A Case for Revival

 

A Case for Revival

Malachi 1:6-8

SUBJECT: NEGLECT OF WORSHIP

THEME: As We Serve God with Respect and Sincerity, Our Ministries Will Honor Him. This Must Be our Number One Priority in a Life of Worship.

RELEVANCE:  Have we succumbed to problems of neglect, expediency-convenience, and outright disobedience? Do we have a proper perspective of God, or do we doubt His faithfulness to His promises? Such opinions lead to widespread unfaithfulness, and it affects the worship of others. We need to renew our perspective, reestablish our hope, and promote a proper faithfulness to God.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  What sins were the priests committing as they carried on their duties in the restored temple? This showed in the way they kept up superficial religious behavior which insulted God.

2. Beloved, have we “despised” God by offering unacceptable worship in direct violation of the word? Are we treating God in a way that we would not dare treat our human or spiritual leaders, family members, or fellow church members (1:8). Perhaps it’s time for us to repent also (1:9)!  By our “polluted” worship, and meaningless church exercises we demonstrate our disrespect for God (1:12-14). Aren’t we making this same mistakes?

MESSAGE:

I.  Give God the Honor Worthy of His Name.   (Mal. 1:6-9)

God focuses on the priests, who should have been the spiritual leaders of the land. The priests were not giving honor to God’s name; they were taking the best for themselves.

A.  THE ALLEGATION (Mal. 1:6)

B.  THE VERIFICATION (Mal. 1:7-8)

They offered polluted bread and imperfect sacrifices and kept the best for themselves. We have in these words a case for genuine revival detailed that we would be wise to heed.

True revival is indicated by discovering again Bible truth, a returning to a sense that God Almighty is to be respected, reverenced, and the feared, and a recommitment to God through honest confession and complete repentance. There is a revived spiritual faithfulness on behalf of God’s people, and a commensurate restoration of authentic personal virtue and zeal for witnessing. Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Haggai, Josiah, and Nehemiah all experienced something quite similar connected with Bible revivals. Every revival in the Old Testament rested solidly on a new and powerful proclamation of the Word of God. The most obvious example is the revival under King Josiah (2 Chron. 34).

    1.  They Offered God Polluted Bread.  (Mal. 1:7)

       A.  The Offerings Were Supposed to be Holy.

            1.  Because They Belonged to God.

                  — What was consumed upon the altar was regarded as God's portion, and regarded as "the bread of God."

                  — Leviticus 21:6, They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. 

                  — The "polluted bread" was maimed and blemished sacrifices.

            2.  But the priests did not Value the Worship of God.

They show how little they valued worship by the contemptuous way it was performed.

            3.  The Prophet Malachi deals with the unfaithfulness, and the disregard of the priests.

                  — This signified the sad spiritual conditions, morals, and religion when the priests failed in their duty.         

                  — The way to national repentance could not be realized, until the spiritual leaders realized and sensed their obligations.

APPLICATION: What causes real spiritual revival then? True revival rests on rediscovery of the word of God, a restored sense of the fear of God, a return to God through confession and repentance, a renewed spiritual commitment as God's people, and certainly a reformation of distinctively Christian devotion. A desire to reach the lost is one outcome of real revival. Preachers should lead the way in this regard. Those who are exposed to the Word and God regularly through prayer should be the first to repent, get right with God, and lead the way to real revival, worship, witnessing, and devotion to God!

       B.  The Priest Were Supposed to be Holy.

            1.  Often the condition of our culture reveals the unfaithfulness of God’s “priests.”          

            2.  It is generally true that our culture is reflected in the moral standard of the believers and spiritual leaders. This is embodied in the saying, "Like priest, like people;" and it is a broader and more unsettling truth than is usually recognized.

            3.  The Christians and pastors are the moral barometers by which the atmosphere of their time can be known. The priests of Malachi's time revealed the moral and spiritual decline of the people.

            4.  The saddest sign of all was the degeneracy of the priesthood which Malachi, though perhaps himself a priest, was specially commissioned to denounce.

