Bro. David's Weekly Word
Weekly Word from Bro. David
June 23, 2016
From The Pastor's Heart:
We continue our series through the OT book of Malachi - the last of the OT prophets. I've entitled our study, Going Through the Motions because like God's people in Malachi’s day we are involved in a lot of religious activity, but just as their heart was not in it, many of God’s people today don’t have the heart of serving God! Our hearts are on things that we substitute for serving God, things of the world.
Today, we are once again in Malachi 1:2-5 and we see the first instance of the people's apathy and complacency. God responds by reminding the people of His eternal and enduring love for them and His desire for all nations to worship Him.
2 "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;
3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."
4 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.
5 Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, 'The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.' Malachi 1:2-5
Here we see the greatness of God. The Bible says, ''Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel.'' God is reminding His people of His greatness.
God's greatness is shown In His love and protection of His people: "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; vs.2
God has shown us His greatness through His love and protection. He loved us when we were not worthy, when we couldn't earn it, and when we were His enemies. That's love!
And that's the core of the very nature of God. The Bible tells us, ''God is love.'' It's not just what He does, it's who He is. We must never question God's love for us like the people of God did in Malachi's day. If you ever question how much God loves you, look to the cross!
Because of God’s love, we see his hatred and destruction of evil in verses 3-4.
3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."
4 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.
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes an important principle: God offers mercy and grace to those who repent, but He will pour out His wrath and judgment on those who rebel. You cannot understand the love and grace of God until you recognize the justice and punishment of God.
In fact, you will never know how wonderful and amazing grace is until you recognize how awful and wretched sin is. Until you realize the punishment and destruction that was averted through grace, you will never see God's love in its full beauty.
Like other nations, Edom suffered during the Babylonian invasion of Israel, but the Lord didn't promise to restore their land as He promised the Jews. The Edomites boasted that they would quickly have their land in good shape, but God had other plans. He called Edom ''the wicked country,'' but Israel He called ''the holy land.'' Keep in mind that the Edomites were indeed an evil people who deserved every judgment God sent their way. To the Jews, the Babylonian invasion was a chastening, but to Edom, it was a judgment.
''I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.'' Why would God say something like this here in Malachi? Esau willingly sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal, thus despising that birthright. We see it in the trials, prosperity, and humbling of Jacob, chosen and loved by God, despite his many sins and weaknesses. You also see it worked out of the many times in which the Edomites, Esau's descendants, persecuted the people of God.
The Edomites proved themselves to be an incredibly wicked people. They opposed the will and work of God in the life of His people. The book of Obadiah records the Edomites laughing at the destruction of the Jews but God promises that He will have the last laugh.
Here, God says, ''They may build, but I will tear down.'' Even their efforts to restore their civilization were not to be. When God has promised judgment no power of any nation can stand in His way.
Have you ever seen Judge Judy, one of the TV court judges? Judge Judy doesn't play! Every case starts with two people who are at odds. They can't get together. They cannot fix their problem. There are lots of different problems that make it into Judge Judy's court. Both the plaintiff and the defendant lay out their complaints and concerns. Judge Judy hears their arguments and then makes a judgment.
Everyone understands that once Judge Judy rules, the participants will abide by her ruling. Now, everybody doesn't leave Judge Judy's courtroom happy. But her responsibility is to apply the law to the case, not to make the courtroom participants feel good. God's goal is not to make everyone happy. In fact, He gets quite a few complaints! But the bottom line is that God is the ultimate judge. And His word is final.
It may seem sometimes like God is not paying attention to the wickedness and evil in our world, but believe me, He is. He is a patient Father, but He is also a just judge. The only way to avert judgment is to rely on His mercy and rest in His grace.
Verse 5 shows the greatness of God in a remarkable and powerful way. Vs. 5 Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, 'The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.'
This verse promises that the greatness of God will be seen by all people. In fact, this was God's intention when He chose the nation of Israel. They were not blessed to be isolated and insulated from the world. They were blessed in order to bless all nations.
You will see: ''Your own eyes shall see this''
Here, God promises that His glory will be seen. And He promises that His people will be the ones who see it with their own eyes. Do you understand what this promise means? It means that God's enemies will be destroyed, but His people will prosper. It means that Israel will still be around to observe the destruction of Edom.
And guess what, does the nation of Israel exist today? Of course it does! What about the nation of Edom? Do you know any Edomites?
You will say: ''and you shall say''
The people of God will recognize the greatness and majesty of God. His glory will be evident and His greatness will be proclaimed. He promises that His people will speak of His glory - and here is a key phrase - ''beyond the border of Israel.'' God's plan was always to bless all nations through Israel. He desired His salvation to extend to the ends of the earth, ''beyond the border of Israel.''
What kind of fireman would I be if I didn't warn you about fire? What kind of policeman would I be if I didn't warn you about criminals? What kind of doctor would I be if I didn't tell you about disease? What kind of pastor would I be if I didn't warn people about hell? I would rather love folks into heaven, but if I have to scare them there, that will work too. What would you say about a fireman who saw your house burning down and who simply said, ''It'll burn itself out in a little while''? What would you say about a policeman who saw juveniles vandalizing your property and simply said, ''Well, you know, boys will be boys''? What would you say about a doctor who, when telling you that you had cancer, simply said, ''Take two aspirin and rest''? You would probably say they are not taking their jobs seriously. And I would not be taking my job seriously if I did not tell people about the place called hell.
God's greatness is seen in His love for us, but that same love leads Him to hate and punish sin. God's offer of salvation is available to everyone, everywhere. But it's our job to make sure that message is heard. Our task is to spread the message so that others will say, ''Great is the Lord'' beyond the borders of America, Israel, and any other country!