It is deuteros nomos, the second giving of the Law. Before the new generation is committed to Joshua's charge, Moses, at God's command, rehearses the Law to them.
What is the book of the Acts? It is the second offer of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Jews, first at the capital, to the Jews of the homeland, and then through the empire, to the Jews of the dispersion.
Of this we shall say more later; but it is well to have it in find even now. Explore the Book- J. Sidlow Baxter - recommended. Paul Van Gorder - If we were to write one word across this book to state its theme, it would be ''obedience. The book of Deuteronomy may be comfortably divided according to the addresses of Moses. Deuteronomy shows with unmistakable clarity the inflexibility of the law and the necessity of complete subjection to the Word of God.
As Romans declares, ''Now we know that whatever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. He is the only Israelite to obey God totally in the promised land. He alone kept the letter of the code that was set forth in Deuteronomy. The Lord Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy three times in His temptation in the wilderness [cp. Mat ; Deu ; ; ,14; also ]. Surely, a book so valuable to the Savior in such a time must also be valuable to us!
But where do you find Christ pictured in the book of Deuteronomy? The Lord Jesus is seen in a twofold way in the book of Deuteronomy: by prophecy and by type. These words of Moses are recorded in Deuteronomy , ''The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken. Shortly before the stones were hurled that crushed out the life of Stephen, that godly believer [quoted Moses] about Jesus. Stephen indicated that Jesus Christ is the One of whom Moses spoke.
Van Gorder goes on to write - "we see striking similarities to the death and resurrection of our Lord. Christ remained in control until His death [John ,18]. Moses died ''according to the word of the Lord'' ; literally, ''at the mouth of the Lord.
He stood with Christ and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration, years later [Mat ]. Evidently, the devil tried to hold the body of Moses so that he could not appear with the Lord Jesus Jude Death could not hold our Savior [Acts ]. OT Reflections of Christ - Deuteronomy.
Source: Talk Thru the Bible. Dt — To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the Lord has spoken to you.
So you shall purge the evil from your midst. Dt — his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day for he who is hanged is accursed of God , so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. Dt — so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood.
He will not fail you or forsake you. His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,. NOTE : Includes word studies, maps, pictures, "thoughts" personal application points , devotionals, multiple other commentary quotes. Completed July, There was a new generation!
A new time! A time to receive the promise, to move forward, to complete what the older generation had begun. In Deuteronomy, God calls a new generation to love Him and serve Him from the heart. In only eight weeks, learn how the timeless message of Deuteronomy speaks to our generation and our time. Hear the call to love and serve the Lord today, and let His Word stir your heart. James Rosscup - Calvin was not only a great theologian but also a great expositor, and his insight into Scripture contributed to his grasp of doctrinal truth.
His commentaries are deep in spiritual understanding, usually helpful on problem passages, and refreshing in a devotional sense to the really interested reader. He usually offers good help on a passage Calvin is amillennial on long-range prophecy, but in other respects usually has very contributive perception on passages and doctrinal values edifying to the believer.
He also can be very wordy, but the serious and patient glean much. James Rosscup has a comment on this author in his discussion on The Bible Expositor writing "Some sections are by radical liberals , for example George A.
Smith on Isaiah and the Minor Prophets. He did not always interpret Scripture l iterally and so was amillennial he interpreted Revelation as a Historicist which led him to interpret the church as fulfilling many OT promises to Israel. Influential in development of doctrine of entire sanctification.
Affirmed the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, but held a belief of "plenary dynamic inspiration" idea of every thought inspired , thus falling short of "plenary verbal inspiration" every single word inspired Bib. Sacra: Vol , p , In summary, a useful, respected commentary but as with all these resources you are advised to "Be a Berean!
James Rosscup - This old, conservative Wesleyan Methodist work is good devotionally and aggressive for righteous living. Laypeople can find it still valuable today. It is Arminian in viewpoint and thus helpful, for example, in showing the reader how this approach deals with texts involving the eternal security question.
The work contains much background material from many sources on all books of the Bible. James Rosscup - This is a helpful old set of for laypeople and pastors to have because it usually comments at least to some degree on problems.
Though terse, it provides something good on almost any passage, phrase by phrase and is to some degree critical in nature. It is evangelical Things have changed greatly since this assessment! It is primarily of help to pastors and lay people looking for quick, though usually somewhat knowledgeable treatments on verses.
