• Gospel theme: Jesus’ sacrifice, our response (holiness)
• Written by Malachi (Hebrew, “My Messenger”)
• Around 400 B.C.
  • “governor” (1:8; not king or judge); altar and temple existed (1:7; etc.); traits match time of Ezra-Nehemiah (Neh. 5:1-14, 18; 12:44-47; 13:10-14, 23-27; etc.)
  • Last Old Testament book of Protestant Canon
• 1:2-5: Begins with vision of God’s love (see Eph. 3:14-19)
• 1:6-14: God given the leftovers (in contrast: 1 Pet. 1:15-19)
  • 1:11: God seeks pure offering in the nations
• 2:1-9: Priests should (1) honor/fear God, (2) teach truth, (3) walk uprightly, (4) turn “many from iniquity” – be “the messenger of the LORD of hosts” (see 1 Peter 2:5)
• 2:10-16: Instead, the people (1) chose ungodly marriage, (2) forsook godly marriage/offspring
• 2:17-3:5: God’s messenger precedes God Himself coming
  • “My messenger” = John the Baptist (Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2)
  • God purges temple/priests/Israel (Matt. 3:12; 21:12-24:51; 1 Pet. 2:4-10)
• 3:6-15: Repent; give God the best (compare Mal. 1:6-14)
  • 3:12: Then nations see your blessing (compare Mal. 1:11)
• 3:16-18: “treasured possession” of holy remnant (1 Pet. 2:9)
• 4:1-6: Day of the Lord – punishes sinner, heals righteous
  • 4:5-6: Preceded by Elijah (John the Baptist, Luke 1:16-17)
  • 4:6: Christ took the curse threatened (Gal. 3:13-14)
  • Christ’s crucifixion = initial “day of the Lord”, where sin is punished and sinners choosing Christ become righteous priests. Preceded by Moses and Elijah (Mal. 4:4-6; Matt. 17:10-13; Luke 9:30-31)
  • Christ’s return = ultimate “day of the Lord”, where sin is punished and those in Christ will escape God’s wrath. Preceded by witnesses like Moses and Elijah (Mal. 4:4-6; Rev. 11:6)

Malachi & God’s Disputes with Israel

The book of Malachi is structured around a series of six disputes between God and Israel. Each one follows a pattern of accusation, denial, and the presentation of evidence. These disputes give us insight into the things that God cares about, the ways that we so easily and blindly fall into rebellion, and His loving desire to forgive us and restore us–again, and again, until the final Day.

The Six Disputes

1. Questioning God’s Love (Malachi 1:2-5)
   • Accusation: “I have loved you,” says the Lord
   • Denial: “How have you loved us?”
   • Evidence: God choosing Israel over Edom
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways do we fail to recognize the reality of God’s love for us?
2. Despising God’s Name (Malachi 1:6-2:9)
   • Accusation: “You are despising my name and defiling me.”
   • Denial: “How have we despised your name? How have we defiled you?”
   • Evidence: Offering blind, lame, and sick sacrifices.
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways have we cheated God from what He deserves?
3. Being Unfaithful (Malachi 2:10-16)
   • Accusation: Dealing treacherously with the Covenant and profaning the LORD’s sanctuary.
   • Denial: “Why does God no longer respect our offerings?”
   • Evidence: Acting treacherously against their wives; divorcing and hating their wives.
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways have we been unfaithful in relationships, towards God and others?
4. Calling Evil Good (Malachi 2:17-3:5)
   • Accusation: “You have wearied the Lord with your words.”
   • Denial: “How have we wearied him?”
   • Evidence: By saying that those who do evil do what is good.
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways have we compromised God’s standards?
5. Withholding from God (Malachi 3:6-12)
   • Accusation: “You are robbing me.”
   • Denial: “How are we robbing you?”
   • Evidence: Not bringing the full tithe into the storehouse.
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways have we withheld our lack from God?
6. Speaking Against God (Malachi 3:13-4:3)
   • Accusation: “Your words against me are harsh.”
   • Denial: “What have we spoken against you?”
   • Evidence: Saying it is useless to serve God.
   • Test our Hearts: In what ways have we felt entitled to more from God?

The Laws of God’s Economy

The fifth accusation, withholding from God, deserves more attention. The full interaction begins with, “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you.” This time, instead of asking, “How have we turned from you?” Israel humbly asks, “How can we return?” God’s answer: “Bring me the whole tithe.”

Throughout the other accusations, the LORD warns Israel of consequences if she does not repent. However, here, He invites her to test Him for a blessing. “Test me in this way, and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit.”

There is an irony revealed here. Israel is suffering under a famine (3:9), presumably inhibiting her perceived ability to tithe. However, the famine is attributed to a curse, because she is not bringing the tithe. If only Israel gave from her little, she would have much.

We see this counter-intuitive Kingdom principle elsewhere throughout scripture, including:

• Mark 12:41-44 (widow’s mite)
• Luke 6:38 (the measure you give will be given)
• Proverbs 11:24-25 (give freely, and gain more)

What is revealed here is consistent with this broader theme in scripture: God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Even God’s foolishness is higher than our wisdom, and He uses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:25-27).

Testing our Hearts, and Testing God’s Ways

As we seek God’s aim for our lives and desire to please Him; as we seek to reach the lost, preach the Gospel, and see many brought into the Kingdom, are we relying on His foolishness more than our own strength? Do our strategies match His strategies? Have we partnered with laws of man’s economy, or of God’s economy?

Let’s test our hearts and ask:

• In what ways do we fail to recognize the reality of God’s love for us?
• In what ways have we cheated God from what He deserves?
• In what ways have we been unfaithful in relationships, towards God and others?
• In what ways have we compromised God’s standards?
• In what ways have we withheld our lack from God?
• In what ways have we felt entitled to more from God?

And most of all, let’s test the LORD. He invites us to. In our aim to yield a 100-fold harvest for the Kingdom, let’s rely upon submitting our full tithe to the Lord. According to His word, will He not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings for us without measure? Will He not rebuke the devourer, so that it will not ruin the produce of our land? He will.

Transcript of Malachi Recording (Auto-Generated by MS Slack)

