I hope you have enjoyed our study of Malachi. I thought it would be neat for us to look at some of the last words spoken by God to us before the birth of His Son. It is such a relevant word for us as we are celebrating the birth of Jesus this month.
Malachi 4 starts with a reminder that there will be a day when the Lord Jesus comes again to judge this world. For the wicked, this day shall be a terrible fire. Malachi describes the day as burning like an oven or furnace. In Malachi’s day, an oven was a large hole in the ground, and the sides of the hole were plastered. A fire was made at the bottom of the hole. To start the fire, they would put grass, thorns, twigs, etc. The items used to start the fire were called the stubble. It was quickly consumed as the fire started, so they could place the bread to cook on the side of the oven. Malachi says that the unrighteous, like the stubble, will be quickly consumed on the day of God’s wrath. Malachi also says the unrighteous will not be left - no branch or root. Remember that Hebrews tells us that God is a consuming fire. Revelation says that the kings of the earth and great men will seek out the rocks and mountains to hide. It is an awful reality that those found guilty will consciously suffer torment and torture throughout all eternity.
The things that Malachi tells us about the day of the Lord should motivate us to pray and share with the lost. Do you have any friends or family members that do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior? Put them in context of this passage. I know you do not desire for them to have to face the day of judgment without Jesus. Do not hesitate to share with them. Only God can change their heart, but you can be an instrument to share truth. Their eternal destination is more important than all your reasons for not sharing truth.
As we continue to read in Malachi 4, we see the outcome for the righteous is much different. Verses two and three brought much comfort to my heart. We have so much to look forward to. Jesus is coming again with healing in His wings. Oh, how I need to hear this. When I look at the suffering around me and the challenges in my own life, I am encouraged when I remember that there is a day coming when Jesus will wipe every tear from my eye. No more crying and suffering. Hallelujah! The best is yet to come. God’s day of justice is ahead. We will be healed from the bondage and sickness of sin. This freedom will cause us to leap like a calf that has been stall fed and is then released. We too should jump for joy as we think about what is to come for us who fear God. Even though we have much to anticipate, Malachi reminds us that today is a day for obeying. In order for us to be prepared for what is to come, we need to follow God now. Be ready. Jesus is coming again.
The last words spoken in Malachi 4 are about the curse. The curse lingered until Jesus was born and then died on the cross. He was made a curse for us, so we can experience all of God’s blessings. This is the message we must share with others. Do you remember what some of the first words that were spoken to the people after the 400 years of silence? God said through John the Baptist, “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The message is still the same today. Live it and speak it.
--Jennifer Jones, Discipleship Manager
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Malachi 3
Let's review Malachi a little, shall we? In chapter one he is telling the priests that they might as well not even sacrifice at all if they are not going to do it wholeheartedly and according to law. I always apply this to my life in the context of work. I find myself some days moving a little slow and not really giving it my all. In Colossians we are commanded to do all things to the glory of God. ALL THINGS. That is a lot of things, and if we followed it constantly it would keep us from doing the other things we should not be doing.
In chapter 2, Malachi addresses the issue of the people intermarrying with daughters of foreign gods. Uh-Oh, this a big no-no. You could apply this to attaching yourself to things that take you away from God. It reminds me of the little thing where one sin can lead to oh so many more. Scary thought but true.
Well, chapter three intrigued me for sure. I did a little summary of it to see the bigger picture. It is the prophecy of Jesus (the messenger). He will purify the priests that were sinning in chapter one, so they would sacrifice in righteousness. However, He will still judge others who are stuck in their sin. Here He beckons the priests to turn back to Him (By the way, I love that He still wants them, and He still wants us no matter what). When they ask Him how, He tells them. I love the big picture. It always looks better than a tiny piece even though all the tiny pieces are required for the full beauty. The bigger picture here is our willingness to change allows us to accept God's grace. How many times do we see it in the Word? It covered me like a blanket as I read these chapters today. He still wants me, even if I don't give Him the best He deserves. The same is true for all of us, all the time. If you are in a relationship with God, you are in a covenant with Him (like the priests in chapter 2). He wants His people that are in covenant with Him to be fully in that covenant. Turn to Him, He wants you!
-- Kristi Smith, Summer Camp Staff
In chapter 2, Malachi addresses the issue of the people intermarrying with daughters of foreign gods. Uh-Oh, this a big no-no. You could apply this to attaching yourself to things that take you away from God. It reminds me of the little thing where one sin can lead to oh so many more. Scary thought but true.