Note: The commentary below does not include the introductory comments by Dr Constable which can be found here for his Pdf of Deuteronomy. James Rosscup - This dispensationally oriented work is not verse-by-verse, but deals with the exposition on a broader scale, treating blocks of thought within the chapters.
The author was a popular evangelical Bible teacher of the first part of the century, much like H. Ironside in his diligent but broad, practical expositions of Bible books. Gaebelein was premillennial and dispensational, and editor for many years of Our Hope Magazine. James Rosscup - Gill — , a pastor of England, wrote these which are two-column pages, ca.
He also wrote Body of Divinity, 3 volumes, and several other volumes. His commentary is evangelical, wrestles with texts, is often wordy and not to the point but with worthy things for the patient who follow the ponderous detail and fish out slowly what his interpretation of a text is. He feels the thousand years in Revelation 20 cannot begin until after the conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles and destruction of all anti-Christian powers volume 6, p.
James Rosscup - This evangelical work, devotional in character, has been in constant demand for about years. Its insight into human problems is great, but it often does not deal adequately with problems in the text The late Wilbur M. Henry was born in a Welch farmhouse, studied law, and became a Presbyterian minister near London.
He wrote this commentary in the last 13 years before he died at 52 in The first of six volumes was published in He completed through Acts, and the rest of the New Testament was done by 14 clergymen p. James Rosscup - This is the best older, overall treatment of a critical nature on the Old Testament Hebrew text verse by verse and is a good standard work to buy. Mackintosh, a Plymouth Brethren, was a gifted teacher and writer.
D L Moody said that " it was C. Mackintosh who had the greatest influence " upon his learning of the Word of God. One of his most respected works was Notes on the Pentateuch. Further biographical Note. James Rosscup - This evangelical work is both homiletical and expository and is often very good homiletically but weaker otherwise.
Helpful in discussing Bible characters, it is weak in prophecy at times because of allegorization. It is not really as valuable today as many other sets for the serious Bible student. The expositions are in the form of sermons.
See also another resource: — F. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary. This detailed liberal work large pp. It is geared to be mostly of use to OT experts and some more advanced students.
For much pastoral benefit, it appears so focused on issues some scholars may be curious about that it will not be of steady profit to others. Help is available on many verses, and on other verses the author offers comments that seem limited in their real help, for example on boiling a kid, where much has been written that finds no mention Scholarly study of the text, based on analysis of the Hebrew and cognate languages, written in an attitude of faith and aimed at a broad but serious audience.
Includes an page introductory section, with a nine-page section on the theology of the book. He usually shows good awareness of views and recent books and articles cf. The comments verse by verse are quite good, but sometimes lacking in detail on views and arguments e. Conservative work showing expertise in scholarly literature and handling of Hebrew exegesis, history, customs, etc. Deere provides help on synopses of sections and also the verse by verse explanation an expositor needs.
This is a very good evangelical work by a skilled Old Testament scholar. Restricted by space, Harrison offers a helpful, concise commentary that contributes on most verses and problems. This pp. Deuteronomy is dated late, whereas Kline Treaty of the Great King sees it as early. This is a kind of sequel to the idea of a covenant in Treaty of the Great King Kline believes there is a treaty idea all through the Bible with the ordeal or self-malediction occurring with the forming or the renewing of a covenant.
He develops circumcision Old Testament and baptism New Testament as ordeal rituals. A competent scholar wrote this book which most reviews hailed as an epochal work.
The author investigates the relevance of recently discovered treaties of great kings to understanding the nature of the Decalogue and the covenant in Deuteronomy. He wrestles with the statements of higher criticism.
It is conservative. Here are pp. Knight furnishes detail verse by verse, usually good, and at times not agreeing with conservative opinion. This is by a lecturer in Hebrew and Semitics, University of Dublin.
He is liberal, and his work is highly regarded by many. His exegesis is thorough and he has much excellent data on word meaning, background, etc. As many he is persuaded that Deuteronomy is part of a larger deuteronomic history of Israel running through 2 Kings, a history finalized during the exile.
