C. It is the last book of the Old Testament, however, which contains our text for today's sermon. Malachi 3:7-12
1. The prophet Malachi wrote to the people of God about 450 B.C. - the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, the time of the return to Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple and wall after the Babylonian captivity.
2. But he speaks as well to us because we should also be in a period of rebuilding of our nation from its postmodern humanistic captivity.
3. Malachi 3:7-12
"'Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,'
Says the Lord of hosts.
'But you said,
"In what way shall we return?"
'Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,'
"'In what way have we robbed You?"
'In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now is this,'
Says the Lord of hosts,
'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
'And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,'
Says the Lord of hosts;
'And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,'
Says the Lord of hosts."
1 comment:
Thanks for these posts. The chapter in Malachai is always a bit chilling, I think. It's one of those that we often want to soften by looking at it out of the corner of our eye, instead of straight on. Surely there isn't a Christian who would steel from God. Or is there?
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