Malachi World Christian Fellowship 60, High Worple, Rayners Lane, Harrow Middlesex, HA2 9SZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44 208 429 9292 www.wcflondon.com wcflondon@gmail.com Historical background All the years are approximate: Before Christ (B.C.) 2090 Abraham called by God 1877 Jacob arrives in Egypt 1806 Joseph dies in Egypt 1527 Moses born 1487 Moses flees Egypt 1447 The Exodus begins 1400 Conquest of Canaan completed 1043 Saul becomes king 1011 Saul and Jonathan slain; David becomes king of Judah 1004 David becomes king over all Israel 966 Solomon begins to build the Temple in Jerusalem 931 Rehoboam becomes king of Israel & Judah and Jeroboam rebels; sets up a rival kingdom in the north 764 Amos begins to prophesy 755 Hosea begins to prophesy 1
739 Uzziah dies; Isaiah begins to prophesy 721 The Northern Kingdom of ten tribes of Israel goes into captivity 648 Nahum predicts the fall of Nineveh 634 Zephaniah begins to prophesy 627 Jeremiah begins to prophesy 619 Habakkuk begins to prophesy 612 Nineveh falls 606 The Southern Kingdom of two tribes goes into captivity 605 Nebuchadnezzar becomes king of Babylon 593 Ezekiel begins to prophesy 586 The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple 520 Zechariah begins to prophesy 520 Haggai begins to prophesy 520 Construction of the Jerusalem Temple resumed 516 The Temple completed 478 Esther becomes queen of Persia 458 Ezra takes a small contingent of Jews back to Palestine 445 Nehemiah takes a small contingent of Jews back to Palestine 443 Nehemiah and Ezra read the Scriptures to the Jews 436 Malachi begins to prophesy 2
336 Alexander the Great becomes king of Greece The above history depicts the existence and progression of the nation of Israel. God calls them out of Egypt and brings them to Canaan the Promised Land. God takes us out of Spiritual Egypt the worldly system and into the Kingdom of Heaven by saving us from our sins. The Israelites were living safe inside the confines of the Promised Land; however, they would not listen to God and obey His commandments, refusing to walk in His ways. God kept sending His prophets and messengers time and again, but they paid no heed. This can be likened to our life when after receiving Christ, we forget Him and His words as we become engrossed in our daily living, choosing to run to Him only when troubles pursue. As people would still not listen to God after Him speaking to them through His word and by His Holy Spirit, He sends famine, poverty, etc., to get their attention. Still refusing, He finally sends the enemies to take them into captivity. Off from the Promised Land, they are taken to the enemy land as captives. God then raises a remnant for Himself. They come into their land once again, build the temple and walls around the city, yet again go back to where they all started. When believers walk away from God, they also walk away from the grace that enables them to lead a purposeful life, making it meaningless. Ofttimes, we are burdened with so many troubles and trials. God restores us all the time, but how often are we thankful to Him and choose to walk with Him every day? Were they not growing cold once again? Now this is when Malachi starts prophesying to the nation saying that you have now come back to your own land and have built the temple, built the walls, but you do not yet honour God with your life. 3
The whole book is written in a question-and-answer format. When God tells them something about what He has done, people immediately spring back with a question asking what have you done. There are seven such questions asked by the people. They are namely 1. In what way have You loved us? (1:2) 2. In what way have we despised Your name? (1:6) 3. In what way have we defiled You? (1:7) 4. In what way have we wearied Him? (2:17) 5. In what way shall we return? (3:7) 6. In what way have we robbed You? (3:8) 7. What have we spoken against You? (3:13) Malachi means my messenger, this may not have been the prophet s actual name, he may have simply put it across as I am God s messenger. Also, this short book has 7 curses mentioned in it! In fact, the book closes with a curse in the last verse. The Old Testament ends with a curse! Malachi 4:6, And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. Both Malachi and Nehemiah dealt with: Priestly negligence (Malachi 1:6; Nehemiah 13:4 9), Neglect of tithes (Malachi 3:7 12; Nehemiah 13:10 13), and Intermarriage between Israelites and foreigners (Malachi 2:10 16; Nehemiah 13:23 28). 4
WHY STUDY THIS BOOK? 1. To appreciate our loving and compassionate God s faithfulness and forgiveness in spite of repeated sins. 2. To have our focus on internal righteousness rather than outward performance of religious activities. 3. To worship God in truth and spirit so that the glory of God is revealed to the world. 4. To stay committed to God as a bride waiting for the bridegroom. 5. To stay committed towards marriage and sanctify it as God s divine union between a man and a woman for life. 6. To reinforce our confidence in the value of serving God and remaining faithful. 7. To wait with great anticipation for and increase our hope in the second coming of our Lord Jesus. Before delving deep into the 7 questions asked by the Israelites, I would like to keep this big theme in mind. Malachi 1:6, I am your father Even though they lived under the Old Covenant, God treated the children of Israel as His children! Let us look at the book in detail by answering all the 7 questions. 5
