STUDY GUIDE PART TWO - REVISED

STUDY GUIDE PART TWO - REVISED

Giving Week 4 Malachi 3:7 12 Lisa Scheffler, Author If you choose to linger over the scenes, you ll find that the Gospels are filled with striking snapshots of Jesus during his life on earth. I always pause when I get to the end of Luke 19 and imagine the moment playing out. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, and when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41). Can you imagine it? I picture Jesus standing at the top of a hill, looking down the road that would lead him into the city where he would die for humanity s sins. In the distance, he sees the temple rising above the other buildings. Then he foretells the destruction of the city that had been given to his people centuries before (Luke 19:42-44), and he does so with tears in his eyes. Matthew records Jesus saying, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Matthew 23:37). God loves his people and longs for them to come to him in repentance, so that he can embrace them. I ve been seeing this image of Jesus in my mind s eye as we ve been studying Malachi. It seems especially poignant given the beginning of this week s passage. We ll see Yahweh implore the people to return to me, so I can return to you. (Malachi 3:7). Once again God is reminding his people to be faithful to their covenant with him. The people ask, How are we to return? I wonder if Yahweh s response will surprise you. Day 1 Read and react As we ve learned, Malachi is organized as a series of disputes in which God and the people have a contentious dialogue, but God always gets the last word. Through these conversations, we ve seen covenant faithfulness and whole-hearted worship of Yahweh stressed over and over. In the first, third and fourth disputes, the people have accused God of neglect, but he has rebuked them for their lack of faithfulness. In the second dispute, God lambasts the people for bringing blemished offerings to the temple and condemns the priests for accepting them. They were halfheartedly following the letter of the law and neglecting the purpose of those laws to worship Yahweh with genuine devotion. The dispute we ll study this week carries on with both of these themes. In the modern church, we sometimes think of worship as the singing we do during a Sunday service and forget that it s so much more than that. Worship is our posture toward God and must involve the whole person our emotions, intellect, will and actions. In worship, we acknowledge and appreciate God for who he is and are reminded of our dependence on him. We can worship God through any number of means from singing his praises, to giving to his causes, to surrendering our will to his. Ultimately, acts of worship are acts of faith and allegiance. As we go through the week, keep in mind this broader understanding of worship. 1

In the fifth dialogue in Malachi we see God once again condemning Israel for their failure to worship him as he is due. Malachi 3:7 12 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? 8 Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse your whole nation because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the Lord Almighty. 12 Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty. In verse 7, what does God want the people to do? How will he respond? What do the people need to do to return to God? Does it surprise you that God focuses on that particular sin? Why or why not? How do you feel when the topic of giving comes up at church? Why do you think you feel that way? To be told you are robbing God is a serious charge. As we delve into what the Old Testament tithe was and what it was used for, we ll better understand God s anger and why the people s failure to tithe revealed just how far they d strayed. Later in the week, we ll consider what the New Testament says (or doesn t say) about a Christian s obligation to tithe. 2

Day 2 Return to me There will always be some people who immediately bristle when a church talks about money. We ve all heard stories of church leaders who ve acted like conmen rather than ministers and fleeced their flocks for their own personal gain. Their abuse creates cynicism. But some of us will have to admit that we can use that cynicism as an excuse to not financially support our churches. A lot of us don t like to talk about giving financially to the local church because we like to think of our money as strictly ours. We don t like anybody telling us what we must or must not do with it and can resent being told we should offer some of it to God and his work. I wonder if that s how the ancient Israelites were feeling when God accused them of robbery. Of all the areas of disobedience God could have focused on in his reproach, he zeroes in on their failure to give their tithes. And he does so as part of a plea to return to him. Malachi 3:7 8 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? 8 Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. What have the Israelites failed to do since the time of your ancestors? This dialogue follows a now familiar pattern. God asks a question or makes a statement, the people respond with a question, and God gives his final word. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. The Hebrew verb šûb literally means to turn back. According to Taylor and Clendenen, the first figurative use of the verb (translated in Malachi 3:7 as return ) is in Solomon s prayer at the dedication of the temple. 23 Solomon predicted that the people would stray and would need to return (or turn back) to Yahweh: When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people (1 Kings 8:33-34a, emphasis added). Generally speaking, such returning or turning back in repentance involves a renewed sense of loyalty to 23 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 412. 3

