Reminder Given by God

Scripture: Malachi 2:5

"My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

Insights: Yesterday God gave a warning to the priests of Israel.  Today, He reminds them of the original covenant He established with the Aaronic priests.  There were two parts God gave and two parts the priests gave back to God.  Even though we are living on this side of the cross does not mean these aspects of the covenant are not found in the New Testament.  Let me explain: The first part of the covenant was that of life.  In John 10:10 we are told Jesus came to give us life to the full or abundance.  Now this is not a full or abundant life which is propagated on TBN.  This is a life of fullness found in Christ and an adventure worth living.  There will be challenges and obstacles, but Jesus is right there with us guiding us on the journey and it is a full trip.  The second portion of the covenant was that of peace.  This peace is not like peace between warring nations.  This is the type of peace Paul wrote about when he said it surpassed understanding (Philippians 4:7).  Jesus tells us in John 14:27 that He leaves us His peace and that He does not give as the world does.  When He gives a gift, He does not take it back and the gift does not break.  When we are on this adventure with God and difficult and trying days fall upon us, we can hold fast to God’s second aspect of His covenant and that is His peace will be with us in these painful times as well.  God then shares with these priests of Malachi’s day their responsibility for life and peace.  First, they were to live in reverence to God.  This reverence led to proper acts of obedience.  Because they honored God as Father, they would desire to serve Him.  Second, they were to live in awe of God.  This awe as we have discussed over the past several weeks is an actual fear.  E. Ray Clendenen helps us here.  He wrote, “As those who know the Lord, we must realize we live every moment of every day in the immediate presence of God whose limitless grace is all that protects us from being destroyed by the boundless conflagration of His righteous wrath.  Only a fool could respond with anything but fear and love, which together should motivate diligent faithfulness and obedience.”  Beloved, hold fast to the covenant with God.

Questions:

1. Are you experiencing all of the pleasures of being in covenant with the Father?
2. Are you complying with your end of the covenant?

Prayer: Father, Your patient love is so amazing.  May I walk in Your grace and truly experience life and peace.  May my life bring reverence and awe to You.  Amen. 

Warning Given by God

Scripture: Malachi 2:1-4

"And now this commandment is for you, O priests.  "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.  "Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.  "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts.

Insights: Malachi is giving the priests a warning from the Lord regarding their relationship with Him.  In 1 Peter 2:9 we are reminded we, those who are born again and have received Jesus’ pardon, are a part of a royal priesthood.  So, these warnings to Israel’s historical priests can be applicable to us as Christians.  The ear is not the seat of emotion in Hebrew culture, however, to help us understand what God is calling the priests to, it will help with this concept of connectedness with God.  When we hear things, it often times results in an emotional response, whither that response is happiness, anger, sadness or expectation.  In this warning God is telling the priests they do not listen, they do not emotionally connect with God.  In Hebrew culture the heart is the seat of intellect.  God is calling the priests to connect with Him intellectually as well.  Yet in this verse God tells us the priests that they do not take to heart what they have heard from God.  In Psalm 1:2 we are told a wise man meditates, thinks on, God’s word day and night.  These priests are giving no thought to God.  Finally they are to willfully connect with God as He tells them to honor Him.  Again, however, these priests are not taking heed to these warnings.  God is calling us to be in an intimate relationship with Him that encompasses our entire being, all of our emotions, intellect, and volitional will.  In God’s warning to us, He states if we will not take heed to His warning, then curses will fall on us and our children.  Ron Brown helps us here.  He wrote, “God doesn’t desire to curse and show contempt.  If the people repented, if they listened to Him and took His Word to heart, then God would lift His judgment.  Repentance is God’s desire for any who sin against Him.”  Beloved, repent and reconnect with God!

Questions:

1. Are you heeding the warnings of the Lord?
2. Are you in jeopardy of the Lord’s cursing upon you?

Prayer: Father, I hear Your warning and desire to be in union with You in all areas of my life.  Mold me by Your grace into the child You desire me to be.  Amen. 

