Wednesday, November 9th, 2016 - PM - Living Like The Lord Loves You (Mal 1.1-4)
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Studies in Malachi • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:01:20
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· 149 viewsDon’t make the same mistake Israel did in despising the Love of the Lord in your life.
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Date Written: Malachi was written in the last half of the fifth century b.c., most likely after 433 b.c. Although the book does not name a specific ruler or event by which it can be dated, its contents make clear it was written during Persian rule and well after the temple was rebuilt in 515. Several facts support a date just prior to or shortly after Nehemiah’s second term as governor (around 435 b.c.; see Ne. 13:4–7).
1. Malachi’s reference to a Persian governor (1:8) indicates that the book was written after 538, at which time Persia came to power.
2. Malachi would have addressed corruption among the priests and the issue of blemished sacrifices only if the temple had already been rebuilt and the priesthood reestablished (1:6–14).
3. The spiritual and moral issues addressed by Malachi show that enough time had elapsed after the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah for the people to have grown cold and fallen away from the Lord.
4. Malachi rebuked several of the same violations addressed by Ezra and Nehemiah, such as intermarriage with Gentiles (2:10–11; see Ezr. 9:1–2; Ne. 13:1–3), neglect of the poor (3:5; see Ne. 5:4–5), and failure to tithe (3:10; see Ne. 13:10). Ezra returned in 458 and Nehemiah in 444–445, so Malachi likely addressed the same generation or one not long after that.
5. Nehemiah left Judah for Babylon in 437 but returned around 435 and corrected the abuses he found (Ne. 13). It is likely, then, that Malachi ministered either during the time Nehemiah was in Babylon or that he wrote and preached to a later generation that had backslidden after Nehemiah’s reforms.
To Whom Written: Malachi ministered to the returned exiles living in Judah after the temple had been rebuilt. Considering the degree of the people’s spiritual decline, Malachi obviously ministered several decades removed from the generation that completed the temple. It was to this backslidden generation that God’s last prophet wrote. The book of Malachi is also written to all people of every nation and generation:
• to give an example and warning to us
“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Co. 10:11)
• to teach us how to live and to give us hope
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope” (Ro. 15:4)
Purpose:
1. The Historical Purpose: to call the people back to faithfulness to God and to one another. Malachi rebuked the religious leaders of his day for neglecting to teach the people proper worship and for accepting the people’s indifference and lack of commitment. He also indicted the people for their lack of concern and their coldness toward God and to one another. Beyond the general theme of unfaithfulness, Malachi exposed several of the people’s sins and wrongful attitudes. Most prominent among these were …
• doubting and forsaking God’s love (1:2–5)
• dishonoring and disobeying the Lord (1:6–2:9)
• divorcing their wives to marry Gentiles or foreigners (unbelievers) (2:10–16)
• denying God’s justice and power (2:17)
• robbing God by withholding tithes and offerings (3:6–12)
• despising God’s grace and patience (3:13–15)
Malachi also described God’s coming judgment for these sins, a judgment that would surely come if the people did not repent and return to the Lord (3:7). These judgments are spelled out between the passages of rebuke. They are …
• judgment of the priests (2:1–9)
• judgment of the nation (3:1–6)
• judgment of the returned exiles (3:16–4:6)
2. The Doctrinal or Spiritual Purpose: the book of Malachi offers a glimpse into the heart and mind of God by showing how broken God’s heart was over the people’s callous behavior. In the challenging dialogue between the Lord and His people, there are several vital lessons to be learned:
a. Malachi reminds us as believers that we are deeply loved by the Lord and that we have been chosen for a very special purpose. We are to be God’s light to the world, proclaiming His great love to other people and nations. In this way, we participate in God’s wonderful plan of salvation just as Israel and Jacob were called to be at the forefront of this great plan.
b. Malachi reminds us that patience and faithfulness are required to inherit God’s promised blessings (2:10–16). Patience is needed because there is often a delay between promise and fulfillment; that is, God’s promises are fulfilled according to His perfect timing, not ours. In the meantime, we must remain faithful and obedient to the Lord, trusting completely in His promises. In the most difficult times, we must persevere all the more, meditate on and trust in God’s Word more and more. God’s Word and promises are sure; they are an anchor for our souls.
c. Malachi teaches us how to worship the Lord, for how we worship Him is of critical importance (1:6–2:9). The people in Malachi’s day were dishonoring God and profaning His Holy Name with their meager offerings and tainted sacrifices. They thought God would not know or care about what they were doing. But compromise in worship and service is dishonoring to the Lord. Malachi reminds us that dishonoring God is a detestable crime because of who God is: He is the Lord Almighty and He holds the earth and eternal destiny of every person in His mighty hands. Therefore, He deserves our best. Anything less than our best is an insult, showing utter disrespect for who God is—the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe.
