God Motivation and the Favorite Verses

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”
(Malachi 1:2-5)

These are the most popular verses in all the Bible.  When people sit down and think, "What should I read from God's Word today?," they flip to Malachi 1, cock their heads to one side, smile, and say, "Now isn't that beautiful."  Maybe not.  The problem that many will face in reading this (and probably the tension that everyone should feel) is in accepting the fact that God talks about hating someone...other than the devil, of course.  And though we could try to sort all that out and need to consider it, we don't want to miss the big thing that God was communicating to His people.

This passage contains one of many questions that are asked in the book of Malachi.  The people had heard that God loved them and they wanted proof that such was true.  That's when God gives them the answer that makes Christians cringe, "I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated."  (The first part is looked at by us, and we say, "A+ God...good job!" and the second part we do a read-cough through so that nobody hears clearly what is said.  God, after all, doesn't mind that we take Him off the hook now and then.)  But what we are told here and need to see about God's love is that He has proven it.  He has said to Jacob's heritage, "I chose you.  I looked at you and wanted you before you even had awareness."  If your heart or mine is tender to that kind of statement, we need to know that such love can be ours.  It's not exactly the kind of linear thinking that most of us enjoy operating in, but it's true nonetheless; and, if we are willing to accept it, it's beautiful.

The aim of the prophet Malachi was to get God's people to see how great God's love and might were as He exercised such things on their behalf.  They were to be swept up in humble, jubilant praise as they considered how great God was beyond the border of Israel.  We don't need to run with the "God hates Esau" phrase in some weird, reckless way and end up thinking (like many in Israel did) that the individuals that don't have Hebrew blood in them are outside of God's redemptive plan.  Good grief, there are "pagans" in the lineage of Jesus who came to know the wonders of God and realize His love as they walked with His people.  What we need to know is that God's love is deep and not washed out and takes aim and isn't based on our measuring up.  We need to look at our own state as those not of ethnic Israel and declare, "Great is the LORD beyond the boarders of Israel!"  If God is our motivation for what we say and do instead of something we try to muster up or reason out in ourselves, such will the cry of our hearts.