Bible In One Year-Day 243 (Sunday, August 31, 2014)

Commentary: Book of Malachi. God was dissatisfied with the priests, rulers and leaders of the nation of Israel due to the plague of wickedness, corruption and falsehood. These were conspicuously evident in their socio-political lives of the people. It posed a great problem to their relationship with God. Marital treachery leading to divorce was prevalent, hypocrisy in worship in which the priest offered sick animals contrary to what God ordained in Deuteronomy 15:21.

Malachi 1:13 “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.”

The priests have lost the grace on their lips to the demon of lies, deceits and perversion. People were being led astray and the good offerings were being stolen.

\Malachi 2:7-8 “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.”

God has a special covenant with the priests but this was defiled.

It was in this infamous situation that God sent Prophet Malachi to give the message His judgment to the corrupt nation. Malachi (meaning ‘My messenger’) was a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, the man who led the building of the broken wall. Through the message of Malachi, the prophet of John the Baptist was given.

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

From the book of Malachi, we could learn some lessons:

1. Blessings can be cursed
2. There is a covenant God has with the priests
3. Disrespect and dishonor for God can make Him reject our offering
4. The type of offering you bring to the house of God matters. Stealing or cheating to offer impressively to man is not accepted to God, i.e. the source of your income weighs more than a million applauses of men.
5. Marriage is the Lord’s ‘holy institution’ according to Mal2:11and He loves it dearly. He hates divorce
6. The priests are to teach the people the statues of the law and this must be seen in their own lives.
7. Malachi3:3 makes to us to understand that Christians experience trials for them to be refined and be purged so that they could offer in righteousness. This means that when you give your life to Jesus, God will allow you to go through some trying times during which worldliness will be shaken out of your life and you learn to worship Him is truth and in Spirit.
8. Backsliding is sin, Mal3:14
9. He defends His interest in those who fear Him, Mal3:16

Many lessons are this book for us to learn.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Job1-3. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Pastor Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA