The Importance of Staying on the Right Track
An Introduction to Malachi
Mal. 1:1
I did it again just the other night, without really meaning to, almost without really trying. I got off on the wrong track.
My family and I were on the way home from an out of town basketball game in Wilson County, I was driving down I24, looking for the exit to 440W to get back to our usual route home when I missed the exit. After commenting on the lack of proper highway signage, I exited on Harding Road, when my wife informed me we were going the wrong way.
The proper response would have been, “Thank you, dear. I thought I could take Harding and get back on track.” But my response was to ignore her, because I knew where I was going, and I knew I would soon prove to her the error of her ways.
She tried again, reminding me we would soon come up to Sam’s Club—a definite sign we were going the wrong way. Just as I was pooh-poohing her lack of direction, suddenly the big Sam’s Club sign rolled into view. It was then I did what most husbands do in a situation like that—I blamed our situation on my wife. To make a long story shorter, the rest of the night was not what you might call “Marital bliss.” All because I got off on the wrong track.
Not because I took a wrong turn, but because I took a wrong turn and kept going. Not because my wife had done anything wrong, but because my attitude had also taken a wrong turn. It can happen quickly, almost without trying: You can end up on the wrong track, going in the wrong direction, stepping on the accelerator and getting more lost by the moment—unless Somebody you love helps you turn around and get back on the right track.
Getting back on the right track is the theme of the last book of the OT, the book of Malachi. The prophet Malachi was sent to get Israel back on track with the Lord in 4 key areas—areas where you and I can often get on the wrong track if we’re not careful.
First, a little background.
The first verse of the book identified the author as Malachi which could be translated My Messenger. It’s not certain whether Malachi is a proper name, or just a description of an anonymous prophet. Like many of the other prophets (such as Obadiah) we know nothing else about who the author of the book was, where he was from, or when he first gave this message from God. Some compare the issues raised in the book with those raised in the book of Nehemiah 13:10-30. This implies Malachi may have prophesied sometime during the work of Nehemiah, perhaps during his return trip to Persia mentioned in Neh. 13:6. This would place Malachi’s ministry between 430-400 BC.
This time frame adds some important context for Malachi’s message. Through the work of Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel has returned from exile, rebuilt the Temple, now rebuilding Jerusalem, on their way to restoration. But while Nehemiah is away, they begin to get off track. They start to stray away from their devotion to the Lord, to cool off in their love for God. So God sends Malachi to call them back to the right track again.
He does this through an interesting method of communication known as dialectic= using questions to emphasize how they have strayed, and what they need to do to get back on track. It was a method used by the Greek philosopher Socrates, but which Malachi uses like a lawyer arguing before a jury. His questions are found in 1:2, 6,8; 2: 10, 14-15, 17; 3:2, 7-8, 13-14. God uses these questions to deal with 4 areas where His people need to get back on track:
1. They need to get back on track with their love for the Lord. (1)
A successful marriage is one in which you fall in love many times, always with the same person. -D. W. McLaughlin
I sometimes wonder if that’s not also the secret of an ongoing relationship with the Lord—falling in love many times, always with the same Person. Our hearts can be fickle, and it is often too easy to get on the wrong track with our love for the Lord.
Malachi spends the first chapter reminding Israel of God’s love for them in choosing them to be His covenant people. He didn’t choose them because of how good or large they were—He choose them out of His sheer grace. (cf. Mal. 1:2) Every Israelite knew the story of Jacob and Esau. They knew God chose them, and yet they still turn around and ask in vs. 2 In what way have you loved us?
Let’s count the ways: by rescuing you from slavery in Egypt, leading you into the Promised Land, making a covenant with you, sending prophets to give you My Word, bringing your back from captivity. You could come up with countless ways God has shown His love to these people, and still they ask But what have you done for me lately?
On the other hand, Israel has not shown their love for God by showing Him honor. Vs. 3-14 describe how the priests and the people offer God polluted sacrifices and half-hearted, hypocritical service. They go through the motions, but their heart really isn’t it. Their service isn’t motivated by a deep love for God, but for selfish reasons, or out of fear of what He may do if they don’t serve God. They need to get back on the right track with their love for the Lord.