0:02: There’s the Lord, there’s the Lord.
0:04: Here we go.
0:07: OK, we’re going into Malachi.
0:12: This is for those who are unfamiliar or even if you are familiar.
0:15: But good to remind, this is the last book of the Protestant Canon.
0:20: So it’s in the Old Testament, I should say, I, I don’t think I said that in your outline.
0:24: It’s the Old Testament Canon.
0:26: So the last, the last book before Christ came was Malachi.
0:32: And I think chronologically that actually works as well because like what is the setting of Malachi?
0:39: I don’t know some of you, this might be a brand new book to even look at.
0:42: But for those who have, I don’t know if you’ve looked into it much.
0:44: Like when was Malachi?
0:45: Because some people say it might be here, it might be here.
0:47: But some things we know about Malachi.
0:51: Well, if you’re looking at the outline, actually, let’s start here.
0:55: And I, I’ll, I’ll give, I wanna give a Kudos praise to Shannon who, who also has behind the scenes has helped with some of the, some other outline.
1:03: And if you go to the F M I 360 outline.
1:05: She has, she put some of that together.
1:07: And if you’re ever willing, if there’s something on your heart, you are welcome to jump in here too because I know she’s had Malachi in her heart for a while, like a year or so.
1:14: Right.
1:14: So this is a timely word.
1:16: OK.
1:17: So here, the first theme, the first thing I think about is this is a gospel, the gospel theme of Malachi.
1:25: And I pray that we would have eyes to see this throughout is really, it’s a focus on Jesus and his sacrifice as well as our holiness.
1:35: So our response becomes holy.
1:37: And you might say, how, how could that be?
1:38: Didn’t you just say it was the last book before Jesus?
1:41: How could it be talking about Jesus?
1:43: That happens guys.
1:45: The Old Testament is filled with that Jesus is proclaimed.
1:48: In fact, do you remember Jesus himself when he resurrected?
1:51: I didn’t remember that when he’s talking to the disciples.
1:52: He said, didn’t you know?
1:53: And he says, he looked through Moses and the prophets and the writings.
1:57: That’s all the divisions of the Old Testament, the three divisions, the law, the prophets and the writings.
2:01: He says, he looked through all of them showing where he was talked about in the whole Testament.
2:04: All the divisions in the Old Testament talk about him.
2:07: They proclaim him.
2:08: Malachi is no exception.
2:09: So Malachi is proclaiming Jesus and we’re gonna see that Lord willing a little bit.
2:14: In fact, some of the New Testament starts with Malachi.
2:21: Let me, let’s go there for instance, go to Mark chapter one.
2:30: Mark chapter one the same for payment.
2:37: Here we are.
2:43: this is as some of, you know, pretty decent tradition, like, like solidly based tradition that Mark is recounting Peter’s words and the gospel tradition.
2:53: But he’s also, you know, talking with friends and others and, or trying to eyewitnesses of Jesus.
2:57: But look at how Mark begins.
2:59: He says, Mark one, verse one, you guys are there, right?
3:02: It says the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God as it is written in Isaiah, the prophet.
3:14: And now he quotes behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
3:32: So Mark is here quoting and if you have a footnote, you might see this too, but he’s quoting and who is he quoting from?
3:41: Anyone?
3:42: Know one’s a clear, one’s a clear one.
3:45: He’s quoting from Isaiah.
3:46: How did you know?
3:46: How did you know that?
3:47: Yeah, I guess it does say as it is written in Isaiah, the prophet.
3:53: But sometimes they would do this, they would put quotes from multiple books together and then they would tell you they would only say the, the name of the author of the largest book So Isaiah is the larger book.
4:01: But there’s another quote he snuck in there that you won’t find in Isaiah.
4:06: Look at that very first thing.
4:07: What does it say?
4:08: Behold, I send my messenger before your face.
4:12: Who will prepare your way?
4:14: Now, I want you to hold your finger there and go to Malachi now.
4:17: And I told you where it was, that was my clue.
4:19: It’s the last book of the Old Testament three.
4:22: You got it.
4:22: How’d you know?
4:24: OK, that’s a good, I love it.
4:25: Tya made a good point.
4:26: She said in her footnote, it told her Malachi 31, you might see it too.
4:29: I like that because now you can see it’s not just me trying to fit this together.
4:33: This is a pretty known thing that Mark is quoting from Isaiah and Malachi here.
4:39: And it’s Malachi three verse one.
4:45: I know we’re jumping into Malachi a little, but I’m let me just, I do want to read the whole book, but I want to also give a little framework here in Malachi even before he gets to three.
4:55: There is a scary thing that happens.
4:56: I’m just gonna say this right now, Malachi is the time of a lot of compromise, a lot of compromise and the priests and the ministers are completely compromising and one of their compromises.
5:09: and you can see in Malachi two verse 17, they’re doing these things, they’re going through the motions of following God, they don’t wanna follow Him in their heart.
5:18: So here we are now in Malachi.
5:20: Look at two verse 17, what are the, what did the priest say?
5:25: And it says, Malachi rebukes them and says, you have wearied the Lord with your words.
5:33: But you say, how have we wearied him by saying this is what the priests were saying.
5:39: Just listen to this.
5:40: This is what the priests themselves were saying by saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them or by asking where is the God of justice?
5:55: So they’re sitting there, they are being completely reprobate.
5:58: They are being completely sinful and they are yelling out God, where are you?
6:02: Where are you?
6:03: We want the God of justice here.
6:04: No, they don’t.
6:05: No, they don’t.
6:06: I’m just gonna say that right now.
6:07: They do not.
6:09: And we’re seeing that today people are yelling out where is the God of justice?
6:12: Oh my.
6:13: I praise the Lord.
6:14: He hasn’t answered their prayer yet because if God comes in total justice, well, guess what?
6:21: He’s gonna talk about Malachi 31.
6:24: He’s gonna answer that prayer for Him to come and it’s not the way they think it’s gonna happen.
6:28: So then we get to Malachi 31 which mark is quoting and says, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant whom you delight behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
6:46: But listen to this verse two.
6:47: But who can endure the day of His coming and who can stand when he appears?
6:55: So you’re saying you’re getting your request.
6:57: God is coming.
7:00: It’s not gonna be, he’s gonna start with judgment begins with the house of the Lord.
7:04: He’s gonna start with you.
7:05: We’ll get to that in a moment.
7:06: I wanna read the whole book of Malachi actually together it only takes 10 minutes but and all that you can see first off who is the who is the messenger that’s being sent before the way for God to come, John the Baptist.
7:22: Did you guys catch that?
7:23: That’s what mark is referencing.
7:25: He sees John as the messenger that Malachi is prophesying about and John is coming, the messenger is coming before who before God himself?
7:37: Did you catch that mark in that little little?
7:40: You didn’t even see it there.
7:41: Did you?
7:41: If you’re if you’re reading too fast, you didn’t see that mark is proclaiming Jesus is God because he is quoting Malachi that talks about Jesus God and that John was the messenger that Malachi prophesized about.
7:54: All of that was there at the beginning of the New Testament.
7:57: So I bring that all to say in the context, Malachi is like a hanging piece.
8:02: It’s, it’s it’s it’s pregnant if you will to come, the coming of Jesus Malachi is ushering in the coming of Jesus, both the first and the second coming.
8:10: We’ll talk about that in a bit, but he’s ready and that’s the, how the Old Testament ends with Malachi.
8:16: And then the New Testament begins with Jesus.
8:18: And in the, in the, between those times, anyone know how long, how much time you have in between those periods.
8:24: 404 150 years.
8:25: Yeah, around, around there, I just had 400 for round numbers of 400 years or so about.
8:30: And they even said this is the time when the Holy Spirit stopped speaking because they were waiting, they were waiting, they were waiting, we knew, they knew they had this word and he was crying out and then he came and now we have the New Testament and we come and God’s running.
8:42: I mean that the game is a foot, so to speak.
8:45: It’s always been a foot.
8:46: Let’s put it that way.
8:46: But he was, he, he was ready.
8:48: He was preparing them and now he is coming and whoa boy, he flips the script, he flips the script for sure.
8:56: That’s the preface to Malachi.
8:57: OK, guys.
8:58: So get pumped.
8:59: This is getting us ready for Jesus.
9:00: No doubt is the old book back to the outline it’s written.