The Proper Posture before a Great King

Scripture: Malachi 1:14c-d

For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

Insights: The inclusio passage ends where it began with God’s declaration that He is a great King and is to be feared.  And remember from last week the word we translate as respect, literally means fear.  So, God is pointing back to what Israel does not have for God and saying to them the Gentile nations will have the proper respect/fear of me.  In many respects the United States is a lot like Israel.  Israel was to be a kingdom of priests who told the Gentile world about God, but they refused.  Therefore, God sent His only Son to be the Light of the world and to save the world from their sin.  He then commissioned the Gentiles to be ambassadors for Him.  And when the United States finally was established we were the greatest mission sending nation in the world for the proclamation of the gospel.  And after the Southern Baptist were formed, we led the charge.  But we are now going on forty years with just 10,000 missionaries being sent out (5,000 North American and 5,000 International).  The world has gone from 3.7 billion people to now over 7 billion.  In other words, the world has doubled its population, but we Southern Baptist have not increased the number of missionaries we have serving in the world.  Because of our failure to send out missionaries, countries like Korea are now the largest mission sending nation in the world.  What is even sadder is they are sending missionaries here to the United States because we are becoming one of the most pagan nations on the planet.  God concluded this inclusio passage talking about His greatness among the nations.  This statement forces us to evaluate our declaration of such reality.  How many people have you personally shared the gospel with this past year?  My fear is we, like Israel, have stopped loving, honoring and fearing the Lord.  Because we do not do these three things we also do not give authentic worship to God.  Because we refuse to worship with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are not compelled to proclaim Jesus.  This progressive downward spiral is the reason ninety percent of our churches are plateaued or declining.  We need a radical heart renewal of worship in order for our love affair with the Lord to be vibrant and life changing.  Beloved, go and proclaim the Lord!

Questions:

1. What are you willing to do for the advancement of the gospel to the nations?
2. No matter what you are willing to do, what is the Lord telling you to do?

Prayer: Father, let my response to You be, “YES, LORD!”  I want to bring glory to Your name and make in known in the nations.  Grant me the courage to walk in obedience with You.  Amen. 

Punishment from God

Scripture: Malachi 1:14a-b

"But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord

Insights: Last week we looked at the self-centered gall of the people of Israel.  They were coming to God and offering defiled worship to Him, but then had the audacity to ask Him to bless them and show favor to them.  Today’s verse goes even further to portray the vile attitude of the people of Israel.  At this point in the passage the people are going to God and saying to Him, “God if You will answer my prayers and give me [fill in the blank], then I will give You this fine sacrifice.”  Then God graciously answers the request, but on the day the sacrifice is to be given, the individual brings a blemished animal for his sacrifice.  God takes this kind of treachery very seriously.  He states a person like this is cursed.  The reality of the matter is we ought not make such “bargains” with God.  God is not One with which to be trifled.  It is for this reason James tells us concerning vows to let our yes be yes and our no be no (James 5:12).  We need to be certain we are offering God our best and not some paltry, insignificant offering that brings God no glory and honor.  Last week we also looked at our need to fear or respect the Father.  This individual in today’s verse has no fear of God.  Beloved we need to have proper fear of the holy and righteous God.  Proper praise flows out of the full love, honor and fear of God.  Think about Isaiah for a moment.  Until he saw the Lord his worship had not been full.  It was out of his fear he recognized his sinfulness and from that repentant heart he was restored to the Lord.  In this restored state, and only from this restored state, was Isaiah able to respond to the Lord’s commission to go and preach for Him.  Isaiah could not properly worship until he had his “woe is me” moment.  Worship is a joyful experience, but it is also a fearful experience because we are entering into the presence of the glorious One.  Take your worship seriously.

Questions:

1. Do you renege on your offerings to the Lord?
2. Do you not fear the consequence of broken worship with the Lord?

Prayer: Father, please, I beg, forgive me of the times I say I am going to do something for You and then fail to do it.  Give me the courage and boldness to follow through with the tasks I sense You have assigned me to accomplish.  Let me have proper fear of disrespecting You.  Amen. 

Paltriness for God

Scripture: Malachi 1:13

"You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD.

Insights: These priests had become tired of their job.  The responsibility of sacrificing animals day in and day out had become a nuisance to them.  As a result they stuck their noses in the air toward God.  Let me do a side not teaching for a moment.  I preach out of the New American Standard Bible because it is the most literal word for word translation.  This truth does not always mean it is the best translation.  For example in this verse gazal is translated robbery.  The New International Version translates it more accurately as injured; and in the context of the entire verse an injured animal that has been torn apart from prey, but not killed, is the best meaning of the verse.  So, even though twenty-five of the thirty-one times gazal is used it is properly translated robbery, in this verse it is not as accurate.  Here is the side teaching point.  We need to read lots of different translations to get the full nuance of a passage.  We don’t need to be pharisaical and say only one version is the acceptable version.  We must grow in grace and multiple Scripture versions help us do just that.  Now back to the passage: worship had become routine and what was being offered was the bare minimum, even to the point of bringing animals that had been damaged by wild beasts.  At this point I think it would do us well to read some quotes from men who give us the proper perspective of worship.  John Piper wrote, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  G. K. Chesterton said, “the absence of praise reveals that our religion is more a theory than a love affair.”  G. H. Mallone said, “A man must respond to the One who has given him everything.  Not to do so is the highest form of ingratitude and self-sufficiency.”  We need to give God all of our gratitude because of the love affair we have with Him, which results in our finding satisfaction in Him alone.  If we are bringing the bare minimum to worship, then we are not finding satisfaction and love in Him and we will not be grateful worshippers.  Beloved, let’s bring God everything we have to offer Him!