            5.  It may be shown that priestly indifference and unfaithfulness are products and results of neglected personal devotional life. So long as priestly duties are associated with heart-felt spiritual devotion they will be correctly performed.

            6.  When personal godliness fails, these duties become perfunctory, and then if they are kept up, the service begins to deteriorate. It is in maintaining the personal spiritual life that priests lead the nations and influence others.

APPLICATION: Revival is needed when believers have strayed from God. 2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It is vital that revivals take place periodically because they stir us and even cajole us to have an awakening and renewal to the Lord. Revival awakens us to the same joy that we had when we first trusted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. It helps us to desire to know God better and to grow in our relationship with Him. Such renewal should start with preachers…us who are exposed to the Most High often should live in the reality of revival! Historically, revivals share a common origin with anxious believers desperately seeking God in prayer.

          C.  The People Were Supposed to be Holy.

The culture is recovered by the recovery of the “priests.” Therefore, Malachi appeals to them.

            1.  It may be that the priests are the last to yield to the society evils; but they must always be the first recovered.

            2.  They must become forces on the side of Christ in the restoration of moral health to a nation.                               

            3.  Revivals are always hopeless things unless their first effect is the spiritual revival of the preachers.

APPLICATION:  God is worthy of great respect (Ex 3:5). Exodus 3:5, And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. At God's command, Moses removed his sandals and covered his face. Taking off his shoes was an act of reverence, conveying his own unworthiness before God. God is our friend, but he is also our sovereign Lord. To approach him frivolously shows a lack of respect and sincerity. When you come to God in worship, do you approach him casually, or do you come as though you were an invited guest before a king? I know we are wanted at the “throne of Grace” and the Lord Jesus our great high priest gives us the right to be there (Heb. 4:14-16), but none of these facts encourages us to be casual…relaxed…and everyday-ish with Almighty God! If necessary, adjust your attitude so it is suitable for approaching a holy God.

APPLICATION: One of the first hindrances to true revival is a misunderstanding of the very nature of true revival. They are first for believers and not the lost unconverted. The goal is to reach believers through which the unsaved will be addressed with the Word. Additionally, we can have a scheduled meeting, but God must revive! Even when people think they can conjure up revival with fanaticism, or by diminishing the truth of the Bible, it hinders the Spirit of God and the work of true revival. Thirdly, worldliness, secularism, externalism, and materialism embraced by church members is a tremendous obstacle to revival! God can indeed revive a carnal believer, but a carnal believer will not sustain revival encouragements, appetites, and reinforcements without serious changes. Are we willing to change that God can sustain revival in our lives? Remember we were dead in trespasses and sins! Colossians 2:13-14, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; (See also Eph. 2:1, 5)

APPLICATION: Without life sustaining sound doctrine, the revival meeting excitement will be nothing but noise. Acts 2:42, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Sustaining a revival requires wholesome and healthy teaching, pinned, and focused on the word of God. After hearing Peter speak and being moved by his account, the people in Acts 2 continued with Peter's doctrine before anything else. Also to sustain revival, we need to identify what sparks it in the first place. While we cannot predict when the next great revival will happen in America or the world, we can take faithful steps to sustain it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Again, the purpose of revival is to restore the presence of God in our lives and bring us back into right relationship with the Father. It awakens the hearts of God’s people. Remember revival is needed when believers have strayed from God.

    2.  They Ignored God’s Laws of Sacrifices.  (Mal. 1:8)

The Levitical system very rigorously demanded that only sound and clean animals be presented in sacrifices.

        A.  The Law of Acceptable Sacrifices. (Lev. 22:17-25; Deut. 15:21)

Such rejectable offerings signaled just how low the priesthood had fallen in that day! When people are not careful, thoughtful, biblical, or respectful of their offerings to God, they have lost great respect for who he is really!

The priests; however, dismissed Almighty God! They did not value him greatly at all (see Lev 22:22, etc.). This sin of offering the imperfect to God can be seen in the following two ways.