He theorizes that particular verses were written later, according to his opinion. He feels Levites of the Jerusalem temple p. Still, much of the verse by verse commentary has basic, explanatory material which conservative users with discernment can fit where it belongs into the time of Moses and not in exilic days with Mayes. Mayes sees in nothing of messianic connection, and has no reference to the New Testament use of it.
This little book 89 pp. Kaiser, Jr. This and the work by E. Lucas Dan. Lucas, Dan. His work at times seems far more complex than the billing of the Apollos effort to be particularly relevant for preaching help. It appears to be in a different world of issues that some scholars debate, and many may choke on it and turn to works that offer simpler help. The commentary often casts much brief light on verses. In some texts such as —4 divorce , the writer could but does not offer help on how details may relate to NT divorce issues preachers need to discuss Matt.
Scholars and more thoroughly studious and patient pastors and maturely scholarly students can draw good help; they will agree or disagree with many of the details, but will see many main, possible turns of thought. He argues versus a source critical placement of Deuteronomy as a literary composition in the seventh century B. Comments usually are lucid and to the point without being too brief, gathering pertinent factors. Notable verses draw more comment —5, 5 pp.
On some texts, as boiling a kid , discussion falls far short of what would be substantial on views. A similar lack occurs in the verse forbidding transvestism , whereas leaving a mother bird seems to be explained reasonably in Footnotes reflect wide awareness on many points. The work is quite beneficial.
This is a sweeping exposition with essays on structure, motifs and sections in the book and not a verse by verse discussion. However, here he does not devote much time to this but has many helpful perceptions on the meaning of the text we have.
His well-organized wrk aims to help teachers, preachers and students by commenting on the RSV translation. However, the book draws spiritual life lessons which are quite worthwhile cf. It just will not set well with conservatives to be told that the concern for possession of the land in Deuteronomy is because the book was done centuries later than the wilderness era when Israel was in danger of being uprooted from the land Even then, Miller has many helpful things summarized about the land 44— This work is frequently quite helpful, sometimes valuable in dealing with verses in a concise, competent, direct exegesis based on obvious wide knowledge.
On many matters the commentary is satisfactory, getting at vital things fully enough for many teachers, preachers and diligent laypeople. Moses poured out his heart telling the people of Israel the message of love God had given p. It provides a good, brief explanation with a clear outline. A helpful verse by verse work abreast of recent scholarship on many of the issues in Deuteronomy for the more serious reader.
Thompson believes that the book is not authored by Moses, yet much of it goes back to the time of Moses. But it has been retouched to serve the needs of later generations in Israel.
Kline, review, Westminster Theological Journal, 39 Fall, , — Deuteronomy, to Thompson, shares in the pattern of the ancient form of a Near Eastern treaty covenant. He does not interpret some things literally, e. Though some conclusions run against the grain for one who holds to inerrancy, Thompson in general says things consistent with a rather high view of the Bible, and evinces a scholarship of depth and breadth. Well-regarded in much of the scholarly community, though among conservatives of occasional help only to more advanced students.
The author holds to a complicated history of different compositions and, like many, subjectively picks and chooses as he will. One can sift out much good explanation of what certain details mean, but he is often met by an intermeshing of theory about which parts are from the early days and which from the exile.
He deals only glancingly with the messianic possibility of , and without referring to the New Testament text. Quite frankly, despite the stature of von Rad to many, this work does not adequately enough get down to the straight-forward business of explaining passages in a way conservatives will regard as probable from the evidence, at least not often enough. Serious, skilled students will find much help here on the details of text, meaning of words and phrases, history, etc.
The introduction brings together much thought on literary, critical, legal, historical and theological matters. The list of journal articles runs nearly 36 pages, Much of the material is assigned to centuries later than Moses p.
Many readers will feel that his reasons are arbitrary, yet may appreciate seeing how such a case may be built. While much benefit can be laboriously gleaned from individual verse notes, some will wish there could be better synthesizing orientation before the plunge into the many details.
Often, Weinfeld furnishes very worthwhile comments on problems, such as whether to take as literal or figurative the binding of the words on the hand and on the forehead ; pp. When Nehemiah returned to Babylon for a period of time Malachi ministered to the people concerning their sins and moral abuses. He looked beyond to the coming day of the LORD. The last word in the Old Testament is " curse. Since he did not usher in the " great and dreadful day of the LORD " at that time the prediction has a second fulfillment in the future.
