"MALACHI: TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY"

(NO RESTROOMS/PDA/AIRPODS)

(YOUVERSION NOTES)

>>>Malachi is the last prophet/last minor prophet/last OT book.

>>>Takes place during events of Nehemiah 13

>>>6x there is claim/question/response that tells what is happening in the book.

Malachi 1:2–3 ““I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.””

>>>The message of Malachi begins with God saying He loved Israel.

*How has He loved Israel? He chose them! (Jacob over Esau)

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Malachi 1:6–8 ““A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.”

>>>This where God starts getting to what the problems are.

>>>He says He is the Father/Master of Israel but is not receiving honor/respect. He specifically calls out the priests for despising His name.

*How have they despised His name? Offering polluted offerings.

*OT Law said that the animals to be sacrifices were to perfect (without blemish), yet the priest were not holding to this.

>>>God then said it would be best to just shut the doors of the temple.

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Malachi 2:11 “Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.”

>>>Under Nehemiah’s governorship, the people of Judah began to take foreign wives-a direct violation of what God told His people regarding marriage.

>>>This section of Malachi is about marriage.

Malachi 2:13–14 “And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

>>>The people come to God’s altar upset that He does not accept their offerings. They wonder why, and it is because they are divorcing their wives, violating the covenant the LORD witnessed between them.

>>>God HATES divorce (v.16), and this continual practice was in complete disregard of His feelings towards it.

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Malachi 2:17 “You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?””

>>>The people have “wearied” the LORD.

*“wearied” is “cause to be physically/mentally fatigued”.

*How did they weary Him? They claim that God is ok with evil in the land and is not doing anything to fix. They ask where His justice is.

*The irony is that they themselves are being just as wicked in their own dishonor of God.

Malachi 3:1–3 ““Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.”

>>>God will send a messenger who will prepare the way for Him.

*“Malachi” means “My messenger”

>>>The people who are seeking God will find Him but find Him bringing a spiritual justice and renewal.

>>>This messenger is John the Baptist, who will prepare the way for Jesus when He comes take away the sins of the world.

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Malachi 3:7–9 “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.”

>>>God calls on the people to return (turn back) to Him.

*How do they return? Stop robbing God. How have they robbed God? By not bringing in their commanded tithes. Ultimately the return to God included obedience.

*Only in obedience would they receive blessing.

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Malachi 3:13–15 ““Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ””

>>>The people spoke against God.

*How? They said that it is pointless to serve God when the people obey the Law yet don’t prosper, while the wicked escape judgment.

*Again, the irony is that they have become just as wicked.

Malachi 3:16 “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.”

>>>There were people who feared God even when the rest of the people didn’t. They talked among themselves about something, God heard them, and a book remembering them was written.

*These people likely would have been encouraging one another to keep following God-what could be considered an early picture of the church.

*This communion among God’s people is something He remembers and blesses.

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Malachi 4:5–6 ““Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.””

>>>Once again there is a prophecy of John the Baptist (Elijah) who will come and prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus).

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>>>The period between the prophecy of Malachi and the events of Jesus’ birth (including the birth of John the Baptist) is called the 400 years of silence.

*There was no known revelation from God during this time.

*There is also nothing to suggest the prophecies of Malachi were heeded by the people-no repentance.

>>>The whole of Malachi reveals a spiritual blindness among the people of Israel, a blindness that will even be prevalent when the Messiah they wait for finally arrives.

>>>There is no point that is revealed that caused the people to begin drifting from taking God seriously. Yet it happened.

GOD STILL LOVES US.

>>>Before God makes His case to the people, He begins by reassuring His love for them and the plan He has for them. The same is true for us even when we wander away.

GOD WANTS TO BE HONORED BY US.

>>>We focus so much of “coming to God like our own dad” that we forget the honor we must have for Him as our Father and even our Master.

>>>Yes, God wants a personal relationship with us, but it still comes with reverence of Who He is. Will God remember us as people who fear Him?

GOD WILL SAVE US.

>>>There is a promise in the book of Malachi. The people of Israel couldn’t full fulfill what God wanted of them because of our sin nature. Only in the promise of Jesus can anyone truly be saved and take God seriously.

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SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.) Coming out of the message, what are some things that resonated with you?

2.) Malachi’s Theme: Taking God Seriously

*What can cause us to be indifferent toward the things of God?

*What would it look like to be people who truly fear God?

*How do you personally need to respond to tonight’s message?

*In response to the last questions, take time to pray together as a group.