Well, chapter three intrigued me for sure. I did a little summary of it to see the bigger picture. It is the prophecy of Jesus (the messenger). He will purify the priests that were sinning in chapter one, so they would sacrifice in righteousness. However, He will still judge others who are stuck in their sin. Here He beckons the priests to turn back to Him (By the way, I love that He still wants them, and He still wants us no matter what). When they ask Him how, He tells them. I love the big picture. It always looks better than a tiny piece even though all the tiny pieces are required for the full beauty. The bigger picture here is our willingness to change allows us to accept God's grace. How many times do we see it in the Word? It covered me like a blanket as I read these chapters today. He still wants me, even if I don't give Him the best He deserves. The same is true for all of us, all the time. If you are in a relationship with God, you are in a covenant with Him (like the priests in chapter 2). He wants His people that are in covenant with Him to be fully in that covenant. Turn to Him, He wants you!
-- Kristi Smith, Summer Camp Staff
Malachi 2
Malachi is a book of prophecy and although it refers directly to two of the tribes of Israel, we can easily apply what it talks about.
Today men and women cover themselves with the name of Christ but live a life that defiles His name. They get married to the first lust they can find knowing that divorce is always a quick fix just around the corner if any problems arise. They claim that we can sin all we want and the mercies of God will cover us. Wouldn’t you agree that this is true in our day?
Through Malachi, the Lord addresses these exact issues and I believe that the sternness that He uses while talking to the tribes of Israel was just as intended for us – it should make us repentant. The irony falls when we easily claim that these things are widespread in our society, but we are slow to admit that they are just as prevalent in our lives.
We all make it know in some way or another that we are believers of Christ but we don’t ever realize that at the same time we are showing people our negative actions. The Lord literally abhors this. It not only defiles us and what we stand for, but it tarnishes His name. God is so adamant about us not doing this that he says he will “rebuke your descendants”. We must remember that we are always being watched and the ways that we act reflect on those we hold claim to.
Further, divorce is common. You may be quick to dismiss this because you are unmarried, or have never been divorced, but look at what the Lord says: “So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” So what is the “wife of your youth” I could be wrong, but I like to think that here God is referring to himself. When we first accept him into our lives we make a commitment to Him; we chose to live with Him for the rest of our lives. Multiple times in Malachi, God says that he is looking for godly offspring and if we do not stay true to our original commitment to Him not only will we be ungodly offspring, but we will bear ungodly offspring as well.
Lastly, it is so easy for us to hold so tight to mercy that we forget about how we need to act. In the last verses of this chapter God talks about how He is weary of what we keep saying: “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and He is pleased with them". We do evil and then claim that we are good and that God is pleased with us. Do you think He is pleased with us when we defile His name and forget about Him?
In closing, I want to stress that we should never dilute the effectiveness or availability of His grace and His mercy. It is always there and covers everything. At the same time, we must remember that God is a God of perfection and He calls us to that. Through Christ we are called to be perfect, and in that we must act the part. Live for Him, remain committed to Him, and honor Him. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
--Seth Gordon, Recreation Director
Today men and women cover themselves with the name of Christ but live a life that defiles His name. They get married to the first lust they can find knowing that divorce is always a quick fix just around the corner if any problems arise. They claim that we can sin all we want and the mercies of God will cover us. Wouldn’t you agree that this is true in our day?
Through Malachi, the Lord addresses these exact issues and I believe that the sternness that He uses while talking to the tribes of Israel was just as intended for us – it should make us repentant. The irony falls when we easily claim that these things are widespread in our society, but we are slow to admit that they are just as prevalent in our lives.
We all make it know in some way or another that we are believers of Christ but we don’t ever realize that at the same time we are showing people our negative actions. The Lord literally abhors this. It not only defiles us and what we stand for, but it tarnishes His name. God is so adamant about us not doing this that he says he will “rebuke your descendants”. We must remember that we are always being watched and the ways that we act reflect on those we hold claim to.
Further, divorce is common. You may be quick to dismiss this because you are unmarried, or have never been divorced, but look at what the Lord says: “So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” So what is the “wife of your youth” I could be wrong, but I like to think that here God is referring to himself. When we first accept him into our lives we make a commitment to Him; we chose to live with Him for the rest of our lives. Multiple times in Malachi, God says that he is looking for godly offspring and if we do not stay true to our original commitment to Him not only will we be ungodly offspring, but we will bear ungodly offspring as well.
Lastly, it is so easy for us to hold so tight to mercy that we forget about how we need to act. In the last verses of this chapter God talks about how He is weary of what we keep saying: “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and He is pleased with them". We do evil and then claim that we are good and that God is pleased with us. Do you think He is pleased with us when we defile His name and forget about Him?
In closing, I want to stress that we should never dilute the effectiveness or availability of His grace and His mercy. It is always there and covers everything. At the same time, we must remember that God is a God of perfection and He calls us to that. Through Christ we are called to be perfect, and in that we must act the part. Live for Him, remain committed to Him, and honor Him. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
--Seth Gordon, Recreation Director
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)