the Lord and a fresh commitment to obedience. Here in Malachi, God has in mind a very specific expression of both. Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me In answering the question How are we to return to you? God accuses the people of robbery. You can only be guilty of robbery if you take what belongs to someone else and use it as though it belongs to you. The people are failing to bring their tithes and offerings and are therefore treating the land and all the resources it yields as if it were theirs. The people do not own the land in which they live, nor anything it produces; God does. God made this fact clear when he brought them into the land: The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers (Leviticus 25:23) When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Deuteronomy 6:10 12). Instead of living as the land belonged to God, the people had assumed ownership. Ownership gives you the right to use your possessions as you desire. Using another s possessions as you desire is robbery. The underlying temptation in viewing the land as theirs and not Yahweh s is a deluded sense of selfsufficiency. Walter Brueggemann points out: The land, source of life, has within it seductive power. It invites Israel to enter life apart from covenant. 24 The people were putting their faith in the land to provide for them instead of the God who created it. They were not looking beyond the provision to the provider. This attitude reveals a deep, spiritual problem. How [the people] regarded and treated the land would demonstrate whether they acknowledged [Yahweh s] lordship over them, their dependence on him, and their gratitude toward him. 25 Where is your security? Even though we live in a vastly different world, we can make the same mistake the Israelites made. We can view material blessings as our own and forget that because he is our Creator and King, everything ultimately comes from and belongs to God. Why do you think we can have a difficult time living as if our money and possessions ultimately belong to God? We can make the mistake of finding our well-being in our possessions and bank accounts, rather than in the goodness of God. When we are in financial need, we can become convinced that only wealth will bring us peace and contentment. If we are in a time of plenty, we can hoard our possessions because we find security in them. 24 Quoted in Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 415. 25 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 415. 4

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us against both worrying about scarcity and investing too much in earthly treasures. In either scenario, God is pushed aside and material wealth becomes the idol that we re putting our faith in. Jesus reminds us that our hope is in the love of our heavenly Father and that it is his kingdom and his righteousness that we should seek. (Matthew 6:33). 5

Day 3 Robbing God The book of James reminds us that Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17). All the blessings we enjoy in life come from the gracious hand of God. Nevertheless, it s all too easy for us to enjoy the bounty, but forget to give thanks to the source. In Malachi s day, the people had strayed from God and he was imploring them to return by faithfully giving their tithes and offerings. Today we re going to consider what those tithes and offerings were and discover their purpose in the covenant community. Malachi 3:8 9 8 Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse your whole nation because you are robbing me. How were the people robbing God? Can you explain what a tithe is? God has accused the people of robbing him and presented as evidence their failure to bring their tithes and offerings to him. Even if you ve been a Christian for a while and know what a tithe is, let s take some time to go back to the Old Testament and learn what it meant in Malachi s context. What is a tithe? Tithe literally means tenth part. In the modern age, giving a tithe to the Lord would probably mean giving ten percent of our income. Our tendency is to think of a tithe as money. Not so in the ancient agricultural economy. For them a tithe came from the land. According to the law, A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30). Also, The entire tithe of the herd and flock every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd s rod will be holy to the Lord (Leviticus 27:32). How often were they to give a tithe, where did they take it, and what was it used for? According to Taylor and Clendenen s summary of the Old Testament practice, the people were to bring their tithe once a year to the tabernacle (later the temple) where they were to consume a portion of it and leave the remainder with the Levites who were to distribute it to the priests. 26 This practice is described in Deuteronomy 12:17 19: You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put 26 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 416. 6

