Have you ever been so angry at someone that you actually hated him? We have all heard stories about hate. But I seem to remember hearing about a little girl who was so angry at another girl that she scratched “I hate (the girl’s name)” on her parents’ vehicle. I wonder how her parents responded when they saw the results of that hatred etched on their car. While we would all challenge behavior like this and try to teach our children to forgive, there are times when hate may be the right choice. Consider what God says about love and hate in our study today.
- What does it say? (Malachi 1:2-5)
The Lord told Israel that He had loved them. But they questioned that and asked for evidence. The Lord pointed to the fact that Esau was Jacob’s brother, and yet He had loved Jacob but hated Esau. He had destroyed Esau’s mountain and made his heritage a place for the wilderness jackals. And even though the people of Edom had plans to return and rebuild, the Lord promised to stop them. If they rebuilt, He would throw the buildings down. They would be called the Territory of Wickedness and the people whom the Lord would always be angry with. He promised that Israel would see this and state that the Lord would be noted as great outside of the border of Israel. - What does it mean?
The Lord loved the Israelites (Mal. 1:2).
He had loved the Israelites. God’s relationship with the Israelites began long before Jacob was born. God had promised to bless Abraham’s descendants. This promise included a special relationship between God and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. As you may recall, Jacob was a twin and was born second. However, through some deceptive means, he received the blessing meant for the first-born son from his father, Isaac. He later married and fathered twelve sons who later became the twelve tribes of Israel. The story of his life is very interesting and can be found in Genesis 25-47.
Despite his family’s many failures, God loved them and constantly worked with them. After many years in Egypt, He delivered them from slavery, took them through the wilderness, worked with them through the period of the judges and kings, sent them into captivity, forgave them, and brought them back into the land.
He knew they were oblivious. In the Book of Malachi, God answers a number of questions He knew Israel was thinking. This is the first one: “In what way have You loved us?” It seems that the Israelites were not seeing God’s love because of the struggles they were going through. As they lived under the rule of a foreign governor, had to pay taxes to them, and struggled to exist in a land that had been destroyed, they felt slighted not loved by God. And yet, God did love them. They just didn’t see the big picture.
The Lord hated the Edomites (Mal. 1:3-4).
He hated Esau. In an attempt to answer their question, God compared His love for them to His hatred for the Edomites. He had loved Jacob and hated Esau. If you are unfamiliar with the story of Esau and Jacob, you can read most of their history in Genesis 25:19-34 and 27:1-46. Suffice it to say that both were not very good people. But after a period of testing, Jacob had a change of heart after interacting with God. Esau, on the other hand, never showed a desire to love and serve the Lord. This may explain the reason why God loved Jacob but hated Esau.
Esau’s descendants lived in the land of Edom (which is related to the word for red). This name was given to Esau because of the red stew he got from Jacob in exchange for his birthright (Gen. 25:29-34). The people of Edom didn’t have a good relationship with Israel. When Israel came back to the land, the Edomite king would not let them pass through his land (Num. 20:18-21). Saul fought against them (1 Sam. 14:47). Doeg the Edomite killed eighty-five priests (1 Sam. 22:18). Hadad the Edomite fought against Solomon (1 Kings 11:14). They worshiped false gods (2 Chron. 25:14). They had kidnapped tried to kill Israelites (2 Chron. 28:17; Amos 1:11). They were eventually judged by God (Isa. 34:5; Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 25:12-14).
For these reasons, God hated Esau and his descendants. The people of Edom proved to be ungodly, unkind, and unbelievers. Because of these things, God chose to judge them.
He destroyed the land of Edom. While I don’t know all of the details, it would appear that when God sent Babylon to judge Judah, the surrounding lands were also affected. Feinberg says that “the Chaldeans had invaded their country five years after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.”1 Why did this happen? Edom’s territory was destroyed because of their own sins and for their violent hatred for Israel. The land was laid waste and became an empty place where jackals lived. The surviving Edomites wanted to rebuild their cities but God would not let them.
God’s hatred for the Edomites was displayed at the end of verse 4. He stated that they might try but that they would fail. God would be against them, and He would throw down anything they attempted to build. He would always be angry with them because He considered Edom to be the “Territory of Wickedness.” They were knows as this “because of the sin that characterized their national life and that brought God’s judgment upon them.”2 This name “contrasts with ‘the holy land.'”3 Israel was to be known as a place of holiness for God while the demolished cities of Edom would be known for wickedness that had been judged by God.
The Lord was magnified elsewhere (Mal. 1:5).