d. Malachi teaches that our faithfulness to God deeply affects how faithful we are to others, especially those who are most important to us (2:10–16). God commands that we be faithful first and foremost to our spouses. Malachi’s generation began to grow indifferent to the Lord and soon grew lax in their commitments to one another as well. Men were divorcing their wives to marry foreign, unbelieving women. The Lord bluntly told them that they were betraying Him and each other. He told them even more emphatically that He hates divorce (2:16). The key point to grasp is that we cannot be faithful to others apart from remaining faithful to the Lord. God must come first in our lives because it is He who gives us the strength and fortitude to meet all of our other obligations.
e. Malachi teaches the importance of giving money to the Lord’s work. How we spend our money is a direct reflection of how much we care for and love the Lord (3:7–12). When we fail to tithe and to adequately support God’s work, we are not only acting selfishly but also robbing God.
3. The Christological or Christ-Centered Purpose: the Messiah is presented in Malachi as the great hope of God’s people, the cure for or Healer of their transgressions:
⇒ Christ is the Messenger of the covenant, the one who is sought and desired and who is coming to His temple (3:1).
⇒ Christ is the Refiner, the one who purifies and cleanses God’s people (3:2).
⇒ Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, the one who rises with healing in His wings and who causes the faithful to leap with joy (4:2).
Also related to these prophecies is the prophecy of the messenger who will prepare the way for the Messiah, a prediction of John the Baptist (3:1a; see Mt. 3:1–12; Lu. 1:5–23).
[Introductory Material Excerpted From: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Habakkuk–Malachi, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2009), 323–324.]
Main Thought: Don't make the mistake that Israel did in that she despised the love that the Lord had shown her.
Sub-intro:
...the book’s focus is “clearly on the message rather than the messenger since out of a total of fifty-five verses as many as forty-seven are the personal addresses of the Lord.”1 [1 Richard A. Taylor and E. Ray Clendenen, New American Commentary—Volume 21a: Haggai, Malachi, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2004), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 205. Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Habakkuk–Malachi, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2009), 323.]
Body:
I. Calling the Blinded to Behold the Lord's Past Displays of His Love (Mal. 1:1-4).
I. Calling the Blinded to Behold the Lord's Past Displays of His Love (Mal. 1:1-4).
A. The Courier of His Love (Mal. 1:1).
A. The Courier of His Love (Mal. 1:1).
THE burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
The word maśśā’ (“burden”), with which the book begins, sets a sober mood.... In the prophetic books maśśā’ introduces messages of a threatening nature 27 times (e.g., Isa. 13:1; 14:28; 15:1; Nahum 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1).... Standing alone at the beginning of Malachi, the word maśśā’ gives this prophet’s entire message a sense of anxiety and foreboding. [Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1575.]
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
THE burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach,
And Damascus shall be the rest thereof:
When the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.
The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD,
Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth,
And formeth the spirit of man within him.
The same word introduces oracles against the nations in Isaiah 13–23, characterized by eschatological judgment. The last six chapters of Zechariah are deeply eschatological, and though Malachi is in a different literary category from them, they share the same conviction that God’s coming to judge the world is imminent. The ‘burden’ which weighs on the prophet is meant to weigh on men’s consciences till they prepare for ‘that day’. [Joyce G. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 28, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1972), 237.]
Malachi had a burden, and a heavy burden it was. It had been placed on him by God. The prophet called it “the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi” (1:1). Malachi looked at society through the revealing lens of the word of God and, like Bunyan’s pilgrim, became aware of a great load on his back. In Malachi’s day society was materialistic, secularistic, smug, wrapped in the graveclothes of a dead religion, divorce-prone, callous about the plight of the poor, and conceited in its airy dismissal of God. The prophet was burdened about the alarming sins of his people. They were desperately wicked and didn’t know it. He would have to speak out. He knew he might face immediate opposition, especially from the religious establishment; nevertheless he proclaimed the “word of the Lord.” [John Phillips, Exploring the Minor Prophets: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Mal 1:1–5.]
It wasn’t easy for Malachi to strip the veneer off the piety of the priests and expose their hypocrisy, or to repeat to the people the complaints they were secretly voicing against the Lord, but that’s what God called him to do. “The task of a prophet,” writes Eugene Peterson, “is not to smooth things over but to make things right.”1 The first sin Malachi named was the people’s lack of love for God. That was the first sin Jesus mentioned when He wrote to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 2:4), and perhaps it’s listed first because lack of love for God is the source of all other sin. [1 Eugene Peterson, Run with the Horses (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1983), 69. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Amazed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 140.]
B. Confirmation of His Love (Mal. 1:2a).
B. Confirmation of His Love (Mal. 1:2a).
I have loved you, saith the LORD.
Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD:
Yet I loved Jacob,
God’s love is popularly thought to be a revelation first made in the New Testament, but this is far from the truth. It is implicit from the beginning, and especially from the time of the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3; 17:1–8). It becomes explicit in Deuteronomy, [Joyce G. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 28, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1972), 239.]
This was clearly revealed at the time He gave the covenant (Deut. 4:37; 5:10; 7:6–9). Love was the heart of this covenant relationship. This is clear from the exhortations that follow these declarations of divine love (Deut. 4:39–40; 7:9–15). Acknowledging God’s love for her, Israel should have responded by loving Him and obeying His commands (Deut. 6:4–9). [Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1575.]
And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
C. Callousness Toward His Love (Mal. 1:2b).
C. Callousness Toward His Love (Mal. 1:2b).
I have loved you, saith the LORD.
Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD:
Yet I loved Jacob,
Did God love the Jews? Let Paul, that “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5), answer by describing his kinsmen: “Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:4–5). Yet Malachi’s contemporaries asked, “Wherein hast thou loved us?” What a wicked question from a people singularly blessed by God! [John Phillips, Exploring the Minor Prophets: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Mal 1:1–5.]
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Ye have wearied the LORD with your words.
Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?
When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD,
And he delighteth in them;
Or, Where is the God of judgment?
Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them.
Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.
But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings.
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD.
Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God:
And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance,
And that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
The root of their sin was insensibility to God’s love, and to their own wickedness. Having had prosperity taken from them, they imply they have no tokens of God’s love; they look at what God had taken, not at what God had left. God’s love is often least acknowledged where it is most manifested. We must not infer God does not love us because He afflicts us. Men, instead of referring their sufferings to their proper cause, their own sin, impiously accuse God of indifference to their welfare [Moore]. [Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 736–737.]
D. The Contrast Proving His Love (Mal. 1:2c-4).
D. The Contrast Proving His Love (Mal. 1:2c-4).
I have loved you, saith the LORD.
Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD:
Yet I loved Jacob,
And I hated Esau,
And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished,
But we will return and build the desolate places;
Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
They shall build, but I will throw down;
And they shall call them, The border of wickedness,
And, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
The verbs “I...loved” and “I...hated” (vv. 2b–3a) are in the perfect tense and therefore express not only God’s past relationship with Israel and Edom but also His historical and present dealings (in Malachi’s day) with these peoples. [Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1576.]
The statement that God loved Jacob but hated Esau has troubled some people. Paul quoted it in Romans 9:10–13 to prove God’s electing grace for both Israel and all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation. But the verb “hate” must not be defined as a positive expression of the wrath of God. God’s love for Jacob was so great that, in comparison, His actions toward Esau looked like hatred. As an illustration, Jacob loved Rachel so much that his relationship to Leah seemed like hatred (Gen. 29:20, 30–31; see also Deut. 21:15–17). When Jesus called His disciples to “hate” their own family (Luke 14:26), He was using the word “hate” in a similar way. Our love for Christ may occasionally move us to do things that appear like hatred to those whom we love (see Matt. 12:46–50). Someone said to Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein, the gifted Hebrew Christian leader of a generation ago, “I have a serious problem with Malachi 1:3, where God says, ‘Esau I have hated.’ ” Dr. Gaebelein replied, “I have a greater problem with Malachi 1:2, where God says, ‘Jacob, I have loved.’ ” We certainly can’t explain the love and grace of God, nor do we have to, but we can experience God’s grace and love as trust Christ and walk with Him. The Lord is even willing to be “the God of Jacob.” [Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Amazed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 141.]
Note - Remember the narrative behind the blessing of Jacob over Esau.
And the LORD said unto her,
Two nations are in thy womb,
And two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;
And the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
And the elder shall serve the younger.
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said,
See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven,
And the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of corn and wine:
Let people serve thee,
And nations bow down to thee:
Be lord over thy brethren,
And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee:
Cursed be every one that curseth thee,
And blessed be he that blesseth thee.
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
Note - He still maintained His Covenant love like a Monogamous marriage.
He chooses to send Messiah and King through Judah, of Jacob
Esau as a nation has no permanent heritage, he despised his birthright
Edom will be judged for their pride
God loves Israel, they are His bride
Does not suggest election to heaven or hell
Ps 5:5-The foolish shall not stand in thy sight
They resisted persistently God’s way
Gen 25:30-34-he had grown and prospered in spite of despising his birthright
He intermarried into the Hittites Gen 26:
He had grown complacent in prosperity
He set up Edom in the midst of Canaan
They refused to let the Israelites pass Num. 13?