9:05: Let’s start with Malachi one verse one.
9:07: So we’re gonna start going through now, Malachi.
9:09: OK.
9:12: It is Malachi one verse one the oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
9:23: So it’s coming, who’s, who’s it coming from?
9:26: Who’s it coming from?
9:30: Yes.
9:30: Amen.
9:31: Thank you for saying that it’s coming from God through Mai to Israel.
9:37: So you have three parties, right?
9:38: God is here.
9:39: There’s an intermediary of sorts, maybe that’s, you know, the a messenger, let’s say it that way the God is here, there’s a messenger going to God from God to the people.
9:49: And then you have so you have Israel God and Malachi is in between those two.
9:52: Ok, Malachi literally means you guys see that there.
9:55: Maybe you see in the outline.
9:56: It means, huh?
9:58: My messenger, some of you will see that in your footnotes there.
10:01: My messenger, does that ring a bell for you guys?
10:04: Did we just read that Malachi three verse one that is a theme throughout Malachi is the messenger.
10:09: There’s in fact four different messengers are talked about in the book of Malachi.
10:13: I just gave you two of them who were the two?
10:16: I just gave you John the Baptist and Malachi 11, he himself, he is a messenger.
10:24: I I don’t care that much about this.
10:27: But if I were a betting man, I don’t think Malachi was his real name.
10:30: I think that’s he’s, he’s, it’s coming as a the who he, who he is.
10:34: He’s God’s messenger.
10:35: I say that because of how much that, that name that Malachi has a theme in the book.
10:40: It seems, I mean, it just one of those things that, like, it could have been that, that was his name and God just said, yep.
10:44: And this is why you’re writing the book that could be, or it could be a name he took on as like pseudonym that I’m a messenger of God.
10:50: I don’t care that much if it was his name or not.
10:52: He’s a real person.
10:53: This is all true.
10:54: But he is a messenger of the Lord and he is urging them to be messengers.
11:02: They were bad messengers.
11:05: So then he says, well, I’ll send you a good messenger and who’s gonna usher the way to the best messenger?
11:11: Jesus himself?
11:12: Well, and I gave it away the third one?
11:13: Ok.
11:14: Sorry.
11:14: So my guy is a messenger, John the bad is a messenger and Jesus is a messenger.
11:17: We’ll, we’ll get to Jesus later as a messenger.
11:19: All right.
11:21: So that’s the beginning.
11:22: It’s written by Malachi.
11:23: It comes by Malachi the my messenger and it is written and this is where I said, I think it’s written around 400 BC.
11:30: Why do I say you should ask that anytime someone gives these dates for the books of the Bible, why, where do you get that from?
11:35: If it doesn’t say it in the text directly, you should be asking, I love Chelsea’s prayer.
11:40: May we be bean anyone know what that reference is?
11:42: Act 1711.
11:44: The beans were the noble ones because they heard what Paul said, but they looked at it, they studied daily in the Bible to make sure is that teaching right?
11:54: This is an apostle of God.
11:55: Paul is way better than me.
11:57: I mean he’s an apostle of God.
11:58: Yeah, Paul commended them for checking him out for saying, are you, is it really in the Bible?
12:03: I hope I will be so glad I would be so blessed to have all of you guys go and say, is that really?
12:07: Wait, are you?
12:08: Where do you see that?
12:09: What a blessing are the church would have if we all rose up and became bean of the people who were teaching all around the church?
12:15: They, what, what did it say it?
12:17: They said they da looked into the word of God as a, a mentor of mine said he said, you know, you notice that you don’t have a book of Bea in the, in the New Testament because they got it right.
12:25: You have Colossians, they got that wrong Galatians got it wrong.
12:28: Ephesians got it wrong.
12:29: That’s you have the books of the Bible for the people got it wrong beans.
12:31: You don’t need it because they just check in the word of God and that’s the right way to do it.
12:35: Ok.
12:35: So you should ask, how do you know this is written 400 BC and I’m gonna give you, here’s my little clues.
12:42: If you go to the outline clue, number one, he talks about, we’ll get to in a little bit verse eight.
12:48: He says, would you offer this to your governor?
12:52: He’s saying basically that you’re offering this to God Almighty.
12:55: But would you offer it to your governor?
12:57: Well, why is he talking about a governor?
12:59: If it was in the time of the judges, what would he be talking about a judge If it was the time of the kings, what would he be talking about a king?
13:06: So it had to be a time in history where there is a governor yet.
13:09: He also talks about a temple.
13:12: So there has to be a time in history where there’s a governor and a temple that really fits one time.
13:16: It’s the what’s called the post exile period.
13:19: It’s after they ca they, if you remember Israel was sent to Babylon for 70 years, then they were brought back to the land.
13:26: They never had a king formally.
13:28: They had governors because they are ultimately subsidiary to to the, to Persia and other places.
13:35: But anyway, they only had a governor at that time, but they had a, they had a temple being rebuilt.
13:40: So that’s, it fits really well, right at that time period, that’s why 400 is a really good year.
13:45: Also, I don’t know if you guys would know this.
13:47: Do you know other books of the Bible that were around that time.
13:48: Yeah.
13:50: Do you know other books in the Bible that were around that time?
13:53: The post exile period.
13:55: You get Esther is a good one.
13:57: The Persian, what’s that, Nehemiah Ezra?
14:03: And so it shouldn’t be surprising but Malachi, the sins, the concerns of Malachi match almost to a t the concerns of Nehemiah same time period.
14:14: So was that Amos is before?
14:18: No, no.
14:19: Amos and Isaiah are probably similar to each other.
14:21: They actually had a lot of old if I remember, right?
14:24: But that’s next month.
14:24: So we’ll hear what Jesse has to say and we will test him.
14:28: We will be Marian with Jesse.
14:29: OK.
14:31: So you have I I I I it all fits is my point and when you look at all the, you calculate all the points, you triangulate the points, you know, you say, yeah, it fits really well to say it was written after they’ve come back in the land.
14:45: It’s very fitting that it’s the last book in the Bible probably.
14:47: I mean, it’s a good chance.
14:48: It really was the last book written written down and this is the warning we have before the New Testament Chelsea.
14:53: Are you gonna say something?
14:55: You were, you were doing a heart thing or something?
15:00: Remember like the the silence before Moses came on the scene.
15:04: It was about 407 years before Moses came on the floor.
15:09: Oh, yeah, Abraham to Moses.
15:12: Oh, that’s a really good point, man.
15:14: Now you’re making out, you got me thinking a whole new dimension.
15:16: This is awesome.
15:16: OK.
15:18: That’s why we have the dinner afterwards, guys, these are the conversations for outside the one hour.
15:22: OK.
15:22: So let’s go back here.
15:25: Next point is, let’s go to chapter one.
15:27: Verses two through five.
15:28: Let’s see where this whole book begins.
15:30: OK.
15:30: So verses two through five, I would normally like others to read it except I’ve heard in the recordings.
15:35: It doesn’t come through.
15:36: If, unless I read it, that’s the only reason I’m reading it.
15:39: I would much rather give you, give my voice a break, but I’ll read it for the sake of the recording than people who listen later.
15:43: Malachi one.
15:44: So read along though verses two through five, I have loved you says the Lord, you remember this is God speaking through Maliki to Israel.
15:55: I have loved you says the Lord.
15:57: But you say, how have you loved us?
16:02: Is not Esau Jacob’s brother declares the Lord yet I have loved Jacob.
16:06: But Esau I have hated, I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to Jackals of the desert.
16:14: If Edom says we are shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.
16:18: The Lord of Ho says, they may build but I will tear down and they will be called the wicked country.
16:24: And the people with whom the Lord is angry forever, your own eyes shall see this and you shall say great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel.
16:35: Ok.
16:36: So at the very beginning, what is their first sin that they’re guilty of?
16:43: Yes, not.
16:45: And, and, and, and some have argued and I think it’s a fair argument.
16:48: It’s like dominoes, that’s the first domino and everything falls from there.
16:52: You don’t have a recognition of God’s love, which is why if you look at Ephesians three, if you remember this, Paul is praying that you would know the depth and the width.
17:01: You guys remember this and the height of, of God’s love.
17:05: And he says that you would know it.
17:06: No.