your hand to. Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land. Notice that the bringing of tithes was to be a celebration! They were to rejoice in the goodness of God and the bounty that came from their labor. The tithe was not something begrudgingly offered, but was first enjoyed before it was given to the Lord via the Levites. Though they were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, the Levites had been given a special designation by God. They did not receive a portion of the promised land as the other tribes had. Instead they were to serve the Lord in the sanctuary and the tithes from the other tribes were to sustain them. By not bringing their tithes, the people of Malachi s day were not only failing to celebrate God s goodness and show honor to God, but were denying their kinsmen a livelihood. Was the tithe ever used for anything else? Every third year the tithe was dispensed in a person s hometown and benefitted not just the Levites, but foreign residents, the fatherless, and widows. Deuteronomy 14:28-29 explains: At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. The tithe provided for those who were called to serve God and those who struggled to provide for themselves. It s an act of worship and an act of compassion. The landless inhabitants of Judah could not rely on ownership of the land for survival, but were dependent on God s grace. They experienced that grace through the giving of others. In that sense, the existence of the Levites was a visible reminder that all of us are ultimately reliant on God and his kindness. 27 If you ll recall the overall context of Malachi, God has already condemned the people for their failure to bring him acceptable offerings as part of their worship. The failure to tithe is also a failure to worship. It s not just a lack of generosity (though it is that as well), but it displays a lack of loyalty and respect for God and his kingdom priorities. A clear priority for God is the care of those in need and those who minister in his name. Based on your understanding of what the New Testament teaches about giving, have God s priorities changed? Explain. Tomorrow we ll consider how we should view the tithe as New Testament believers, but for now let s agree that our giving should also be an act of worship that empowers ministry and provides aid to those who need it. How much more should the followers of Jesus Christ be motivated by his love, goodness and mercy to fund the spread of his truth and compassion! 27 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 421. 7

Day 4 Blessings and curses The belief that deities will bless you in proportion to what you do for them is not new. Since ancient times people have performed certain actions or made sacrifices to the gods hoping to gain favor. This pagan notion is still prevalent in modern Christianity. Just this morning, I saw this tweet from a well-known, mega-church pastor: If you obey God you will never be broke another day in your life. With shiny suits and toothy grins these self-proclaimed prophets guarantee that God will give you your best life now if you have enough faith, pray the right words, think the right thoughts, obey the right rules, or give enough money. In this line of thinking, our interactions with God are not grounded in a covenant relationship, but a contractual exchange. For them, God is basically a genie. If you rub the lamp the right way, your wishes will be granted. The verses we will look at today are often used by purveyors of this prosperity gospel. Let s see why. Malachi 3:9 12 9 You are under a curse your whole nation because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the Lord Almighty. 12 Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty. Why were the people under a curse? What did God promise would happen if they brought their tithe? You are under a curse Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. The curse that the people are under is alluded to in verse 11. A blight of some kind may have been affecting their crops. The people were withholding their tithe and the land was withholding its full yield. God instructs them to bring their tithe and replenish the stores that had been depleted by their lack of obedience and generosity. Test me in this. In the time of Moses, Israel was said to have tested God with stubborn rebellion and endless complaints (see Exodus 17:2 17). Here God is inviting them to test him with their obedience and see how he responds with blessing. Yahweh will remove the curse and allow the land to flourish. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land. Taylor and Clendenen point out: As the land of Edom became a symbol of God s judgment according to Mal. 1:4, called the Wicked Land and its people a people always under the wrath of the Lord, so God promised a day when Israel would 8

