The offering aspect of Israel's cultic observance in the book of Malachi

Abstract

This study looks into Malachi’s emphasis on the offering aspect of the cult within Israel’s prophetic heritage. Malachi presents a different attitude toward offerings than his pre-exilic predecessors who spoke harshly against the cult focusing on religion’s ethical and spiritual aspects. The thesis of this study argues that pre-exilic anti-cultic statements do not diminish or reject the cult per se but a corrupted form of it conditioned historically and religiously. Malachi’s post-exilic pro-cultic emphasis presents a different context in which criticism of the cult’s corrupted usage takes place while remaining positive toward the cult itself. The key to understanding properly both anti- and pro-cultic attacks on different aspects of the cult is the covenantal relationship with Yahweh. Malachi’s positive attitude toward offerings balances the anti-cultic prophetic heritage of Israel showing that there was never a rejection of the cult, only misunderstandings and misuses of it.