1. In what way have You loved us? God says that I have loved you! Morgan translates this as I have loved you, I do love you, I will love you, says the Lord. Verses 1:2 5, I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, In what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob s brother? Says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness. Even though Edom has said, We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places, Thus says the Lord of hosts: They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel. For background story, please read from Genesis 25:23 34. Look at how God starts this whole letter, I have loved you! This is how the Father starts towards His children. God is not a concept, a theology, an idea or a force, He is personal! As personal as a Father! Religion promotes system and makes you work towards approval, whereas Christianity is a relationship that works through love! And you work because you have experienced this love, and since you have been approved already you do not do things to get the approval. God didn t pick me up because I am great, but because HE is Great! Imagine an orphanage full of kids ready to be adopted by God, some good, some bad, God chooses to love each one of them the same. The Israelites have come back from Babylonian captivity and are now inside their walled city and the temple has been built, but yet their hearts are so far away from Him. It is like a child sitting on his father s lap and giving him a slap on his face. That s exactly what God felt. 6
God speaks five things about Esau: 1. God opposes their prosperity and brings their land under judgment. "I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness. 2. God will continue to oppose them when they resist his judgment. His judgment will not suffer resistance. Verse 4: "If Edom says, We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down." 3. God's hate for Esau means that they will by and large as a nation be given up to wickedness. Verse 4b: "till they are called the wicked country." 4. God is angry with them forever. Verse 4b, whom the Lord will have indignation forever. 5. God has another purpose in revealing the greatness of his electing love for Jacob and his judgment upon Esau. He tells us in verse 5: Your own eyes shall see this [you shall see the terrible judgments on Edom] and you shall say, 'Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!' How do we respond today? John 17:23, I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 15:9, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 1 John 4:19, We love, because He first loved us. John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. 7
Romans 8:14 15, For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father! We need to experience the love of God! Let us pray that God will pour out His love into our hearts as Romans 5:5 says! 8
2. In what way have we despised Your name? (1:6) & 3. In what way have we defiled You? (1:7) If I am your Father and Lord, where is my honour? This is what God had asked them. Maintaining the balance of God as Father and Lord is very important. People lost all reverence for God when they viewed God only as Father; conversely, when God was only Lord, people only rendered service to Him, not understanding His love for them, and their hearts were million miles away. Hence, we need to strike a balance between these two! Before we go any further, ask yourself this. Can you say that you are honouring God with everything in your life? Would God say the same about you? The Israelites were arguing with God that they were honouring Him, but God says otherwise. How did they not honour Him? Honour will show how you worship God! If you respect a person, then you will show honour to that person. Thus, if you honour God, then you will worship Him with truth! Not vain worship. So, God starts with wealth/money! a) Blind sacrifice b) Offering lame and sick animals c) Serving for the sake of money Matthew 6:21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. God is interested in your heart, not your money!god asks them whether they will be able to offer what they are offering Him now to their governor. Can you imagine that these people were scared about others but not God! 9
Back where we come from, in Christian families, people usually send an underperforming kid to a seminary and make him a pastor. Same way, on completion of service, in a bank, school, government office, people would say, I want to serve the Lord. People would give their prime life to making money and when they are about to die, they would think about serving God. It is like inviting someone over for coffee and then make one for yourself and sit and drink in front of that person without offering him a cup and when finally you are done, you simply show your cup and ask him if he would like to have a sip on that cup? Will we ever do that? Yet, most of us do this to God in our everyday life? Money, time, wealth etc. Back when I was serving in a church, we were in need of a computer and the pastor said that there is someone who is ready to offer their old computer, which had some minor repairs. But when I had a look at it, it was just rubbish. Since this person got himself a brand new one, he wanted to dispose of the old one that was good for nothing, treating church like a dump yard. How could someone do that? And still think that they have done something great for the Lord? God tells that you offer rotten food and fruits!! Will you do that to someone who is of a higher rank or to a politician, whereas you do that to your God? Loving God and giving to God are interconnected like a husband and wife, but many people appear to lead divorced lives!! Malachi 1:10, Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you, Says the Lord of hosts, Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. First God needs to approve the person, and then his offering. 10
