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Lessons in 400 B.C. a nd A.D. 2014. Lessons in 400 B.C. a nd A.D. 2014. Writer : Many James and Johns, one “Malachi” - means “My Messenger;” nothing else known of him.
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Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 • Writer: Many James and Johns, one “Malachi”- means “My Messenger;” nothing else known of him. • Time: After the return the exiles from Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple and city walls; likely contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah (as all seem to address similar issues); probably between 445 and 432 B.C. • Style: Didactic-dialectic,a charge is made followed by an objection/question those charged would (or did) make, followed again by a refutation by the speaker- in this case, God through Malachi.
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 Three main charges were made against the people of Malachi’s day: • TheirWorship was defiled, 1:2 – 2:9; • TheirMorality was defiled, 2:10-16; and, • TheirPerspective was defiled, 2:17 – 4:3. Let’s considered these individually and briefly.
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 • TheirWorship was defiled, 1:2 – 2:9 • God loved, chose, prospered, disciplined, and restored Jacob, but hated, punished, and rejected Esau, 1:2-5; • But Jacob disrespected and despised Him, 1:6. How? • Defiled Food on the Altar, 1:7-12 • Defiled by their Attitude and its Content, 1:13-14 • God’s promised Curses (if they did not repent), 2:1-9.
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 • TheirMorality was defiled, 2:10-16 • “One father” probably refers to Abraham, v.10a. Thus, Judah/Israel has been “unfaithful” both nationalisticallyand spiritually by marrying the daughters of a foreign god, vv.10b-11. • This brings nationaland spiritual rejection, vv.12-13. • Also, they apparently unlawfully divorced the wives of their youth to marry these foreign women,v.14. • This likewise brings nationaland spiritualcondemnation from God, vv.15-16.
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 • TheirPerspective was defiled, 2:17 – 4:3. • They thoughtthat evil was good in the sight of God, and that He delighted in it, 2:17a; therefore they saw no justice in God’s supposed blessing of it, 2:17b. • In fact, they were the evil-doers, and God’s justice was coming upon them, 3:1-6! • Their defiled perspective also had led them to rob God, 3:7-12; and, • To think that serving Him was vanity, 3:13-15. • But, God’s justice is coming- for the wicked and those who fear Him, 3:16 – 4:6!
Lessons in 400 B.C. and A.D. 2014 Lessons for the Lord’s People in 2014: • A lack of respect to God through defiled worship (the left-overs of time/sacrifices, and thinking even such are tiresome) will still not be accepted- God still demands the first-fruits,1Cor.11:20-34. • Disregard for God’s laws of morality (in marriage and otherwise) will still not be tolerated- good and moral are determined by Him, not us, 1Cor.1:18-25; chps.5 - 7. And, • Our disposition toward and perspective of God must manifest humility and obediencerather than arrogance and obstinacy, 1Cor.3:1-3,16-23.