Possibly, he may be one of the two witnesses in Revelation note. Who are the Two Witnesses? The matter of withholding tithes and offerings is treated as robbery Mal Here the people were selfishly using it for other things. The essential message of Malachi is an epitome of the entire Old Testament.
GOD rebukes corruption and promises deliverance and blessing on obedience. The viewpoint is that of the authority of the present law, but also of the riches of grace which GOD has in store for the age of blessing. It is the same old story of sin and unrighteousness.
Mankind has not changed in all these years. But turn around and look the other way. There is coming a day of light when the Sun of Righteousness will arise. Like the Forerunner, of whom he prophesies, he was but a voice. Malachi bears the same relation to Nehemiah that Haggai and Zechariah bear to Zerubbabel. He lived either at the time of Nehemiah or directly after, for he rebukes the very same sins among the people that Nehemiah dealt with on his second visit to Jerusalem:—.
Eliashib the priest was allied unto Tobiah the Ammonite, and had allowed him the use of a great chamber in the courts of the House of God. His book is marked by its straightforward, plain words of rebuke, by which he brings home their sins to a self-satisfied people, who had a form of godliness, but were denying the power thereof.
Malachi describes the coming of Christ to His Temple. He came as a little babe to the expectant gaze of Simeon and Anna. He came to overturn the tables of the money-changers. He comes to the temple of our hearts. His coming is as purifying fire Mal With the patience of the Refiner of silver He sits till He sees His own image reflected in the molten metal. This book contains the secret of spiritual blessing. We are to bring Him our whole selves, body, soul and spirit, all that we have and all that we are, all that we know about in our lives and all that we do not know about yet cp Ro note.
If we thus honestly keep nothing back from Him we may be certain that He will accept us Ed: Note however that our "bringing" does not earn His acceptance for by grace through faith we are accepted in the Beloved - Eph KJV and will open the windows of heaven, and pour us out such a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it, but it shall flow out to all around.
Amidst all the hypocrisy and formalism there was a little remnant who feared the Lord. His ear was bent down to hear them as they spoke together of Him. He promised that they should be His own special treasure in the coming Day of the Lord. A T Pierson. How could He love us any more than He has already demonstrated? How is this analogous to the relationship between parents and children?
How must God feel when we question His love towards us? First, it means that God opposes their prosperity and brings their land under judgment. Second, it means that God will continue to oppose them when they resist his judgment.
His judgment will not suffer resistance. Malachi "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. Third, God's hate for Esau means that they will by and large as a nation be given up to wickedness. Verse 4b: ". God is not bring judgments on an innocent people. He is just in all his dealings.
When he passed over Esau and chose Jacob there was no decree that an innocent Esau would be judged. Rather what God decreed was to pass Esau by, to withhold his electing love and to give him up to wickedness. Now there is great mystery here, and I do not claim to solve all the problems that our little minds can think up.
There is much we are not yet ready to know. We see through a glass darkly. But this much we are surely to believe: God did not choose the descendants of Esau; rather he passed over them and withheld his electing love; as a result Esau gave rein to wickedness and deserved the indignation of God. Which leads to the fourth aspect of God's hate. Fourth, at the end of Malachi it means that the Lord is angry, or indignant with them for ever.
First, His love is unconditional, for it was an act of pure grace, not dependent on anything Israel had done Dt. He called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, made a covenant with him, and confirmed it through Isaac and Jacob. His compassion for Israel is like that of a mother for her child. In fact, God has engraved them on the palms of His hands Isa. On two occasions He called Israel His son Ex.
Calvin: Hence he says, I loved you. God might indeed have made an appeal to the Jews on another ground; for had he not manifested his love to them, they were yet bound to submit to his authority. When therefore God says that he loved the Jews, we see that his object was to convict them of ingratitude for having despised the singular favour bestowed on them alone, rather than to press that authority which he possesses over all mankind in common. Be cautious Acts note : Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church note.
Cole often introduces his sermons with pithy, poignant illustrations. Here is an example from Malachi Reconciled Families It began because somebody was murdered. When the dishes stopped rattling in the cupboard, an uneasy silence followed, broken at length by the son. I know now! It is not news that American families are fracturing at an alarming rate. Only 34 percent of all children born in America will live with both biological parents through age eighteen.
