Malachi - God's messenger
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Sin’s of the people
Sin’s of the people
Sin’s led to captivity for Israel. Sin’s led to captivity for Judah, even after seeing what happen with Israel. God sent messengers , prophets to proclaim so to call to repentance, but sometimes people quickly forget the past and return to old lifestyle they once repented of. Malachi brings some hard truths to the people.
(illustration/story) I read a story about a preacher in whom a congregation member came to him after preaching a series “The Sins of the Saints” and scolded the preacher. She stated that it was not relevant for “the sins of the Christians” are different from the sins of other people.” In turn, the preacher turned to the woman and replied, “you are right, they’re worse.”
Worse in the aspect that not only do sin’s break God’s law, they break God’s heart. When we sin, deliberate sin, we are not just disobedient, we are rebellious against a loving Father who sent His Son to pay the price for us.
I will come back and add to this a little more in a few minutes, but let’s do some background work now.
Ministry work of Haggai and Zechariah led to completion of the temple (Ezr5:1-2, 6:14-16)
Ministry work of Nehemiah led to completion of the wall being built (Neh1-6)
Ministry work of Ezra and Nehemiah together led to a great revival of the people (Neh7-13)
Ministry work of Malachi is where we will spend the next couple of weeks.
Some helpful time frames:
Temple started in 536 B.C. and finished in 516 B.C.
Ezra led more exiles back in 458 B.C.
Nehemiah led another group back in 444 B.C.
Malachi was believed to delivered his messages 444-432 B.C.
Malachi means “My Messenger”
Recipients: The returned exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem
Date: 444-432 B.C. contemporary of Ezra, Nehemiah.
Purpose: to attack the spiritual and moral decay of the people (both priests and people).
Malachi had a very difficult task before him, and an unpopular one to boot. He was the one to rebuke the people for their sins against God and against each other. He calls for them to repent and return to the Lord. His approach was different then the other prophets:
Interesting point: Malachi offers new style of teaching a didactic-dialectic method which would become common in Jewish schools and synagogues in the future.
So, if you want to know about this style of teaching, what it entails is making the charge, raising potential objections and then refuting them before even raised.
So, now this morning here is what I hope we can look at together:
The people were doubting God’s love (Mal1:1-5)
The people were dishonoring God’s name (Mal1:6-2:9)
The people were profaning God’s covenant (Mal2:10-16)
Doubting God’s love
Doubting God’s love
Jesus spoke (Mt15:8) that the people honor with lips but hearts are far from Him, meaning talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Malachi, much like Habakkuk (Hab1:1) and Nahum (Nah1:1) are called to bring the message, the burden to the people, get right people!
Let’s look at this passage together and see what we see, and then learn what we can, so we can apply what needs to be applied.
1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved;
3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.
5 Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’
Gleaning from the scripture (push slides back up as needed)
What is God’s claim (v.2)? What is the expected response from Israel (v.2)?
I have loved you; How have you loved us?
There you can see the didactic-dialectic style
What is the claim stated in (vv.2-3)?
Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated.
Now I need to pause on this for a few minutes for this has brought much contention and arguments among people about that God hates Esau.
This is not speaking of the person, but the peoples, Jacob (representative of Israel) and Esau (representative of Edom)
Even though Edom claimed God, they did not walk with God or in the ways of God, and are even called a wicked nation (Oba8-14). For they rose up against Israel.
These illustrations of God’s love should have been seen but they were not seeing it, even after God brought them out of captivity after the 70 years (Jer29).
(Transition) they were not seeing the obvious; they too had rebelled against God, suffered captivity because of it, have been returned and restored to the land and yet they return to sin. They claim they love God but their actions speak different, it is further proved by .
Dishonoring God’s name
Dishonoring God’s name
It is dishonoring by using the name of God and not doing the will of God (Jn14:15, 21; Lk6:46). But also dishonoring God’s name by these things we see in our next section of scripture.
If you love me You will keep my commands (Jn14) and why do you call me Lord and not do as I command (Lk6). Now this leads up to our scripture
They were offering blemished sacrifices (Mal1:6-11)
6 “ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 “You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’
Glean a few things as we go.
What is the claim by the people (priests) in (v.6) and what is the response (v.7)
The claim, how have we despised Your name?
By presenting defiled food upon the altar.
8 “But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 9 “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.
What is the example that is offered in (v.8)?
Blind animal, lame and sick.
Something they would not even offer to their Governor knowing it would not be accepted, yet they are offering it to God and expecting it to be acceptable.
10 “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you. 11 “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.
There is a great prophetic promise given (v.11) can you see it?
Name will be great among all nations, in every place!
(Transition) Sons and Fathers, servants and masters (v.6) all gave honor, but they were not honoring God, they were despising God’s name by their sacrifices. This led to the next way they were dishonoring His name.
They offered half-hearted worship (Mal1:12-14)
12 “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 “You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord.
What is half-hearted worship as noted in (v.13)
That which was taken by robbery, that which is lame or sick.
14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”
Half-hearted worship regarding vows is seen (v.14). Vow the best and give the blemished.
(Transition) God knows, and such poor sacrifice, half-hearted worship would not go unanswered.
Corrupt actions would not go unanswered (Mal2:1-9)
1 “And now this commandment is for you, O priests. 2 “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.
Who is the commandment to (v.1)?
Given to the priests
What are the results, consequences if the commandment is not adhered to (v.2)?
God would curse them, curse their blessings and in fact have already cursed them since you are not taking the command to heart.
3 “Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. 4 “Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.
You can see more consequences (v.3)
Rebuke offspring; spread refuse on your faces and your feasts.
What is the intended results from the consequences (v.4)?
They will now it was God, they would return to the covenant relationship.
(Transition) still yet more to go, they were doubting God’s love, they were dishonoring God’s name, now this leads to they were:
Profaning God’s Covenant
Profaning God’s Covenant
To profane something is to: to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt : desecrate. 2 : to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use. (Merriam-Webster) and that is what they were doing with God’s covenant.
Profaning by marrying heathen women (Mal2:10-12)
10 “Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? 11 “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an 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.
The covenant with Israel is they were to be separate, holy, and they are breaking covenant by doing what (v.11)?
Marrying the daughter of a foreign god.
You can read more on this, and the drastic things they were told to do upon return to the land after captivity (Ezr9-10; Neh13:23-24)
They were told to put away foreign wives, and intermixed children.
12 “As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts.
Malachi calls for them to be cut off from Israel, those who do this, just as noted too in (Ezr10:7-8; Neh13:23-28)
Profaning by divorcing Jewish wives (Mal2:13-16)
13 “This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
God was no longer going to accept what or give what because they were divorcing the wives of their youth (v.13)?
No longer regards their offering, or accepts with favor.
Peter put it like this for the church today (1Pt3:7):
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
now back to our passage
15 “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
What does God hate (v.16) and why (v.15)?
God hates divorce.
They were dealing treacherously with wife of their youth.
It is not right to break what God has brought together and made one flesh.
God compares it to an act of violence against wife and children.
(Drawing a conclusion picture inserted here; we have used previously)
Even after return from exile, there are signs of moral and spiritual decay happening
Failing to appreciate God’s love
Dishonoring God by less then the best sacrifices and half-hearted worship
Profaning God’s covenant by divorcing.
Some questions to consider when it comes to the church today.
Do I offer God the best?
Do I profane God by how I treat my spouse?
Do I hinder my worship by how I treat my spouse?
Am I willing to repent and return if adjustments need to be made?
God is worthy of the best for He gave the best in giving us Jesus!
(Prayer) (Close)