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DECEMBER 30
Malachi 1-2
After
all of the heavenly visions, we are back to reality on the dark planet. After
Zechariah and Haggai wrote, Ezra arrived to lead the people into the Word, and
then Nehemiah arrived and helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah
helped repopulate the city and set the Levitical order of worship into
operation. The end of Nehemiah shows that even with a godly governor, the
people hardly obeyed. Malachi probably wrote after Nehemiah was gone. The word
for governor is Persian, suggesting that whoever was running Jerusalem now was
Persian. The temple service was running; in fact, it was now running so
routinely it became corrupted.
Malachi's
name means "messenger." Malachi's will be the last words God speaks
to Israel until the events just before the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus.
God did a clever job of wording this book through Malachi. God has Malachi
listen to the people and record their gripes against God. As God answers these
complaints through Malachi, God turns the answer against the people to reveal
their very distant hearts. They were going through the motions of religion with
no real love for God. This is always a danger. When we have a "problem
with God," it is usually the result of our being lukewarm and indifferent
toward Him. To follow God closely shows us His heart, but often people only
want to appease Him and not really be bothered by Him. In the end, to be
religious only leads to confusion, because religion serves us and our
expectations. These people were disappointed with God, but as God will show
them, they had no real idea of who He was and they misunderstood what would
lead to blessing.
At the end of this document you will find two helpful charts, “The
Three Returns from Exile” and “Chronology of the Postexilic Period.”
Malachi
1
This
is a great chapter and could be preached or taught for weeks. We only get one
day.
Vs.
1-5 This is the most important part of Malachi. If you miss this you will not
fully understand why the rest of these problems crept into the lives of the
people. Everything we'll read in Malachi stems from this problem. I'm going to
give you the basics very quickly.
Both
Jacob and Esau represent countries, countries taken into exile. Only Israel
returned. That return showed God's love. Now to understand all that God did to
get them back into the land, you need to go back to the "born again"
Manasseh returning to Israel, influencing Josiah, who influenced four families,
who raised four sons, who God used to save the nation in Babylon. That is the
book of Daniel. Think of all that God did in Daniel and Esther and Ezra and
Nehemiah. The people missed all of this amazing and mighty love and said,
"How have you loved us?"
V.
5 Especially when you read some of the things Nebuchadnezzar and Darius the
Mede said and did, God received more honor outside of Israel than within it.
Vs.
6-14 This lack of understanding God's care and love led the priests to dishonor
God and to allow the people to dishonor God. They thought, "If times are
tough, God will understand if you bring Him lame and blind sacrifices, right?
Any sacrifice is better than no sacrifice, right?" But here is the thing,
if they had grasped God's love for them, they would have been willing to give
Him the offerings He required. The offerings were a test of their hearts, of
their faith and trust in God. All this proved they had no real trust or love
for God. They were just religious, just punching the clock, just doing what
they needed to do to be good religious people in their own eyes.
V.
8 They wouldn't have done this to their governor, but since their religion was
routine, the invisible God was as good as not being there. And besides,
anything is OK with God, right?
V.
10 You have to ask yourself why the priests kept accepting these sacrifices and
why they didn't shut the doors.
Imagine if a pastor did this on Sunday morning, blocking the door with his
body, saying, "Hey, we're not taking this seriously." Soon he'd get
no pay check. Guess where the priests got their food and their livelihood?
That's right; they received their food from the sacrifices and their money from
the offerings of the people. Who were the priests really serving and trusting?
Twice
God reminds the priests of His majesty in vs. 11 and 14.
Vs.
12-13 The priests themselves were bemoaning the fact that the people were so
sinful and bringing awful offerings. But hey, something is better than nothing,
right? And besides, they had to eat.
V.
14 They were allowing the people to bring a curse upon themselves. That
betrayed the entire point of the priesthood, simply so they could eat. In
contrast to what these priests were doing, look at what Paul, a disciple of
Jesus, did, said, and modeled for us.
But on some points I have written to
you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be
a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the
gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Romans
15:15-16
Malachi
2
Vs.
1-3 So God will turn the curse of the people onto the priests too. In fact, as
we'll see, the curse had already begun. Remember in Haggai how God said the
people were working in the fields and hardly bringing anything in? That was the
curse. It happened there and it was happening now. Ironically, the more people
held back from God because the times were tough, the tougher God made the
times.
Since
the priests were allowing the feasts and sacrifices so they could get food and
further their livelihood, God would smear their faces in "end result"
of their sacrifices. Note, that in 1 Samuel 2:22ff, Eli also didn't stop his
sons from desecrating the tabernacle. The reason for that was that Eli was
happy to be well fed. Notice the reference to Eli at his death (1 Samuel 4:18).
In a poetic sense, the impure sacrifices he allowed helped kill him. Fear for
our livelihood in the ministry makes us worthless shepherds. But can a disciple
really believe that stuff Jesus said about not being anxious about our food and
clothing? That's really up to each of us. It's a matter of trust.
