Honour God Series

This is the last book of the OT and also the last prophetic word that God gave to His people prior to the coming of Jesus.

• After Malachi, there is silence for about 400 years when God did not speak again through any prophet.

• Malachi came about 80 years after Haggai and Zechariah. The Temple had been rebuilt (clearly from what Malachi said) and the city walls of Jerusalem restored.

Life hasn’t been easy. The promises that God has spoken through Haggai and Zechariah more than a generation ago were far from being fulfilled.

• The Jews were still living under the Persian rule. Life was tough and the people were facing insect plagues and poor harvests.

• We see that in Mal 3:11 when the Lord mentioned about pests devouring their crops and the vines in their fields dropping off.

• In their hardship, the people doubted God’s love and what He has said. The glorious future was too far away to be real.

Distrust sets in and we see the people questioning what God said. Malachi highlighted this many times in his book:

1:2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, `How have you loved us?'

1:6b "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, `How have we shown contempt for your name?'

1:7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, `How have we defiled you?'

2:13-14 Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14You ask, "Why?"

2:17 You’ve wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask.

3:7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, `How are we to return?'

3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?'

3:13 "You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, `What have we said against you?'

These were all REBUTTALS to the Word of God. God said and they challenged it. They doubted the truth of God’s Word.

• There was a distrust of God. And the first question we had was, “How have you loved us?” when God said, “I have loved you.”

• This was the root cause of the rest of the problems we see in this book. The people doubted God’s love and questioned His Word.

The Lord directed them to look at the lives and descendants of Jacob and Esau, and see the plight of the one who was not loved. Are you not loved?

• Look at Israel now and look at Edom, historically. Look at my dealings with you and my dealings with Edom. Are you not loved?

• Compare what happened to them and what happened to you? Are you not loved?

God assures them that He loved them and it is a CHOICE that He has made.

• It’s an election. It is God’s sovereign choice to bless the one He loved.

• We read last week from Romans 9. Rom 9:11-13 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad - in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls-she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

• If we look at the lives and try to understand from their deeds why one is more loved, we are wrong. God made that choice before they were born.

• Both nations Israel and Edom sinned; both were punished; but Israel by God’s grace was led to repent and forgiven and restored, while Edom was left in the misery which it had brought upon itself by its own sin.

It is not about our good works that God loves us. It is His sovereign choice.

• This understanding is very important, because it affects how you live.

• Which is what we are going to see in the following passage - the people and the priests failed to honour God.

• How can you respect someone you distrust? How can you trust someone who, you think, is lying to you? Or love your spouse when, you think, he/she is being unfaithful to you?

What we believe about God affects our attitude and behaviour toward Him.

• What we believe WRONG about God will be reflected in our attitudes and behaviours before God. Let’s read Malachi 1:6-10.

Children honour parents, servants respect their masters. This we understand, no one would disagree. But where is the honour and respect due me, the Lord asked.