        B.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your Friend.

Is it even good enough for your friends? Such gifts dishonor a friend, and morally degrades you as the giver. Is God in Christ our Friend? Think about an outdoor barbeque or grill…. Is this good enough for friends?  

        C.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your Governor. (Mal. 1:8)

If a man wants to show his respect to a governor, or to indicate his gratitude he would ensure that no flaw is in it; he selects the best possible options for the governor; he is most anxious about its being the very best! Isn’t God our supreme Governor? Then how can we fail to offer the very best possible to him?

        D.  Offer an Imperfect Gift to Your God.

Doesn’t God have more claim than either friend or governor to the perfect offering? How should we respond to (1) his authority; (2) his holiness; (3) his redemption?

APPLICATION: Though it happens without our purview, God searchingly scrutinizes all our worship, praises, testimonies, gifts, offerings, and sacrifices…he even searches our motives (1Cor. 3:1-15). God will one day examine and inspect our services to and through the body of Christ! The all-seeing God can detect when we offer less than our best, the errors, flaws, and mistakes in (1) our conduct of worship; (2) our deeds of kindness; (3) our actions of ministry and service. He can also observe our sincerity, carefulness, responsibility, and attitudes! It behooves us then to be purposeful, biblical, dutiful, transparent, faithful, and honest with Him always.

CONCLUSION:

The priests had “despised” God by offering unacceptable sacrifices in direct violation of the law (Mal. 1:6-8; see Deut 15:21). They were treating God in a way that they would not dare treat a human leader (1:8). Malachi called on them to repent (Mal. 1:9)!  By their “polluted” sacrifices and empty formalism they demonstrated their “contempt” for God (1:12-14). The priests were listlessly going through the motions….

Honoring God’s Name

 

Honoring God’s Name

Mal 1:6-7

SUBJECT: NEGLECT OF WORSHIP

THEME: As We Serve God with Respect and Sincerity, Our Ministries Will Honor Him. This Must Be our Number One Priority in a Life of Worship.

RELEVANCE:  Have we succumbed to problems of neglect, expediency-convenience, and outright disobedience? Do we have a proper perspective of God, or do we doubt His faithfulness to His promises?  

Such opinions lead to widespread unfaithfulness, and it affects the worship of others. We need to renew our perspective, reestablish our hope, and promote a proper faithfulness to God.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  Wherever there are privileges there are also perils (Mal. 1:6; 2:1, 7)! What sins were the priests committing as they carried on their duties in the restored temple?

2.  Not surprisingly, the exiles who had returned to Judah and Jerusalem and lost a sense of God's love for them were unable to muster much love for Him in return. This showed in the way they kept up superficial religious behavior which actually insulted God.

3.  Beloved, have we “despised” God by offering unacceptable worship in direct violation of the word. Are we treating God in a way that we would not dare treat our human or spiritual leaders, family members, or fellow church members (1:8). Perhaps it’s time for us to repent also (1:9)!  By our “polluted” worship, and meaningless church exercises we demonstrated our disrespect for God (1:12-14). Aren’t we making the same mistakes?

MESSAGE:

I.  Give God the Honor Worthy of His Name.   (Mal. 1:6-7)

God focuses on the priests, who should have been the spiritual leaders of the land. The priests were not giving honor to God’s name; they were taking the best for themselves.

A.  THE ALLEGATION (Mal. 1:6)

This is the point made in v. 6. A person who is subordinate shows respect for his superior.

   1.  The Standard Expectation.  “A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master”

      — It is Normal for Fathers and Masters to Receive Respect.

      — Honor is high respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem. Glory or recognition; distinction.  The dignity accorded to position.

