Malachi:  My Messenger

1 – Cultural Events and Remembering the LORD

Malachi 1.1-5

Setting – 400’s BC when temple and wall were built – surely God will bring us the blessings now!

• “Just because you have a building doesn’t mean the LORD isn’t serious about the rest!” (building isn’t the covenant! - you can't expect revival without obedience)
• In our moment: cultural “return” and now surely God will bless us!  He doesn’t bless cultures but people and it is His people upon which the blessing depends 

4 Lessons about the LORD (may need to learn or may need to remember)

He leads with love (v.2)

• Made a covenant
• Kept a covenant

His mercy is free (v.2-3)

• Both were shallow scoundrels – neither deserved mercy (oxymoron)
• The LORD has the privilege and takes the initiative – He pursues us

His judgment is real (v.3-4)

• Expression of genuine love instead of general affinity – love without wrath is not love
  • o Disconcerting for those who only know the God of love – but this is judicial and righteous punishment for sin (and we want it this way)
  • o Slow to anger does not mean He won’t get angry and act upon it (never capricious)
• Destruction follows His judgment
  • o There is no escape and no self-made remedy – we cannot rebuild or do test corrections to 70 or skip the day so we have more time to prepare / extension to deadline

His name is great (v.5)

• He is not contained geographically or temporally, in a building or a system
• Microscope vs telescope – both can produce awe, one makes something small look big and one makes something big come into focus and be comprehensible to us

He has magnified His Great Name beyond borders – lifted up draw ALL men (John 12.32)