Malachi: How Does God Secure His Covenant With Us?

Introduction

Opening Review: Today we bring to a close our twelve week study of the Minor Prophets. What a journey it has been. We started this journey by nicknaming the Minor Prophets, the crispy pages of most of our Bibles, because they very rarely get read. A quick glance at the Minor Prophets can make one feel as if the context and the language and the culture are so far removed from our modern life, that it is difficult to know what you’re supposed to take out of it. But O how I hope that we have replaced that false way of thinking. The twelve books of the Minor Prophets that close our our Old Testament are just as relavant for us today as they were for their original readers. We have studied themes the wrath of God in Zephaniah. The Day of the Lord in Joel. God’s purposes in suffering in Habakkuk. Pride in Obadiah. Justice in Amos. And much more.

Today’s Theme: Today in our last sermon in the Minor Prophets, we encounter the very last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. And teh central theme that I will draw out from this text is the theme of Covenant. The term appears seven times in Malachi (mostly in chapter 2 as well as in chapter 3). The word “covenant” is used in scripture to describe the bond of the relationship that God establishes with his people. A modern equivalent might be something a like a contract, but of course, a covenant is far deeper and far more sustaining than a contract. If we are to be deep Christians, who know and honor Christ, who understand the basis of our relationship with God, we must understand God’s covenant. And so the main idea for you to take home today is that God establishes and protects His covenant with us entirely by His freely given grace.

FCF: The book of Malachi is structured around six sections. Each section has a fairly similar arrangement to it. The big catch with most of the sections is that after God makes his claim, then the people question God’s claim—an immediate doubting about what God said. In fact we see this in the opening verses

Malachi 1:2 ““I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?”

That phrase “But you say…” occurs nine times in four chapters. And the consistency of it in Malachi reveals something to us about our human nature. It reveals a proneness to questioning God’s authority, a proneness to doubting God’s declarations, a proneness to preferring a man-centered thoughts over God-centered thoughts. In our Christian faith we will be tempted regularly to make this same mistake. To doubt the clarity of God’s Word, and in turn to replace it with something more man-centered. We’re going to consider the main principle today, but also in light of Malachi consider three ways that we often make the same mistake as these Israelites in Malachi’s day, and question God and his covenant with us.

Meaning & Application

I WE QUESTION THE BASIS OF GOD’S COVENANT

First, we question the basis of God’s covenant.

Malachi 1:2–5 ““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.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’ ” Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!””

I Have Loved You: Look to the very first words that God speaks in this book. “I have loved you” says the Lord. Last week in our study of Psalm 18, we saw the Psalmist begin his Psalm, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” And we talked about how that language is so full of depth and meaning. It’s a language that stirs the soul, that reflects the deepest kind of affection one person can have for another. The Lord begins his oracles to Israel, “I have loved you.” God’s relationship with His people begins with this statement.

FCF: And immediately we are confronted with our first “But you say.” God says “I love you,” and man responds “Yeah, how do you love us?” At the heart of our fallen human condition is a distrust of God’s Word. We question everything God has revealed to us? What would we say about that child? My initial reaction would be to say all the things that I have done. I tell you I love you. I provide for you. I give you kisses and hugs and cuddles. I read to you every day. I pray with you every day. What a silly question.

God’s Response: But I want you to see God’s response. It is not the response you would expect. God appeals to his election of Israel as the basis of his love.

Malachi 1:2 “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob”

He goes all the way back to the beginning of Israel’s history. The term Israel is a name that was given to a man named Jacob. Late in Jacob’s life, God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Jacob had a brother named Esau. The two of them in their younger years were rivals. But as the story goes, both Jacob and Esau were troubled brothers. Jacob was a bit of liar and mama’s boy. Esau was aggressive and prone to rash decision making. And yet God sovereignly chose to extend his covenantal love to Jacob and not to Esau. This love that Jacob was received was not due to anything particularly special in him. It was not due to any good works he had done, or any religious deeds he had done. In fact, Jacob’s name means “deceiver” and frankly that’s who he was. But here Malachi reminds us that the love God extended to Jacob and all his descendants had nothing to do with anything Jacob had earned over and above Esau, it was simply due to God’s free choice. “Jacob have I loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Romans: This exact language is picked up the Apostle Paul in Romans 9. This is one of the most debated chapters in all of Scripture. But it doesn’t need to be. It’s teaching is very clear. The Apostle Paul is teaching in the New Testament about the basis of God’s love towards sinners like us. And he references Jacob and Esau. He say,

Romans 9:11–13 “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.””