Seventy percent of African-American babies and 19 percent of white babies in the United States are born out of wedlock. Most will never know their fathers, let alone experience their love source, James Dobson newsletter, March, Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets. After him, there was no fresh word from the Lord for four long centuries, until John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness.
In His parting shot, God speaks to His people about reconciled families. It is not a minor subject: God indicates that the only alternative to reconciled families is His curse upon the land! Our families are the building blocks of our churches and of our entire society. If our families fracture en masse, we will have a fractured nation. Note: This resource is listed because it has numerous commentary notes that relate to the OT Prophetic Books.
James Rosscup writes "This work supplies much help on matters of the text, word meaning, resolving some problems, etc. Some have found it one of the most contributive sources in getting at what a text means. Be cautious Acts note : Does not always interpret the Scripture literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church note Click example of his interpretative approach which is often allegorical Or another example.
Malachi 1 Critical Notes. Malachi 2 Critical Notes. Malachi 3 Critical Notes. Malachi 4 Critical Notes. Note : JFB is one of the more literal, conservative older commentaries prior to Sample excerpt of eschatological prophetic, apocalyptic passage Zechariah - " gather all nations, etc. If Antichrist be the leader of the nations, it seems inconsistent with the statement that he will at this time be sitting in the temple as God at Jerusalem 2Thessalonians ; thus Antichrist outside would be made to besiege Antichrist within the city.
But difficulties do not set aside revelations: the event will clear up seeming difficulties Ed : Interesting statement! Compare the complicated movements, Daniel Temporal blessings and spiritual prosperity shall go together in the millennium: long life Isaiah , peace Isaiah , honor Isaiah , righteous government Isaiah ; Isaiah Rosscup - This is the best older, overall treatment of a critical nature on the Old Testament Hebrew text verse by verse and is a good standard work to buy.
The student can buy parts or the whole of this series. Sometimes it is evangelical, at other times liberal ideas enter… In prophecy it is amillennial.
Galeotti - The outstanding example of the technical-textual commentary of the OT is the series by C. Keil and F. Their commentary is the standard in the field of OT commentaries and a classic in its own right.
Though dated, it still serves as the primary measure by which all other works are judged. Keil's volume on The Twelve Minor Prophets is conservative in scope and serves as a scholarly foundation upon which any in-depth study of Malachi is to be made.
Rosscup : Here is an evangelical commentary well-done in pp. Introductions gather much that is most pertinent for expositors. Merrill sees Zech. Problem passages usually draw careful remarks, as in seeing Zech as referring to the Lord, and in a future day. The Theological Journal Library on galaxie. Click the following links to search by topic, author , or bible reference.
Malachi The fiery element of the coming day echoes similar images in eschatological passages such as Joel see Ps ; Isa The wicked may seem powerful, but they will be removed, both root and branches, from the earth like dry stubble thrown into a furnace. Malachi Darkness in the Bible often symbolizes earthly life full of evil, ignorance, pain, and death Gen ; 1Sam ; Isa God promises to invade this world with righteousness as the sun invades the night, driving the darkness away Dt ; 2Sam ; Isa , Other texts clarify that this image represents the Messiah, whose coming will be celebrated like the dawn Lk , often pictured as the wings of the sun Ps As a bird's wings offer protection Dt , God's "wings" will bring healing to His children Ps ; Isa ; , who will never again fear the wicked.
Malachi The people of Israel wore tassels as constant reminders of God's instructions Num Malachi called them to remember—not to be guided by human wisdom, ambition, or societal expectations, but by the application of God's instruction through Moses see Ps This will be a day of blessing for God's people as well as a time of judgment on His enemies. Elijah, mentioned 28 times in the NT, was viewed as the preeminent prophet of repentance. He appeared with Moses on the mountain of Jesus' transfiguration to testify that Jesus is the Messiah Lk Although this prophecy was provisionally fulfilled by John the Baptist Mal , it will be further fulfilled at Jesus' return Mt ; ; Rev and it will be accompanied by a great revival of faith in Israel Dt Malachi , quoted in Lk , describes a time of reconciliation when "the disobedient" will accept the wisdom of "the righteous" and when fathers and their children will no longer live self-serving lives but will regard one another with compassion and respect Malachi ; Ezek ; Ro Malachi - Living Messages.
