The Last Word

We all like to get it.  So maybe Malachi was a happy guy.  Or maybe he was completely unaware that the message he conveyed to Israel contained the last words God would speak to His people for more than four-hundred years.  There were a couple of clues:  "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me… I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes." (Mal 3:1 & 4:5)  But I doubt anyone could have anticipated just what it would be like for God to go silent for four centuries.

I've often wondered what Israel's spiritual life was like as those years rolled by.  Did anyone give the lack of a word from the Lord a second thought?  Did the culture simply roll slowly downhill toward a society where God was no longer missed?  It seems there were a few watching and waiting (Simeon & Anna in Luke 2, for example), but did people in general simply get used to not hearing from God?

If so, how sad!  I have seen the slow slide at times in my life when I've neglected God's Word.  I've even seen it some this year when I got so busy that I didn't stay plugged into the Minor Prophets as deeply as I planned.  And if my spiritual walk can slip that easily when, in general, I do spend a good amount of time in God's Word, imagine what it would be like to go a whole lifetime… a whole generation… several generations… with no word from the Lord!

I'm not much on New Year's resolutions.  I know myself too well!  But wrapping up the Minor Prophet of the Month Club staring into the 400 Silent Years, I'm motivated to come up with a similar project for myself in 2013.  I'm not sure exactly what it will be yet… I do have 8 hours until January 1!  But I do know this… I don't want God to be silent in my life!  I have His Word, and I'm going to read it, meditate on it, pray about it and try to live it.  How about you?

Q & A

The ability to anticipate questions and be ready with appropriate answers is an important skill in many areas of life – job interviews, sales pitches, parenting, etc.  The prophet Malachi seemed to have a knack for it.  In just three chapters, he used the "I know what you're gonna ask" technique eight times.  So I got to thinking, What would God say if we asked the same questions today?  I'm no prophet, but here are a few of my best guesses…

Q#1 - How have You loved us? (1:2)

The question seems to deserve an answer like, "Are you serious?"  But there are times when the love of God seems distant at best.  Israel had been through some of those times (due, in large, part to her own sins) but rather than blow off the question, God answered with, "Remember Jacob and Esau."  God has chosen Israel from among al the nations to be His special people; and, despite centuries of rebellion, God has protected and preserved them, even to this day.  He loves them.

With so much evil in our world, including the persecution and suffering of many believers around the world, the same question is often asked today.  But God's love is still evident.  At the individual level, just like Jacob and Esau, God has chosen each and every believer and will preserve them all until His return.  On the larger scale, God's love is evident in so many ways despite the darkness of evil around us.  For an example, take three minutes to watch http://youtu.be/BZrb45SeJXE, especially the comments beginning around the 2:09 mark.

Qs#2&3 - How have we shown contempt for Your name? (1:6)  How have we defiled You? (1:7)

As I pointed out in my last post, Israel had failed to "bring her A-game" in worship.  God took this personally and challenged them, "When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" (1:8)

Contempt for God's name is so prevalent in our culture we've probably just grown used to it and might all ask the same questions.  In addition to my thoughts in that last post, I'll just jump on one little soapbox here… OMG!  Could we please eradicate the expression those letters stand for from our habits of speech?  I find it highly offensive and I believe God does, too.  Ok, moving on…

Q#4 - Why [do You not listen to us]? (2:14)

God gives a straight up answer to this one: "Because you don't take the sanctity of marriage seriously."  There is no cultural gap of application here.  Divorce rates continuing to hover around 50% for first marriages (even among believers) and society is seeking to completely redefine this most sacred of all human institutions.  As I watch even my close friends suffer through heart-wrenching family break-ups, I weep and pray…  and hope God is still listening.

Q#5 - How have we wearied [You]? (2:17)

God doesn't get tired, right?  Well, according to Malachi, He gets tired of hearing people justify bad behavior and complain when He doesn't serve up justice according to their standards.  Eventually, we're going to wear out His patience. (3:1-5)  True justice is coming, "But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears?" (3:2)

I think the words of Jude apply: "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life… show mercy, mixed with fear… To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

Q#8 - What have we said against You? (3:13)

According to Malachi, the offending verbiage was, "It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?"  Not many of us dare to say it out loud, but I suspect most of us have had the thought cross our minds.  "What good is it?"  "Why do I try so hard to serve God?"  We even find ourselves envious of the wicked like Asaph in Psalm 73.

Before we speak rashly against the Lord, let's remember the promise at the end of Malachi: "You will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."  Even if we don't see it now, as the old song says, "It will be worth it all."

Qs#6&7 - How are we to return? (3:7)  How do we rob You? (3:8)

Ah, finally a good question!  And yes, I switched the order of the final inquiries so I could end on a positive note!

In Israel's case, the path home led by the collection box.  The Law required each citizen to give a tithe of various resources at the temple to support the work of the priests.  In return for this simple act of obedience, God promised abundance.  But the people had decided they would rather keep their ten percent than trust God for His blessing.  The result? "You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me." (3:9)

How do WE return?  Well, a lot could and probably should be said about tithing in our churches today.  Times are tough.  But is that an excuse to withhold from God what He expects us to give in support of the ministries we benefit from?  Is it better to play it safe and pretend we can manage our money better than God can?

I say we, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..." because God says, "Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (3:10)

Any questions?

You'd Better Bring Your A-Game

Last Sunday was our church's annual Christmas Program.  Yes, that is the biggest reason I'm just now getting around to posting something this month!  It also happens to be the latest addition to my file of proof that a bad dress rehearsal leads to a good performance.  In this case, a terrible dress rehearsal led to a great performance… but not without a little intervention.

In a bit of "good cop, bad cop," the producer (me) gave our teenage cast a pep talk… right after the director (not me) read them the riot act.  Despite our contrast in styles, the message was clear and singular: "Tomorrow is the real thing.  You'd better bring your A-game."  And they did, but that's another story.

My point is that, for a few moments on Saturday, I felt like the prophet Malachi.  At the time of his ministry, Israel had fallen into the habit of giving God less than their best in worship.  "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.  "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." (Mal 1:13-14)

Now I'm not one to say that unless it's Broadway, Hollywood or Nashville, it's not good enough for God.  You work with who and what the Lord provides.  But I do take pretty seriously biblical admonitions like, "Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise." (Psa 33:3)  (BTW, that's the KJV… did you notice it says "LOUD"?)  God deserves our very best, whether that's music, finances, teaching or just living like true followers of Jesus.

And He takes it seriously, too.  "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands." (Mal 1:10)  The thought that God would rather everyone stay home on a Sunday morning than show up to offer halfhearted worship is rather sobering.  I wonder if He's ever said that about my church?  about my ministry?  about me?

Reading on into chapter two doesn't exactly relieve the pressure as Malachi goes all bad cop on the priests.  "If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you." (Mal 2:2)  The tone of worship is set by the leaders of worship, and people rarely rise above the level to which they are led.  So let's set the bar high.  Let's set our hearts to honor His name.  Let's bring Him the best we have to offer.  Simply put, let's bring our A-game to church!