Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday, 4.09.17 ~
“One Man’s Death Brought Salvation to All Who Would Believe in Him!”

Read Isaiah 53:3-12… Look again with me: 3 He was despised and rejected by men… 5 He was pierced for our transgressions [sins]; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity [sinfulness] of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away. He was cut off from the land of the living [put to death]. 9 He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to cause Him to suffer, and to make His life a guilt offering. 11 After the suffering of His soul, he will see the light [of life] [i.e., after his death he would live] 12 For He bore the sin of many, making intercession for the transgressors [sinners].

700 years before the Savior’s birth, Isaiah prophesied that He would be despised and rejected and would take upon Himself the punishment for our sins; although He was innocent of any crime, He would be put to death [His blood would be shed], yet the grave could not hold Him.
Read John 11:47-53… The major concern of the Sanhedrin (v. 48) was that people are believing in Jesus, following Him – if there is an uprising, Rome will most likely remove the Religious Leaders from their positions and do away with Judaism. Caiaphas says Jesus must be sacrificed to spare Israel, so they make plans to kill Him.
Read John 12:12-15… When Jesus entered Jerusalem the people praised Him, shouting “Hosanna” [Save us!], for He was their hope for peace with God and prosperity among men, their King and Savior had come; and yet, in just a few days the adoration of the people would turn to contempt, ultimately crying out for Jesus to be crucified!
Read John 18:12-14… Early Friday morning, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken to Annas, who had previously been High Priest for ten years. Annas’ son-in-law, Caiaphas, was the current High Priest who had earlier said it would be better for one man (Jesus) to die then for the whole nation to perish.

Over the next few hours, Jesus was subjected to several “mock” trials: First, before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin for crimes against God and Israel; but since the Jews didn’t have authority to carryout the death penalty (under Roman rule), they took Jesus first to Pontius Pilate, the Governor; then on to Herod Antipas (he beheaded John the Baptizer), then back to Pilate; during these trials or inquisitions, Jesus was ridiculed, falsely accused, spit on, slapped, slugged, and beaten with rods; He was then flogged and turned over to the Roman soldiers for execution, by

Pilate, who finally gave in to the pressure of crowd (Mark 15:15), “after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”.
Read Mark 15:22-26… Jesus reached the place of execution: Golgotha [“skull place,” also known as Calvary, from the Latin “calvaria” which means “skull or cranium”].

Here He was crucified just outside the north gate of Jerusalem along the main road, near a place that looks like a skull, a place clearly visible, even today.

Jesus was placed on the cross as it lay flat on the ground. First one foot, then the other, was nailed to the vertical beam. Jesus’ arms were stretched across the horizontal beam and nails were driven through his hands. The cross was then dropped into a hole, causing more pain; the flesh around the nails is pulled and torn, by the weight of Jesus’ body being jerked around.

A wooden sign above Jesus’ head displays His crime (John 19:19-20), “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” Written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, so that any person traveling by could read what it said.

The chief priests insisted (John 19:21-22) Pilate change the wording to say, “This man claimed to be king of the Jews,” but Pilate said, “What I have written, I have written.” The sign would remain unchanged.
Read Mark 15:27-32… Those who walked by yelled insults at Jesus; just five days before, on Sunday (see 11:8-10), the people had praised Jesus, throwing down palm branches before Him and hailing Him as the Messiah; they now mocked Him, yelling at Him to come down off the cross if He truly was the Son of God.

The leaders of Israel expressed their contempt for Christ (Mark 15:31-32), “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down from the cross, then we will believe in Him.”

Right! These guys could witness 1000 miracles and they would still reject Jesus, their hearts were hardened as Luke recorded (Luke 16:31) “they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
Read Mark 15:33-36… At 12 noon, the brightest time of the day, darkness covered the land, this lasted for three hours and didn’t end until after Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The Son was separated from the Father for the first and only time in eternity because of our sinfulness.

The Father used darkness to hide the nakedness and indignation of His beloved Son, while pouring out God’s judgment upon Him for all the sins of mankind.

Jesus took our sin penalty upon Himself, all alone, crying out to the Father. Those around Him thought He was crying out to Elijah to come and save Him.
Read Mark 15:37-39… With a loud cry [9th hour, 3 pm], Jesus gave up His spirit; the Temple curtain was ripped from top to bottom; the barrier between man and God was removed, for the curse of sin had been removed by the divine sacrifice of God’s own Son.

The centurion in charge of the crucifixion proclaimed (v. 39), “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Jesus willingly laid down His own life for you and for me because He loves us

and because this was the only way for sin’s penalty to be satisfied, to be “Paid in

Full!”

1Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

The Temple was filled with priests overseeing the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, tens of thousands of worshippers had come to offer sacrifices for their sins; in God’s Sovereign timing, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was making the once for all sacrifice of Himself, as the full and final payment for all of mankind’s sins, for all time!

The old covenant of rituals and animal sacrifices (under the Law) was nullified

and voided, more accurately, it was fulfilled by the new covenant of forgiveness

through the shed blood of God’s One and Only Son (GRACE).

Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Hebrews 10:4, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Hebrews 9:26, “He [Christ] has appeared once for all… to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”

Acts 2:21, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for forgiveness of sin] will be saved.”

Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

God’s Word declares in Romans (3:23) that everyone is a sinner – no one is acceptable to God; (6:23) the penalty for being a sinner is death, but God has granted us eternal life through Jesus Christ; in fact (5:8), Jesus took our punishment for sin, once and for all, because of His great love for us; and (8:1) therefore, there is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ.

Jesus willingly endured a horrible, painful, and lonely death, as the Lamb of God He took sin’s penalty, He alone satisfied God’s requirement for a perfect/holy sacrifice.

He alone provided forgiveness for sins, and He alone can save us. John 14:6

says Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only source of eternal life; no

one goes to heaven apart from trusting and believing in him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is God’s sovereign solution for Sin, and the ultimate

expression of His Love for us.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

No wonder Jesus said (John 8:32), “then you will know the Truth and the Truth

will set you free!” Wow! forgiveness and eternal life and Jesus provides it all!

Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

1Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9, “The Lord… is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance!”

If you have repented of your sins and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,

you are forever blessed, for you have received forgiveness for sin and eternal life.

1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, asking God to forgive your sins and save your soul, please consider doing that right now, right here; there is no better time to make things right between you and God.

Admit to God that you are a sinner (we all are).
Ask God to forgive your sins (He turns no one away).
Confess Jesus as Lord – He died to pay for your sins.
Only then will you be able to genuinely understand, experience, and celebrate

the true meaning of the Cross.
One Man’s execution through crucifixion, although 2000 years ago, continues to

provide forgiveness for sins to everyone who believes in Him. Why? Because this Man was God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Lord of all, Savior to many!

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale

Zechariah 11:12, He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver [Exodus 21:32, the price of a slave]. (500 BC)

Isaiah 53:1-12, He would bear our sins, receiving God’s wrath in our place; He would be pierced and put to death, and yet He would live. (700 BC)

Psalm 22:16, He would be pierced. (1000 BC) Psalm 16:9-11, He would not stay dead. (1000 BC)

Passover week begins (see Matthew 21:1-11; cf Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:1, 12-15).

About 1500 years earlier, God had delivered the Israelites from 400 years of slavery under Pharaoh, using Moses and Aaron and a series of devastating plagues that God brought upon the Egyptians.

God had instructed the Israelites to smear the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorposts of their houses, this signified God’s protection. The sacrificed lambs were then roasted and eaten by each family, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, as they waited for God to free them and lead them to the promised land of Canaan.

The final plague was the angel of death passing over the land, killing the firstborn males of both man and animal in all the households of the Egyptians. Pharaoh finally released the Israelites, ordering them to go!

See Exodus 12:1-13, 29-32. Israel celebrated this meal throughout her history as a remembrance of God delivering them out of Egypt.

Jesus now transformed Passover into the Lord’s Supper: Passover celebrated the temporary, physical deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt, under the Old Covenant of Law.

The Lord’s Supper celebrates the permanent, spiritual deliverance of all true Believers from the penalty of sin, under the New Covenant of Grace.
As we read in Exodus 12, the people were to acquire a year-old male lamb without defect, it was to be taken from either sheep or goats. Each family brings one home on Nisan 10; they were to treat it as a “pet” and care for it until Nisan 14, when, at twilight (before sundown), it was to be slaughtered, and its blood spread on the doorpost of the house (this provided God’s protection from the death angel who would soon come and pass over all of Egypt). The lamb was to be cooked and eaten at each home, any leftovers were to be burned.

So, at the beginning of that first Passover, recorded in Exodus 12, on Nisan 10 a lamb was selected and brought home for four days. Guess what? Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Nisan 10 (a Sunday), and for four days Jesus (the Lamb of God, John 1:29) enjoyed the favor of the people, loving them and being praised by them.
On Nisan 14 (a Thursday), just after sunset, God’s Lamb celebrated Passover with His disciples; at the close of the meal, He changed Passover’s meaning and message forever (see Matthew 26:26-29).

Ephesians 1:7 says, ”In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,” and in Hebrews 9:22 it says, “In fact, the law requires nearly

everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

The cup of wine/juice is called the cup of blessing, it symbolizes the fulfillment of God’s covenant requirement through the blood of a sacrifice, which up to this time was the shed blood of a yearling lamb/goat; for it was the blood that sealed or ratified the covenant with God.

In Matthew 26:28, it is not the blood of an animal sacrifice Jesus is talking about which is to be poured out in order to cover the penalty for our sins and grant forgiveness— He says, “My blood,” this is Christ’s blood which will be shed in order to provide forgiveness.

1Peter 1:19 emphasizes that we are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Jesus forever changed the manner, message, and meaning of the Feast of Passover (Luke 22:20), “In the same way, after the supper He [Jesus] took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’”

On Sunday (Nisan 10) of passion week Jesus rode into town on a donkey’s colt, He was praised and honored by the people; it was a very long day.

On Monday and Tuesday Jesus taught and shared God’s message with all who would listen.

On Wednesday the narrative seems to go silent, nothing is recorded.

On Thursday (Nisan 14) Jesus changes the meaning and message of Passover, personalizing the sacrifice and shedding of blood to Himself.

On Friday (Nisan 15) at the time the sacrificial lambs were to be slaughtered for Passover, the Lamb of God died. But God’s Lamb was not slain by a priest like the rest of the lambs, the Lamb of God willingly gave up His own life, so that we might now be able to approach God.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was the perfect sacrifice for sin, therefore this was the last Passover; no longer would sacrifices be offered at the Temple as substitutionary payment for sins, for the One who made total and eternal payment had come (Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:1-10).

Ten years before any Gospel accounts of the Lord’s Supper were written, Paul wrote 1Corinthians 11:23-26, providing divine instruction, to the followers of Christ, concerning the preeminence of the Lord’s Supper.
Read 1Corinthians 11:23-26… Paul makes it clear that what he is teaching is not his own opinion or reasoning, but God’s revealed Word. This is not some new teaching Paul is bringing to them; but instead, he is simply reminding them of what he had already taught them.

The setting for what was passed on to Paul, was Jesus and the Disciples in the upper room, where Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, in place of the old ordinance of Passover (setting aside the First Covenant under God’s Law; in order to establish the Second Covenant under God’s Grace).

The bread eaten at the first Passover, remembered God’s freeing the Jews from bondage in Egypt, it has now come to represent the body of Jesus Christ, the Messiah (verse 24), “This is my body, which is for you.”

Jesus’ body represented His immaculate conception, divine birth and incarnation, His teaching and ministry, His death and resurrection — all He was and all He did.

Jesus willfully gave Himself up to be crucified, making full payment for the sins of all those who would believe in Him. The lamb’s blood that had been smeared on the doorposts, was now replaced by the blood of the Lamb of God, shed for the forgiveness of sins (verse 25), “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.”