become a symbol of blessing, an object lesson in God s grace and favor. 28 God promises the people that he will return the land s blessings to them as they return to him in worship and obedience. Yet the lesson here is not that God deals with his people in a quid pro quo exchange. Israel s relationship with Yahweh had suffered from their neglect and lack of faithfulness. According to the covenant, Israel was to give Yahweh its full allegiance and devotion and he would bless the land. God is calling the people to return to him by insisting that they remember the source of those blessings. The land s abundance should be a call to more devoted worship and greater generosity, not an excuse for stubborn self-reliance and greedy self-indulgence. Why would this passage be popular with those who teach that if you give to God you are guaranteed earthly blessings? What problems do you see with using this passage in that way? The response to the tweet If you obey God you will never be broke another day in your life was mostly condemning. One pastor replied with a partial quote from the Matthew 8:20 where Jesus explains that he has no home. He tweeted, Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man. To which another writer quickly responded, wasn t obedient enough apparently. Jesus worshipped the Father in perfect love, trust and obedience, yet he had no place to lay his head. Out of his abundant kindness, God does sometimes bless us with prosperity not because he owes us but because he is so gracious. In the same way that we enjoy giving gifts to our loved ones, our Father takes pleasure in giving to us. Those blessings should be received with joy and gratitude with the acknowledgement that ultimately, everything belongs to God. As Christians, we give not out of obligation, but out of love and gratitude. We know that our hope, peace and joy is in Christ, not in our money or possessions. So, why not give generously? When we bring monetary offerings to God through our local church, we are not just throwing money into the void. We are supporting people who are serving the Lord as their primary vocation. Also, our money is put to use helping more people find and follow Christ and assisting people in need. If you ve ever heard that tithing is not a New Testament requirement, that is true. Giving is not a requirement, it s a privilege. It s a sign of a healthy relationship with God. Generous Christians are the ones who get it. They know and experience the supremely satisfying love of God and aren t only praying your kingdom come, your will be done, but are demonstrating their desire for that reality with action. We have the opportunity to invest our money in God s kingdom and work for the glory of his Son and the good of others. So, let s worship God with our giving! 28 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 429. 9

(Christ Fellowship practices complete financial transparency. If you have questions about how contributions are being used, you can find that information online at CFhome.org/giving, or speak to Steve Chappell, our Pastor of Operations.) 10

Day 5 Reflect, connect, respond This week in Malachi we saw God call his people back to him by insisting that they give their tithes and offerings. As you reflect on what you ve learned this week, spend some time today in prayer, asking God to reveal your next steps. Reflect Dispute #5: God wants the people to repent and return to him. Why do you think he focused on tithes and offerings? Based on everything you studied, what can this passage teach Christians about giving to God? Connect Our culture has trained us to be both self-reliant and self-indulgent. We see money and the things it can buy as a way to find security, happiness, and contentment. When this strategy fails us (and it always does), we can be duped into thinking we just need bigger, better and more a bigger house, better vacations, more money in our 401(K), and on and on. In Christ, we can be free from both the fear of scarcity and the insatiable desire for more. While God wants to release us from an endless cycle of desire and disappointment, some people have a strange image of a severe, authoritarian God who enjoys making demands and insisting that we give him our stuff. Yet there is no one more generous than God. He sent his Son to teach, love, heal, and ultimately sacrifice himself for humanity. By teaching us to worship him with the resources he so generously provides, our Father is providing us with a powerful means to grow to be more like him abounding in love and generosity. When the Spirit leads us to bring our financial gifts as an offering to God, we are saying, I love you and value you more than the things of this world. We are worshipping the Creator rather than created things (Romans 1:25). When we make sacrifices so we can give generously, we are proclaiming our faith in the truth of the gospel. We are proving our trust in and love for the One who formed us, loves us and saves us from our sin. When it is an act of true worship, our giving will be joyful and our motives pure, the amount will be Spirit-led and we will bless others with the gift. Material possessions break and rot, but people are eternal. Supporting the work of the gospel and helping those in need have far more worth than earthly riches. Investing in the kingdom means pouring our money into that which will have everlasting impact. 11

