Malachi – Page 7 – I'm Following Jesus

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2017
Chapters: The Book of Malachi
Message: A Pure Offering

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Malachi contains four chapters, the author is Malachi, and it was written to Israel. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 440BC and 410BC. The purpose of the book was to call Israel to repentance and return to righteousness in order to restore the nation, with great emphasis on the Levites. What we are to learn from the book is that God only accepts the works of those who love Him wholeheartedly. “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.” – Malachi 2:2.

So many people and religions disregard the Old Testament claiming that the judgments listed are intended for Israel alone and have nothing to do with us today. This is such a misconception, while God does have His own dealings with Israel, we will all stand before Jesus one day. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and he would be the last prophet to speak God’s words for over four hundred years. When the Jews returned to Jerusalem from Babylon they did not expect it to be in ruin, and began questioning God when they saw how corrupted it was. Well, God responds to their questions, also letting them know that all will come to know Him.

“I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.” – Malachi 1:2-3,9-12.

“and a pure offering:” These people were bringing sacrifices that were blemished, they wanted God in their lives, but He was not a priority in their lives, they were not even willing to give them their very best. This is the same as a person who goes to church, pays tithes, volunteers, becomes part of a church, but never receives Christ. We are blemished, stained, broken, full of sin, God will not accept the offerings of our blemished souls. Christ makes us blemish free, He allows us to be able to stand before God, but unless we come to Him wholeheartedly He cannot. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” – John 3:17,18.

As much as we would like to admit that we are one hundred percent wholehearted toward God, the truth is, we are not. We must face it, life happens and as long as it does our heart is not always going to be completely on God, when that happens we can expect affliction from God. And what is the first thing they do? Blame God. Now, not only were the laymen complaining about God, so were the priests, God calls them out and tells them why He was angry with them.

“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” – Malachi 2:7-8,10-12,16.

“therefore take heed to your spirit,” Those who serve God in and out of His church need to have a right spirit, if they are not saved, have any kind of doubt about God it will reflect off the congregation. Men and women of God should be knowledgeable in the things of God and seek to know and teach them everywhere they go. The Jews enjoyed all the same privileges and advantages, there were many of very different characters, some very good and others very bad, some plainly appeared to be the children of God and others discovered to be the children of the devil (under his control) himself. Those who are God’s are written in His book and shown as they fear, respect and honor Him. Through Malachi, God reveals the book of remembrance.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” – Malachi 3:1-3,6-7,16-18.

“therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” It is by the mercies of God that we are not consumed, and this earth is not gone right now. It is by the grace of God that His people are not saved by their works, but by their faith. While we are under the law of grace right now, salvation has always been given to all through His grace, which was why a person who repented immediately was saved, no matter what they had done in the past. However, it was Jesus who made our redemption permanent by becoming our sacrifice once and for all. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” – Hebrews 10:12-14.

More precious to God than jewels are the souls of man, which is why He made one way for all who truly want Him in their lives to be saved. Through Malachi, God reminds them of the day that all the earth will be gone and the only ones to survive are those written in the book of remembrance.

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” – Malachi 4:1-2,5-6.

“I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming” This is John the Baptist, he was the first prophet to speak God’s Word after Malachi, but had a particular message, the coming of Christ. People look to men and women who know God for guidance and direction, but when they are not following Christ themselves all they are doing is deceiving those who are truly trying to live for God. Heads up to those religions who use other books as God’s Word, if churches do not encourage you to read the Bible or read from the Bible in the church service then they are deceiving you. A good sign that you are not hearing the true Word of God is how they preach the Gospel. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” – Galatians 1:8-12.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.” – Malachi 1:14.

Today’s Prayer: God, We can live in such a way that our limitations define us and guide us in all that we think, do, and say to the point that we do not give You our very best. Lord, we recognize the true freedom that comes when You accomplish Your will in our lives as when we humbly serve You with the very best of our abilities. The constraints we place on ourselves can be lifted by the power of Your Holy Spirit as we wholeheartedly devote ourselves to You and Your service. When we give You our very best, that is when You give us Yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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