Many centuries after Malachi’s words were written, another prophet would record the Lord’s words to His NT people in
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
It is sometimes very easy to get off track in our love for the Lord. We can find ourselves serving Him out of habit, or because we want to keep up appearances, or even out of fear of the consequences if we don’t serve Him. But while habit and appearances, and fear have their place, the main motive God wants you to serve Him is because you love Him. What motivates us to truly love God? John tells us in
1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Malachi begins by reminding Israel God loves them because the more we realize how much He loves us, the more we will love Him. If you want to be on the right track with your love for God, spend time considering how much He loves you. He came to earth, lived and died for you. He saved you, gave you His Spirit, His presence, and His promises. In countless ways Jesus Christ has demonstrated His love for you. The more you realize how real and boundless His love for you is, the more love you will have for Him. That’s how you get your heart back on track with God’s love.
2. They need to get back on track with their worship of the Lord. (2:1-9)
The second chapter is addressed to the priests, who have allowed the worship of the Lord to deteriorate into meaningless rituals. They refuse to glorify God (v. 2) Instead of leading people in worship, they lead people away from the Lord (v. 8.) They misrepresent God and his truth to those they lead, (v. 5-6) and for this reason He show them up for the fakes they are. Their so-called worship offends God because is not done in spirit and truth.
Worship is one of the easiest areas to get off on the wrong track. That’s what happened with the woman at the well in John 4. Remember how she tried to start an argument with the Lord Jesus about whether she ought to worship in Jerusalem or in Samaria, and Jesus replied,
John 4:21-23 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Lady, the important thing about worship is not where, but Who and how you worship. You’ve got to worship the God from your heart(in spirit) and worship Him in line with His Word (in truth.)
Worship involves getting your heart and mind in gear to focus on exalting the Lord. So often we lose track of this truth.
A lady once told her pastor it was so nice to be able to come to church and not have to think about anything.
That lady does not worship God in spirit and truth. Worship involves thought as well as feeling, love as well as action. If you don’t worship in spirit and truth, you really don’t worship at all.
That doesn’t mean we should memorize sermons, or break out in tears every time we come to church. But it does mean that when you worship God, you keep an alert mind, and a warm heart. That takes effort, and practice, but it’s essential to staying on track with our worship of the Lord.
Are you on track with your worship? Do you worship the Lord in spirit and truth---adoring Him with all your mind and heart and strength? That is how you stay on track with your worship. Malachi goes on to say to Israel
3. They need to get back on track with their faithfulness to the Lord. (2:10-16)
A little sign reads this way, “Idiosyncratically eccentric phraseology is the promulgator of terrible obfuscation.” Doesn’t that thrill you to hear that? And on the back is a translation, “Big words cause confusion.”
That word faithfulness is a big word we sometimes get confused about not because it’s hard to pronounce, but because it covers so much ground. Faithfulness involves loyalty, keeping your word, being dependable and consistent. Faithfulness describes God’s relation to us perfectly, but too often we get off track with our faithfulness to God. Malachi mentions several areas where God’s people may be tempted to be unfaithful.
First of all in marriage. V. 11 describes how Israel has married the daughter of a foreign god= married outside the covenant people. The OT is full of warnings about intermarriage between God’s people and idolaters. Though there are exceptions, usually the idolater ends up leading the godly spouse away from faithfulness to the Lord.
Malachi also mentions how God feels about divorce in vs. 16. Though the NT does give some guidelines concerning divorce (including when it is right, and when it is wrong) God is showing us His heart here. Divorce is ugly, painful, soul-wrenching, and God takes it personally when a couple calls it quits. After all, the promise that is made in marriage is not just to the spouse, but to the Lord, whether or not you were married in a church. God hates divorce because He calls us to be faithful— to be loyal, to keep your word, to be dependable and consistent.