17:07: oh Hold on, let me, you can look at it too.
17:09: If you want Ephesians three, I just wanna make sure I get the reference right before I misquote Ephesians three.
17:17: He says verse 14, for this reason, I bow my knees before the father from whom every family in heaven on earth is named.
17:26: That according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being.
17:31: So he’s praying for them, he’s pleading for them and look what he’s pleading here.
17:36: Verse 17, that you later on that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints.
17:42: What is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
17:52: That is a beautiful prayer.
17:54: So I see that this is the starting point.
17:56: Paul is praying that and he prays that you would know, listen to what he prays her that you verse 19 of three, that you would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
18:06: How do you know something that surpasses knowledge?
18:08: Just think about that play on words there that you would know this, that no one can know.
18:15: It has to be a revelation.
18:17: And he says as much to her, he says, I pray that you have a revelation which means this is beyond just communication.
18:22: I can’t just communicate to you God’s love.
18:24: There has to be a revelation.
18:26: But when you get that revelation, you remember the story in Luke seven of the woman, the sinful woman and she is just, she is weeping and she is offering every thing to the Lord and they were indignant Peter’s no.
18:39: was it Peter?
18:40: Simon?
18:40: I wasn’t, I don’t think it was Simon Peter, but the host was like, why, why is this happening?
18:44: Why are you giving all this love to her?
18:47: Why, why you, why you Yeah, why did Jesus are you allowing this?
18:50: And do you remember what Jesus says?
18:51: Those who have been forgiven much love much.
18:56: And so there is a recognition and I think that goes all back to this Edom because he talks about Jacob and Esau, did you guys notice that Jacob and Esau?
19:07: You, do you know that fill in there for Jacob was the person through whom Israel came, Edom was, or Esau was the person through who the edomites came.
19:18: So he said, if you look at compare the lands, compare what’s happening to this group of people over here, basically, you know, you deserve that too.
19:28: If you look at what you deserve yet, what you’ve been given, the love of God will go.
19:35: It.
19:36: It’ll be blown out of the water.
19:37: You’ll have a revelation of God’s love.
19:38: She under in Luke seven, she understood that she was forgiven much.
19:42: He didn’t figure it out.
19:43: The, the pharisee didn’t figure it out.
19:45: We don’t figure it out.
19:46: We think we’re great and that, then we started saying, well, how come that guy over there gets this and that guy over there gets this instead of saying, do you know what we deserve?
19:53: Essentially?
19:54: I think that’s what God is saying here saying you haven’t recognized what you deserve if you understood what you deserve and how this is a mercy because you are my Children literally because you’re my Children.
20:05: I am not, I’m sparing you from the wrath you deserve that those who are not my Children will get.
20:12: That’s why you should say you should be thankful, you have light, you should be thankful, you have breath, you should be thankful.
20:16: You’re not under my judgment.
20:17: That’s what he’s saying.
20:19: The same with us when we get in a point of saying, how come we, how we got the gym, how come we got, we started complaining because we haven’t seen what we deserve and what we have.
20:28: That was how it all began.
20:30: All right, you guys got that.
20:32: So it started with a faulty view of God’s love and every everything from there goes good, goes sideways.
20:37: Hey, you know, a all amiss.
20:41: OK.
20:42: So back to Malachi one.
20:45: Let’s go to what happened then because they had a bad view of God’s love versus we’re gonna read six through 14.
20:53: Now this is one.
20:56: So it’s the end of chapter one, a son honors his father and a servant, his master.
21:04: If then I am a father where is my honor and if I am a master, where is my fear?
21:09: Says the Lord of hosts to you o priest who despise my name.
21:14: But you say how we despised your name verse seven by offering polluted food upon my altar.
21:22: But you say, how have we polluted you by saying that the Lord’s table may be despised when you offer blind animals and sacrifice.
21:32: Is that not evil?
21:34: And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil present that to your governor?
21:40: Will he accept you or show you favor?
21:41: Says the Lord of hosts and now entreat the favor of God that he may be gracious to us with such a gift from your hand.
21:49: Will he show favor to any of you?
21:50: Says the Lord of Hosts verse 10.
21:53: Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain.
22:00: I have no pleasure in you says the Lord of Hosts and I will not accept an offering from your hand for from the rising of the sun to its setting.
22:09: My name will be great among the nations and in every place incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name will be great among the nations says the Lord of Hosts verse 12.
22:21: But you profane it.
22:22: When you say that the Lord’s table is polluted and its fruit, that is its food may be despised.
22:28: 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.
22:35: And this you bring as your offering.
22:37: Shall I accept that from your hand?
22:39: Says the Lord curse be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it and yet sacrifices the Lord what is blemished for?
22:48: I am a great king says the Lord of Hosts and my name will be feared among the nations.
22:54: All right.
22:56: Oh It’s really heavy language and God forgive us for blunting any of it in this day.
23:06: There are times we need this incredibly severe love, severe mercy language because it’s much better to hear it now than hear it on Judgment Day.
23:17: Much better.
23:19: So, here we’re hearing the words and God is saying you are giving me the leftovers, essentially, you’re giving me the leftovers.
23:29: You’re giving me the, the unwanted, the undesirable time.
23:33: You know, whether that’s your time, whether it’s whatever, I mean, for us today, I mean, they, they literally were given animals that were blind and defected.
23:39: They were just given the,, this is good enough.
23:42: We’ll keep the good stuff for us.
23:44: Th thankfully, we don’t do that today, right?
23:48: Do we not do the same?
23:49: We say we’ll keep the good time.
23:51: We’ll keep the good money, we’ll keep the good resources.
23:53: We, we’ll give God the leftovers, the leftovers, the leftovers.
23:55: And it’s, and it’s God forbid God have mercy on us.
24:00: They were doing it in the midst of this.
24:02: God is saying, you know, there’s gonna be a day and he says this in,, one verse 11.
24:07: He also says it later in verse,, 14 in 111.
24:11: Let me reread that for, from the rising of the sun to its setting.
24:14: My name will be great among the nations and in every place incense will be offered to my name in a pure offering.
24:23: Who’s he talking about there?
24:27: The, yeah, the nations, I mean, the, anyone remember who, who is M written to verse one, verse 11 Israel.
24:39: But here he’s saying, you are supposed to be setting an example unto the nations.
24:45: But you’re giving the cheap, the pure, the, the impure, the defiled.
24:50: Don’t, you know, I’m trying to establish something here that all the nations will give me the best offering.
24:56: That’s a heavy charge.
24:59: We gotta say, oh God, that’s a heavy charge.
25:03: How is this gonna happen?
25:04: How are we gonna get the best offering?
25:07: Well, we had a clue.
25:08: We had a clue in Malachi three verse one.
25:11: Remember the clue?
25:13: And you remember at the beginning the clue three verse one said, there’s one coming.
25:19: Who’s going to refine everything?
25:22: There’s one coming.
25:23: Who’s gonna refine everything?
25:24: Who is that?
25:24: Who’s coming?
25:25: Who’s gonna refine everything?
25:27: Yeah.
25:27: It’s kind of a double.
25:28: You could have said I would have given you a yes for John the Baptist or Jesus there.
25:31: But ultimately Jesus John the Baptist, the messenger making the way he’s coming to refine everything.
25:36: Now, keep your hand there and let’s look at how he refines this a little bit, including our sacrifices.
25:40: Go to first Peter one.
25:42: Albert.
25:43: If you want to hear about First Peter, it’s a good dinner conversation with Albert.
25:46: after this first Peter one.
25:49: What’s that?
25:51: Yeah.
25:52: Yep.
25:52: Yep.
25:53: Sorry.
25:54: First beer.
25:54: One verses 15 through 19.
26:05: ok.
26:07: Actually, ba ba ba ba ba, let’s do, let’s start with verse 13.
26:12: You know what, let’s, let’s give it a fair shake here 13.
26:15: Therefore, verse Peter one verse 13.
26:18: Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
26:28: As obedient Children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.