We come now to the close of the prophetic period in Israel. The anointed seer, speaking directly from the mouth of JEHOVAH, saying: "Thus saith the Lord," is about to be displaced by the learned scribe and doctor of the law, whose authority consisted in their being in harmony with the recognized rabbis who had preceded them. But before the living voice of prophecy is silenced by dead tradition, a messenger utters the divine Word once more. The anonymous prophet for Malachi means: "My messenger," and is clearly an appellation and not a name evidently appeared during the absence of Nehemiah in Persia, before his return.
The abuses which he dealt with are the same denounced in this book. See Malachi , 6, 7; , 17; , 8, Judges and the two books of Samuel contemplate the failure of the nation. First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles, the failure of the kingdom; but Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi, witness against the community of restored exiles. The sevenfold "wherein?
They practiced sorcery, committed adultery, were given to perjury, oppressed the weaker Mal Intermarriage with heathens was rife Mal The priests were guilty of profaning the temple, so that GOD could take no pleasure in them. He refused to accept a meat-offering at their hands Mal But they were told that there would be a calling out of a new people of GOD from among the Gentiles:.
The prophet uses the present tense - it is the prophetic vision of the future as already present. And while the thought-forms incense and meat-offering are borrowed from the ritual of the Jewish temple, the spiritual message is that the Kingdom of GOD would be taken from the covenant-people and be found among the Gentiles, as has come to pass. Thus is the present dispensation clearly foretold in this book. Before the close of Malachi a very wonderful Messianic promise shines out in celestial splendor.
He is also called Malach Ha-Berith, i. It is the same Angel-Presence that connected Himself with the patriarchs and was with their descendants throughout their history.
He would once again appear. He is called "the Angel of His Presence" or Face. The Elijah-like ministry of John, calling to repentance, prepared His way, Israel having broken the old covenant; and so He comes to establish the new and better covenant, established on grace and not on human merit, and ratified in His Blood. But for Israel fierce judgments are appointed before the terms of the new covenant can be made good Mal Out of this fiery oven a new and purified nation will emerge.
In fact, it will only be a remnant which will be the nucleus of a holy people of GOD. They were but a remnant of the remnant escaped from Babylon. The Sun of Righteousness will arise upon them with heavenly healing Mal They have loved His appearing during the long night of His absence.
His coming will bring in everlasting day. Thus does Old Testament prophecy close. The prophets were shining stars, but the Messiah is the Sun.
The whole Old Testament is waiting for the sunrise. The key to the entire Scriptures of Israel is the word: Yovah, i. He comes! The way I see it,if God loves us, what do we have to worry about? I think He loves us in ways that we might not even recognize as love.
Excerpt : What's the big idea? By the time of Malachi, they had been back in the land for more than a hundred years and were looking for the blessings they expected to receive when they returned.
Though the temple had been rebuilt, the fervor of those early returning Israelites gave way to a thorough apathy for the things of God. This led to rampant corruption among the priesthood and a spiritual lethargy among the people. Malachi came along at a time when the people were struggling to believe that God loved them Malachi The people focused on their unfortunate circumstances and refused to account for their own sinful deeds.
So God pointed the finger back at them, and through Malachi, God told the people where they had fallen short of their covenant with Him. If they hoped to see changes, they needed to take responsibility for their own actions and serve God faithfully according to the promise their fathers had made to God on Mount Sinai all those years before. How do I apply this? Each time, Israel would fail again, prompting the cycle to begin again.
Do you struggle to follow God consistently? The phrase translated "in his wings" also carries the idea of "corners" or an "outer edge. Deuteronomy "You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself. Deuteronomy "A man shall not take his father's wife so that he shall not uncover his father's skirt.
Ruth - And he said, "Who are you? So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative. One significant fulfillment of this prophecy is to be found in Matthew where a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak.
Do you see it? Introduction - Nate cautiously approached his pastor one day and admitted, "I'm not sure what the problem is. I feel empty inside. Whenever the pastor called a meeting or needed something done around the church, Nate and Nancy always showed up. Doing church work, helping people, and even attending worship do not energize me anymore," moaned Nate. I'm living a lifeless religion. Introduction - Jack Canfield, writing in "The Success Principles", asks participants in his seminars to agree to a list of 15 ground rules - be on time, sit in a different chair after every break, no alcoholic beverages until the training is over, and others.
