13th February 2017 - The bible - Book of Malachi
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The book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written around 430 BC. It addresses issues of the priests not properly conducting sacrifices and the people of Judah not tithing as required. Malachi warns that God will send a messenger to prepare the way for his coming. The book ends with a warning of God's coming judgment but also hope in Elijah preparing people's hearts and God's promise to bless the faithful. Overall, the book emphasizes that God sees humanity's disobedience and calls the people to repent and return to properly worshipping God.
13th February 2017 - The bible - Book of Malachi
- 1. The Bible - Book of Malachi – 13th February 2017 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’“In tithes and offerings...”(Malachi 3:8). We can readthat Malachi 1:1 identifiesthe authorof the Book of Malachi as the ProphetMalachi. The Bookof Malachi waswrittenbetween440 and 400 B.C. Malachi is the lastbook of the OldTestament and isa bookof PropheticOracle.Itisa post-exilicbook,meaningitwaswrittenafterthe returnfrom captivityinBabylon.The prophetMalachi wrote itapproximately430 B.C.Keypersonalitiesinclude Malachi andthe priests.The purpose of thisbookisthat Malachi wrote to ensure thatthe heartsof the Jewswasrightand that theywere keepingGodfirstintheirlives. The Book of Malachi isan oracle:The wordof the Lord to Israel throughMalachi This wasGod’s warning throughMalachi to tell the people to turnbackto God. As the final bookof the OldTestamentcloses, the pronouncementof God’sjustice andthe promise of Hisrestorationthroughthe comingMessiahis ringinginthe ears of the Israelites.Fourhundredyearsof silence ensues,endingwitha similarmessage fromGod’s nextprophet,Johnthe Baptist,proclaiming, “Repent,forthe kingdomofheaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). Malachi wrote the wordsof the Lord to God’schosenpeople whohadgone astray,especiallythe priests whohad turnedfromthe Lord. Priestswere nottreatingthe sacrificestheywere tomake toGod seriously.Animalswithblemisheswere beingsacrificedeventhoughthe law demandedanimalswithout defect.The menof Judahwere dealingwiththe wivesof theiryouthtreacherouslyandwonderingwhy God wouldnotaccept theirsacrifices.Also,people werenottithingastheyshouldhave been (Leviticus 27:30, 32). But inspite of the people’ssinandturningawayfromGod,Malachi reiteratesGod’slove for His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and Hispromisesof a comingMessenger (Malachi 2:17–3:5). The book of Malachi isfoundas 4 chapters: Inthe firstthree chapters1-3, Malachi identifiedthe sinsof the Jews,includingtheirpriests. He prophesiedthatGodwouldsendamessengertoprepare the way referringtoJohnthe Baptist, “Iwill send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenlythe Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.”(Malachi 3:1).Finally,he addressedthe topicof tithesand offeringandthatwe are stealingfrom Godwhenpeople disobeyit. We can learnthisfrom Malachi 3:8- 10, “Will amere mortal rob God?Yet you rob me.“Butyou ask, ‘How are we robbingyou?’“Intithes and offerings. 9 Youare under a curse—yourwholenation—becauseyouare robbingme. 10 Bring the whole tithe intothe storehouse, that there may be food inmy house. Test me inthis,” says the LORD Almighty,“andsee ifI will not throw openthe floodgatesofheaven andpour out so muchblessing that there will not be room enoughto store it.” Finallyin chapter4, andthe lastchapterof the OldTestament,Malachi addressed,“the greatand terrible dayof the Lord” as we can learnfrom Maalachi4:5-6, “See, I will send the prophet Elijahto you before that great and dreadful dayof the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,andthe hearts of the childrento their parents; or else I will come andstrike the landwith total destruction.” Here the prophet teachesaboutthe comingjudgmentwhenGodwillsetthemablaze inHis holyanger.He alsogiveshope tothe faithful withthe Bookof Remembrance.Those whodothe will of Godand are righteouswill be spared.
- 2. The book of Malachi, whichis the lastbookof the Bible,endsverydifferentlythanitbeganinthe book of Genesis.Letus compare them:We can read in Genesis1:1, “In the beginningGodcreated the heavens andthe earth.” Thiswas a beautiful andperfectrelationshipwithGod.”The verylastpassage inthe OldTestamentstates:“He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land withtotal destruction.”(Malachi 4:6). We needtoconsiderthe large contrast betweenthe veryfirstverseandthe verylastverse. God whocreatedthe perfectrelationshipwithmankindiswarning:“…orelse I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”Itis“the sinof mankind”thatmade all the difference. We can readthat the OldTestamentbeginswiththe magnificentpowerof God’screation andendswith fearand separationfromGodand in needof a Savior.The OldTestamentcloseswithasaddreary clunk...butforthose whohave the faithinJesusChristhasthe offerof a new beginningthroughthe Good NewsHe broughtthat we findinthe New Testament.We have beenofferedsalvationasafree giftof God because of the love thatGod has forus. He sentHisonlybegottenson sothat those who have faithinJesusChristas one’ssaviourcanrepentforthe sinscommitted,seek salvation,beginanew life asa Childof God and be savedfrometernal damnation! The practical applicationthatwe canlearnfrom the bookof Malachi is that God isnot pleasedwhenwe do notobeyHis commands.He will repaythose whodisregardHim.AsforGod hatingdivorce (2:16), God takesthe covenantof marriage seriouslyandHe doesnotwant itbroken.We are to stay true to the spouse of our youthfora lifetime.Godseesourhearts,soHe knowswhatour intentionsare;nothing can be hiddenfromHim.He will returnandHe will be the judge.Butif we returnto Him, He will return to us: “Ithe Lord do notchange. So you,O descendants ofJacob,are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathersyou have turned awayfrom my decrees andhave not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saysthe Lord Almighty.”(Malachi 3:6-7). Key Verses: Malachi 1:6, “Ason honorshisfather, and a servant hismaster. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where isthe respect due me? says the Lord Almighty.It is you,O priests, who showcontempt for my name.” Malachi 3:6-7, “Ithe Lord do notchange. So you,O descendantsof Jacob,are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathersyou have turned away frommy decrees andhave not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,says the Lord Almighty.”