26:33: But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
26:39: Since it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy.
26:43: And if you call on him as father who judges impartial, impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.
26:53: OK.
26:53: Let’s stop there.
26:54: You know who he’s talking about here, who he’s talking to Peter, he’s talking to Christians that, that hit home to everyone here.
27:02: That’s all of us.
27:03: Anyone who is a child of God because he talks about he’s like your Children of the father.
27:06: And what’s the call for his Children be holy as I am holy.
27:11: It really is there, you see it, there we are.
27:14: This is a charge for us now.
27:16: It doesn’t stop there though.
27:17: You know, they cut you off in the middle of a sentence.
27:19: Look at verse 18, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
27:38: All right, actually over in verse 20 he has foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last time for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God who raised Him from the dead and gave him glories that your faith and hope are in self.
27:55: No, God notice this here through Jesus, you have become a believer in God and look at His sacrifice.
28:05: Did God give you the cheap leftover sacrifice?
28:10: He gave us the opposite of what we gave Him.
28:14: We gave him the defiled the blind, the leftovers.
28:18: He gave us his one and only begotten most loved son.
28:23: That’s where this all begins.
28:26: The holy lamb of God perfectly holy, perfectly blameless.
28:31: Get your eyes there first, everything falls very nicely in the place.
28:36: If we have a vision that we are made holy by the Son of God, we are made holy by His blood.
28:42: We, we are made holy by the precious lamb of God that He did that.
28:45: Now, what can we do but offer back in our feeble attempt?
28:51: But by His grace, something beautiful back, something beautiful back.
28:56: I’ve been praying lately, God, you turned your head, you turned your eyes towards up us, help us turn our eyes towards you.
29:02: Ok?
29:03: So that is the remedy is Jesus.
29:07: He’s always the remedy He is He is the remedy.
29:11: His sacrifice is perfect.
29:12: Sacrifice is the remedy is the undoing of the cheap sacrifices.
29:15: It’s the undoing of the cheap.
29:16: It’s the undoing right now to the people in this room are saying, I know I’ve given God my leftovers, I’ve give, I’ve given him my cheap sacrifice.
29:23: The first thing he would say is look to Jesus.
29:26: I have forgiven you and that’s where it should all start.
29:29: The love of God goes to you who deserve death, deserve punishment.
29:33: But he has given eternal life.
29:35: It all starts there back to Mali, get it on the right side and then once you’re there, now, let’s talk about how we can offer to him in gratitude and praise a bloodless sacrifice, right?
29:47: Because he gave the bloody sacrifice.
29:49: Ok?
29:50: So hopefully you’re tracking.
29:51: This is good.
29:51: This is a bad news and good news and that’s what I think you’ll find the rest of L K.
29:55: Let’s go back to me.
29:55: OK.
29:55: Two now, OK, Malachi two.
30:01: Now, let’s see what he calls upon.
30:05: He’s priest.
30:06: All right, his priests are the people really close to him.
30:10: So he gives them the pass, right?
30:13: The ones he really, you know, the ones he anointed, he gives them the pass.
30:16: It’s like, you know, it’s like the president, you know, the his people, he always gives a little pass it.
30:20: I hope not.
30:21: But unfortunately, that probably happens.
30:22: But OK, Malachi two.
30:24: God is not like that.
30:25: He’s one that shows no partiality.
30:26: Malachite two verse one and now o priest, this command is for you.
30:35: If you will not listen, if you will 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.
30:46: Indeed.
30:47: I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart.
30:51: Behold, verse three, I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings and you shall be taken away with it.
31:01: So shall you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may stand says the Lord of hosts.
31:09: My covenant with him was one of life and peace and I gave them to him.
31:15: It was a covenant of fear and he feared me.
31:18: He stood in awe of my name.
31:23: I’m gonna stop there.
31:24: I’m gonna stop there for a moment because I, I wanna give a little context here.
31:30: God is now speaking directly not to all, even to all of Israel.
31:33: But who is he speaking to now?
31:35: The priests, the people who were supposed to be leaders?
31:37: Why does he bring?
31:38: Why does he introduce Levi into the conversation?
31:41: Anyone catch that?
31:44: Yes, they were the priest.
31:46: Where did that priesthood begin though?
31:48: Because here’s, here’s my challenge.
31:50: Did God always have in mind one tribe to be the priest?
31:57: Oh, let’s see.
31:58: Why do you say that?
31:59: You just think you know.
32:00: , I like that.
32:03: That’s a good answer.
32:04: That’s a good answer.
32:05: I’m gonna show you another place to think about.
32:07: So, hold your hand there.
32:08: If you’re following all along, you only have to hold your hand in Malachi right now.
32:11: And Exodus now go to Exodus 19.
32:16: This is at the beginning and believe it or not, we are already over, halfway done with this.
32:21: These things go fast and at least I think they do.
32:23: But OK, exit is 19.
32:27: And this is when God is speaking to Moses before he’s calling out Israel out of the e out of Egypt.
32:34: This is kind of the Israel is being born really right.
32:37: They’re being taken out of Egypt and being called out.
32:41: And God at the beginning of this time, this whole nation that is God’s people are being brought out and look at what he says this in Exodus 19.
32:49: He says, verse exos 19 verse three, while Moses went up to God, the Lord called to Him out of the mountain saying thus, you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the people of Israel, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself.
33:12: Isn’t that consistent with what we already said?
33:14: Like God is the one who did the work.
33:15: He brought you to himself.
33:17: It’s him, him, him, he gets the glory and look at this now, verse five.
33:22: Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant you, that’s all the people of Israel shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.
33:33: For all the earth is mine and you shall be to me, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
33:40: These are the words you shall speak to the people of Israel.
33:43: They were supposed to be a kingdom of what priests, which means every single citizen in their kingdom was going, was supposed to be a priest.
33:52: Not just one tribe.
33:54: They were all called to be priests.
33:56: If they did one thing, one, just one simple thing, people obey him.
34:03: It’s gonna laugh but that we’ll see how that well, what happens next and they say, yeah, of course.
34:08: We, you’re a priest.
34:09: We count this up.
34:10: Yes, sir.
34:12: And then he goes up, he said, oh, good.
34:14: I’ll give you all the rest of the commands.
34:15: And then while they do that, they said, Aaron said, oh, let’s get a little bit.
34:18: We don’t know if he’s coming back.
34:19: So then they get the gold and then they make the idol and then they come out and Aaron’s like, I don’t even know I have it.
34:23: It’s put in the fire and it came out and here it is and we’re worshiping an idol and guy, and then Moses comes back down to all of that mass and he’s, he’s upset.
34:34: God’s upset.
34:34: They’re both.
34:35: They’re both like debating who should destroy them first.
34:37: Like this is bad.
34:38: This just got ugly.
34:40: Now, look at what happens though.
34:41: At this time.
34:44: We’re gonna have some, OK, we can wait on that chili.
34:48: We’re gonna have, I don’t know about the dessert question.
34:50: Ok.
34:52: Here we have go now to Exodus 32.
34:56: When, when they come down God co or Moses comes down from the mountain and it’s, it is a they’ve been in sin David by the way, you know why they sinned?
35:08: Because Moses ascended and they said, will he ever return?
35:12: Does that not sound like people today, Jesus ascended?
35:15: And God said, he’ll come back and like, will he ever return?
35:19: And maybe this whole Christianity is a waste of time.
35:21: Let’s just kinda play it a little.
35:22: Let’s, you know, let’s let’s do this, let’s do that.
35:24: So OK, so that’s what happened.
35:27: Then he comes down and he is, he’s upset.
35:30: And verse 25 if you’re with me.
35:33: Exos 32 verse 25 this is, I think this is really important context for exactly what Mal I think the Lord is saying to me, Exos 3225.
35:42: And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose for Aaron had let them break loose to the derision of their enemies.
35:49: Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, who is on the Lord’s side?