The old covenant remembered the deliverance of Israel from Egypt to the Promised land in Canaan; the new covenant is a remembrance of our deliverance from sin to salvation, from death to life.

Jesus says (verses 24-25), “do this in remembrance of Me.” We remember His birth, life, suffering, death and resurrection (verse 26), “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

We don’t smear the blood of a lamb on our door frames to protect us from the Death angel, for we are under the new covenant, instituted and ordained through the shed blood of Jesus: the Lamb of God.

Hebrews 10:11-12 “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest (Jesus Christ) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” 14 “…because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” 17-18 “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”

Passover celebrated the Israelites being freed from their slavery under Pharaoh, but they would again and again be brought into bondage to other kings and rulers, just as they also would remain slaves to sin apart from salvation through Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is a celebration for all believers and followers of Christ, remembering that we have been freed from the penalty of sin forever, by the sacrifice of God’s One and Only Son, who is both Lord and Savior; He was crucified for our sins, buried, and on the third day He came out of the grave alive; 40 days later He ascended back into heaven, where He was seated at the right hand of the Father.

The Bible tells us everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and He is coming back to get all who belong to Him and take us to live with Him forever.

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going. 5 Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ 6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Jesus alone provides forgiveness for sins, He alone is the way to heaven. Have you repented of your sins, confessing Christ as Lord, believing in Him as Savior?

If not, why not do that right now?

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: Malachi 4:1-6 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

Last week in Malachi 4:1-3 we read about a Day that is coming at the close of

the 7-year Tribulation period, a day that will “burn like a furnace and not a root or a branch will be left,” for God will bring total defeat and destruction upon all who oppose Christ.
Read Malachi 4:4-6… The people are reminded of the Law that was given to them through Moses, and they are told that Elijah will come “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord” to proclaim God’s message, that men might hear, believe, and turn to God, lest they face judgment – the eternal lake of fire.

Malachi is prophesying about the last 3.5 years of the 7-year Tribulation period, when the Antichrist will display his hatred toward God by focusing his rage on those who hold to the Word of God, believing in Christ.

Suddenly, when everything seems lost, Christ will appear in His glory Christ will have ultimate victory over the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all who oppose God.

Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” 19-20, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”

All the other judgments in the book of Revelation are carried out by angels, but this one is carried out by Jesus Christ Himself; He alone will bring death and destruction upon all the unbelieving who are living at that time. This is indeed the Day of the Lord!

Four times the phrase “DAY OF THE LORD” is used in the New Testament: Acts 2:20; 1Thessalonians 5:2; 2Thessalonians 2:2; 2Peter 3:10. But the New Testament writer’s understanding about the DAY OF THE LORD had to come from the Old Testament prophets’ proclamations; so, if we’re going to understand what the DAY OF THE LORD is, we have to understand what it meant to the prophet of the Old Testament who prophesied it.

The following verses are from the New American Standard Bible:

Isaiah 2:12, “For the DAY OF THE LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up and it shall be brought low.”

Isaiah 13:6, “Wail, for the DAY OF THE LORD is at hand.”

Isaiah 13:9, “Behold, the DAY OF THE LORD comes cruel with both wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate.”

Joel 2:11, “The DAY OF THE LORD is great and very terrible.”
Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood before the

coming of the great and terrible DAY OF THE LORD.”

Amos 5:18, “Woe to you who desire the DAY OF THE LORD, for what good is the DAY OF THE LORD to you?”

Amos 5:20, “Is not the DAY OF THE LORD darkness and not light?”

Zephaniah 1:14, “The great DAY OF THE LORD is near, it is near and hastens quickly, the noise of the DAY OF THE LORD is bitter.” 15, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

Do you see how everything about the DAY OF THE LORD is negative. It is all about judgment, the day of God’s wrath and vengeance, bringing desolation and destruction. Six times, it is referred to as a day of doom. Four times, it is called a day of vengeance. This is the most horrible time of God’s anger being displayed.

Satan will be dethroned and put away (see Revelation 20:1-3), and Christ will take His prophesied position as King, to rule over the earth for 1000 years.

All the Gentile survivors of the Tribulation (those who believed in Christ) will enter the millennial kingdom along with all the Jews who believed in Christ.

All unbelievers will be put to death to await the Great White Throne judgment, at the end of the millennial period (see Revelation 20:7-15).

Malachi humbly, compassionately, and urgently delivered God’s message to Israel, and yet the majority of Israel turned a deaf ear to what God said.

God didn’t speak again to Israel for 400 years, and when He did break the silence, He did so with the birth of His own Son, who came to offer redemption to sinful mankind, from the holy and righteous God of Creation, by willingly taking our punishment on the cross, so that we might be saved from eternal condemnation and torment.

Footnote: The phrase DAY OF THE LORD always associates with God’s judgment coming upon the ungodly, unbelievers, and so, it must be distinguished from similar phrases like the DAY OF THE LORD JESUS (1Corinthians 5:5; 2Corinthians 1:14); the DAY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (1Corinthians 1:8); the DAY OF CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 1:6), as these phrases always have to do with the Rapture, the redemption and reward given to believers from Christ.

There is one other phrase “the day of God” (2Peter 3:12), and it refers to eternity, the preparation of which begins when the heavens and the earth are burned up and everything is laid bare by fire. That is God’s day, when everything will be made brand new, no more corruption, no more sin, nothing offensive to God will ever exist again, from that day to the ends of eternity.

So, what does all this mean to you and to me? Very simply put, do not turn a deaf ear to God; take to heart, apply to your life and obey what God commands, only then will you know true life, joy and peace for all of eternity.

What is the preeminent command of God? What is the magnum opus, the greatest thing any man, woman or child of age can do, after repenting of their sins, confessing Christ as Lord and believing in Him as Savior?

