187th Week, Malachi Intro - Chapter 4 (Click on the Title for Video Intro)

Click on the Title for Video Intro

Monday, Malachi Intro

Malachi Intro

Jean Boldt

THOUGHT

The purpose of this book is to confront the people with their sins and to restore their relationship with God. God loves perfectly and completely. His love is a love of action — giving, guiding, and guarding. He is altogether faithful, true to His promises to His chosen people. But consistently they look down on their loving God, breaking the covenant, following other gods, and living for themselves. So the relationship is shattered.

However, the breach is not irreparable; all hope is not lost. God can heal and mend and reweave the fabric. Forgiveness is available. And that is grace. This is the message of Malachi, God’s prophet, in Jerusalem. His words reminded the Jews, God’s chosen nation, of their willful disobedience.

Malachi paints a stunning picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness that clearly shows them to be worthy of punishment, but woven throughout this message is hope — the possibility of forgiveness. This is beautifully expressed in Malachi 4:2 — “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

Malachi wrote this book, and it serves as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. As you read Malachi, see yourself as the recipient of this Word of God to His people. Evaluate the depth of your commitment, the sincerity of your worship, and the direction of your life. Then allow God to restore your relationship with Him through His love and forgiveness.

PRAYER

Father God, we know that we stray each and every day. But please keep us from making another be hurt so that they would not know You or love You. Give us perseverance to keep our eyes totally on You and the promises in Your Word. The gift of forgiveness will help us keep our promise to You. Let us rise with Thanksgiving to the HOPE we have through our Lord and Savior. Give us incite to the book of Malachi. Touch our hearts from the Word of God.  AMEN

Tuesday, Malachi Chapter 1

Malachi 1

Verse 6

Bart Strayer

Verse 6:  “If I am a master, then where is the respect due me?” says the Lord.

THOUGHT

I think Malachi will prove to be an interesting little book. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets. As we see, it is the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi served as a prophet to Judah about 400 years before Christ was born.  Notice how his message in this book is not much different than the prophets before him ... the people of the nation have strayed in their devotion to God. 

It is amazing to me that whether it be Malachi or prophets 1,000 years before, as a nation strays from God, God sends a messenger to say ... ‘don’t go there.’  To most of the population of Judah at this time, I am sure Malachi was just another ‘God man’ that needed to chill out because anybody can see everything is fine. 

Nations are no different today. God still raises people to stand in the gap when nations are taking a wrong turn. And just like the times of old, most are dismissed as wackos that need to chill out. 

Being a person of God, designed to stand in the gap, must be one of the most intimidating tasks that God could assign. Yet, in context, we can see the amazing work of God that we would otherwise not see without prophets. It seems that prophets of old and new seem to have a sensitivity to changes in

direction of nations that most people don’t. It must be a gift from the Lord.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to be sensitive to those that You send as messengers. Help us to have ears to hear what You have to say to us. Give courage to those people who stand in the gap. May You bless them for their servitude. AMEN

Wednesday, Malachi Chapter 2

Malachi 2 

Verse 8

Bart Strayer

Verse 8:  But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble.

THOUGHT

So the central message in Chapters 1 and 2 was that the priests were bringing their second best to God. They were growing away from God and therefore, bringing the people of God with them. 

God’s law clearly states that we are to bring the best we have to the Lord. This practice by the priest angered God to the point of sending Malachi to verbally question the disobedience of the priest. Because the people were entrusted to the priest, God’s hand would have been particularly hard on those who led the flock astray.

Sometimes we must guard our lips when many may be listening. Like these priests, if we cause many to ‘stubble’, the damage to the body of Christ may be much more than we anticipate.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for getting us through another week. Guard our actions so that we would never lead anyone astray. In Jesus Name.  AMEN

Thursday, Malachi Chapter 3

Malachi 3

Verses 6 & 13

Tanya Ruden

Verse 6:  I the Lord do not change.

Verse 13:  “You have said harsh things against me,” says the LORD.

“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

THOUGHT

The first verse kind of jumped out at me for two reasons.  1. How refreshing is it that the Lord doesn’t change?  In this ever changing world with new things every day, it is so refreshing to know that what God said thousands of years ago is still true.  He is still the loving, patient, revered God today He was then.  There are no surprises in His actions; He is the same. 

2. Alan and I are taking a marriage course on Friday nights, and the first night it spoke about how we enter a marriage quite often looking at our spouse and saying these are the things I am going to change about them. Well, for those of us who have been married any length of time, we know that isn’t going to happen. The only person we can change is ourself and our behavior.  Therefore, we can’t change God either — nobody can — which is awesome. Isn’t it?  Once you grow closer to God (just like your spouse) you can understand them and then change your behavior to accommodate them to love them more.  

This second verse reminds me of the New Testament where Jesus is telling a story and the people ask, “God, when were you not clothed and we helped you or when were you hungry and we fed you?”  Only in this text, the people are in denial of ever doing anything wrong. I can admit I am so guilty of this, and it sort of cracks me up because I have heard Sierra say the same thing (What are you talking about, Mom? I didn’t say that). 

I think sometimes I look at my day and say, “Man, I didn’t sin much today. Wow, what a good day.”  How wrong we are.  I have learned in my faith that each night I need to humble myself and admit all of my sins before God.  Even though I may not remember what I said or did, I did it.  It was not right and needs to be forgiven and improved upon. May this verse remind us that although we may not remember, we did it.  God is never wrong.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, praise and thanksgiving that You never change in this ever changing world.  It is so reassuring to know we can come before You as we always do and know You will react the same to our mistakes and our errors yet always love us.  We humble ourselves before You today knowing we will make mistakes today and will sin. I pray You help us to make good choices and avoid sin, but when it happens we humbly ask for forgiveness and improvement for the next time. Help us to model ourselves after You each day. AMEN

Friday, Malachi Chapter 4

Malachi 4

Verse 2

Tanya Ruden

Verse 2:  But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.

THOUGHT

Hope — Malachi ends with the message of HOPE!!  Thank God because we all know there are parts of the Old Testament that are rough and not so hopeful or warm and fuzzy. It is wonderful that the Old Testament ends with a vision of the sun. It reminds me of the song — The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow. The sun will shine for those of us who believe in Jesus — our HOPE. Things may be rough at times, but this is HOPE!!

PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for the message of hope.  Thank You that we can go to bed each day hopeful for the sunshine in the morning. We can live each day with the message of Your promise of hope.  A better place awaits us someday. AMEN