He would be magnified when they saw Edom’s judgment. Remember how the Israelites had asked how God had shown His love for them? The truth is that both Israel and Edom had been judged by God. But there was a difference. Only Israel had been brought back to thrive once again. Edom would not rebuild and succeed because of God’s intervention. As the Israelites watched from a distance, they would be able to recognize God’s love for them in contrast with his hatred for the ungodly Edomites.
He would become noticed outside of Israel. The end result of this contrast between Israel and Edom would be that God would be magnified beyond the border of Israel. In other words, when other people saw God’s love for Israel and the fulfillment of His judgment against Edom, they would have a magnified view of God. Imagine those who had suffered under the brutal violence of the Edomites. As they saw the Edomites’ destruction and as they understood that God had promised that this would happen, He would become great in their minds. His reputation to those outside of Israel’s boundaries would be magnified even more than it already was. - How does it apply?
The main thing revealed in these verses is God’s love for Israel in contrast to His hatred of Edom. Hearing that God loved and hated certain people may come as a surprise. This leads us to several questions.
Why does God hate certain people?
Malachi did not misspeak when He revealed God’s words. God specifically used the word hate to describe his relationship with Esau and his descendants. The Hebrew word for hate “depicts personal hostility, aversion, or rejection.”4 When you look at the context of the passage, it is apparent that God was hostile toward Esau. He destroyed the land of Edom and promised to keep them from rebuilding. It sounds like hate to me. But why did God hate Esau and his descendants?
The truth is that God gave Esau every opportunity to repent. But Esau was not interested in turning from his sins to God. He chose to marry Hittite women and grieved his parents (Gen. 26:34-35). His descendants followed in his footsteps and were often violent toward the Israelites despite God telling the Israelites to treat them like a brother (Deut. 23:7). So, it would seem that Esau and the Edomites earned their bad relationship with God.
Does God still hate people today? That is a sobering question. But it deserves an answer. Consider the following explanation:
“When the Bible does speak of God’s hatred, the object of His hatred is sin and wickedness. Among the things God hates are idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22), child sacrifice, sexual perversion (Leviticus 20:1–23), and those who do evil (Psalm 5:4–6; 11:5). Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things the Lord hates: pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false witnesses, and troublemakers. Notice that this passage does not include just things that God hates; it includes people as well. The reason is simple: sin cannot be separated from the sinner.”5
Think about that for a moment. God is holy. That means that He is completely without sin. He loves holiness and righteousness because it is part of His character. But He hates wickedness and all variety of sinfulness. The New Testament reveals that God’s wrath has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteous living because it is a rejection of what He has revealed (Rom. 1:18-19). God’s hatred for sin and those who practice it will eventually lead him to separate those people from His presence and to sentence them to the eternal lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). This understanding of God’s hate leads us to a second question.
Why does God love certain people?
The Bible often speaks about God’s love for people. When the world was going to be destroyed by the Flood, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. When David was convicted of being an adulterer and murderer, God was merciful. When the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus graciously offered him paradise. In each of these examples, God loved the sinner and provided mercy and forgiveness. The question, though, is why?
Malachi tells us about God’s love for Jacob. He loved Jacob but hated Esau. Why did God love Jacob? On the surface, it would seem that God loved Jacob because he responded properly to God. But in Romans 9:10-13, Paul says that God chose to love Jacob before he was born and before he had done any good or evil. Somehow, God chose to love Jacob despite his own sinfulness and bad character. But God never explains why.
Do you have any indication that God loves you? If you are honest, you would have to say that you are, like everyone who has ever lived, a sinner who deserves a hostile relationship with God and eternity in the lake of fire. None of us deserves to be loved by God. And yet… the Bible tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This means that despite our sinfulness against God, He loved us enough to send Jesus to pay for our sins with His own blood. When He died on the cross, our sins were paid for, and forgiveness was made possible.
We may not be able to understand why God did this for us. But we know that He did. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Today, as you understand this truth about God’s love, will you turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus. Only then, will you be forgiven by God and be able to experience His love for you.
Conclusion
Do you remember the question that Israel asked God in Malachi 1:2? They asked, “In what way have You loved us?” As you consider the things we have discussed today, you have been given the answer to that question. In what way has God loved you? God showed you His love for you by sending Jesus to die for your sins. Let that wonderful truth about God’s love comfort you today.
Bibliography
Blaising, Craig A., “Malachi” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1985.
“Does God hate? If God is love, how can He hate?” as viewed at https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=1103 on 6/28/2025.
Feinburg, Charles, The Minor Prophets, Chicago: Moody, 1990, orig. 1948.
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. III Proverbs through Malachi, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
“Who/what is Edom (Obadiah 1:1, 8)?” as viewed at https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=3113 on 6/28/2025.
Wolf, Herbert, Haggai Malachi Rededication and Renewal, Chicago: Moody Press, 1976.
Footnotes