Respond What is your next step? Pray. Remembering that worship is our posture toward God and must involve the whole person our emotions, intellect, will and actions, ask God to continue to work in your heart so that you will desire to worship him more through your giving. Ask him to help you see the act of giving from his perspective. Pray about the amount you are currently giving and if you are led, pray about increasing it. If you are married and you and your spouse are not in agreement in this area, pray that God will work in their heart too. If needed, take practical steps to change your lifestyle so you can give. Brainstorm with other Christians and hold each other accountable. Consider signing up for a course like Financial Peace University (it will be offered again at Christ Fellowship in January) and take control of your finances. Make the effort to change your spending habits and/or get out of debt, knowing that it s going to be worth it. Trust God. Believe that God wants you to be more generous and that he will take care of your needs so you can do so. Don t let fear or greed keep you from growing to be more like Jesus. Our God is more generous than we can even imagine. Let s open ourselves up to a generous outpouring of his Spirit and then follow through on his call to more and more generosity. 12

The day of the Lord Week 5 Malachi 3:13 4:6 Lisa Scheffler, Author Malachi ends with both destruction and healing where there is the threat of judgment and the hope of renewal. That hope is ultimately found in the Messiah who brings peace, righteousness and joy. We ll rejoice in his coming as we prepare for Christmas and thank God for the gift of his Son. He is the last prophet of God to speak for several hundred years. Day 1 Read and react We ve arrived at our final dispute in the book of Malachi. We ve seen God call the people to account for their failure to honor the covenant. They are bringing blemished offerings to the temple, divorcing their wives, neglecting the tithe (which takes care of the Levites and the poor). They have been unfaithful and disloyal, all while accusing God of being unjust and unloving. Their hearts are far from God and he is calling them to return. But as we will see this week, the consequences of failing to repent will be severe. In this final dialogue, we see Yahweh making a distinction between two groups. Underline words or phrases that explain who those two groups are, how God sees them, and what their ultimate fate will be. Also take note of what the accusations the people are making against Yahweh. Malachi 3:13 4:6 13 You have spoken arrogantly against me, says the Lord. Yet you ask, What have we said against you? 14 You have said, It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it. 16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. 17 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. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. 4:1 Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says the Lord Almighty. 13

4 Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 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. What are the people accusing Yahweh of? Where else in Malachi have we seen similar accusations? How does God describe the wicked? What will happen to them? How does God describe the righteous? What will happen to them? In verse 4, God gives his final command of the book. What is it? Again and again, God promises to preserve a faithful remnant. As we will see this week, those who honor and revere him will be saved. God s covenant will persevere because his faithfulness endures. But those who refuse to repent will face judgment. 14

Day 2 Switching sides I know some people who are die-hard fans of a particular football team. They bleed Longhorn orange or Aggie maroon or Cowboy blue. There may be a lot of smugness during the good seasons and complaining during the bad, but they hang in there regardless of their team s record. I also know a lot of fair-weather fans. They show up when the team is winning, but as soon as their loyalty is tested by a couple of bad games, they are done. They re off to root for another team. Although some of my die-hard friends would likely disagree, it s no great sin to switch sides during the football season. We don t swear eternal allegiance to a football team (though I sometimes wonder about the Aggies). We do, however, owe our complete and uncompromising allegiance to God because we trust in his love and goodness whether it feels like we re winning in life or not. When things get tough, we don t change sides. Yet that s what the ancient Israelites were tempted to do during Malachi s time. Malachi 3:13 16a 13 You have spoken arrogantly against me, says the Lord. Yet you ask, What have we said against you? 14 You have said, It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it. 16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard How are the people attacking God s character with their accusations? Think back to the fourth dispute in Malachi. In Malachi 2:17 we saw Yahweh wearied by the people s accusation that he was pleased with those who do evil. In his reply, Yahweh promises a day of reckoning where the messenger of God would come to refine and purify. The sixth and final dispute deals with a similar accusation, only this time God is not only accused of blessing the wicked, but ignoring the righteous as well. You have spoken arrogantly against me, says the Lord. The literal translation of this statement is, Your words against me have been strong. 29 The old King James translation describes the speech as stout. The NET Bible says, You have criticized me sharply and the NLT says, You have said terrible things about me. The idea is that the people have been insolent, insulting and combative in their speech against Yahweh. Verse 14 and 15 help us understand how. It is futile to serve God. What do we gain Some commentators connect these statements with the previous section that we studied last week. 30 For example, Baldwin attributes these complaints to the Levites and others who were serving God, while being denied support from the tithe. It would be understandable if these were Levites who had suffered as a direct result of the failure of tithe income (3:8). They had walked as 29 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 435. 30 Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 272. 15

