“When Faith Grows Weary”
Malachi 3:1-4
Sources: Student New International Version, Wikipedia
As I reviewed the scripture options for this week, I chose Malachi, Chapter 3:1-4. I must admit the Book of Malachi is new to me. I don’t recall ever having been directed to Malachi for reference, and as I turned for the first time to the book of Malachi, I was curious about its content.
Online, I learned that the Book of Malachi is in the prophetic books and is the last book in the Old Testament. The debate by scholars over Malachi’s identity seems to indicate from Hebrew history that his name in Hebrew means “My Messenger.” And we see him as just that in today’s scripture.
Malachi shares with the Israelites a message from God.
Over 400 hundred years prior to and during Malachi’s time, the Israelites forgot all about their Christian faith. They were turning away from God, and their lives changed when they ended their relationship with Him. They ignored the Laws of Moses, didn’t follow the rules. They saw no need for God. If He sent them no rewards, why bother with Him. They did whatever they chose with no consideration of anyone but themselves.
The message? A prophecy. Through Malachi, God tells the Israelites that he is sending a messenger (John the Baptist) to prepare His coming. “Suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.” The Israelites were not ready for this.
Their lives had changed. The judgement of their behavior was imminent. And their behavior was intolerable. What would happen? They’d lost their faith in God. What would they do to make everything okay again? What would God do?
Soon we will celebrate the arrival of the Christ child. It will be a beautiful time of the year; one we always look forward to. As we celebrate, we cannot forget that this little baby is the Messiah. He is Jesus, the Son of God. And it seems to me to be a good time for us as Christians to have a look at our relationship with God, think about what we are doing or not doing in our lives as Christians. And we should thank Jesus our Savior for his sacrifice for us. You may want to make some changes. I plan to.
If you don’t know or wonder what happened to the Israelites, read on. The book of Malachi is just 3-4 pages.
Peace,
Diane Feaganes
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