Matthew 22:36-40, “Which is the first and greatest commandment in the Law? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… The second greatest commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”

Mark 12:29-31, “Which is the most important commandment? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength… The second most important commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Luke 10:25-28, “What must one do to inherit eternal life? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Do this and you will have eternal life.”

Do you see what God is saying in these three above narratives expressing the same pivotal and divine truth?

The first and greatest, the most important commandment is equal to what you must do to inherit eternal life.

Meaning, you must love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, with all that you have, all that you are, all that you can be [the word “love” here is agape – it is a verb, not a noun, and it comes from God, is given by God, and is always in submission to God, i.e., agape love is to belong to God, to be committed to sacrificially serving God, obeying and honoring God’s Word, sincerely and completely].

The demonstration of God’s divine love is to love your neighbor (anyone who is in need, the greatest need being forgiveness and salvation through Christ).

God says in doing this you testify to the truth that you indeed have received forgiveness for your sins and eternal life.

Let us each commit to honor God, to find out and to do that which pleases Him, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength; and let us treat others as we ourselves want to be treated; in doing so, we have fulfilled all the Law and all the writings of the Prophets for we have drawn near to God, who has granted us forgiveness and eternal life; and so, we alone, among all the people on this earth, are able to look with anticipation to the coming Day of the Lord.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

Last week (Malachi 3:16-18) we read how God declared He would spare those who fear and honor Him.

The first three verses of chapter 4 tell us how God will destroy all those who do not fear and honor Him.
Read Malachi 4:1-3… I believe this is a reference to the Day of the Lord when Christ will return at the close of the 7-year Tribulation period to end the battle of Armageddon described in Revelation 19, which will usher in the Millennial Kingdom (see Isaiah 13:6-9; Joel 2:1, 11, 31-32; Zephaniah 1:14a).

Intense heat will destroy all the enemies of God living at that time, (Malachi 4:1) that day will “burn like a furnace,” all those who opposed God will be set on fire; none will survive “not a root or a branch will be left” (total destruction by fire / eternal punishment = lake of fire).

In God’s sovereign plan, the intense heat of His judgment will destroy the wicked, while (Malachi 4:2) at the same time bringing healing warmth to the righteous. After having experienced the horror and destruction of 7- years of Tribulation and the great Battle of Armageddon, those who served God will be made to feel like calves released from the confinement of their stalls, leaping for joy, running free in the open sunshine.

Those who suffered at the hands of the wicked during the Tribulation period will enjoy victory over their enemies, as God brings total defeat and destruction upon them. God’s people (Malachi 4:3) will trample down the wicked, as one walks on ashes at the scene of a great fire; these ashes are the remains of those who opposed God and caused God’s people to suffer. Read Malachi 4:4-6… Malachi exhorts the people (Malachi 4:4) to remember the laws and decrees given to Moses on Mt. Horeb [Mt. Sinai], for all of Israel, that they would take to heart their responsibility to know and obey that which God has instructed them as His covenant people.

Moses and Elijah are mentioned as having something to do with preparing the arrival of the Day of the Lord.

Moses (Law) and Elijah (Prophets) appeared on the Mt. of Transfiguration with Christ (see Mark 9:2-4); they may very well be the two witnesses of who precede Christ’s Second Coming (see Revelation 11:3-6, sackcloth = sorrow; trees/lamps = God’s light, provision, power, presence).

God’s prophet (Malachi 4:5) will proclaim God’s message with power so that men might hear, believe, and turn to God, so as not to have to face the judgment of the eternal lake of fire.

Christ’s first coming caused sons to turn against fathers, daughters against mothers, daughter-in-laws against mother-in-laws; the members of man’s own household became his enemies (see Matthew 10:34-40). Devotion to God must be first, not to a family, a nation or a religion.

Instead of embracing Jesus and the message He brought, most of Israel rejected Him; those who did trust in God’s Son and believe His message were excommunicated by their own families and by the nation of Israel as a whole.

Prior to Christ’s second coming (Malachi 4:5), Elijah, or one like him, will proclaim God’s message “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord,” and the result will be much different than that at Christ’s first coming.

Notice (Malachi 4:6) there will be widespread repentance, the hearts of the fathers will turn to their children, the hearts of the children to their fathers; and God won’t have to completely destroy the earth.

Malachi is prophesying about a time yet to come, just prior to the Millennial Kingdom (the thousand year reign of Christ on earth), immediately following the Battle of Armageddon that will end the Seven Year Tribulation Period.

Near the end of the 7 year Tribulation, the Antichrist will display his hatred toward God by focusing his rage on Israel, causing her to suffer horribly. If Christ did not return, all the redeemed would be killed (see Matthew 24:15, 21-22, 29; Revelation 12:17; 13:1, 5-8; 17:14).

Suddenly, when everything seems lost, Christ will appear in His glory (see Revelation 19:11-21). Christ will have ultimate victory over the Beast, the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all those who oppose God.

All the other judgments in the book of Revelation are carried out by angels, but this one is carried out by Christ Himself, and He alone will bring death and destruction upon all the unbelieving who are living at that time.

Satan will be dethroned and put away (see Revelation 20:1-3), and Christ will take His prophesied position as King, to rule over the earth for 1000 years.

All the Gentile survivors of the Tribulation (those who believed in Christ) will enter the millennial kingdom along with all the Jews who believed in Christ.

All unbelievers will be put to death to await the Great White Throne judgment, at the end of the millennial period (see Revelation 20:7-15).

Malachi humbly, compassionately, and urgently delivered God’s message to Israel, and yet the majority of Israel turned a deaf ear to what God said.

God didn’t speak again to Israel for 400 years, and when He did break

the silence, He did so with the birth of His own Son, who came to offer

redemption to sinful mankind, from the holy and righteous God of Creation.

Malachi 3:2, “But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears?”

Do not turn a deaf ear to God; take to heart, apply to your life, obey what God commands, only then will you know true life, joy, peace and success for all of eternity.

