This text outlines God’s fourth condemnation of the people. God tells the Israelites they dishonor Him with how they speak about Him and with their perverted view of evil and justice. The people not only have a lackluster view of worship and faithfulness, they have a lackluster perspective on judgment. Since evil does not appear […]
The tone of the book changes somewhat beginning in verse 10 of Chapter 2. Instead of God speaking in the first person as He did in 1:6 through 2:9, Malachi now speaks on God’s behalf. And instead of addressing only the priests he seems to speak to all the people. Malachi condemns the people for […]
I recently re-read this book after having read it when it first came out about ten years ago. I decided to re-read it because lately my prayer life hasn’t been what it should be. Reading it was both encouraging and very sobering; encouraging because of what God can accomplish through prayer and sobering because it […]
God continues his condemnation of the priests of Israel. In 1:6-14 He admonished them for allowing substandard sacrifices and having a disdainful attitude toward worship. He said they dishonored His great name by their approach and the lackluster worship they tolerated. He told them the best thing they could do is to close the temple […]
God now moves the conversation from proving to Israel that He loves her to His first accusation against her. He says the priests of the nation do not honor Him with the honor He is due. God makes it clear in the remainder of this chapter that while He is a Father who loves His […]
Overview of Malachi Malachi, along with Haggai and Zechariah, is a prophet to Israel after the people return from the Babylonian exile. The exact dates of his prophecies are unknown, but he probably speaks to the people some time around 450 to 420 BC. He may be a contemporary of Nehemiah. By the time Malachi […]
This text tells a key story in the life of Moses and marks a key event in the journey of Israel to Canaan. It is a story told from two perspectives – the bottom of Mount Sinai and the top; with two main human characters – Aaron and Moses; who have two responses to a […]
Thirty days out of Egypt the people have a food problem. They’re in the wilderness, their provisions have run out, and there’s no visible means of feeding themselves. The conditions are ripe, therefore, for a show of faith in the God who so miraculously delivered them from Egypt and has brought them to where they […]
Israel belongs to God because of His covenant with Abraham; its status is based on God’s choice and isn’t conditional. In this text, however, God makes another covenant with the people and its promises come with conditions. God promises them peace, prosperity, longevity and a place in the world as His special representatives IF they […]
The Israelites leave Egypt after the tenth plague amidst the panic of the Egyptians and a destroyed country mourning its dead. God has clearly demonstrated His power over Egypt and its gods and humiliated Pharaoh. Amazingly, however, God isn’t done glorifying Himself at Pharaoh’s expense. As a result, even though Pharaoh ordered Moses to go […]
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