Summary: What is the Apostle Paul and the prophet Micah saying? What they are saying is that God extends his covenant love to those whom he freely chooses. Not based on any works we do to earn it. No based on any merits we perform. But simply based on God’s electing love. This is the basis of God’s covenant with us. And the remainder of Malachi 1:1-5 states that no matter what Esau does to rebuild his cities, it will ultimately never work, because I am against. On the contrary, whatever my beloved does, they will ultimately succeed, because I am for them.

What Mercy!: We are examining the basis of God’s covenant as rooted in his sovereign election to pour his love out on those whom he chooses. Micah roots us in this place for a reason. It is the same reason I believe each of us need to be rooted in this place. If you root your relationship with God on anything other than God’s sovereign choice, then your relationship becomes founded on works. If you root your relationship with God on your strength to repent of your sin and choose God out of your free will. Then, you will see God’s love always as dependent on something in you, some sustaining power in you, some force that arises from you. But Malachi is going to reveal throughout the rest of this book, that that is a very bad idea, becasue we will always fail on our end. What a mercy! What a reason to praise God! What a reason to worship! God has had undeserved, unmerited, covenental love on each and every Christian in this room.

May we not question the basis of God’s covenant as rooted in his sovereign choice.

II WE QUESTION THE CONDITIONS OF GOD’S COVENANT

Second, we question the conditions of God’s covenant. Once God enters into this covenantal relationship with us, the conditions of the covenant are established. Just as a contract has stipulations and requirements whereby when the requirements are breached, the contract is voided, so does God’s covenant have requirements. He freely chooses us for covenant relationship filled with love from him, and then we in turn are to follow his law and obey his commands. And in so doing the covenant would be maintained. But what we see in Malachi, is not only God’s people failing to follow the commands, but questioning the legitimacy of the commands in the first place. I’ll show you four of the ways Malachi’s listeners did this from the text. With each one we will see that we do likewise.

A Full vs Half Worship: Frist, God’s conditions require full worship of heart and mind, but Malachi reveals that we very often offer a half worship. In Malachi chapter 1, the prophet condemns the priests of Israel for offering sacrifices on the altar that were forbidden. He says,

Malachi 1:5–8 “… 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.”

The Text: In their context, true worship had been prescribed in a certain way with particular rules and regulations that were to govern how the sacrificial system was to be operated. This included particular animal sacrifices that were to be made in a particular on particular days in particular ways. One of the chief rules of animal sacrifices in the Old Testament was that they were not to bring their defect animals as an offering. They were not to give away their garbage and believe they had done their duty.

Today: Now today, we no longer live under an animal sacrificial system. Because the Bible teaches us that Jesus is the final sacrifice. That all of those sacrifices made in the Old Testament were shadows pointing us to the substance that is Christ. His death is the final sacrifice for all. However this principle applies to us as well. Do bring God our firstfruits, the best of what we have to offer, or do we offer him the scraps. It is a bit like donating all of your old clothes to a second hand store and thinking you have fulfilled God’s commands for charitable living, when in fact there was almost no sacrifice in the charity at all.

Do we offer God the firstfruits of our day? The presence and attention of a focused mind in the morning, to spend time with God? Or is the time we spend with God distracted, and we are only half present?

What kind of commitments do we have to our local Church, that Jesus purchased with his blood. Are committed? Is our mind engaged, and our hearts engaged with its flourishing? Are we problem solvers and kingdom builders? Or does Christ’s Church just get the leftovers of our energy and our mind and our time.

We make the same mistake of offering a partial worship, and our casualness about our partial worship reveals that we have a bit of “But you say” attitude. What is needed is repentance, turning from sin.

B Singleminded vs Hypocritical Worship: Second, God requires true worship, but Malachi reveals we only offer God a hypocritical worship. In Malachi 2:13-16 we read,

Malachi 2:13–16 “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. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.””

The Text: This is an interesting little section, where God uses the illustration of marriage to draw a point to his listeners. The accusation God is making is that all their religious fervor and tears they are offering on the altar are all empty and not received by God because their lifestyles reveal their hypocrisy. Outwardly, their on the altar weeping in prayer and pleading with God. At home, their divorcing their wives. This is pure hypocrisy.

Divorce: This is in fact one of the chief passages in the Old Testament that shapes some of our theology of marriage and divorce. God hates divorce. The reason God hates divorces is because marriage is a central image given to humanity that paints a vivid picture of the gospel to a watching world. Marriage is supposed to display the self-sacrificial love of Christ to his Church. If you want to make a statement to the world, that you don’t really believe what you say you believe about God, casually divorce your wife, or in a similar vein treat your spouse poorly. It’s just hypocritical, your actions are out of line with what you say you believe.