Matthew 22:36-40, “Which is the first and greatest commandment in the Law? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… The second greatest commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”

Mark 12:29-31, “Which is the most important commandment? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength… The second most important commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Luke 10:25-28, “What must one do to inherit eternal life? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Do this and you will have eternal life.”

Let us each commit to honor God, to find out and to do that which pleases Him, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength, i.e., with everything we are and all that we have; and let us treat others as we ourselves want to be treated; in doing so, we fulfill all the Law and the Prophets and draw near to the heart of God, who has granted us eternal life; we now look with anticipation to the coming Day of the Lord.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

Read Malachi 3:13-15… God offers forgiveness, salvation, and a growing

personal relationship with Him, to anyone who repents and trusts in Him.
The Israelites should know this above all the other peoples of the earth, for God

came to them first, setting them apart as God’s first covenant people, and yet, we find them here (v. 13) grumbling and openly speaking against God.

The priests and the people of Israel had fallen away from God: They had (2:17) doubted God’s righteous judgment, (2:11) violated God’s covenant, (2:9) disobeyed God’s laws, (1:7, 12) defiled God’s alter, (1:6) despised God’s name, and now they were openly speaking contemptuously against Him.

Last week we read of God’s promise to Israel; if they would just repent and do what was right, acknowledge their sin and give back to God that which is already His.

But instead of responding humbly and honorably to God, the people complain (3:14-15) that obedience to God brings no reward; in fact, Israel says that the arrogant and the wicked of the earth are prospering, not those who do God’s will.

Talk about arrogance! Most of Israel had ceased worshiping God, now they are badmouthing God for not blessing them.

Read Malachi 3:16-18… It would seem that not all of the people were guilty of such arrogant impudence (3:16), for some in Israel reverently worshipped and feared God; it is to these few, this remnant, that God speaks encouragement and hope.

God hasn’t forgotten those who by believing and obeying, show themselves to be were righteous in His sight; in fact, they are listed in the book of remembrance (book of life), where the names of all of God’s true children are forever recorded (Exodus 32:31-33; Psalm 69:28; Daniel 12:1-2; Revelation 20:11-15).

God declares (3:17) that some of Israel are His (Mine, My own possession), they are His special treasure and He will spare them from the impending judgment that is going to come upon all those who treat God’s Word with contempt by rejecting Christ.

God makes it clear (3:18), that there is a major distinction between the godly and the ungodly — those who serve God and those who do not serve God.

NT believers are God’s possession (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:4-7; Romans 8:28-39).

God’s admonition to you and to me is very clear: It is not enough to simply be called a child of God, or a Christian. Those who truly belong to God will do more than just site His name; they will be known as those who serve Him in righteousness and truth.

It is not enough for you to just say, “I am a Christian,” your life must express honor and reverence for God. If you are genuinely born of God (cf John 1:12-13), Christ will make a difference in your life right now, right here, as well as forever in heaven.

A personal relationship with God through Christ will do much more than acquit you from the penalty of sin and render a “not guilty” verdict on the day of judgment — if you truly are saved through Christ, you will seek to know God more intimately and serve Him more obediently (Ephesians 5:1-2, 6-10).

God is not just a loving God. He is a just and loving God. He wants all men to come to repentance and to be saved through Jesus Christ, but we must come agreeing with God concerning our sin and His salvation.

God has provided marvelous and supernatural resources to testify to His Grace, Love and Mercy:
• The Bible testifies to God’s Truth about God’s Son (John 5:39-40), “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life,” (John 14:6), “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
• The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, works through inner conviction and circumstances to reveal God’s Truth (John 16:8-9), “When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin… because men do not believe in Me.” •The Believer humbly, yet boldly, lives and proclaims God’s Truth (1Peter 2:12, 15), “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
“For it is God’s will that by doing
good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.”

God’s people are messengers, Christ is the Message; God’s people are table waiters, Christ is the Bread of Life and the Living Water; God’s people are containers, Christ is the content!

You and I must allow God’s Word to change us internally if we expect the changes to have an effect externally, where people see us. There are no shortcuts, you must earnestly study, understand, agree with, obey and apply God’s Word to your life.

As we grow in the light of His Word, people will notice the changes in our expressed desire to serve Christ by the demonstration of our biblical love for others.

I have two main concerns as a Pastor:
1.) To accurately handle the Word of God as I preach, teach, disciple, counsel, console and confront with God’s revealed truth.

2.) To equip, encourage, and exhort God’s people to live like Christ makes a difference in their life right here and right now, as well as for eternity.

I have one main concern as a Christian, as do you:
To live with distinction as a child of God, so that people will see Christ in us, that we might have the opportunity to tell them how they too can receive forgiveness for sin, eternal life, and an intimate and growing relationship with Almighty God, the Sovereign Creator, Sustainer and Judge over all, Jesus Christ the Lord.

I believe 2017 is a critical year in America for genuine believers and followers of Christ to live as God’s People, in a manner that shows Christ, so that we might have the opportunity to tell others about the Savior who came to earth in the flesh of a baby, grew up in obscurity, and although guilty of no crime, willingly went to the cross to take our punishment for sin, in order that we might be made righteous before God and recipients of God’s grace.
2Corinthians 5:20-21, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Pastor Mike <‘((((><