Vs.
4-9 This covenant was really the covenant God made with Phinehas in Numbers
25:6-13. Phinehas saw the connection between the plague burning in the camp and
the sin of the people typified in this one guy who was walking into his tent
with a foreign woman, a cult prostitute for Baal. While everyone else stood
frozen, Phinehas grabbed a spear, ran like crazy through the camp and killed
the couple. Immediately the plague stopped. The priests in Malachi's day should
have been this spiritually alert, brave, and passionate for God and should have
taken a stand for the welfare of the people.
Through
Phinehas' ministry alongside Joshua, the people were taught to obey and honor
God, and that generation was the godliest generation of Israel. Phinehas was a
hero and a model of what being a priest meant. God would punish these priests
for leading the people astray.
Vs.
10-17 This section has a couple of sub-categories, but generally it all has to
do with marriage. Looking at Genesis, first came the fall from God, and then
the relationship between Adam and Eve crashed. Those "falls" are
connected. The same can be seen in Romans 1:18-27. First the relationship with
God was lost, and then the relationship between man and woman became corrupted.
Ironically, one of the rebukes that Jesus delivered on the chief priests,
scribes, and Pharisees was regarding their view of marriage and their allowance
for divorce (Luke 16:14-18).
Vs.
10-12 Since God is their Father, how could the men marry women who worshiped
false gods? But once you have lost your love for God, your faith, and trust in
Him, and you've defined Him as a good-ol'-boy who accepts anything, anything is
possible. Throughout Ezra and Nehemiah this problem is mentioned often.
Vs.
13-14 Yet the people wept because things were not going well economically and
God didn't listen. Why? Because they were faithless toward their wives. They
were breaking covenant with God which opened the door to men breaking covenant
with their wives. God was a witness against them.
Vs.
15-16 God's plan was for godly men and women to raise godly kids. It is all one
wonderful plan. When Ruth went to Boaz, she asked him to cover her with his
garment. This was her asking for protection and care. For these men to divorce
their wives was to pull away that garment in violence, forcing their wives (as
Jesus said) to become adulteresses when they remarried (Matt. 5:32). All of
this is why God hates divorce. God covers us with His love and
"garment" of care. How dare we commit to protect and care for someone
in the covenant of marriage and then withdraw that care. God doesn't like that.
He makes allowance for the sin of man, but He still expresses His anger toward
those who make divorce necessary.
V.
17 And all of this disobedience brings a darkness and bitterness of heart
causing us to actually become bitter with God. Israel could look at its
neighbors and say, "Hey, they don't have to do any of this stuff or worry
about this and they are doing OK. This is totally unfair. This following God
stuff doesn't make sense." But I was reading Jesus saying this morning, And everyone to whom much is given, will
much be required. The privilege of knowing God requires we act like it. And
as every parent has told their kids, "I don't care what they do in Joe's
family. You are in our family and these are our rules." In Luke 12:48
(RSV), Jesus also said, and to whom men
entrust much, they demand the more.
Especially
with all we have read about the second coming of Christ, for us as disciples
following in the harvest, our only responsibility before God is to love Him,
trust Him, and obey Him. The more we give to Christ in following Him, the more
we get of Him. There's a happy version of the old hymn, "Trust and Obey,"
by Big Daddy Weave. You can find it on YouTube. Actually, any version will do. That
old hymn says it all.
Revelation 21
V.
1 Now it is time for a new heaven and a
new earth. The heaven means that area above the earth, not heaven as in
God's abode. In the judgments, there is some mention of the powers of the
heavens being shaken and stars falling, etc. It could be that God did away with
galaxies. Notice that this is not an extreme makeover. The old ones were done
away with. These are completely new. This is a reference to Genesis 1:1. The
one thing to think about is that this earth might have very little similarity
to our earth. Obviously there won't be any oceans or seas, but also, there
won't be a need for oxygen, heat or gravity. Will the earth even need to spin
if gravity isn't necessary? The earth the Lord makes could be a thousand times
bigger and have very different "physical laws," if in fact,
"physical laws" are even necessary.
V.
2 The new Jerusalem could be the
place Jesus said He was preparing back in John 14:2-3. There are some people
who think this city will be orbiting the earth during the Millennial Kingdom
and will be inhabited by those who are resurrected. They may work on earth, but
they'll live there. For those people, the commute will be very quick. It's all
speculation, but I thought it was funny. Notice that in this case, the city is
the bride, not the church.
Vs.
3-4 God will be present and every aspect of hurt, regret or sorrow from our
former lives on earth will be healed. Vietnam vets won't dive under tables
every time they hear a loud sound, and children won't duck every time someone
raises their hand quickly. All the emotional trauma of divorce and betrayal,
the pang of every act of violence done, will be removed. Loneliness and sorrow
will be forgotten. We'll all be totally healed.
Vs.
