LogosWalk Word Journal
Hearing God Speak through His Word

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word
in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."
-- Luke 8:15 (NASB)

Archive for the '39: Malachi' Category

Malachi 4:1-4 • Qualifed for the End Times

Saturday, July 24th, 2010
“‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.'”
    —Malachi 4:1-4 (NASB)

We called them “short-timers” in the Army. We hated them unless, of course, we were one ourselves. It expresses the general rule that once a person received orders permanently reassigning them to a new location, that they increasingly became useless in their present duties. The closer their date of departure loomed, the more disinterested they became in continuing to do the best job possible. They let things slide because they knew they would soon be gone and someone else would be stuck cleaning up the mess. Unfortunately it does not work that way for the final generation before Christ’s Second Coming; there is no allowance for “short-timers” when it comes to obedience to God’s Word.
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Malachi 3:16-18 • The Book of Remembrance

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
“‘Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.'”
    —Malachi 3:16-18 (NASB)

In last week’s reading of the book of Esther, we observed a powerful lesson in that Mordecai’s good deeds on behalf of the king were not rewarded immediately. Instead, they were written down in the king’s books. :”(Esther 2:21-23)”: As it turned out, this was a very good thing because when the king at a much later date reviewed his books and decided to reward Mordecai, its timing coincided with a much larger work to save the whole of God’s people. God has “a book of remembrance” which will benefit us according to His will and timing for a far greater effect than if we chose the time and place.
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Malachi 3:8-10 • It’s All About the Benjamins

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
“‘Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, “How have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.'”
    —Malachi 3:8-10 (NASB)

This is the closest biblical basis I can find to justify the age-old claim of the money preachers that if you give to God, He will return it multiplied. Careful examination of these verses, however, reveal that God is not asking for anything extra, He is only asking that the most basic obligations be minimally met. The Law required 10% and the appeal here is to stop short-changing Him and merely give the whole 10%. The promise of material blessing contained here is connected to obedience to His Word — NOT the amount given.
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Malachi 2:17-3:3 • A Smelting Is Coming

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
“‘You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?” Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.'”
    —Malachi 2:17-3:3 (NASB)

One of the sure signs that our faith in Christ is waxing and waning the wrong way is when we begin to posit the “only” possible explanations for things we do not like. In Malachi’s time the Jews were upset that although they were God’s Chosen People, it was all those about them who were NOT “chosen” who were experiencing the greatest material blessings. How could this possibly be? The only possibility in their estimation was either God “delights” in those who do evil, or that He was an unfair God incapable of implementing the kind of justice which would reverse the situation. The notion that it might possibly have something to do with their own lack of faithfulness was not even a possibility in their mind.
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Malachi 2:5-8 • Where Did It Go Wrong?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
“‘My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
    —Malachi 2:5-8 (NASB)

Throughout the ages and to this very hour, there have been individuals, organizations, and even entire movements who may have started out right, but ended completely separated from Christ, much less their good intentions. They were not born to evil nor intended it to take hold over them, but responded to and built upon God’s calling only to eventually heed another in its place. How can things go so horribly wrong, even for someone inheriting the best of spiritual legacies? In such cases it always parallels an abiding commitment to God’s Word which gives way to something else. Originally they walked exclusively according to His Word and ways; subsequently they abandon them.
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Malachi 1:7-10 • When God Would Rather Have Nothing

Monday, July 19th, 2010
“‘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.” 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. ‘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. ‘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.'”
    —Malachi 1:7-10 (NASB)

The term I am thinking of here is “ugly American”. It expresses our embarrassment when as a tourist in a foreign country we see fellow Americans behaving so badly that it does not just reflect poorly on all Americans, but begins to shape the thinking of the people in that country so that they begin to see all Americans in the character of such bad examples. This is sort of what is being discussed here, that those claiming to be God’s people are so insincere and hypocritical that not having any of their attention is preferable. I have to admit that a few times in life I have been in environments where those claiming to be “Christian” were the worst moral and spiritual characters to the degree that I would not even claim to be a Christian myself.
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Malachi 1:1-3 • Short-Term vs. Long-Term

Sunday, July 18th, 2010
“The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. ‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have You loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.'”
    —Malachi 1:1-3 (NASB)

I believe one of the most repeated issues I keep coming back to is the proper BIBLICAL definitions of terms used in the Bible. Our vocabulary has been tainted by the world to such a degree that when we see words like “faith”, “hope”, or even “love”, we have a tendency to apply meanings which are based on the world’s notions of those concepts rather than according to the actual context of God’s Word. I think this is at the root of every argument in which someone challenges God; they are applying their own definition and concept to find fault with God. It is a very dangerous thing to accuse God of being unloving, especially when it is your own standard of love, and yet that is exactly the point from which Malachi begins.
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