Questions:

1. Are you giving God your leftovers for worship?
2. Are you finding satisfaction in the Lord?

Prayer: Father, I want my satisfaction to be in Your and You alone.  I want my heart to truly be in a love affair with You.  Stir my passions for You and the things that pertain to You.  Amen.

Profaning before God

Scripture: Malachi 1:12

"But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'

Insights: The third commandment given by God was to not take His name in vain (Ex. 20:7).  The taken of His name in vain is not just verbal defilement.  If something is designated to be His and we treat it in an unholy manner, we are still taking the name of the Lord in vain.  Here is what profaning, taking something in vain, means: It means to desanctify it and make it unholy by treating it as “common, insignificant, or worthless.”  John Calvin helps us understand this concept in his commentary.  He wrote, “The holiness of the table ought to have been so regarded by the Jews, as not to approach the sanctuary without true repentance and faith; they ought to have known that they had to do with God, and that His majesty ought to have deeply touched them.  When therefore they came to the temple, and brought with them their uncleanness like swine, it was quite evident that they had no reverence for the temple, or the altar, or the table.  According to this sense then are the words of the Prophet to be understood,—not that the Jews openly mocked God, but that the holiness of the temple was with them of no account.”  Did you catch that last part, “… the holiness of the temple was with them of NO ACCOUNT!”  They made it common, insignificant and worthless.  This truth has major ramifications as to how we approach worship.  When we are driving to church on what are our thoughts?  During the service itself, do we say things to ourselves like, “I really don’t like that music” or “It’s too cold in here” or “why does the sound have to be that loud” or “I wish the preacher would just quit preaching so we can go eat some lunch”?  If we are having mental conversations like that during our “worship experience,” then we are profaning the Lord table.  We are making Him common, insignificant and of worthless value.  If we are attending for any ulterior motivation, then our worship is not on God and it is defiled.  Beloved, turn your heat to God and give Him pure worship!

Questions:

1. Is God just a common “thing” in your life?
2. When you are worshipping are you truly thinking about God or is your mind constantly wondering and leaving the Lord?

Prayer: Father, forgive me when I do not seek You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I desire for my worship to be pure and holy and not just common.  May You be pleased with my worship today.  Amen

Praise of God

Scripture: Malachi 1:11

"For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts.

Insights: Today’s verse starts an inclusio passage.  I have often described an inclusio passage like a sandwich.  The bread is one subject, then you have some meat, and the other piece of bread is the same subject that the first piece of bread was.  This week’s passage is like this description.  Let’s jump into today’s verse.  The verse has its heart in the foundations of the nation of Israel.  In Genesis 12:2-3 God informed Abraham that he was going to be a blessing to the nations through his offspring.  At the actual forming of the nation during Moses’ leadership they were told they were to be a kingdom of priests to the nations (Ex. 19:6).  Here in this verse two times God repeated the phrase, “My name will be great among the nations.”  Israel was supposed to be a nation that told the world about the amazing God they served.  They were to be a beacon of light to a lost world, but they said, “NO!”  The particular generation with which this verse is written about had stopped loving, honoring and respecting God.  As a result, they gave Him defiled worship.  Beloved, I tell you, if we stop praising God, we will stop proclaiming Him to a lost world.  A second thought needs to be interjected here regarding praise.  Notice the first phrase of this verse: From the rising of the sun even to its setting.  There are two implications from that phrase.  The first is our personal worship is supposed to be all day long.  From the moment we open our eyes to the moment we close them at night, we ought to have a heart of praise to God.  The second implication fits with the theme of the verse, God’s greatness among the nations.  In other words, as the earth travels around the sun our earthly perspective is the sun rising and traversing our sky and setting at the end of the day.  As the earth moves through space, every nation is going to experience the sun at different times.  So, praise should be given to the Lord always from every nation throughout the day.  The only way for such praise to be given is for the world to know the gospel.  We must proclaim Jesus to the nations!

Questions:

1. Can your life be characterized as one which is defined by worship all day long?
2. What are you doing to make God’s name known among the nations?

Prayer: Father, help my heart to think of You throughout the day today.  I want this day to be a day of praise.  Receive my life as a sacrifice to You today.  Amen