Unwavering Week 3 Day 2

Week 3

Day 2   

Malachi Chapter 1

“For My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name in every place because My name will be great among the nations.” Says Yahweh of Hosts.”

Malachi 1:11

In spite of a people’s tendency to subdue whole hearted worship to Him, God’s established throne remains. It’s easy to sacrifice for our small children, they are tender and close to our hearts. Just as reading through a devotion is preferable to really engaging the mind in a study.

“No one has time for that” is the frequent response. It is a true sacrifice of time to cross reference scripture as we see and understand God’s heart. The tendency to scroll social media and play mindless games gives people much needed rest from the busyness of life.

However, the longing for something deeper and more satisfying will remain. True rest, in this case, is elusive.

There will be pure and acceptable offerings at some point, because He remains high and lifted up, above the nations. As the verse above reminds us, our powerful and Holy God is worthy of our whole hearted praise.

A heart change is what He is after, in us and throughout the lives of the people we study. We are commanded by our creator, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This desire of God will be illuminated as we study Malachi.

Since we have an overview reading of Malachi under our thinking caps from yesterday, let’s get started!

 The Hebrew word for hate (sane) described in my study bible reports that “choosing Jacob over Esau occurred in a national sense not an individual sense. Comparing the situation to Jesus’ words “that those who love father or mother more than Him are not worthy of Him (Mt 10:37). The idea is priority rather than the despising of one person, or in this case, nation.” (HCSB, 2018, p. 1499)

Please Read Malachi Chapter 1

1. It may be easier, in our finite minds, to pass judgment or question why God would make such statements through his prophet in Malachi 1:1-5. List below questions you might want to ask God when we see him some day: (They are your thoughts, no wrong answers, it’s just to get our minds thinking).
2. We picture a loving Father, with two children (here Nations) and one being favored over the other. There are three facts about God we can keep in mind to help us grapple with the things in scripture we don’t understand:
3. His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)
4. We are limited by time, He is not. He is the alpha and omega (the beginning and the end) He Sees all things (past, future, present) Knows all things (character, values, actions, faith, belief) of individuals and nations (before they are born).
5. What we see and read 4000 years ago in our ancient text, He saw 6000 years before that and beyond into infinity. He makes all decisions based on what He knows, not what we “think” we know. Basically, He is God, we are not.

• God says a son _______________ his father, and a servant his master. What does he ask of His son Israel? (vs 6)
• How has the leadership (priesthood) of the country of Israel dishonored God? (vs 7-8, 12,14)
• What do they still expect from God in spite of their half-hearted sacrifice? (vs 9)
• Are we any different in our own experiences of worship and sacrifice at times?

Please Look up the following scriptures to clarify the quality of sacrifice to be brought before the Lord:

Leviticus 22; 22, 24

Deuteronomy 15:21

The behavior of the priests in Malachi, show us corruption in the priesthood. Shirking duties of moral living, teaching the word of God to the people, and showing lack of reverence for God in the offering. We see the same behavior in our culture today. From sexual scandal, money laundering to outright theft in the offering plate among leaders today.

Moreover, compromise in leadership corrupts people. They no longer trust ‘holy’ men, men of God (or women of God), therefore they refuse to trust God. If that is what following Christ is about, they want no part of it. They can say that prayer and move on, enjoying life without religious rules or interaction with ‘fake’ people. It’s preferable to pursue mindless games, and social media for activities of rest. Unaware, the simmering discontent in their aching hearts is a yearning for God.

Yes, half-hearted sacrifice has far reaching repercussions.

 My prayer today, as we finish today’s lesson, is for me to look at my life and see where I am lackluster in my devotion to the Lord. Am I fully serving the people within my own influence? Am I fully committed to prayer for the lost and hurting in my community? Am I reaching out and encouraging someone today?

God in heaven, may our offerings be pure, as we set our hearts on you. You are high and lifted up and worthy of all sacrifice and praise. I pray our eyes are open to apathy and you forgive us today. Strengthen our hearts Lord to whole-heartedly serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.