He makes them sign a form in their workbook that says, "I agree to keep all these guidelines and ground rules. Cavett Robert, author and professional speaker, writes, "Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution, long after the excitement of the moment has passed. It's a quality that attracts people to you and enhances your relationships and opportunities.
Failing to honor your commitments will tarnish your image and have a negative effect on your reputation. It can create a barrier to personal achievement and erect a roadblock against success. By honoring your commitments you create a strong foundation that will support you and your endeavors. As a result you will be recognized as a person of integrity and character - someone others can trust.
Werner Erhard states, "Your life works to the degree you keep your agreements. Honoring commitments impacts all dimensions of life. Let me ask: Do you honor commitments you make to your team - to show up for them - even in tough or uncomfortable situations?
Do you honor the commitments you make to your family and friends? Do you keep the promises you make to them? Do you honor commitments you make to yourself? Do you honor the commitments you have made to God? The people of Judah, with the priests leading the way, had failed to keep their covenant agreement with God.
It's clear that more than one person is responsible - in fact, there may actually be many people who have been party to the crime. Two things are most unfortunate about the robbery - one is that we have no assurances that it won't happen again, and that is a bit unnerving! The other unfortunate element is that we're certain that those who carried out the robbery are members of our church. It's bad enough to know that a theft has occurred, but it's really hard to imagine that professing Christians would actually steal from God and the ministries of his church.
We can certainly hope that anyone who has participated in this act will repent and repay what has been taken. It's reported that some of the stolen money has been used for vacations, cars, boats, designer clothes, athletic equipment, homes, and even dining out. We don't have a complete list of all the suspects, but there is consolation in knowing that God does.
I realize that some of you will disagree, but it would be difficult to get a conviction in the courts given the clever way in which the robbery was carried out. You are probably also interested in how much was taken. The amount is undetermined, but at the very least exceeds many thousands of dollars.
It happened as the offering plates were passed during Sunday school and worship. It also happened as people who didn't come simply didn't give the Lord's tithe. Introduction - A fictional tale is told in management seminars about a young manager who was to replace a retiring executive. The younger man approached the older, venerated leader and asked, "Sir, I know of the legend that you have become as a leader in this company. Could you give me some advice as I try to fill your shoes?
Richard Petty, an Ohio State University psychologist, estimates that each of us is faced with hundreds of decisions each day. They range from trivial Italian or Mexican for lunch , to moral good from evil , to priority best from better. In these decisions we want to make good choices. Because we are the sum total of our decisions. We make our decisions, and our decisions make us.
Mary Kay Ash said, "Be careful of the choices you make today. They will become your lifestyle tomorrow. Each day we face choices regarding our walk with God. From the closing of Malachi's book let me explain five areas where we are forced to make decisions.
You mean to take that goodly freight on board before you launch upon the sea of married life. As you cannot visit the Holy Land, it is well for you that there is a work like the Pictorial Bible, in which the notes of the most observant travellers are arranged under the texts which they illustrate. For the geography, zoology, botany, and manners and customs of Palestine, this will be your counselor and guide… A work of art as well as learning.
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Malachi predicts the coming of the messenger who will clear the way before the Lord ; cf. John the Baptist later fulfills this prophecy, but in the next few verses jump ahead to Christ in His second advent… Wilkinson and Boa, p.
A look at what worship had become in Malachi's day may tell us why. May we never come to the place where the joy, wonder, and enthusiasm goes out of our worship. What we do for the Lord Jesus Christ should never be "a weariness. Do we have to sit there and be bored?
Weariness in Worship - One of the worst insults to God is half-hearted worship. Campbell Morgan said, "Lukewarmness is the worst form of blasphemy. Have you become weary in your worship?
We are to worship to the Lord with enthusiasm, not weariness. In fact, the word "enthusiasm" has the word theos God as its root. We should be excited — enthousiasmos — about serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Every day should become sweeter. Excerpt - Mal is at once one of the most important and one of the most difficult pericopes in the book of Malachi.