Genesis 4:4 5, Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Many have this doubt as to why God did not accept the offering of Cain because God did not approve Cain. Whereas God approved Abel and, because of that, his offering. Here in Malachi, you see people coming to the temple, the doors being opened and the fire being lit up, but God says He has no pleasure in them. This could be likened to our modern day church activities, like worship, children s ministry, women s ministry, etc., but God is not pleased when your heart is not in it. Malachi 1:14, But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished For I am a great King, Says the Lord of hosts, And My name is to be feared among the nations. When you make a vow to offer something better but in the end offer something blemished, God says cursed be you! Even amidst these, I want you to see how gracious God is, in verse 9, But now will you not entreat God s favour, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly? says the Lord of hosts. The entire section is based on these two questions about honour and despising the name of God, showing that their worship offered was vain! How is your life? Are you worshiping Him truly? Are you honouring God in everything you do? Just check! 11
4. In what way have we wearied Him? (2:17) Why do the wicked prosper? Why should we righteous suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? Are these not the common questions one endures every time when something goes wrong? How would God respond to these kinds of questions? Just ponder for few seconds, so that you can get a glimpse of God s perspective of the things happening in our life. God continues to rebuke the priests in this chapter 2, that if they do not listen and change their ways, then even their blessings will be turned to curse. God says that the curse is already going forward since He perceives the hardness of their hearts. Their offspring will be rebuked, and they will suffer greatly at the hands of other nations who will spread their own refuse on their faces. Sacrificed animals still had excrement in their systems, and God said this should be burned outside the sanctuary (Exodus 29:14). Here, God says He will rub their noses in it, so that they will have to be taken outside the sanctuary. Levi has been shown as an example for the people of Israel: Reverence: He feared Me and was reverent before My name Knowing God s Word: The law of truth was in his mouth Godly character: He walked with Me in peace and equity Preserving and promoting God s Word: Should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth 12
Malachi 2:8 9: 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 Lord Almighty. 9 So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law. The priests should have held the word of God in knowledge, reverence, and obedience. Instead, they departed from the way and therefore caused many to stumble at the law. Because the priests of Malachi s day also fell so far short of God s best for them, the people held them in disrespect. God made a covenant with His people as between a Father and son and compares it with marriage. The priests were getting married to foreign women and defiling their covenant with God. Marriage is sacred in the eyes of God; it is an institution to Him and God loves marriage. Marriage is God s idea, not man s, He formed and established the first marriage as a pattern for every one afterwards (Genesis 2:20 25). God loves marriage for what it displays about His relationship with us God loves marriage for the good it does in society God loves marriage for the way it meets the needs of men, women, and children Most of all, God loves marriage as a tool for conforming us into the image of His Son The priests knew that intermarriage with foreign women was not right before God; despite there being numerous such cases in the past leading to God s disapproval, they continued to do so. 13
a) Israel married women from Moab and brought the curse of God upon the people (Numbers 25:1 18). b) Solomon married foreign women who took his heart away from God (1 Kings 11:1 10). c) Ahab married Jezebel a foreign woman who led Israel into new depths of depravity (1 Kings 16:29 33). d) Paul says that believers and unbelievers should not be joined together (2 Corinthians 6:11 18). The priest not only married the foreign women worshiping other gods but they also had low regard for the marriage. They dealt with their wife very badly and made the estranged wife to come to the altar to cry before the Lord and fill the altar with tears. They kept their wives till they had passed their youth, and then put them away, that they might get young ones in their place. God honours marriage. He did not make two separate people He made them as one! 14
5. In what way shall we return? (3:7) God kept sending His messengers one by one, who spoke the words of God yet people were not willing to listen. But in this specific prophecy, God speaks about a messenger who will come and prepare the way for the Messiah. He is known as Jehovah messenger. John the Baptist came and prepared the way for the arrival of Messiah, Matthew 3:3, For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Matthew 11:10, For this is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You. God spoke through Malachi, saying that the Lord will suddenly appear in the temple and who can endure and accept? What actually happened was history, that when Jesus came, the very people who committed their life for the arrival of Messiah completely missed the point rather plotted to kill Him. If you have not appreciated the ministry of John the Baptist, nor will you appreciate the ministry of Jesus. Without repentance, there is no faith. Repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the saving faith for your salvation. This is the reason why we have so many false Christians who claim to be Christians yet their lifestyle is contrary to what the Bible says. Malachi 3:2, But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner s fire And like launderer s soap. 15