35:54: Come to me and all the sons of Levi gathered around him and he said to them thus says, the Lord God of Israel, put your sword on your side, each of you and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp.
36:08: And each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor and the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.
36:15: And that day, about 3000 men of the people fell.
36:18: And Moses said today, you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.
36:29: OK.
36:29: There is a comp I think there’s a play on this.
36:31: In fact, Malachi says, you should have a blessing.
36:33: You’re having a curse because you’re not doing as Levi did.
36:36: Levi was willing at the great, at a great cost to him to follow me.
36:41: You are doing the opposite.
36:43: You’re, you’re giving me a little and so you can gain Levi lost a lot.
36:48: So God can.
36:50: This is where the priesthood begins.
36:51: You guys see that it was meant to be the whole people.
36:54: Now, it narrows down to a tribe that is the Levites.
36:56: Go back now to Malachi verse chapter two and God is now saying first, he’s like I have a charge for all of Israel.
37:05: You guys are all, yeah, you guys are missing.
37:06: Now, I’m really getting into you though.
37:08: The priest, what is going on?
37:11: You were not acting at all like you were meant to be.
37:14: He’s calling them out on this, right?
37:15: And he’s saying he’s, he’s giving them a charge.
37:20: I think what’s really?
37:25: No, no.
37:26: OK.
37:26: Yeah, let’s finish this.
37:27: I’m sorry, I, I, I, I was gonna go somewhere else but I think let’s stay here.
37:30: Malachi two.
37:32: We’ll get there later.
37:33: Malachi two where we were verse five, I already read this repeat.
37:40: God says my covenant with Levi was one of life and peace and I gave them to him.
37:46: It was a covenant of fear and he feared me.
37:49: He stood in awe of my name.
37:50: That’s where it stopped.
37:51: OK, by the way, remember what their first problem was?
37:55: They lost sight of his love.
37:57: But now they’re also lo losing sight of his awe of fear of God, which we also need.
38:03: There’s two things that should motivate all of us, the love of God and the fear of God.
38:07: And when you lose both, we are in an awful place.
38:09: And sadly, I think we’re in both in a lot of a lot of ways.
38:12: They lost both.
38:13: They lost the fear of God.
38:14: Verse six, true instruction was in his mouth, Levi’s mouth and no wrong was found on his lips.
38:20: He walked with me in peace and uprightness.
38:23: And he turned many from iniquity for the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and people should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger, the Lord of hosts.
38:32: But you have turned aside from the way, you have caused many to stumble by your instruction, you have corrupted the covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts.
38:40: And so I make you despise and a base before all the people in as much as you do, not keep my ways, but show partiality in your instruction.
38:48: They were called to be priests.
38:51: I see four charges there and I put it in your outline.
38:54: Number one, priests are called to honor and fear God.
39:00: Number two, they are called to teach the truth, the whole truth.
39:04: So help you God, they were called to teach the whole truth.
39:07: Paul said blood is not on my hands because I gave you the whole counsel of God’s word.
39:12: I am, I am sad.
39:14: I will just say this.
39:15: I think there’s a lot of ministers and by that, I mean, anyone who’s a Christian but proclaiming publicly proclaiming there’s more on you if you’re teaching, I think there’s a lot of ministers who are, if you listen to what they said, you say everything they said was truthful, but it is certainly not the whole truth.
39:31: And, and, and that was part of what they were in trouble for.
39:33: We are in trouble as a people because we have, we have lessened.
39:37: I think the blunt, the sharp truth of God’s word.
39:39: We have lessened the full force of God’s word.
39:41: We have lessened it and that’s what they were doing.
39:43: So, so back to what we’re saying here, they should honor and fear God.
39:47: They should teach the truth.
39:49: Number three, they should walk up brightly.
39:51: And number four, they are, they are to turn many from iniquity.
39:54: And I don’t know if you caught that there, they, they are called to be the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
40:00: Did you guys see that there?
40:02: What verse is that in verse seven?
40:06: You see that after he said after he says all his problems with the priest, well, not all of them but he, he’s, he’s, he’s got a good run of problems at the end of verse seven, the priest is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
40:18: You see that there?
40:19: Remember how Malachi is my messenger.
40:21: Now, he’s saying the priest were supposed to be the messengers of God.
40:25: They were supposed to speak as God is un from God to the people.
40:29: By the way, another thing in reference in the Bible, angels are called messengers of God because they’re the ones speaking.
40:35: So just think of that.
40:36: Our job is like an angel.
40:37: The ones declaring who God is.
40:39: Well, I should say that’s the priest’s job.
40:41: Now, I’m getting ahead of myself.
40:42: What about us as just Joe Christian?
40:47: No, we’re off the hook.
40:50: 00, we’re a kingdom of priests.
40:54: Why do you say that Miss Baria?
41:00: Let’s go there, hold your place there.
41:02: Go to First Peter chapter two.
41:04: Now, I think First Peter is a good compliment to Malachi brother.
41:08: My brother is with, with me here.
41:09: First Peter chapter two now and it says in first Peter two, again, it always all starts with Jesus.
41:25: Hallelujah.
41:25: First Peter two verse four.
41:27: As you come to him, Jesus, a living stone rejected by men.
41:32: But in the sight of God chosen and precious you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
41:46: It’s only through Jesus for it stands in scripture.
41:50: Behold, I am laying in Zion, a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.
41:57: So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone and a stone is stumbling in a rock of offense.
42:06: They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do.
42:09: Now here with spiritual ears.
42:11: This part here verse nine.
42:13: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
42:26: Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
42:34: So if you can follow, go back to Malachi.
42:36: Now, if you can follow this trajectory here he is quoting by the way, that is a direct I believe it’s directly from Exodus 19.
42:42: All those promises, what Israel was meant to be.
42:45: Now, the church is through Jesus, through Jesus alone.
42:48: We are, they were meant to have a spiritual temple because that’s where God’s presence live.
42:52: Now, you are the temple because God lives in you.
42:54: They were meant to be, you know, a a kingdom.
42:56: We are part of the kingdom.
42:58: They are meant to be priests.
42:59: We are now those priests, we take that on because of Christ.
43:02: He first was the one and now through him, through him, we can offer spiritual sacrifices to the Lord.
43:07: We are now the priest of God.
43:09: The kingdom of priests is here is now you are not, no one is off the hook unless you’re a non believer.
43:15: In which case get right with God.
43:17: If you are a believer, if you are a true believer, you are a priest, which now I hope you have spiritual eyes to see that puts a whole new light on Malachi too.
43:26: No longer can you just look at, yeah, those people, how it’s a high charge on those priests who this is up for all of us.
43:33: Because if you remember Israel was supposed to be priest.
43:35: Then it was down to a tribe.
43:36: The tribe was unfaithful.
43:37: So now it goes down to one person back to one just like Israel started with one person Jacob, then he had 12 and then, you know, came all from there and they were supposed to all be priests.
43:45: And well, now we’re going back to one Jesus.
43:48: He had 12 apostles.
43:50: Hallelujah.
43:51: And there is a new through him.
43:53: A new nation is born, a new people are born.
43:55: Anyone who comes to Him, Jew and gentile.
43:57: He said, I’m all take them both.
43:59: Whoever comes to me.
44:00: Now you come to him and through Him are sanctified to be priests.
44:03: And now we have that charge.
44:05: All of those charges are now on us.
44:08: So you can think about and pray before the Lord and consider.
44:11: Do you, how do, how are we doing with honoring and fearing God as a church?
44:15: How are we doing in teaching the truth, the whole truth?
44:17: So help us God.
44:18: How are we doing with walking uprightly?
44:21: And how are we doing with turning from iniquity?
44:24: How are we doing?
44:25: Ultimately with being the messenger of the Lord of hosts?
44:28: That’s what we are called to be.
44:29: We are now the Malachi my messengers.
44:32: May we take it seriously, we are ushering.