Obadiah 10-14 they rejoiced over the judgment of Judah
Quote Slide:
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 1
The prophet shews in these verses (ver. 2–5) how much Jacob and the Israelites were favoured by Jehovah, more than Esau and the Edomites. Through every period of the history of Jacob’s posterity, they could not deny that God had remarkably appeared on their behalf; but he had rendered the heritage of Esau’s descendants, by wars and various other means, barren and waste for ever. De. 7:6–8; 10:15; 32:8–14. Is. 41:8, 9; 43:4. Je. 31:3. Ro. 11:28, 29.
Application: Don't despise the Lord's love like Israel did. Look back and see God's grace on your life, no matter what your present circumstances are.
The Israelites living in Malachi’s day were guilty in at least four areas with regard to God and His promises:
⇒ They failed to remember that God’s blessings were dependent on obedience.
⇒ They failed to live obediently so they could receive the blessings of God.
⇒ They failed to fully trust in the Lord and His promises.
⇒ They failed to be patient in waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
[Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Habakkuk–Malachi, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2009), 329.]
II. Calling the Beloved to Believe the Lord's Future Promise of Blessing (Mal. 1:5).
II. Calling the Beloved to Believe the Lord's Future Promise of Blessing (Mal. 1:5).
A. You Shall See the Lord Is Miraculous (Mal. 1:5a).
A. You Shall See the Lord Is Miraculous (Mal. 1:5a).
And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say,
The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
...we need to remind ourselves that the trials we experience as individuals or congregations are also opportunities to glorify God before a watching world. That’s how Paul viewed his imprisonment and possible death in Rome (Phil. 1:12–26), and that’s the way we must look at the testings God sends our way. Every difficulty is an opportunity to demonstrate to others what the Lord can do for those who put their trust in Him. [Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Amazed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 143.]
B. You Shall Say, "The Lord Is Magnified!" (Mal. 1:5b).
B. You Shall Say, "The Lord Is Magnified!" (Mal. 1:5b).
And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say,
The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
Note how God’s power and greatness in behalf of His people extend well beyond Israel’s borders.
⇒ Israel would survive judgment and oppression by her enemies and witness God’s power in a mighty way. God promised that the Israelites would see Edom’s destruction with their own eyes. Remember that Edom represents all of Israel’s enemies. Note, too, that this particular verse is stated in the future tense. Therefore, the promise spoke not only of God’s past deliverance and restoration of Israel but also of God’s protection and restoration in the future.
⇒ Because Israel would witness God’s power and protection, her people would praise Him. One day, people beyond the borders of Israel, indeed, all the earth, will proclaim that the Lord is great (see Ps. 67:1–7; 72:8–11; 99:1–3; 102:15–22; Eze. 38:20–23; 39:7, 21–22). Although the present generation may have doubted the Lord’s love, they and their descendants would ultimately be confident of His great love. In the future, the Lord will display His power and greatness for all to see. His supremacy will be universally known [Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Habakkuk–Malachi, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2009), 331.]
God be merciful unto us, and bless us;
And cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
That thy way may be known upon earth,
Thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God;
Let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy:
For thou shalt judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Let the people praise thee, O God;
Let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth yield her increase;
And God, even our own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the river unto the ends of the earth.
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;
And his enemies shall lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him:
All nations shall serve him.
The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble:
He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
The LORD is great in Zion;
And he is high above all the people.
Let them praise thy great and terrible name;
For it is holy.
So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
When the LORD shall build up Zion,
He shall appear in his glory.
He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
And not despise their prayer.
This shall be written for the generation to come:
And the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
To hear the groaning of the prisoner;
To loose those that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
When the people are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Application of the danger of despising God's love:
It is easy for people today to look down on the Israelites, wondering how they could ever question God’s love. Yet, we forget how quickly circumstances in our own lives—and in the lives of people we know—also cause us to question God’s love, circumstances such as …
• sickness or poor health
• the loss of a loved one
• marital problems
• loss of a job or insufficient income
• bankruptcy or failure of a business
• loss of reputation or failure to be recognized or appreciated
The list could go on and on. We often associate circumstances with a lack of love on God’s part. We frequently think that God has forsaken us because our lives do not work out as we wish. In this, we forget that God arranges and uses the circumstances in our lives for far greater purposes than we can imagine. He desires and uses even the most painful experiences for our good—and frequently for the good of others. To be strong in the Lord, it is essential that we understand God’s great love for us, a love based not on external circumstances but aimed specifically at the long-term growth of our souls. It is our souls and our inner character that God is most concerned about. Therefore, He uses both good and bad experiences to refine us, to strengthen and purify us according to His eternal purposes. To be refined in this way is a privilege, giving meaning even to the most severe trials in our lives. Thus, we can be confident that every trial has a purpose and is further proof of God’s love.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Mt. 11:29).
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Ro. 8:28).
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Ro. 8:35).
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Co. 10:13).
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (He. 12:6).
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (He. 12:11). [Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Habakkuk–Malachi, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2009), 331–332.]