, knows and rejects such offerings, and will not accept an offering at their hands. Professed faith is contradicted by selfish actions.
God's grace and blessing can be received only through heartfelt repentance and reverent obedience, for blessing, happiness and well-being belong to everyone who fears the Lord, walks in His ways, and eats the labor of his hands; God is not mocked, and there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun. Withholding a suitable share is recorded in heaven and brings loss in harvests and flocks and affliction in families, so a freewill offering is needed for God's blessing on families and possessions. Favor cannot be sought through offerings obtained by corrupt means, for offerings raised through church festivals, gambling and other worldly amusements are lame and diseased, are unacceptable to God, and bring His displeasure rather than His favor.
The call to bring no marred sacrifice means service to God must be prepared with study and prayer, for He will not accept careless work offered in His presence. The rebuke applies to offerings made for worship, requiring God's people to give the best they have and to prepare a suitable, comfortable place of worship with care. Offering deficient worship is no way to gain His favor, and neglecting prayer because entertaining guests with talking and amusement has left everyone too tired to pray is likewise a lame offering; prayer should be given an unhurried, attentive place and joined with grateful praise.