GOD'S ARBITRARINESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MALACHI 1. 1-5

Our work focused on an in-depth exegesis of the Biblical text of Malachi 1.1-5. This exegesis opened with preliminary considerations of the book in question and the establishment of the text found in the BHS. We have now understood the outline of the text, which presents us with YHWH's love for Israel and its election as both an immense privilege and a heavy responsibility; a choice by God whose deepest motivations are beyond us, the divine verdict is arbitrary, "I have loved Jacob and hated Esau" (v. 2b-3a), Jacob is called to occupy a unique position belonging to a scheme of eschatological descriptions as the ancestor of the messiah. The theology of our text proves that the God of the Bible is the God of the covenant, and his election or rejection has very specific objectives. His choice may be for an individual or for a community, to reach out to a multitude of people and bring things into harmony. We hope that our work will help to shed light in our society, and particularly in the Christian community, on the important question of God, because knowledge is a source of joy and freedom.