God gives two examples here: 1. Gold and silver refined by fire 2. Launderer s soap Gold and Silver refined by Fire: Gold and silver are put in fire for purification. If you know how this is done, then you would know that this is a painful process. If they are left for longer in the fire, they would turn brittle; and if taken out early, then would still have dross in them. The refiner just sits by the fire holding the metal in his hand waiting for his face to shine on the metal, only then will he remove the metal from the heat. In the same way, our Lord takes us and holds us through our trials and temptations, and once HE sees His image in our life, He pulls us out to His glory. Remember, all through the trials, God is with you and HE holds you in His hands! You are never away from Him!! John the Baptist preached a hard message to the religious leaders, but they were not willing to be refined by God. Hence, they could not see the Messiah coming. John the Baptist said the one who comes after me will baptise you with Holy Spirit and fire! Have you been through the fire yet? 1 Corinthians 3:12 says that all our work will be put through the fire and tested. 16
Launderer s soap Soap/detergent is used for cleaning our garments so that we could be cleaner externally as well. Garments represent righteousness. When Jesus was transfigured on the mount, there is this phrase that says no launderer on the earth can whiten them! Mark 9:3, His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. These people did not change at all, neither internally nor externally. They have hired labourers to work in their fields but they don t pay their wages. They deal with them treacherously. So, God is telling them return to me. This has been the cry of God for many centuries but they would not listen (Jeremiah 31:18, Lamentations 5:21, Psalms 85:4). Look at their question tone to the Lord. As if, they are ready and willing to turn to Him. If God asks the same question to you, what would be your answer? Selah!! 17
6. In what way have we robbed You? (3:8) One of the most misunderstood and wrongly preached subjects in Christendom! Tithe! Malachi 3:10, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, Says the Lord of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The above scripture mentions all tithes it is plural!! Today, many preachers deceptively use this to mint money out of people. The Old Testament law had three tithes. 1. Tithe for the Levites 2. Tithe for temple and feast 3. Tithe for the poor in the land (once in 3 years) Totally 23.3% in addition to the temple tax! Let us look at them briefly! 1. Tithe for the Levites Levites were specifically dedicated to serve the Lord. When the 12 tribes settled in the Promised Land, God said there is no inheritance for the Levities as He is their inheritance and asked the other tribes pay them tithes so that they can live on them. Joshua 13:33, But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them. 18
Numbers 18:21, Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. Number 18:26, Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe. 2. Tithe for temple & feast The people of Israel were commanded to come and meet with the Lord three times a year. Deuteronomy 16:16 17, Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 14: 22 27, You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake 19
the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. This tithe is for the people to come and eat together in the presence of God, such that they could have a time off their work. 3. Tithe for the poor in the land Unlike the first 2 tithes that have to be paid every year, this is to be paid once in three years. Deuteronomy 14:28, At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. Deuteronomy 26:12, When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year the year of tithing and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled. They were asked to store the tithe in their local area and bring it so that they can feed the poor, the widows and the orphans. How are we to live under the New Covenant today? The New Covenant Christians are nowhere commanded or even recommended to submit to the legalistic system. Also, the New Testament does not give any percentage of income for a person that should be set aside but it does say that gifts should be in line with their income. 1 Corinthians 16:2, Every Sunday each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what you have earned, and save it up, so that there will be no need to collect money when I come. (Living Bible) 20
Of course, in the New Testament, it is not how much you give but how you give. If you are truly a born-again believer, you will be giving away more than 10% joyfully. In the New Testament, 100% belongs to God, so you should be careful about all your giving and spending. As 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT) says, For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?, we have received everything from God as a gift. Hence, we need to manage our gifts properly. Jesus spoke about giving: Mark 12: 41 44, Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood. I firmly believe even today Jesus comes to our church, sits next to the offering box, and watches how you give your offering, not how much you give. 2 Corinthians 9:6 7, Remember this a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. 21
