Intro to Malachi 1:1-2:16

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/11/2016 10:14 PM

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  Intro to Malachi 1:1-2:16

            As we look at the introduction that Dr. Wiersbe has for his first chapter in his commentary we will quote a fair amount of it in order to help us see just where he is going with his thoughts on the book of Malachi.  He entitles this first chapter in his commentary on Malachi “The Sins of God’s People:  Part 1.”  Now at this time I wish to quote from an endnote from his commentary to help us better understand the book of Malachi:  “Outline of the Book of Malachi”

“1 Note that the Book of Malachi is written as a dialogue between God and the people:  God accuses and they answer to defend themselves.  See 1:2, 6-7, 12-13; 2:14, 17; 3:7-8, 13-14.  Note also Malachi’s emphasis on the name of God (1:6, 11, 14; 2:2, 5; 3:16; 4:2) and his reminder that God wants His name to be known by the Gentiles (1:11; 3:12).”

            In his beginning remarks of his introduction Dr. Wiersbe tells a story that all believers should here.  “A church member scolded her pastor from preaching a series of sermons on ‘The Sins of the Saints.’

            “After all,’ she argued, ‘the sins of Christians are different from the sins of other people.’

            “Yes,’ agreed her pastor, ‘they’re worse.’”  As I look at this story it reminds me of some of the verses that I am trying to memorize from the book of Romans as Paul anticipates the reaction of what his readers would say when he writes “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?”  He then goes on to answer his own question “May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”  I believe that this is one of the points that the woman in the story forgot, or perhaps never knew, for our sins are worse, as Dr. Wiersbe writes “for when believers sin, they not only break the Law of God, but they break the heart of God.  When a believer deliberately sins, it isn’t just the disobedience of a servant to a master, or the rebellion of a subject against a king; it’s the offense of a child against the loving Father.  The sins we cherish and think we get away with bring grief to the heart of God.”  It is too bad that the woman in his story did not hear this.

            Now we have to see how all of this relates to the book of Malachi.  Malachi had a very difficult job to do for the Lord as he was given the responsibility to rebuke the people for the sins they were committing against God and also against each other, and as a result of his ministry he desired to turn the hearts of the people back to the Lord.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Malachi took a wise approach:  he anticipated the objections of the people and met them head-on.  ‘This is what God says,’ declared the prophet, ‘but you say__’ and then he would answer their complaints.”

            Dr. Wiersbe gives us his outline for this first chapter in his commentary as he writes “In this chapter, we’ll study what Malachi wrote concerning three of their sins, and then we’ll consider the remaining three in the next chapter.  But don’t read Malachi as ancient history.  Unfortunately, these sins are with us in the church today.”

            We begin our next SD by looking at how the people then and are now are doubting God’s love.