Bible Text: Malachi 3:8-12 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

3.05.17 ~ Malachi 3:8-12, “Giving to God What is Already His.”
Read Malachi 3:8-9… Israel was robbing God of the tithes and offerings that were divinely His..
There was a place in the Temple (called the storehouse or treasury) where tithes and offerings of crops, animals, etc., were stored and managed by the priests; but the people were not giving their tithes and offerings as they should, so the priests had to give up their duties in order to raise food for themselves, and this hindered both the religious life of the nation and provision for those in need.
Numbers 18:21, “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.”
Deuteronomy 14:22-23, “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. …of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD… so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.” 29, “so that the Levites… and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the
LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
The OT tithe [lit. one tenth], was convened and commanded by God, not because God needed the money, the crops, or animals from the flocks and herds; the tithe was an integral part of the social and religious system of Israel; it provided finances for the upkeep of the Temple, providing support for those who carried out the religious ceremonies and services, as well as providing for the needs of the poor and the oppressed.
God demanded the tithe for His own glory and for the good of the people, but that was OT [under the LAW].
The only mandatory giving for the church age [under GRACE], is paying taxes to the government (See Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-7).
Christians are never commanded to tithe; but two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always mandatory), and giving to God (always voluntary).
The Old Testament tithes were not primarily gifts to God, but were taxes to be used for funding the national budget in Israel, as a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government, supervising the tithe…
Leviticus 27:30, 32, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” “The entire tithe of the herd and flock, every tenth animal that passes under the
shepherd’s rod, will be holy to the LORD.”
This was a forerunner to today’s income tax, but God also included provisions for the needy among the people.
Leviticus 19:9-10, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.”
The total giving required of the Israelites was well over 20%, used to operate the nation. Note: Most Americans presently pay between 20-30% of their income to the government, and this is very similar to the Old Testament requirement under the theocracy of Israel.
All giving apart from that required to run the government was voluntary (see Exodus 25:1-9; 1Chronicles 29:1-9).
Each person was to give whatever was in his heart to give; no percentage or amount was ever specified, which is really the biblical instruction for all NT giving…
• Giving is an expression of our obedience toward God, prompted by our love for Christ and our concern for others in need (see 2Corinthians 8:7-15).
• Giving is an act of faith in response to our trust in God, not just for our needs, but that the needs of others may also be met (see 2Corinthians 9:7-10).
• Giving should stimulate prayer and praise toward God, by giver and the receiver. God allows us opportunities to take part in providing for the needs of others, and at times, for others to help provide for our needs (see 2Corinthians 9:11-15).
God’s condemnation of Israel (cf Malachi 3:8-9) for having robbed God of His rightful tithes and offerings wasn’t because God needed their material possessions; but instead, God was providing the opportunity for His people to use a portion of what He had given them, to support the work of the Temple, to provide for those serving in the Temple, and to care for the poor and needy among them.
Read Malachi 3:10-12… God told the Israelites clearly what they needed to do so that He may again bless them. If the people would repent and bring the tithes back to God, He would bless them by protecting the crops of their fields and vines from the locusts that devoured everything in their path.
God wanted to bless them; but He knew their hearts and that they would do their own thing (see Malachi 2:1-2).
Isaiah 53:6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Romans 3:10-12, ”There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 23, “for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Listen! God exhorted Israel to give back to Him that which was already His. They didn’t, and so God withheld His blessings from them, and eventually God cut off communication with them for 400 years, after which He broke the silence in a most magnificent way. He came to earth in the flesh of a baby, in order to serve as
the divine sacrificial lamb, taking our punishment, that we might receive forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. God’s greatest gift to us is His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What does God want from us, 10% our finances, flocks and crops? No! Everything, our time, our talent and our treasure, belongs to Him.
1Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Everything is God’s, for He is the Creator of all; therefore, everyone who has received forgiveness and eternal life through Christ should prayerfully, willfully, generously and cheerfully, give back to God from the heart, not reluctantly or under any compulsion, confessing our sins and serving Him through Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again!
And all God’s people said, Amen!
Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: Malachi 3:1-7 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