44:35: If you think of it this way, John, the Baptist ushered his first coming.
44:37: We are ushering him his second coming.
44:39: May we take it with fear and trembling.
44:42: The call, we have a high duty.
44:44: Ok.
44:45: So now let’s go to two verses 10 through 16.
44:50: So almost near the end of the chapter, we’re more than halfway done.
44:53: We only got about 15 minutes left.
44:54: Like I said, this goes by quick.
44:56: Here we go.
44:56: Malachite two verses 10, verse 10.
45:00: Have we not?
45:01: All one father has not one God created us.
45:04: Why then are we faithless to one another?
45:07: Profaned the covenant of our fathers.
45:10: Judah has been faithless and 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.
45:20: May the Lord cut off from the tense of Jacob, any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of Ho and this verse searching and this second thing you do.
45:30: What’s the first thing they were doing?
45:31: Did you catch that?
45:32: Because now he’s about to get into the second thing.
45:33: What was that?
45:34: We should probably know what the first thing is before we go to the second thing.
45:36: What’s the first thing the first thing they were doing was, yes, they were choosing, well, they were, yes, I doubt they were choosing.
45:53: I think it says daughter of a foreign God, they were marrying, they were marrying.
45:56: And if you, if you look at Ezra and Nehemiah, it comes really to light.
45:59: They were marrying a lot of intermarriage with people who had nothing to do with God.
46:03: The sin of Solomon was being multiplied,, that they were marrying all these women.
46:08: , I think it was, I don’t know if it was the other way around.
46:11: I think a lot of women, you know, men marrying women who were,, following false gods and the guys said no.
46:17: What are you doing?
46:20: So that was the first thing that they do.
46:21: They were doing wrong.
46:22: The second thing though follows 1st 13.
46:25: And I I actually argue that this is connected to it.
46:29: The the second thing you do.
46:31: Verse 13, you cover the Lord’s altar with tears with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
46:39: But you say, why does he not?
46:41: Because the Lord was witnessed between you and the wife of your youth to whom you have been faithless though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
46:48: Did he not make them one with a portion of the spirit in their union?
46:51: And what was the one God seeking Godly offspring?
46:55: So guard yourselves in your spirit and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth for the man who does not love his wife, but divorces her says the Lord, the God of Israel covers his garment with violence says the Lord of hosts.
47:08: So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not be faithless.
47:12: So the second sin is what they were leaving.
47:18: They were divorcing Godly like a spouse who actually followed God.
47:24: I think, I think the two went together.
47:26: I think they were divorcing one to marry.
47:31: I think that’s what was happening and, and it would make a little more sense when Ezra comes and says you need to divorce those women, like because you just added a second thing like, yeah, but I think regardless the issue at stake and the priests were letting it happen and this is part of the charge, not just the priests were doing it, priests were letting it happen in their midst church.
47:54: May we, may we say, maybe we say frankly, let’s listen here.
47:58: We are priests look around us at the marriage covenant.
48:03: Has it been trampled underfoot?
48:06: Are we responsible in this room in some ways?
48:10: Yes, we have to take late.
48:12: It doesn’t mean they’re off the hook.
48:14: You know what?
48:14: But we at least need to be willing.
48:16: Are we speaking for the whole truth?
48:18: Are we being priests here?
48:19: Are we fearing God?
48:20: Are we walking in a way that honors God when we’re, when we’re dealing with marriage, a marriage covenant, how it’s going and what is the purpose of the, of God’s design?
48:31: And God’s ideal?
48:32: I get it things happen.
48:33: I mean, we can talk later or you know, things happen that are less than ideal.
48:37: I know that.
48:38: But what is God’s ideal?
48:39: Let’s at least try to focus on the ideal.
48:41: What’s God’s ideal is to have husband and wife in the Lord raising up Godly offspring?
48:49: And to that, I would say if God allows you to do it biologically, may it be maybe the people of God multiply biologically, may it be?
48:58: That would be, that’s a gift.
48:59: That’s a true gift and honor that.
49:01: Again.
49:01: Look at the, look at the, statistically speaking as a church, we’re less and less kids because we’re more and more self less.
49:07: I, well, I know six.
49:08: I mean, it’s a, it’s a high order.
49:10: I got you self has to kind of go out the window in a lot of ways when you have kids, you know, so that, that, that is part of it.
49:15: But also can we adopt as a church?
49:19: Can we be, can we be people who bring in and increase the family of God that way?
49:23: Can we have spiritual sons and daughters?
49:25: I argue all three of those.
49:27: I, I would say you, I would be hard pressed if you can tell me why you’re gonna opt for not doing any one of those three.
49:34: I, I can’t, I can’t really think of a good reason why you’re not gonna opt for one of those three.
49:37: I mean, I get why, you know, there might be, you know, whatever, but we’re supposed to be bringing up the next generation.
49:43: And that’s our call, that’s our charge.
49:44: Ok.
49:44: Ok.
49:45: So let’s go.
49:47: Now we are nearing like I said, really the end here 217.
49:53: And it says you have wearied the Lord with your words, but you say, how have we wearied him by saying, and I read this earlier, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them or by asking where is the God of justice?
50:09: Now, I hope you guys can get a little more in that context.
50:11: These people were not doing great things and yet they were saying we want justice, we want God to come and with all His justice and undo the bad.
50:20: And he said, you really, you, you really want that.
50:23: You want God to come where to the temple to undo the bad.
50:28: OK.
50:29: I’ll do it.
50:29: Look at chapter three, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me as God and the Lord listen to that the Lord whom you seek, the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight.
50:52: That’s where God is called the messenger.
50:54: He’s the messenger of his covenant.
50:55: Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts verse two, but who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears for?
51:05: He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers soap.
51:08: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the Lord.
51:19: Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, as in the former years, then I will draw near to you for judgment.
51:28: I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me.
51:43: Says the Lord of hosts, there’s a whole list there.
51:45: It’s God’s consistent.
51:47: He’s, he’s always at issue with these things and more so,, here we are.
51:52: God said, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come suddenly to that temple where you wish I was coming and when I come, what am I gonna do?
52:00: I’m gonna purify not the world but the sons of Levi.
52:03: I’m gonna purify.
52:04: Don’t get me wrong.
52:05: The le the world’s coming too.
52:06: But he’ll get to that.
52:08: But first I’m gonna come for my people, I’m gonna purge and refine and purify my people and we see it in Peter.
52:14: It happened, Christ sacrificed totally undid and purified all so that now he, he has a new people.
52:20: Anyone who comes to Christ is part of his people.
52:23: Jew or gentile?
52:24: And we are now made pure.
52:26: Did he come?
52:26: Did you suddenly come to his temple when he was, came on the earth two times at the beginning of his ministry and at the end of ministry, he did the purging of the temple.
52:35: I think that is part of what is going on here.
52:37: He’s literally purging out because they would have thought we’ve just, you know, we’re doing our sacrifice.
52:41: We’re just waiting on God, we’re just waiting on God.
52:43: And all of a sudden, God shows up.
52:44: He’s like, you’re waiting on me, stop with this.
52:47: What are you doing?
52:48: And so no, you can’t be God because God likes us.
52:51: He’s God’s good with us.
52:53: So God comes to his temple and he came just as it says, the messenger was, we already read that was John, the Baptist Mark talks about that.
53:03: He and then oh at the, at the beginning of his ministry and at the end of his ministry, he comes to the temple.
53:07: And what’s interesting is how he calls the house of God at the beginning of his ministry.
53:10: He says, you’ve made my father’s house den of robbers or however he say, yeah, then then of these, at the end of his ministry, he says, you’ve come to, you’ve done this to my house.