So please give cheerfully! Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you as to whom you should give and where you should give!! The work of our Lord should go everywhere. This is one of the reasons why we do NOT ask for any money for our ministry at any point in time! If someone says he or she is from WCF and asks for money, then they are not from us!! Back to Malachi, here the people are not giving according to the law specified to them and they are robbing God. Not only are they robbing but they also have the audacity to ask God how have we robbed you. 22
7. What have we spoken against You? (3:13) The people of Israel started speaking among themselves that it is vain to worship God. What is the point in serving God? What benefit we get going to the temple? Why do we have to pay tithe? What good happens to us? Everything is normal, then why worry about God? Why should we worry about keeping all His commandments? You strike a chord with such questions, don t you? Also, we keep hearing that Jesus is coming soon, but we don t know exactly when He is going to come? Since 2014 years have already passed by, we too can just live and go! I want you to take this journey with me back in history. They were stiffnecked people who would not listen to God and kept sinning. God then sends the enemy to take over their land and lead these people out as captives, first under the Assyrians and then Babylonians. There a revival takes place after captivity. You can read this story in the Old Testament books Ezra and Nehemiah. People start repenting and committing their lives to God, making a commitment to follow God all the days of their life. But over a period of less than 30 years, here again they start talking ill about God, despising Him and asking God all kinds of questions. What happened to them? How could they forget what had happened to them? How could they neglect such a loving God and His concern towards them? Once a sinner, you come to know God, and His joy fills your heart. You commit your life to God to serve Him all the days of your life. You join a church and start serving Him or do some kind of ministry. After a while, what happens to you when you face trouble? 23
All are the same. Everything happens to all people. Is that what you think? Then, is there a difference between you and the the Israelites that God is speaking about through Malachi? In Malachi 3:16, God says that a book of remembrance is written about what we speak. It will be opened on the judgment day, and a distinction will be made between the righteous and the wicked. Exodus 32:32, Yet now, if You will forgive their sin but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written. Psalms 69:28, Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous. Daniel 7:10, A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. Luke 10:20, Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Revelation 20:12, And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 24
Conclusion In the concluding part, Chapter 4, God speaks through the messenger saying the great Elijah HE will send. Jesus said in Matthew 11:13 15, For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! But they would not listen! Matthew 17:11, Jesus answered and said to them, Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. God fulfilled His promise!! I would now like you to look at the similarity between the church at that time of Malachi and now. God released the people from captivity from Babylon and brought them back to the Promised Land. Once the revival spirit settled, they slowly became lukewarm towards God and in keeping their commandments, to the extent of thinking that God wouldn t do anything, also questioned God and His commandments. Now we have seen that God not only fulfilled His promise but also sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we can be redeemed spiritually and live for Him. We all were excited to know the Lord and to have come to live in His presence and for His glory. After a period, people become weary of serving Him, or living in honour to the word of God. Slowly but steadily lukewarmness has set into the Christendom. In fact, living according to the word is becoming more and more impossible these days, and preaching the pure Gospel can also get you arrested in many countries. 25
As we have just seen the last letter in the the Old Testament, I would also like you to see the last letter Jesus wrote to the New Testament Church. Revelation 3:14 23, Letter to Laodicea we see numerous qualities common between these two churches. Self-ignorant Lukewarm God is waiting outside and knocking at their door I will throw human refuse on your face, says God in Malachi; here He says, I will vomit on you Rich and well settled Secured with walls and wealth Busy serving God but God is NOT there! Wretched Miserable Poor Blind Naked Revelation 3:18, I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Here again, He mentions about refined gold and white garments as in Malachi 3:2, But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner s fire And like launderers soap. 26
Also, what God rebukes through Malachi, Jesus does it to Laodicea. Revelation 3:19 & 21, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Malachi 3:17, They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him. Do you see a parallel in both these letters written to the last churches in the Old and New Covenants? How are you going to respond? Are you willing to repent of any lukewarmness in your daily life? Come back to God and live in His presence. Let me conclude this way, Revelation 3:22, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 27