2.26.17 ~ Malachi 3:1-7, “Judgement will Come to Israel.”
Read Malachi 3:1… God’s Messenger (John) will announce the Lord’s arrival (Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:1-4).
Read Malachi 3:2… God is going to refine and purify His people. The coming of God’s messenger is likened to that of two purifying agents: The refiner’s fire, which was used to burn up impurities, i.e., sins; and the laundryman’s soap (alkali) which was used to whiten, i.e., to remove sin’s stain.
Read Malachi 3:3-4… God’s cleansing will begin with the priests (Levites), who have lead Israel astray; only then will the people be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord, as in the days of Solomon.
Solomon, one of the most powerful men in history, sinned against God for many years before he finally repented and set his heart to honor God; after which, God blessed him with great wisdom and wealth.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every
hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Back in Malachi 2:17, the people say, “”All who do evil are good in the eyes of
the LORD, and He is pleased with them,” and they ask, “Where is the God of justice?” God answers them now proclaiming, “I am coming to judge you” (read Malachi 3:5).
Those who do not repent are those who shamelessly commit sinful behaviors, i.e., they “do not fear Me,” says the LORD, and so, they will receive God’s judgment.
Fearing [revering] the Lord, means to place your attitudes, actions, behaviors, and beliefs, in submission to that which pleases and honors God (Proverbs 1:7), “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Reverence for God is the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge, it is also the only way to receive eternal life, and nothing else in all of existence, for all of eternity, will save, sustain and satisfy your soul.
Is God just in rendering judgement upon Israel (see Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23)? And yet, God wants everyone to be saved (see 1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9)?
God deserves and demands reverence, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing, including your: spouse, parents, friends, neighbors, employer, favorite athletes, musicians, movie stars, or even our government, for we all come to God one by one (see Matthew 7:13-14; John 3:16; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9).
Last week we studied how Solomon finally learned what Ezra and Malachi proclaimed, that God requires both spiritual and marital monogamy among His people.
Christians, likewise, are faithfully to revere God’s glory and honor marriage, only then can we know God’s presence, pleasure and power, as we seek to honor God through the work of our hands, the words of our mouth, the thoughts of our mind, and the intent of out heart, regardless of what anyone else is doing. Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Read Malachi 3:6-7… God should have wiped the Israelites off the face of the earth long ago because of their irreverence and impudence, expressed in their rebellious acts and rebellious attitudes; but because God is faithful, and is the same yesterday, today and forever, He was merciful to Israel and didn’t destroy them.
Israel could have been experiencing the blessings and special relationship they once had with God, if they would just repent and do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God declares (Malachi 3:6) “I the Lord do not change.” Israel once honored and worshipped God, but their sinful rebellion through spiritual and marital adultery caused them to be outside of God’s blessings.
God urges Israel again and again (Malachi 3:7) “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” The response in the hearts of the people is stated as, “How are we to return?” Israel had stopped honoring and worshipping God, God called them to repent and to do what was right, if not they would indeed receive God’s wrath.
Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Malachi 2:13-17 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi | Last week we studied God’s intent for His people to worship the Only True God: Himself. Today we will focus on God’s desire that a man be the husband of but one wife, faithful to her singularly; just as we are to be faithful to the Only True God, and to Him alone.
Read Malachi 2:13… All the weeping and wailing of the priests and the people accomplished nothing! Why? They weren’t repenting of their sins; they were simply whining about the loss of God’s blessings, because of their own disobedience, i.e., marrying foreign wives!
The Jews had violated their vows to God and were worshiping the pagan gods of their foreign wives. God didn’t want to hear their “oh me, oh my’s,” He wanted them to repent of their sins and then direct their worship toward Him.
Read Malachi 2:14-15… Not only were the Jews committing spiritual adultery, but they also were sinfully divorcing “the wives of their youth.” Marriage was a covenant not only between the husband and wife, but between the couple and God. The Jews were committing marital adultery and God was not pleased!
Marriage is the first covenant, the very first institution in the Bible ordained by God, and the Jews were defiling it (see Genesis 2:15-18, 21-25; Mark 10:6-9). God made the two (man and woman) to become one flesh, one unit, one marriage; and God’s intent was that there be one woman and one man, not multiple wives.
Malachi urges the husbands to remember the binding nature of the marriage contract, a covenant made before God, with God as witness. Husbands were to act honorably, to keep God’s covenant by loving their own wives, being faithful to her, and to God. Malachi warns them not to deal treacherously with their wives through divorce or polygamy.
About 500 years before Malachi, Solomon married multiple wives, outside of Israel, in order to ratify treaties with pagan nations (see 1Kings 10:23-25; 11:1-6).
Although it was a common practice in the ancient Near East, multiple wives were forbidden by God and Solomon’s sin resulted in his heart being turned away from God, causing him to abandon his loyalty to God by worshiping other gods.
If you go back another 500 years, to the days of Moses, you’ll find Israel committing both spiritual and marital adultery (see Exodus 34:10-16).
God’s desire from the beginning was that His people be monogamous and faithful in both their worship and their marriages.
Read Malachi 2:16… God hates divorce (along with lying, envy, murder, injustice, fornication), but there are times in the OT in which God commanded divorce. Ezra, writing about the same time as Malachi, confronted the people’s sin against God (see Ezra 10:10-12, 19).
What about divorce and NT believers? Divorce is never God’s best plan, but He does allow it when a spouse commits continuous sexual sin without repentance or any effort of restoration (see Matthew 19:3-10).
Divorce is also justified when an unbelieving partner leaves the marriage (see 1Corinthians 7:10-17) and desires to be freed of the believing spouse. The believer is free to let him or her go, for God doesn’t require us to live in a state of war with such a partner, but neither does God command divorce!
According to the Scriptures, marriage is ordained by God, and is to be convened upon those who commit themselves to a personal and intimate relationship with God through Christ [Christians].
If people heed the Word of God and repent of their sins, God will forgive them and bless them. God wants to restore relationships, not destroy them, for God’s way is the only fulfilling, prospering and everlasting way.
Read Malachi 2:17… God was tired of Israel’s complacency and indifference it was time for His judgment. They became calloused in their hearts, complacent in their worship, and self-righteous to the point of implying that the God of righteousness was somehow favoring the wicked (v. 17b).
Next week we will pick up with the announcement of the coming of God’s Messenger who will proclaim judgment upon Israel, and ultimately, upon all who reject God’s provision of forgiveness and eternal life.
Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Malachi 2:3-12 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

