#92 “Great Intercessors of the Bible”

(Malachi – My God's Messenger)

“Edom says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.”

So the LORD who rules over all responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow.

They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the LORD is

permanently displeased.”

(Malachi 1: 4-5)

New English Translation (NET Bible)

 In our lesson yesterday we studied the prophet Obadiah — his intercession and prophetic announcement of judgment over the Edomites. Edom was being judged by God, because of their pride and arrogance and refusal to help their brother Judah who was being attacked by enemy forces. To make matters worse they even helped there enemy by rounding up all of the survivors and selling them into slavery.“You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.” (Obadiah 1:13-14)

God did just what He had promised and destroyed Edom; however, they still did not learn their lesson, “Edom says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” (Malachi 1:4)  So what lesson was that; having to suffer the consequences of displeasing the Lord God Most High. They still thought they could usurp God’s authority and do things their own way “So the LORD who rules over all responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the LORD is permanently displeased.” (Malachi 1:5) 

By the time of Malachi began to prophesy in Israel they had suffered much as a result of their rebellion, one would think that by now they had a clear understanding of the consequences of not obeying the Law’s of God. One would think that they would never do anything wrong or contrary to the will of God, but not so.
“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar.“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

Even though the Temple of God had been restored, the people returning to Jerusalem from exile had lost their passion. It wasn’t long before they became overcome with apathy concerning the things of God. Even the priest had become corrupt and spiritual weariness. They no longer took pride in following the Law of God concerning the Temple and offering of sacrifices. “By saying, that the LORD’S Table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.”

Malachi, was confronted by a people that were struggling, grasping at belief that God still loved them. They were looking at all of their misfortune refusing to acknowledge the role they themselves played in bring about their circumstances. “You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” Because you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s opinion, and he delights in them,” or “Where is the God of justice?” It was Malachi’s job to show the people where they had erred in the things of the Lord. Then they could take responsibility for their sins and repent—turn back to God.

God said, “I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to His temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the LORD who rules over all. Who can endure the day of His coming? Who can keep standing when He appears?" I’m sending my final answer to your sinful way, you backsliding I’m sending My Messenger and He want take no for an answer and non will be able to resist Him. But this time He will refine your hearts He will wash you and purify you...

"For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap, He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the LORD a proper offering. The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in former times and years past.”(Malachi  Then you will serve Me once again as you did when you first Loved Me. This all reminds me of the passage in Revelation where the Angle tells the church to return to their First Love.

Here again, we see the true heart of the Father, “On the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty, “They will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” All He wants and has ever wanted is for His children to Love and Obey Him… isn’t this after all what every parent want? “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

We today could us a Malachi to remind us from whence we have fallen, so that we can do our first works over again and return to the Lover of our souls. For we too find ourselves struggling to follow closely after God. Malachi made a call to repentance, which should prompt even us today to turn and live righteously before the Lord God. Yet it offers us renewed hope that God has not finished with His work of salvation, mercy and grace for His children.

My Prayer: Holy and Gracious Father, we come tonight like King David, “Lord we’ve gotten out of step with you now for a long time… We understand that what you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter us, then; conceive a new, true life within each of us. Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub us and we’ll have a snow-white life. Tune us in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes; give us a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in us, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of our lives. Don’t throw us out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in our lungs. Bring us back from exile; put a fresh wind in my sails! Give us a job teaching rebels Your ways so the lost can find their way home to You.” (The Message Bible) Father, create in us clean hearts and renew a right spirit within us, don’t let us turn away from your loving-kindness…in Jesus precious name we pray, Amen!

Have A Bless Day…Go in God’s Peace!

Follow this link to "Morning by Morning" http://prayin4you.blogspot.com

Sign up to receive the daily post Via Email

I hope you will Join to become a member of

Morning by Morning