     A.  Affection— Fatherhood is a Matter of Relationship.   (Mal. 1:6) “If then I be a father”

           1.  Family Love and Responsibilities Reveal our obligations to God.

           2.  The Lord Jesus, Taught on the Fatherhood of God.

Matthew 7:11, If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

           3.  The Apostle Paul Taught on the Fatherhood of God.

Hebrews 12:9, Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

           4.   The Obligations of Love and Respect are to Always Mark our relationship With God.

While it is true that many know nothing about showing respect and honor for parents, God expects his children to love and honor Him.   Exodus 20:12, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

     B.  Assignment— Mastery is a Matter of Responsibility.  (Mal. 1:6) “If I be a master”

           1.  This refers to a Master & Servant Relationship and Service is the main emphasis. 

           2.  The Priest Were Special Servants of God.

                 — Like the rest of God’s people, they came under the claims of children and the responsibilities;                                                     

                 — But, as priests, they were children honored with special trusts. They were favored children, and were obligated to be models to the rest of the children.

           3.  But they offered God crippled and lame animals as sacrifices. Such actions by priests and people revealed contempt for God, whom they should have honored as “the great King” He is (v. 14).

           4.  The obligation of the servant to the master is similar to that of the son to the father, but in the case of the child there is the help of personal affection. 

           5.  It is our duty to honor the Lord.

1 Tim. 6:1-2, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. [2] And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

APPLICATION: If God is first in our hearts our choices will reflect love for Him, and our every action will honor Him. Those in authority are worthy of respect (1 Sam 24:5-6). David had great respect for Saul, in spite of the fact that Saul was trying to kill him. Although Saul was sinning and rebelling against God, David still respected the position he held as God’s anointed king. David knew he would one day be king, and he also knew it was not right to strike down the man God had placed on the throne. If he assassinated Saul, he would be setting a precedent for his own opponents to remove him some day.

Rom 13:1-7 teaches that God has placed the government and its leaders in power. We may not know why, but, like David, we are to respect the positions and roles of those to whom God has given authority. There is one exception, however. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader to pressure us to violate God’s word.

Titus 2:9-10, Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; [10] Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

1 Peter 2:17-19, Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. [18] Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. [19] For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

   2.  The Indictment Clarified.    (Mal. 1:6) “Where is mine honor?” “. . . where is my fear?”

God’s complaint against Judah is that, though He has called this people into a relationship with Himself, the people have refused to honor Him.

     A.  Where is God’s Honor as Your Father?

            1.  God was the Father of Israel by creation, election, preservation, watchful guardianship (Deut 32:6; 64:8).   Exodus 4:22, And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Isaiah 63:16, Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

            2.  Out of Personal Affection for Him We Should Honor Him. 

                   — The word “honor” also means “glory.”

                   — The glory of God is spoken of frequently throughout the Scriptures (He is even called “the King of glory,” Ps. 24:7-10).

                   — The fact that glory and honor are due to the LORD is far beyond dispute.

            3.  Israel’s actions go beyond disrespect; they have “despised” God’s name (v. 6).

                A.  To regard with contempt or scorn or hold as insignificant.

                        1.  To feel contempt or look down on someone or something because it is thought to be bad, worthless, or distasteful.

                        2.  To regard as unworthy of one’s notice, consideration or interest. It may suggest an emotional response ranging from strong dislike to loathing.

                        3.  Contemn implies a vehement condemnation of a person or thing as low, vile, or feeble.

                B.  The opposite of highly esteeming.

            4.  As the prophet pointed out, a son honors his father—and God had been a Father to Judah.

                   — The fifth of the Ten Commandments states that children are to honor their parents (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16).

                   — Disobedient children who rebelled against discipline were to be stoned (Deut. 21:18-21).                                 

                   — Therefore should the nation which considered itself a “son“ of the Lord be less obedient?

     B.  Where is God’s Fear as Your Master?

            1.  A Master's Claim Only Illustrate God’s Claims of Honor from Us.

                  — Israelites might consider the Lord the Master of Israel. Scripture presents Israel as the Lord’s servant.  Isaiah 44:1-2,  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: [2] Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

                  — How could the nation that was the Lord’s servant be disrespectful to Him?  