in mourning before the Lord, in repentance lest they were at fault, but had continued to experience shortages. In response to God s rebuke, these mourners repent and become the faithful remnant that are discussed in verse 16. According to this theory, these people talked with each other, and the Lord listen and heard and responded favorably (Malachi 3:16). Taylor and Clendenen are less sympathetic to the grumbling recorded in verses 14 and 15. They see these people as wicked pretenders those who go through the motions of religious ritual in order to appear pious, but have no genuine love or respect for God. God s written requirements were to them only a means toward personal gain either guidelines of wisdom for success or a superficial way to please the supernatural gatekeeper of prosperity. The psalmist s love for God and for his instructions (Ps 119:36, Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain ) had no place in their hearts. 31 God cannot be fooled by false piety. He sees our hearts and knows our motivations. It s hard to say which of these explanations is more convincing. But whether from bitterness or from a desire for gain, the people are still attacking God s character. But now we call the arrogant blessed. The people are once again accusing God of rewarding evil. They ve cynically decided that since there is no benefit to following the law of God, they will throw in with the arrogant. We tend to think of being arrogant as synonymous with being conceited or vain, but in the Old Testament it is more closely associated with a rebellious attitude that ignores or rejects God s authority. Since they interpret God s patience as an unwillingness to punish evildoers, they decide that he is unlikely to do so. Why not change sides and indulge in that which God had prohibited? Tempted to do the same? It s easy to look back at the Israelites and shake our heads. Couldn t they see how wrongheaded they were being? Yet, we can be tempted to the same kind of thinking that lured the people away from God. We can attempt to use God to improve our circumstances rather than worshipping him as Creator and Lord. Sometimes, through no fault of our own, we can find ourselves in a similar position to the Levites during Malachi s day the victims of other people s wrongdoing or neglect. When we are pressed in from all sides by life s circumstances, we can try bartering with God. We may vow our obedience to God in exchange for his help. Dear Lord, I ll read my Bible every day, never tell another lie and go to church every week if you ll just get me out of this situation. If he doesn t deliver in the way we want, and in the time frame we ve established, we can be tempted to compromise with the world around us, or decide that God is not worth following. We can also treat God as a self-help guru and the Bible s teaching a mere guide to a better life. We may try diligently following God s requirements for a season, but if we are not healthier, wealthier and happier by the end, then like the Israelites, we can decide that serving God is futile. In either case, our focus is too much on ourselves and not enough on God. We focus on what we want God to give us instead of recognizing the tremendous gift we ve already been given in Christ. We should have a sense of awe and reverence for the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, who makes himself available to 31 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 435. 16

hear our prayers. The glorious I AM is also our heavenly Father who invites us to bring him our concerns as he shares his love and wisdom with us. If we seek God only for what we can get, then it s not a relationship with our Father we desire, but a cosmic vending machine. We want to worship him for who he is, not just for what he can do for us. Why do you think people seek God only for what they can get? How would that way of thinking affect the way a person lived? What about how they treat others? The people in Malachi s day had already proven that they had lost sight of the uniqueness and privilege of their covenant with Yahweh. Let s not make the same mistake. 17

