I Have Loved You

I) Introduction

Malachi

a little known prophet

After Babylonian exile.

wrote during the “quiet” time.

many felt God had left them.

Means - MY MESSENGER

II) “I have Loved You”

1. The Declaration of His Love

These words are:

penetrating

moving

passionate flowing from God’s heart

mournful

forceful

powerful

and tender

(NKJV)

37 And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power,

2. The question Of His Love

How have you loved us

they did not trust God

after facing hardship many allowed their hearts to become hard.

money problems

lack of resources

political upheavel

constant threat of attack

the people had not seen the blessings because they had not repented.

We fail:

blessing are directly tied to our obedience.

Live obediently so we can receive these blessings

fail to trust in the Lord

fail to be patient

3. The Proof Of His Love.

No matter how impatient and disobedient the people were:

God still loved them

God recalled His long history of Love.

(NKJV)

23 And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

2. God proved His love with His own words

I have loved you

it was unwavering

trustworthy

3. God proves His love by electing Israel as his people.

By grace

Through Israel for the whole world

(NKJV)

23 And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

c. God freely chose Jacob over Esau

d. God knew how Esau would be the representative of the sinful world

e. Jacob would be a true follower of God.

4. God proved His love by protecting Israel from EDOM.

Edom was doomed because of its unbelief

Edom was destroyed when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem

Even then they refused to repent.

Edom was doomed because they were evil.

they loved that Israel and Judah had been defeated.

They plundered judah after the fall

4. The Restorative Love (5)

Israel would be restored after the oppression of their enemies.

God promised Israel would see Edom’s destruction.

Edom represented all of God’s enemies

III) Closing

A great tragedy of today’s worlds is so many doubt God’s love.

Such doubt causes

anxiety

fear

distrust

depression

hopelessness

anger

and bitterness

Doubting God’s love can lead to sin

(NKJV)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(NKJV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

(NKJV)

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.