Please be sure and notice God hates divorce not divorced people. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin. God loves divorced people as much as he loves you or me or anybody else who has been unfaithful to Him in other ways. That does not change how God feels about divorce or unfaithfulness, but it does offer hope and healing when we fail to be faithful.
One more important area of faithfulness is
The bottom line for Malachi is God takes our faithfulness personally. He is the God of truth, He wants us to be truthful. He is the God Who keeps His Word, he expects us to keep our word. He is the God Who is loyal to us, He expects us to be loyal and dependable, both to Him and to others. We should be faithful because God is faithful.
4. They need to get back on track concerning the judgment of the Lord. (2:17-4:6)
C. S. Lewis summed up one of the biggest problems modern man faces:
The ancient man approached God…as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock…if God should have a reasonable defense for being the God who permits war, poverty and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that Man is on the Bench and God in the dock.
Lewis understood that many people put God on trial in their minds for the mess the world is in. Or they might use the simple sentence Malachi quotes some of these Jews saying: Where is the God of justice?
You might be tempted to say that in one of your darkest moments (Job did.) But these people have made it a habit. What reward is there in serving God? He blesses evil people as much or more than He does His own servants. Here I am surrounded by trouble, and pagans live in palaces! Where is the God of justice?
The Lord answers this question beginning in 3:1 when He promises to send His messenger, who will begin cleaning things up in preparation for the Lord’s arrival. But here’s the kicker: he won’t start the clean-up with pagans, but with God’s people! He will come not just to clean house, but to scour the house by demanding repentance. This is, of course, a prophecy of the ministry of John the Baptist, whose preaching is summed up
Matthew 3:1-2, 7-8 1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!...7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
The call will be vs. 7: return to Me, and I will return to you. God will turn the tables on those who try to judge Him and remind them they are the ones on trial.
In vs. 8 God puts His finger on one specific area of sin: you are robbing Me of tithes and offerings! Every Israelite was required to give 10% of all they had to God for the upkeep of the Temple and to provide a living for the priests and Levites. Put in modern terms, God commanded them to give a required act of worship. But this is one bill they left unpaid, and God didn’t say you’re robbing the priests or you’re robbing the Levites or even you’re robbing the Temple; He says you are robbing Me! You need to straighten this out if you want me to bless you and give you the justice you’re looking for!
Finally, Malachi leaves us with his vision of the last judgment in chap. 4, when the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings (v. 2). There will come a day when the Lord will judge the world and set everything as it should be.
Where is the God of justice? He is calling His own people to repentance first. If you want to enjoy God’s blessings right now, you must obey Him—especially in the area of giving. God has promised that one day He will judge the world. Keep these things in mind Malachi says and you will be on the right track concerning God’s judgment.
Where is the God of justice? If you ever wonder that, don’t start by looking at others—begin by looking at yourself. If you want to know why you aren’t receiving more of God’s blessing, take a long hard look at how much you are giving. Be patient—God will bring justice to this world, in His own time.
Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray once informed a man who was obviously guilty of the crime, but whose lawyer had gone acquitted on a legal technicality: “I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law.”
It can help keep you on the right track when you remember God is the God of justice, as well as the God of mercy.
There was a young man applying for a job as a flagman/switch operator on the railroad. The engineer is conducting the interview. “What would you do if the Northern Express was heading north on Track 1 and the Southern Central was heading south on Track 1?” The guy thinks a minute and then replies, “Well, I’d probably call my brother.” The engineer has to ask, “Why would you call your brother?” The reply was, “He’s never seen a train wreck before.”
Sooner or later, if you stay on the wrong track, you’ll end up a wreck. God loves us too much to let us stay on the wrong track. He warns us, just as He warned Israel through the prophet Malachi, to stay on the right track. If you’re on the wrong track tonight—whether it’s about your love for the Lord, your worship of the Lord, your faithfulness to the Lord, or the judgment of the Lord, I encourage you to heed the warnings and go the Lord, and ask Him to help you get back on the right track.