Day 3 Treasured possession One of my children has a treasure box containing an eclectic bunch of odds and ends. To someone else it would be a box of rubbish, but in our house, it has a special place. In it there are rocks and dried flowers, bottle caps and water park wrist bands, cheap carnival prizes and beloved Lego mini-figs. Nothing has intrinsic value, but everything has immense meaning and worth in my child s eyes. Out of all the people of the earth, God called the descendants of Abraham his treasured possession, not because they were better or worthier, but because he chose them. In Malachi s day, many of these people had turned their back on God. But not all of them. A faithful remnant stands firm. Malachi 3:16 18 16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. 17 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. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. What was written in God s presence? What does God call these people in verse 17? A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. This short section of Malachi reads differently than the rest of the book. Verse 16 is a short narrative section embedded in the middle of God s proclamation. It tells of a group who had reverence and respect for Yahweh. While the speech described in verse 13 is strongly against the Lord, their speech is different. The Lord heard what they said, is pleased by it and commissions a scroll of remembrance. Records of decisions, actions, accomplishments, and various memorable events were kept by royal officials in the ancient world. 32 It could be that the actions of those who love and honor Yahweh are recorded so that they will be remembered on the day when I act (verse 17). In the Old Testament, when God remembers a person, it almost always entails action on their behalf. 33 The next section helps us understand what that action could be. 32 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 443. 33 Ibid. 18

On the day when I act, says the Lord Almighty, they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them Recall that in the fourth dispute, God announced a day of judgment. In this section, we again see mention of a particular day when God will act. In the Old Testament, the day of the Lord is also mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Zechariah, Ezekiel and Obadiah. This event is seen as the time of the divine in-breaking into history in spectacular fashion. 34 It is often associated with divine vindication on behalf of the righteous, and judgment for those who appose Yahweh. In the New Testament, the day of the Lord is associated with the return of Jesus Christ (see 2 Thessalonians 2:2). Malachi depicts this day as one where the wicked will be judged, but those who are considered God s own treasured possession will be spared. Treasured possession is a term Yahweh uses to describe the people when they obey and keep his covenant. When Israel first arrived at Mount Sinai, God instructs Moses to tell Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. (Exodus 19:4 6, emphasis added). After the coming of Christ, the invitation goes out to Gentiles to join the people of God by faith. All those who trust in the atoning work of Jesus and commit to following him become partakers of the promises of God and share in the inheritance of his kingdom. Notice how Peter describes the followers of Christ: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, emphasis added). According to Revelation, at the return of Christ, those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be spared the fate of those who have rejected God (see Revelation 19 21). At the final judgment, there will be a sorting of those who have repented and turned to God and those who stand against him. Where do you stand? According to Malachi, at the judgment there will be an obvious distinction between the righteous who serve God and the wicked who don t. Tomorrow we ll look at our final passage from Malachi, and it will depict the fate of those who ultimately and irrevocably reject God s authority. Yet we know that all people are capable of wickedness and everyone sins. So, why do Christians claim to have hope even on the day of the Lord? We are not claiming that God will spare us because we are intrinsically worthy. It is in Christ that we are forgiven, washed clean of our sins, and pronounced righteous. As Peter proclaims: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Peter 1:3-4a) Jesus died on the cross for our sins, gives us new life and in him we become children of God and heirs to the kingdom. Those who put their faith in him will be spared at the final judgment and not be put to shame (1 Peter 2:6). 34 H. H. Rowley, The Growth of the Old Testament (London: Hutchinson University Library, 1950), 179. 19

Though we are all capable of wickedness and have sinned against God, in Christ he has made us his treasured possession. Take a moment to thank him in prayer for that simple, but profound truth and consider how it should impact the way you live today. Those who are in a right relationship with God, are trusting in Christ s righteousness, and empowered by the Spirit will live according to that reality. They will worship and serve the Lord out of their love for him. Because God gives us grace and mercy, we respond with respect and obedience. How are you showing honor to God and serving him today? 20

