An Unsparing Judgment (Mal. 3:5)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/27/2016 10:06 PM

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus:  An Unsparing Judgment

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Malachi 3:5

            Message of the verses:  “5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.”  “And I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a sift witness against the witches, and against the adulteresses, and against them that swear falsely by my name, and against them that keep back the hireling’s wages, and them that oppress the widow, and afflict orphans, and that wrest the judgment of the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord Almighty.” (Septuagint)

 

            Before we get started looking at this verse I wanted to take a look at it in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the OT.  In the NASB95 we see the word “sorcerers” and in the Sept. version we see “witches,” and my interest was that in the NT when the word “sorcerers” is used is speaks of drugs being used as the word in the Greek gives us our English word for pharmacy, and so this is a different word in the OT, it is not the word for Pharmacy.

 

            We see a list of sins mentioned in verse five that were prevalent during Malachi’s day and will also be prevalent during the end times before Christ’s return to planet earth.  Sorcery does speak of witchcraft and the Sept. translates it.  This was forbidden in the Law of Moses.  He then mentions adulterers and we know what that means.  Next he talks about who swear falsely by the Lord’s name and Dr. Wiersbe says that this speaks of those who commit perjury by lying under oath, and this violates the third commandment.  He then speaks of the wage earners not getting their pay and also a very big “no no” the sin against the widows and the orphans, those who take advantage of them.  God has special concerns for the widows and the orphans, so it is wise not to do any harm to them.

 

11/27/2016 10:32 PM