            2. “Fear” of God does not mean being terrified of Him;

                  — It means a proper respect and reverence for Him,

                  — A reverence that leads to worship and obedience.(Deut. 6:5 with Deut. 6:13).

                  — Where is the fear, respect, reverence the Lord deserves. “If I be a Master, where is my fear? saith the Lord. of host.”

            3.  A servant shows respect to his master;

                   — God is rightly called “Lord” and “Master” by His people.

                   — Why then was God treated in Judah as unimportant?

Luke 6:46, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

             4.  There is no necessary affection in this relationship, there is simply obligation and duty. A servant is bound to serve.

                   — Apply to the priests, who were precisely the servants of Jehovah's house, or temple.

                   — He had a right to claim service that would honor him, that would show reverence and fear, and would make others think highly of him. But that kind of service the priests were failing to render.

     C.  Where is God’s Honor as Your LORD?  “You O priests, that despise my name.”

          1.  Despise Means:

                A.  To regard with contempt or scorn.

                B.  To dislike intensely; loathe.

                C.  To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern.

                        — A failure to look at attentively; observe closely.
                        — A failure to take into account; consider.

                D.  The opposite of highly esteeming.

          2.  God’s Name Means:

                A.  The Name of God is God himself and all that has to do with him.

                B.  In ancient Israel, a name was a symbol of a person’s character, works, and reputation. Therefore, this charge was most serious.

                C.  They were dishonoring God by defiling his name (Mal.1:6). How?  By not giving their best on the altar.

   3.  The Denial Offered.

        A.  The people of Judah react to this charge with another caustic reply. You can almost hear the tone of outraged innocence. “Wherein have we despised thy name?”

        B.  The priests have grown so callous and have so obscured true worship by their Pharisaical externalism, that they claimed to be utterly unaware of how they have shown contempt of God.

CONCLUSION:

The priests had “despised” God by offering offensive sacrifices in direct violation of the law (1:6-8; see Deut 15:21). They were mistreating God even disrespecting His name (1:8). Malachi was right to call them to repentance (1:9)! Are we making the same mistakes with our worship?

 

God’s Blessings and Our Hope

 

God’s Blessings and Our Hope 

Mal 1:3-5

SUBJECT: CHOSEN BY GOD

THEME: Be thankful for the blessings of love, privilege, and hope from God upon our personal lives, our homes, our churches, and our county.

RELEVANCE:  the Sovereign Choices of God (in the past) Concerning Israel’s General Conditions and Quality of Life Should be Viewed as an Act of His Love. 

INTRODUCTION: 

1. We have seen God’s blessings in the form of love, privileges, and now hope. Where would we be without the hope that God gives? He certainly has given us a prospering HOPE! In truth, we are inundated with a multitude of blessings from God’s generous hands and heart if we would only stop to reflect on this fact.

2. Malachi the prophet delivers God’s Word, the priests and people respond by arguing. It is a dangerous thing when people argue with God and try to defend their sinful ways.

The following insights may be seen.

MESSAGE:

I. We Enjoy Great Love from God, but Some People Ignore It (Mal. 1:1-2).

II.  We Enjoy Great Privileges from God, but Some People are Irresponsible (Mal. 1:2-3).

III. We Enjoy Great Hope in God, but Some People Still Complain (Mal. 1:3-5).

He judged the Edomites (Esau’s descendants) and gave to Israel the best of the lands. He promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, but, alas, their sins polluted the land. Even then, he graciously restored them to their land and delivered them from captivity.^[a]

Those, like Edom, without the sovereign blessings of God, are left in a much worse condition. Israel needed to consider what her lot would have been if she, like Edom, had not been chosen to a covenant relationship with Yahweh.

A. INSTEAD OF HOPE, GOD STOOD AGAINST THEIR PROSPERITY.  Mal. 1:3, I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

These men, the men of Edom, struggled hard to build up their kingdom and to give it wealth and power, but the product of all their labors was utterly destroyed. Their great things, their “mountains,” their wealthy things, their “heritage,” the scenes of their power, gave place to the “dragons of the wilderness.” Where is Edom now? If God has determined that the fortune you have built up after years of earnest and hard work shall be swept away, it will depart like a dream of the night. Things would be a lot worse without the blessings of God!

Israel would see the desolation of Edom, and they would acknowledge the greatness of God.^[b]

Israel, seeing God’s sovereign dealings with Edom, would have a better understanding not only of God’s love for her, but also of His greatness over all the earth^[c]

B. INSTEAD OF HOPE, GOD FRUSTRATED THEIR EFFORTS.

Malachi 1:4, Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.

Even Edom’s greatest efforts to rebuild its ruins would be frustrated by the Lord Almighty^[d]

Edom’s future prospects were as bleak as its present condition. The dispossessed Edomites boasted that they would reclaim the land and rebuild their country. Yahweh declared that they would never be able to make good on their boasts. Every time the Edomites attempted to rebuild, Yahweh would “throw them down.” The Edomites were successively beaten down by the Nabataeans, the Macedonians, the Maccabees, the Romans and the Mohammedans (1:4a).^[e]

   1.  They struggle to restore their position, labor hard to build the desolate places, but in every effort they are thwarted.  It is in vain to strive against God.

   2.  Remember that all this refers to the position or conditions of life–the material prosperity of people. God’s sovereignty is always in favor of spiritual prosperity, progress in intelligence, purity, and happiness. In all these matters men cannot labor in vain.

The Edomites shall be made the monuments of God’s justice, and he will be glorified in their utter destruction^[f]

The Israelites shall be made the monuments of his mercy, and he will be glorified in their salvation^[g]

C. INSTEAD OF HOPE, GOD ENSURED THEIR ENEMY’S PROSPERITY.

Malachi 1:5, And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.

    1.  Edom hated Israel from the beginning, fought hard against it for centuries, struggled continually to destroy it, but all in vain. The time came when it found itself in ruins and its enemy in prosperity.

    2.  QUOTE: “The argument of these verses is this,  if you would see the difference between hatred and love, look at the different condition and prospects of Edom and Israel. The desolation with which their territory is visited is irremediable: they have no glorious future beyond: whereas the wretched condition of which you complain is but the bleakness of seed time that precedes the richest harvest.” — Dr. Dods

    3.  In Contrast, Israel was enjoying God’s blessings again with the promises of a brighter future!

Application: Being defensive and argumentative complaining is typical of feeling ashamed, hurt, guilty, or attacked by God and the prophet Malachi. When facing such convictions by the Holy Spirit a person tries to defend themselves from feeling angry, hurt, or ashamed! They perceive the truth or think that God is too harsh and critical for confronting them.

Application: Complaining is how these Jewish individuals expressed their dissatisfaction and discontentment with God. They were crying, bellyaching, and whining about how unfairly God had treated them which seem to be a part of their habitual grumbling. For them it was normal to criticize, bemoan, disagree with, and gripe about their apparent lack of hope. They saw no hope in the love of God; they didn’t even notice or counted God’s love at all.  

CONCLUSION.

Aren’t we as individuals, homes, churches, and Americans among the peoples whom God has especially blessed and smiled upon? Are these words not especially applicable to us, “I have loved you, saith the Lord”? What should we think of our country, civilization, our freedoms, our fruitful lands, our prospering hopes?

Above all, what about our Lord Jesus Christ? 1 John 4:10, Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God’s goodness being his glory, when he does us good we must proclaim him great, for that is magnifying him. It is an instance of his goodness that he has pleasure in the prosperity of his servants, and for this those that love his salvation say, The Lord be magnified, Ps. 35:27.^[h]

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. There are many more blessings to thank You for, and they are as countless as the stars in the night sky. Your grace never fails to amaze me, O God.

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^[a] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), Mal 1:1–5.

^[b] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1175.

^[c] Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1576.

^[d] Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1576.

^[e] James E. Smith, The Minor Prophets, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1994), 623.

^[f] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1596.

^[g] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1596.

^[h] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1596.