53:21: So the father’s house, now he’s saying it’s my house.
53:23: But then he gives a woe to the people and he says, woe unto you for within a generation.
53:29: He says, abomination will come and your house will be left to you desolate.
53:35: Did you see that change?
53:37: And that happened 40 years after Jesus spoke 70 ad was when the temple was destroyed and that was on purpose.
53:43: It went from being God’s house to basically, God has left the building.
53:47: Literally, God has left the building and now it’s their house.
53:51: and he said, yep, destroyed, you have lost sight.
53:54: I was trying to come, I was trying to purge.
53:56: You don’t want me fine.
53:57: I’ll go to a nation that does.
53:58: I go to a people.
53:59: I should say, who does Jew and gentile come along?
54:01: Anyone who’s willing to come to me, that’s the purifying that Jesus does and he’s doing it to this day.
54:05: It says at the end of first man, first Peter has a lot of character.
54:07: At the end of First Peter, it says, does judgment not begin the house of the Lord and if the righteous are barely making it, who’s gonna, how, what’s gonna happen to the world?
54:16: Judgment has to begin with us.
54:17: We have to hear this first, we have to hear this the most.
54:19: And Amos, it actually says, Amos three which will go next month.
54:22: The Lord will.
54:22: It says, are you not my people?
54:25: Therefore don’t, you know, I have to punish you in a way that I wouldn’t punish the world.
54:28: That’s the truth we are or in Hebrews, I discipline those.
54:32: I love, I rebuke, I chastise those.
54:34: I love.
54:34: He has to come to get a purge refined people.
54:38: Ok.
54:39: So here we go.
54:39: Lastly.
54:42: Malachi three now, verse six, I guess not.
54:46: Lastly.
54:46: Second to last for I the Lord Malachi 36.
54:49: We can read this here for I the Lord.
54:51: Oops, sorry for I the Lord do not change.
54:54: Therefore you o Children of Jacob are not consumed.
54:57: Oh Hallelujah.
54:59: Isn’t that beautiful?
54:59: He says, because I don’t change.
55:01: That’s why you’re not dead from the days of your fathers.
55:05: You have turned aside for my statutes and have not kept them return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of hosts.
55:12: Oh I love that promise.
55:14: But you say, how shall we return?
55:16: Will man rob God yet you are robbing me.
55:19: But you say, how have we robbed you in your tithes and contributions?
55:24: You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me the whole nation of you.
55:29: Bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to.
55:34: 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.
55:41: I will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil.
55:45: And your vine in the field shall not fail to bear.
55:47: Says the Lord of hosts.
55:48: Then all the nations remember nations, nations.
55:51: It’s like how he wanted it.
55:52: All the nations will call you blessed for.
55:55: You will be a land of delight.
55:56: Says the Lord of Hosts.
55:58: Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord.
56:00: But you say, how have we spoken against you?
56:03: You have said it is vain to serve God.
56:05: What is the prophet of our keeping his charger of walking as in the morning before the Lord of hosts.
56:10: And now we call the arrogant blessed evil doers, not only prosper, but they put God to the test and they escaped.
56:16: That’s what they were saying.
56:17: So it’s interesting.
56:18: They were like, oh why are we following you?
56:20: We’re doing all this great job following you.
56:22: Where are you?
56:22: Yeah.
56:23: Right.
56:23: And they said those guys are putting you to the test and you’re loving it and know.
56:26: So God turned the table and said, put me to the test, put me to the test.
56:30: Really follow me.
56:30: Give me your all back to the reference.
56:32: You know the you gave me the blind, you gave me.
56:34: No, give me the full first fruits.
56:36: I gave you the harvest.
56:37: I’m just asking for a 10.
56:38: I’m just literally asking for, give me the fullness of what I’ve given.
56:42: You.
56:43: Put me to the test and watch what happens.
56:45: He said, yeah, he won even know what to do with the blessing I’ve given you.
56:48: So put me to the test.
56:51: I might add some people, you know, might use it and say, oh see you guys wants to do a tithe.
56:56: I think we kind of missed the whole point there.
56:57: The point is God saying I want, I want what I’ve given you.
57:01: I want you to give to me in the New Testament.
57:03: You don’t really see much about a tithe.
57:04: It’s just all of their everything belong to the Lord.
57:07: It’s like, you know, tithe was a reference.
57:09: I think it was a, a symbol of giving all.
57:13: Now, I, I don’t mind that.
57:14: I think the principle is fair if you’re and say, how much should I give to this versus save for my family?
57:18: I like, OK, 10% is a good starting point, but I would never make it a declarative.
57:21: This is thus say the Lord in terms of what the church is supposed to do, but all to say, give what God has called you to give, give fully to the Lord.
57:30: Give him your best, give him your everything.
57:33: And it starts with viewing Jesus in the cross.
57:35: OK?
57:35: And what he has given you and say, what can I give you in return?
57:38: What can I give you in return?
57:40: Lastly go here, Malachi three verse 16.
57:45: Then those who fear the Lord spoke with one another.
57:48: The Lord paid attention and heard them.
57:50: May it be Lord?
57:52: And a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
57:57: They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts in the day when I make up my treasured possession and I will spare them as a man spirits, his son who serves him.
58:06: I love that.
58:07: By the way, we’re not off the hook.
58:08: If you’re a son, we gotta serve him.
58:10: 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.
58:16: He’s calling all of us to be a son.
58:18: That’s one who serves a priest and a son and a and a servant are all the same in this regard.
58:23: They’re meant to serve the Lord.
58:25: So may this be the result of this teaching, even the result of Malachi that we would get together, that we would talk about the Lord and that we would fear him.
58:33: And he would say, I’m remembering you.
58:34: I’m not putting in vain or I’m not, I’m not forgetting these conversations.
58:39: I’m not forgetting that there’s a May, there be a remnant.
58:42: Lord, may there be a remnant who take this and say not us, not us.
58:47: I know the church is going to hell in a hand basket and it is, I see the decline but not us.
58:54: I don’t want it to be of us because he’s gonna come back and, and then we bring to chapter four for behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evil doers will be stubble.
59:05: The day that is coming shall set them.
59:07: Ablaze says the Lord of hosts so that I’ll leave them neither root nor branch, but for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.
59:17: You shall go out leaping like c from the stall and you shall tread down the wicked.
59:21: For they will be ashes under the soles of your feet.
59:24: On the day when I act as the Lord of hosts.
59:26: Remember the law, my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at hub for all Israel behold.
59:33: I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their Children and the hearts of Children to their fathers.
59:43: Lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction or with a curse.
59:49: So notice the same day of him coming is a complete destruction to one and it’s a mercy to another.
59:56: It’s truly fire.
59:58: Fire destroys all but gold, silver, it refines.
1:00:03: Are you gonna be gold or silver or wood?
1:00:04: Hay and stubble?
1:00:05: His coming is like that he’s ready to come.
1:00:08: He said first it’s gonna be Elijah coming and I for the sake of time.
1:00:11: I have to, you can look at the notes on your own.
1:00:14: But Elijah Jesus says if you’re going to take it, Elijah did come, John, the Baptist was the Elijah that came.
1:00:20: Look at Luke one and he was prophesized as the one who’s gonna turn the father to the son, the son of the father to make the way for his coming.
1:00:27: So he say, oh he already came.
1:00:28: Yes and yet not he did come and he took the curse on himself.
1:00:34: Everyone deserved that curse.
1:00:35: He took it.
1:00:36: But there’s gonna be another coming and he’s looking for another so to speak.
1:00:39: I think a whole people of Elijah, the whole people of messengers who are going to declare the day of his coming.
1:00:44: And when he comes back, this now is the gap in the gasp in between him.
1:00:48: The first coming and second coming.
1:00:49: When he comes back, it’s gonna be there’s no more, no more time.
1:00:53: It’s the judgment comes.
1:00:54: But he first came and said, I’ll take the judgment myself that you deserve.
1:00:58: So all of us get in the arc, so to speak, get in him and then teach the world the same.
1:01:04: Amen.