5-8 This is the Lord making an offer, through John, to everyone reading this
who has not made a decision to follow Christ. Notice the allusion in v. 6 to
Isaiah 55:1 and John 7:37. It reminds me again, that in the harvest, if they
are not thirsty, they will not come. Our job is to ask if they're thirsty and
to tell them where the water is.
Vs.
9-14 Note that the Bride is the city.
Note also that the names of the tribes of Israel and the names of the twelve
apostles are a part of the city. So, who is the twelfth apostle? It is either
the guy they chose in Acts 1:26, Matthias, or if God, as He often does,
goes around our choices, it could be Paul. If it isn't Paul, I know he won't
mind. Paul was just happy with the honor of being able to follow in the
harvest.
Vs. 15-21 The description here
defies anything that could be built on this earth. This leads me to believe
that the size of that earth and the physical laws, if any, won't be anything
like this earth. In v. 16 we could understand a city wall being 1400 miles
long, but not 1400 miles high. Being spiritual with spiritual bodies will be so
completely different that it will defy our imaginations. Physical laws will be
irrelevant. Science and technology as we know it will be unnecessary. There
will be no "falling" or weight. Travel will be "instant
arrival," and communication will be intuitive. The necessity for a
spinning earth or space will be gone. (And while we’re thinking about defying
physical laws, I like imagining that we'll get to eat all we want and not get
fat!) The point is that there is no reason to doubt these dimensions, since so
many things will be completely different.
Vs. 22-27 We have hints in the
Bible about life after this earth history. There are heavenly rewards and there
will be some similarities with life now. Life will be perfect as it was meant
to be, but there will still be life and activity. There will be music. There
will be love. There will be fun. There will be beauty. There will be eating.
This description shows there will be no temple because we'll have access to the
triune God Himself. Jesus will supply the light. And as Jesus said in John 14:16,
the Holy Spirit will be in us forever.
V. 26 There will be nations,
which means there will be some organization of people.
V. 27 Obviously, there will be
no sin or bad stuff. The proof is that the only inhabitants of this eternal
existence will be those who are written
in the Lamb's book of life.
And
then finally, what God intended life to be will begin. Finally! And knowing
God, it will be a zillion times better than the best we've ever experienced
here. This life is the bad dream. God's redeemed world will be the reality we
have all desired.
Psalm 149
This
is a great psalm to follow Revelation.
Vs.
1-4 Notice that the new song and this
assembly are before the Lord in Zion. If there is this kind of joy mentioned in
this psalm, I would expect it to be at least like this in the eternal life with
God. If God took that kind of pleasure in His people in Zion, what will it be
like in the new Jerusalem?
Vs.
5-9 Notice how vs. 6-9 sound like the fight in Jerusalem when the Lord comes.
It sounds like Zechariah 10:7 and Zechariah 12:1-9 all wrapped together in joy
and praise.
We
don't often think that to withhold praise and open gratitude to God is sin. For
all He has given us, we should have hearts of constant flowing praise, trust
and adoration. In our Lord we finally know this, yet even the unbelieving world
has been made by Him and their very omission of gratitude and praise will stand
against them as a judgment. If someone left a car in your driveway with the
keys and a note that it was a gift, most of us would seek to find out who gave
it and have a heart of thanks. Imagine just taking the gift and not trying to
find or thank the giver or pretending the car just happened. God says that
everyone who seeks finds.
Proverbs 31:10-24
This final section of Proverbs
is different than other parts of the book in that the poem here is an acrostic;
that is, each line begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew
alphabet. The human author is unknown, but God made sure this was included.
This is not the description of
super woman or wonder woman, but a woman who is a help-mate for her husband.
This collection of qualities probably doesn't exist in any one woman on the
planet, but putting all of these pieces together you get the image of a woman
who was a partner to her husband in life. Cultures change, and times,
resources, and needs change; but the God-inspired union between a man and woman
is the same. They are to be friends, lovers and partners in living life before
the Lord and following Him in the harvest on this planet.
Vs. 10-12 This is probably the
most universal and meaningful statement in the poem. A husband is blessed when
he realizes how blessed he has been by the wife God has given him.
The following verses describe
aspects of what has just been said.
Vs. 13-14 She seeks and brings.
V. 15 She rises and provides.
V. 16 She plans and plants.
Vs. 17-18 She knows how the Lord
is using her and finds strength in that.
Vs. 19-24 This has to do with
her working with her hands to provide for the poor and for her family. In this
case, she is great with a sewing machine. Verse 23 in this context means that
her husband wears her stuff. Inherent in this is that the community realizes
that he is blessed to have a diligent wife. I don't think v. 24 is a requirement
for every woman. Again, vs. 10-12 are the focus.
I would suggest that if a
husband and wife are a "team" and deeply in love, she is already
doing what God has designed for her that fulfills this blessing, even if she
isn't dealing for land or sewing clothes. Today, maybe this woman is good with
coupons, keeps her family fed and knows when the sales are on at the store.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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