It is also one of the most succinct statements we have on our Lord's attitude toward divorce. The importance of this pericope may be seen in the fact that it treats the topic of individual family life from the perspective of its ties with the life of the nation, the realm of spiritual development, and also as a covenant made in the presence of God.
The outbreak of ethical problems that this passage attempts to rebuke are: disloyalty to the spiritual unity of the national family Mal , disloyalty to the family of faith Mal , and disloyalty to the marriage partner to whom one pledges covenantal loyalty before God Mal The evidences of these disloyalties can be seen in spiritual harlotry, mixed marriages with unbelieving partners, adultery, and finally divorce! Excerpt - Let me give you a very simple acrostic of the word CHILD that I think helps us to understand the kind of environment in which it is most likely that godly kids will grow.
What I mean by character is Christian character. The people Malachi was talking about continued to go to church, we know they continued to put something in the plate, they said their prayers. But we also know they were divorcing their Hebrew wives and were marrying pagan women! We also know they were being more infected by nations around them than they were affecting the nations. In other words, they were going through the motions, but at heart there was no spiritual reality! That is fundamental inconsistency; and kids can smell it a mile off!
We are looking for character where there is performance that equates to profession. Malachi's Message to the Men of Today Conservative notes from Dr Morris who approaches the text seeking it's literal meaning in the context. NETBible notes are in the right panel. You can also select the tab for " Constable's Notes. Mouse over shows corresponding English word and has short definition at bottom of right panel.
Note there are several devotionals and illustrations below from sources other than Our Daily Bread. Rosscup : This work, later called Preaching Through the Bible Baker Book House , is rich in its applications and exhortations, though often not particularly helpful for the reader who is looking for exposition that stays right with the text. Treatment of the texts is sermonic. Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An annotated bibliography of selected works.
James W. Tharp, author of Revival Must Come! Those who reject divine revelation are soon able to ignore conscience, and those who ignore conscience will in time refuse to listen to reason. Only a sovereign, merciful God can save us by sending a full-scale, historical outpouring of His Spirit that will result in His people humbling themselves in prayer and fasting, seeking the will and truth of God, and turning in repentance from their self-righteousness, unbelief, pride, lust, and materialistic idolatry.
A while back I woke up singing the lyrics, "Send the refiner's fire, Come purge away our sin Here is one stanza:. Someone once said, "History repeats itself because no one listens the first time. They repeat the same mistakes generation and generation because they do not listen to what God said, nor do they watch what He did!
If I could open the greatest dictionaries in the world's largest libraries and could find the most beautiful and detailed vocabulary conceivable, I would not be able to fully tell you the magnitude of God's love. If I could take the colorful hues and tones from the earth's most beautiful rainbow, I would not be able to paint the loveliness of His love.
If I could produce the most glorious music which the ear can receive, I would not be able to sing fully the splendor of His love. To describe the love of God in all its fullness is impossible. But we can understand more about His love than we now know. We can grow in our appreciation of the love of God.
I feel like the two men who saw the ocean for the first time. One said to the other, "Look at all that water. It is higher than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea and wider than the clearest sky. It is more profound than the loftiest thoughts of the most intelligent people on earth. Yet, what we can see of it, we must seek to see fully.
Ephesians reads, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
God says, "Listen, I love you. Yet, we hear God calling to them in love. In this text we learn three things about the love of God. Someone once said, "A cold church, like cold butter, never spreads very well. It is sad to note that some people who have no faith in a living God have a greater devotion that many Christians. A two inch long discolored eyetooth is reverenced by million Buddhists as the most sacred object on earth.
The tooth is supposed to have been reclaimed from Buddha's funeral pyre in B. Today the tooth sets upon a golden lotus in the glorious temple of the tooth in Kandy, Ceylon. It is surrounded by rubies and tons of flowers. Each year a hundred thousand faithful Buddhists come from many countries to gaze at the sacred tooth. They bring gifts of gold, silver and jewels to place within the temple.
So I began to collect those compliments like flowers. Thank you, I'd say. Thank you, thank you, thank you. One of the greatest definitions of worship ever laid down was one by by William Temple: "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.
Tozer said, "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God. Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship.
As a result, their meanings and values are distorted. Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot. One writer notes that worship in our time has been captured by the tourist mindset. Worship is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church, while for others, occasional visits to special services. Some, with a bent for Christian entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences.
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