Today is the last of the readings for the Old Testament - Malachi.
He was a prophet who was speaking to the Jews about how they have backslid and fallen away from who they were called to be.
Malachi 1 God lets His people know that He has loved them but they didn't see it. They couldn't see it…
They brought God bad offerings our of obligation but not love, which is why God was not accepting their offerings of blind animals, lame animals and sick ones - they were not bringing God their best. This is just your basic lip service… but their hearts were not in it. They were cheating God and He wasn't about to take it.
Malachi 2 History just continued to repeat itself. Again, the priests - the leaders - were corrupt and God was rebuking them and done with it. God was tired of their disobedience. Malachi pleads with them to just love God. The priests had led people astray instead of building them up and helping them to pursue holiness. Malachi implores with them to just love God - they are the ones that were unfaithful, not God. They were sexually immoral and have gone backwards… it is high time they turn it around.
Malachi 3 God will be sending a messenger, John the Baptist (we will learn more about him very soon!), to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Jesus will purify all their sins and do all kinds of amazing things.
They have been robbing God by not giving to him. God told them to test Him and just give and see how God works it all out and takes care of them by opening the storehouse of heaven and pour down on them blessing. Do not bless the arrogant who live like they don't need God. God will spare the righteous but the wicked will be dealt with by God.
Malachi 4 The evil dowers will die because of their arrogance. God will send John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus.
How does the Old Testament end? “Behold, 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, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” That is from God…
To sum it all up:
- Do we give God our crap? Everything we have from God is a gift and He deserves our best, not our leftovers.
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