Day 4 The day is coming We ve arrived at the end of Malachi. God has not given up on his people, but he warns them of the judgment that is coming. The scene before us is vivid and intense a sobering glimpse into the future. Malachi 4:1 6 1 Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says the Lord Almighty. 4 Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 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. What will happen to the arrogant and every evildoer? What about those who revere my name? What two Old Testament figures are mentioned at the end of Malachi? As we saw yesterday, most Christian scholars understand the events described in this section of Malachi in light of the New Testament. Many see it as foretelling of the final judgment that will happen sometime after the second coming of Christ at the end of the age. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire. In the fourth dispute, God spoke of refining fire, but now speaks of destructive fire. The day is initially described as burning like a furnace, and the arrogant and the evildoer will be utterly destroyed. the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. The imagery changes abruptly as God speaks of you who revere my name. Instead of fire that consumes, we see the bright and brilliant sun of righteousness with healing in its rays. After the destruction of those who oppose God, we see the dawn of a new era breaking over the ashes of the old. There will be both restoration and renewal. The imagery of frolicking calves in this grim setting is startling the playful exuberance of new lives now set free. Evil and wickedness are no longer a threat to those who have revered the name of the Lord. 21

How should the arrival of Jesus, his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection shape our understanding of the final judgment? By what means will people be declared righteous on that day? Remember the law of my servant Moses I will send the prophet Elijah to you. After the graphic imagery of the previous section, he now calls the Israelites to recall the law of Moses and look forward to a new encounter with the prophet, Elijah. In each dispute God has given the last word and has condemned the people for their failure to honor the covenant he made with them. They must return to obedience and faithfulness by remembering (a command that implies action as well as cognition) the law. They are also promised the return of Elijah, to give a final plea, before the end. From the vantage point of the New Testament, we can find significance in the mention of Moses and Elijah here. Some scholars see John the Baptist as at least partially fulfilling the return of Elijah prophesied here. We ve already seen the connection between Malachi 3:1(the messenger that prepares the way) and John. The Gospels give us additional evidence. When the angel Gabriel announces John s miraculous birth, he echoes the final verses of Malachi: He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:16 17, emphasis added). At John s circumcision, his father Zechariah declared: And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:76 79). John was a prophetic voice calling the people to repent and return to God, to accept his Messiah and find salvation from their sins and peace with God. Yet, according to New Testament scholar Darrell Bock, John is portrayed as Elijah-like but the Gospel writers fall short of identifying John the Baptist as Elijah, leaving room for a further fulfillment of Malachi s prophecy. 35 Some scholars anticipate a final, end-time fulfillment of this prophecy. As a result of Christ s rejection by Israel there is to be a yet future and final fulfillment of the predictions of Malachi and the day of the Lord. 36 Some see the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3 as the final fulfillment of the promised Elijah in Malachi because they will once again call Israel to repent and be reconciled to God before the final judgment. 35 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi, 463. 36 Ibid. 22

One last note on the mention of Moses and Elijah: They are the two Old Testament saints that converse with Jesus during his transfiguration (see Matthew 17). According to Taylor and Clendenen: Moses presence perhaps signified that the foundational divine revelation in the Torah found its fulfillment in Christ and that Jesus was inaugurating a new covenant. Elijah s presence there perhaps signified that Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of the prophetic office and the messenger of the covenant who had come to inaugurate the messianic kingdom and purify a people for the Lord. 37 The end gives way to a new beginning We have arrived at the end of Malachi. The last prophet for 400 years is about to relay his final proclamation from God. It s a sobering conclusion: or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. According to commentator Joyce Baldwin, From early times attempts have been made to avoid the harsh ending of the book by not allowing verse 6 to be the last word. Hebrew Bibles print verse 5 a second time at the end of the chapter. 38 While God s judgment should prompt solemn reflection, we do not have to fear that verse 6 is the last word. Another Testament is to come. Contrary to our series title, we can all rejoice that God has much more to say and he will speak through Jesus Christ. Before we get to the destruction of the arrogant and every evildoer at the end of the age, we will see redemption and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. Christmas is coming! The Savior draws near. The long-awaited Messiah will bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom for the captives. In him we can escape at the final judgment and receive eternal life. 37 Taylor and Clendenen, Haggai and Malachi, 464. 38 Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, 275. 23