Today: Today, the Church has absorbed much of cultures thinking on marriage and divorce. And its because we often fail to see that marriage is directly connected with our faith. The New Testament teaches us that how we treat our spouses has direct impact on our relationship with God.

1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

C Charitable vs Covetous Worship: Lastly, God demands charitable worship, but God’s people are often very covetous in their worship.

Malachi 3:8–10 “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. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Text: In Scripture, the Old Testament tithe was a law that 10% of one’s overall income for any year was to be charitably given to the work of the Lord in their community and through the temple. It is very interesting what God says here. He says they are robbing him by failing to bring in the 10% they were covenantly obligated to bring in. I love God’s words. He says, “Try me. Will I not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down blessing until you have no need.”

Today: I believe in the days of the New Testament that 10% is a very wise baseline for charitable giving for every Christian. Every Christian should carve out 10% of their overall income and give right towards God’s work through the Church. And then, give extravagently above that to missionaries other great Christian causes. But many Christian’s don’t do this. Many Christians use the ending of the Old Testament as an excuse to give less towards God’s work. When I believe the exact opposite, with the coming of the Holy Spirit ought we not give more. With the urgency of the work at hand, ought we not extravagently give towards the Lord’s work?

Takeaway: Here is what I want you to takeaway. I’m showing you from Malachi, that God expects that for the covenant he has established with us to be upheld and maintained, it requires obedience, righteousness on our part. We are called to be holy. Called to repent sincerely. Make no doubt about it, Christians ought to be marked by holy living. And yet, as Malachi shows us, that is not the ultimate means God has ordained for securing God’s covenant.

III WE QUESTION THE GROUNDS OF OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S COVENANT

Yet the ultimate remedy for our sin is not our repentant obedience, but the Lord’s “coming to his temple.”

Malachi 3:1–4 ““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. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.”

This is the great miracle of Christianity. Like the Israelites in Malachi’s day, we too have fallen short of the covenantal obligations of God’s people. God would be completely justified in cutting us off from his love. But God did not leave us. He himself entered into the story. In fulfilment of Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist was the messenger that prepared the way before the Lord. And then the Lord came to his temple, the “messenger of the covenant” entered into the human story in the person of Christ.

Christ fulfilled the covenantal obligations by living a life of perfection underneath God’s law. No sin was found in him.

Christ satisfied the covental penalties for breaking God’s law. The penalty written by God was the curse of death. And Christ died, becoming a curse for us, underneath the wrath of God.

Christ received the covenantal promises of the fulness of God’s love, for he alone is God’s true and unique son.

Yet Christ in his mercy shares all of this who covenant breakers like us. Why? Is it because we have done something to earn favor with God. No, recall the first principle, the basis of God’s covenant is his free choice. Is it because we repented enough and went to Church enough, and obeyed his commands with enough fervor. No, even now we fail to meet the covenantal expectations, and are held in his covenant solely by Christ’s gift of undeserved grace.

We Question This: Do you know what is so amazing to me. We even question this! We do it in so many ways.

False Religions: Certainly, the world around us questions grace, with their false religions. Every false religion in the world is built on a works-based righteousness. Do this and you will live. Jesus says “You will live, because I have ordained you to live, and I purchased you on the cross.”

Feasting at the Banquet: We do this with the disciplines. By disciplines I mean those things like Daily Bible Reading, and Daily Prayer. Many of us have a works-based sense about us when it comes to Christian disciplines. We believe the disciplines, are tasks that you must keep up in order to keep God pleased with you, God will always feel like a task master, and you will constnatly deal with Christian shame for not being better. Is the disciplined Christian life good? Yes! And if our disciplines fall away and the neglect of them threatens to harm us, may God bring a Fatherly discipline into our lives because he loves us, yes! But for the Christian, God’s love you, not because of your discipline, but because of His free choice.

Malachi 1:2 ““I have loved you,” says the Lord.

Our disciplines must flow from grace. Grace says, “You are fully loved, not because you’re one of the strongs one, who will manage to have a great daily Bible study, but because Jesus died on the cross for and singlehandedly secured God’s covenantal love of you.” Now, from that place of being fully known in all our weakness, and yet fully loved, God invites us to feast on him. That is what the disciplines are. They are invitation to the banquet with God, to revel in the wonder of God, to enjoy the fulness of God, to live in the presence of God. Grace motivated disciplines do not lead to shame, but to the joy of experiencing God’s covenant of love.

Conclusion

I want to conclude our study of the Minor Prophets with an invitation. If you are in here right now, and your relationship with God is based on your works, your merit, what you can do. I want to invite you today, to repent of that false belief that leads to death. And to run to Christ, who offers grace to any and all who desire it. It is yours.