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Malachi Malachi Where is God? What Kind of God is He? What Will He Do? Gods Messenger SUMMER SERIES 2012

Review C.1:6-2:16Leaders and Followers Some Straight Talking: 1:6-2:9 The failures of the priests the leaders 2:10-16 The failures of the people the followers A. 1:1Title: What, who and how B. 1:2-5Introduction: Gods covenant love for Israel affirmed D.2:17- 4:6The Lord will Come: 2:17 Gods ways had been misunderstood 3:1-5 The promised Messiah would come 3:6-18 Gods covenant demands remained unchanged 4:1-6 The Day of the Lord

Summary of 1:1-5 Title and Introduction God still loved his people … God spoke again to his people … God still remembered his covenants … God still reigned in the world … this time through Malachi even when their faith failed being faithful to his word, both in blessings and in curses despite the failures of his people This was a message for people who had been through tough times … when many had lost their faith

The Passage for Today C.1:6-2:16Leaders and Followers Some Straight Talking: 1:6-2:9 The failures of the priests the leaders 2:10-16 The failures of the people the followers A. 1:1Title: What, who and how B. 1:2-5Introduction: Gods covenant love for Israel affirmed D.2:17- 4:6The Lord will Come: 2:17 Gods ways had been misunderstood 3:1-5 The promised Messiah would come 3:6-18 Gods covenant demands remained unchanged 4:1-6 The Day of the Lord

1. The Failures of the Priests the Leaders (1:6 to 2:9) 1:6 It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. A son honoured his father A servant respected his master The priests (Gods sons and servants) showed contempt for their Father and Master (no honour or respect)

1. The Failures of the Priests the Leaders 1:6 It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. But you ask, How have we shown contempt …? Their response to the statement came as a question … Answer … 1:7 You place defiled food on my altar 2:8 … you have caused many to stumble

1. The Failures of the Priests the Leaders Lev. 22:20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted. (a) 1:7 You place defiled food on my altar v. 8 They wouldnt offer blemished animals to the Persian governor, yet they offered them to God. v. 10 Better to close the temple than offer unacceptable sacrifices. Perfect animals pointed to the coming perfect sacrifice Jesus. Compare vv. 6 & 14: God was their Father to be honoured, their Master (Lord) to be respected, their King to be obeyed.... but they failed

1. The Failures of the Priests the Leaders Moses said, [Levi] teaches your precepts and your law … He offers … whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless all his skills, O L ORD Deut. 33:10-11 Jacob said, Simeon and Levi … have killed men in their anger … Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel. Gen. 49:5-7 v. 3 Life would be like the garbage tip … blessings turned to curses. 2:1 if you do not …, if you do not … disobedience resulted in curses. v. 4 Yet for Levi the way had been … curses turned to blessings. God is unchangeably God He is to be honoured, respected and obeyed, and his laws cannot be disregarded.

2:7 A priest ought to preserve knowledge… because he is the messenger of the L ORD Almighty. 2:8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi says the L ORD Almighty. Scripture is Gods word to humankind, and must not be neglected. (b) 2:8 … you have caused many to stumble 1. The Failures of the Priests the Leaders

2. The Failures of the People the Followers (2:10-16) God was Father to his people … their status as the family of God God was Creator of his people … their origin in the purpose of God 2:10 Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? (profane = misuse, defile, treat with contempt) This unique relationship was formalized in covenants But …

2. The Failures of the People the Followers 2:14 You have broken faith with … the wife of your marriage covenant. They broke covenants with each other by distorting Gods requirements to suit their own ends 2:11 Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the L ORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. They broke covenants with God by distorting the use of their God- given sexuality How did they profane the covenant?

2. The Failures of the People the Followers (a)They broke covenants with God by distorting the use of their God-given sexuality Detestable = revolting or vile. Desecrated = violated or profaned. Such behaviour desecrated Gods temple and so disgraced God. God did not condemn marriage, but marriage to someone who served a foreign god (idol). The practice seems to have become widespread. 2:11 Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the L ORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. Marriage does not only involve two people… it matters to God as well

2. The Failures of the People the Followers (b)They broke covenants with each other by distorting Gods requirements to suit their own ends 2:13 You weep and wail because [the L ORD ] no longer pays attention to your offerings … 2:14 You have broken faith with … the wife of your marriage covenant. Some had divorced their Jewish wives to marry foreign women. Marriage was a significant covenant between people, with God as a witness but that covenant had been broken in those cases. Covenants depended upon exclusive, loyal and consistent love. These people tried to adapt Gods laws to suit their own ends. 2:15-16 Guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith …

SUMMARY of this Section The ineffective Leaders failed to obey covenant requirements about sacrifices … they had a low view of God failed to teach the law … they neglected Gods word The disobedient People failed to understand their sexuality … and tangled up their marriages failed to follow Gods ways … and slipped into ugly self-centredness But that was in 450 BC … What does it mean today?

SUMMARY of this Section Under the New Covenant … Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as yourself. Mk. 12:30-31 What we believe and how we behave … depends on our worldview, and marks us out from others What About Today? God seeks our exclusive, loyal and consistent love

PEOPLE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW GOD THE WORLD OR WORLDVIEWS One With God, One Without God A HUMANISTIC WORLDVIEW GOD THE WORLD PEOPLE

SUMMARY Challenges for Us Pray for them as those responsible to God for us. Assess their work in the light of the bible. Gladly follow them. (a) Regarding our Leaders

SUMMARY Challenges for Us Understand and express our God-given sexuality in the context of Gods creative purpose for us as his people who bear his image. (b) Regarding us as Followers Resolutely resist the insidious pressures of humanistic worldviews to twist Gods purposes to suit our own desires. Commit ourselves to wholeheartedly love God and each other, particularly with respect to our marriages, our families, and Gods family. God loves (and so disciplines) his people, but hates the tactics they use to try and get their own ways.

Malachi Gods Messenger Malachi Gods Messenger Part 3: THE LORD WILL COME 2:17 – 4:6 NEXT WEEK

Personal reflection and prayer... Our leaders … Ourselves … Our marriages … Our families … Our church family...