Malachi Hard Bits
Notes
Transcript
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Reading Mal 1.6-11
Overview
Overview
Malachi - Author and Messenger
Malachi - Author and Messenger
He was the author
Name means My Messenger
Key terms:
Key terms:
Lord of hosts 24x
“I will...” 12x
My Name 8x
“In what way” or “How” 7x
Key beliefs:
Key beliefs:
God as Father 1.6; 2.10
God is Master 1.6
God as Creator 2.10
Yet the people believed God had lost interest in them and in sending His Messiah.
Key verses:
Key verses:
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
“Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.
Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Date: Probably close to 435-433BC.
Date: Probably close to 435-433BC.
Just around 100 years after the completion of The Second Temple. They had expected the Messiah to come and reign just after they finished building, but He still had not shown up and they were getting discouraged, slack, and lazy in their relationship with Him.
During the reign of King Darius II
Before Nehemiah’s second term as Governor, so Nehemiah chapter 13
Theme: True worship is an expression to God from a good relationship with Him. It is not a deed done, or ritual, event, or religious practice.
Theme: True worship is an expression to God from a good relationship with Him. It is not a deed done, or ritual, event, or religious practice.
Malachi is a book of properly waiting within the love of God. During the waiting we should be worshiping in a way that expresses we long to be present with Him and Him with us.
Christological Theme: Christ is God’s messenger of the covenant.
Christological Theme: Christ is God’s messenger of the covenant.
Purpose: Malachi was written to present the Lord’s case against the returnees as an appeal to repentance. He shows that their poverty is the result of their hardened hearts, bad worship, and indifferent lifestyle.
Purpose: Malachi was written to present the Lord’s case against the returnees as an appeal to repentance. He shows that their poverty is the result of their hardened hearts, bad worship, and indifferent lifestyle.
The hard topics:
The hard topics:
A. Criticising and neglecting worship 1.6-14
A. Criticising and neglecting worship 1.6-14
“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
Always be careful about ask God questions when you are not mature enough to handle the answer.
Question God when you expect to grow, understand, and change!
They saw worship as a drag!
But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
Because they saw it as a burden, they tried to do as little as possible!
“All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you!
Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
B.Polluting worship for personal gain. 2.1-9, 1.13b-14
B.Polluting worship for personal gain. 2.1-9, 1.13b-14
1. God wants our best, not the junk we don’t want or need any more. He does not want a sacrifice that we don’t have to give up anything for.
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Also found in 1Chron 21.24 where it gives more of God’s view of the same event.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
2. What is God’s view of people who pollute worship for personal gain?
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
Even worse is:
Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.
Not a nice picture! So why do we let people think it is ok to pollute worship? God sees it as very gross, and so should we!
C.Divorce 2.10-16
C.Divorce 2.10-16
Eph. 5 says that Marriage was to be a picture of Christ and the Church, so divorce messes up that picture.
Jesus said that because of hard hearts, divorce sometimes needs to take place. But that was not God’s original design. God wanted the best for his people and so he made the married couple one - just like Christ and the church are one.
Marriage is also the best way to raise Godly children.
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.
Divorce is hated by God just as every other sin is hated by God. However, it is not unforgivable.
“For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
Note the verse is really messed up in the ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
D.Failing to give to God. 3.8-12
D.Failing to give to God. 3.8-12
God knows when we are not giving Him what belongs to Him!
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
Tithe is 10%
Offerings are gifts over and above.
Tithe stated with Abraham long before The Law, so it is not Legalistic by nature.
It shows a persons willingness to trust God and put Him first.
I believe that ideally a tithe should be given to the church and Offerings can go to other organizations, missionaries and charities.
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.
E.They have so little understanding of or desire for God that they actually slander Him. 3.13-15
E.They have so little understanding of or desire for God that they actually slander Him. 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 terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘What have we said about you?’
They openly talk about their attitude towards serving God. They think it service has no impact on their relationship with God or His people.
Let me say, when you see or hear people talk about service as a self centred thing, get away from them. Don’t listen to them. Verse 15 calls them arrogant and evil-doers!
Service is not about me! Service should be about others and our God.
When service is not about God and others, we fail to understand God and His ways!
Conclusion: God knows the condition of our relationship with Him. He knows the relationships we have with His people. While He is patient, He is also willing to call us out!
Conclusion: God knows the condition of our relationship with Him. He knows the relationships we have with His people. While He is patient, He is also willing to call us out!
Some people say that “History repeats it’s self.” Others say, “History is repeating itself.” King Solomon said that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The reality is, people are making the same mistakes they have for thousands of years. this is true also of their relationship mistakes with God. I hope we are different because we look into Scripture and learn from it so that we stop ourselves from making the same old mistakes.
Do you have a relationship with God? It starts there!
Is what you give based on your lack of interest or your desire to draw close?
Have you been impacted by divorce? If so, understand and acknowledge it for what it is and Ask God to restore a right view of relationships based on His ways rather than mans’s ways.