We ended last week with 2:1-2, where God declared curses on the priests
because of their failure to bring acceptable sacrifices and offerings to His alter. Read Malachi 2:3… God declares that He will spread refuse [vomit] upon the
faces of these unfaithful priests. God is so disgusted with the priests that He likens them to the rancid internal waste products of the animals (Leviticus 4:11-12, offal = the entrails, guts, the waste contained in the intestines), all this was to be taken outside the camp and burned.
The removal of the offal to outside the camp is of interest to us, because it is symbolic of removing sin from the people (Hebrews 13:10-13). Animals offered on the Day of Atonement were not eaten, but were burned up “outside the camp.”
The Day of Atonement happened one day each year, every year, for the sins of the people of Israel. But for Christians, Jesus was the once for all and final sacrifice for sin. The sacrificial death of Christ, through which He offered His own blood, was in a way the final Day of Atonement, at which time all sin was paid for by God’s One and Only Son, the Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:1-18). Jesus’ blood was shed and His body was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem.
Read Malachi 2:4-5… God wants the priests to repent and to do what is right, but if they don’t, they will reap the consequences of their disobedience.
God had a special relationship with the Levites having made a covenant with Levi (son of Jacob through Leah). Of all the Levites, only Aaron’s sons were priests – to offer sacrifices – the rest of the Levites were set apart to help the priests, for serving God by doing all the work associated with the tabernacle.
Because of this covenant, the Levites were exempt from serving as soldiers (Numbers 1:45-54); and this covenant was to be kept in order that the people would revere God’s name, in so doing they would receive a life of peace, as we previously read in Malachi 2:5.
Read Malachi 2:6-7… Aaron feared and revered God, and so he had given proper instruction and he had been a good example before the people. He called the people to obey God’s commands, and in so doing he “turned many from sin.”
Leaders are to lead by serving, teach by modeling. Priests were the servants of God in Israel and they were to teach the Law of Moses to the nation; but the priests betrayed God and the result was that Israel failed to bring honor and glory to God.
Read Malachi 2:8-9… Priests are to live by and to proclaim God’s instruction (all Christians are priests, last week 1Peter 2:9-12). Priests in Israel were special representatives of God, responsible to obey, teach and honor God’s Law, just as Christians are to do, for we are (2Corinthians 5:20) God’s ambassadors, proclaiming Christ to all people, to all nations.
But, instead of bringing honor to God, the priests dishonored Him; they turned away from His instruction and were violating the Levitical covenant; and their bad example before the people “caused many to stumble.”
This was not a new problem in Israel however; in fact, 300 years earlier Hosea (God’s prophet) spoke a strong warning and rebuke in a similar situation (see Hosea 4:6-9 – contemporary of Isaiah & Micah, 700 BC).
The priests of Malachi’s day had greatly departed from God’s holy standard. Because of their sinful example before the people, God’s judgment upon the priests would be witnessed by Israel, in order that Israel might turn back to God in reverence and fear.
Read Malachi 2:10-12… God is not happy with the performance of the priests who were to represent Him! God is the Father over all creation, yet He is singled out here as the Father of Israel, His covenant people.
Even so, the priests had not obeyed God; they interpreted the law falsely, showing favoritism or partiality in matters of the law, for their own benefit.
God now speaks to Israel through Malachi, declaring that they have profaned the covenant God made with them that they should not marry outside of the nation of Israel, for this led to spiritual adultery, to foreign gods being worshipped in Israel.
God alone is to be worshipped, the Israelites’ were intermarrying with non- Jews, bringing foreign God’s into the homes of God’s people; yet, no one was being punished; this was a detestable thing in the eyes of God, deserving capital punishment; for it was spiritual adultery and idolatry – both punishable by death!
Often, what would happen is that pagan women would seduce their Jewish husbands into idolatry; the intermarrying of Jews with non-Jews contaminated God’s temple and profaned the covenant He had with Israel.
This warning and instruction to Israel, to remain spiritually monogamous, clearly applies to Christians, for we are the spiritual children/people of God.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, commanding them not to become intimately involved with unbelievers’ belief systems or their behaviors for Paul understood the danger and destruction of spiritual adultery (see 2Corinthians 6:14-18). Belial or Beliar (v. 15) means both worthless and wicked – the antithesis is Christ, who is both Preeminent and Holy.
To be unequally yoked with unbelievers applies not only to marriage but to business, religious practice, any intimate personal relationship with unbelievers.
When we allow godless, worldly relationships and entanglements to be formed, we give an opening to the devil, the world, and the flesh to influence our mind and heart away from God, and that is dangerous (see 1John 2:15-17; 4:1-6).
The Israelites were commanded not to marry non-Jews, just as Christians are commanded not to marry non-Christians.
God’s people are not to be intimately involved with anyone or anything that does not revere and honor God; for to do so is a detestable thing in the eyes of the Lord and will only lead to heartache, hardship, discipline and an absence of God’s blessings and protection.
When we disobey God’s instruction we can expect God’s discipline and punishment for our willful sin.
God will not accept any marriage or relationship among His people that doesn’t conform to His clearly stated will; to do so is to raise a fist to God — just as the priests were doing by offering unacceptable sacrifices to God, profaning God’s Law. and making excuses the whole while (see Malachi 1:11-13).
I have heard many excuses from Christians who knowingly get intimately involved with non-believers:
“But we really love each other! Maybe he/she will come to the Lord later on, after we are married.”
”God wouldn’t punish me for marrying someone I love, just because they aren’t a Christian, would He?”
“It’s just a business partnership, what does it matter if my business partner is an atheist?”
God is righteous, holy and sovereign, and He urges us to know and to do His will and to submit to His authority, not because He wants to limit our fun or create hardships for us, but because His way is the right, true, good, acceptable and everlasting way.
God’s love for all people is expressed throughout the Scriptures. God demonstrates His grace and mercy by offering His own Son, so that anyone who trusts and believes in Him receives forgiveness for sins and eternal life, having been spiritually born into the family of God, with the Sovereign LORD God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, becoming our Eternal Father (see John 1:12; 3:16; 1John 3:1, 7, 10, 23-24; also Matthew 12:46-50; John 6:38-40).
God loved Israel and so He urged them through Malachi to do what He commanded. God unconditionally loves you and every genuine Believer and follower of Christ; and so He urges us to stay true to Him and to His Truth, not with rituals and ceremonies, but with our very life (see Romans 12:1-2).
God is a righteous, holy and jealous God and He will not bless our relationships with any other person, thing, philosophy, belief system, or any other relationship where He is not the first and foremost object of worship.
If you belong to God through Christ, you ought to live as one of God’s children (see Ephesians 5:1-2). I urge you today, just as Malachi, 2500 years ago, urged the priests and the people of Israel, to set your heart to honor God in all that you do, being faithful to Him and to Him alone, confessing your sins, that He might cleanse, restore, strengthen, and bless you, abundantly!
And all God’s people said, Amen!
Pastor Mike

Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Malachi

Last week we read how God declared His love for Israel (v.2), and through them to all people (v. 5); even though Israel was living in a manner that showed contempt for God’s love and disdain for God’s mercy.
Read Malachi 1:6-8… God’s condemnation of Israel begins with an indictment against the priests (v. 6). A son should honor his father and a servant his master, but the priests have shown no reverence toward God, Who is both, their Father and Master.
God said they had despised His sovereign name! And yet, the priests ask (v. 6), “How have we shown contempt for your name?” God answers them (vv. 7-8), accusing them of offering defiled food on the altar (also known as the table of the LORD).
The priests were offering blind, lame and sick animal sacrifices — this was forbidden by the law, unacceptable to God; yet the priests dared to do this evil thing (see Leviticus 22:20-22; Deuteronomy 15:19, 21).
How dare them bring offerings before God that are clearly unacceptable to God! God further indicts the priests by stating that the sacrifices they offer to Him, wouldn’t be acceptable to their earthly masters (governor, as a form of taxation). “Do the priests fear their earthly masters more than the God who created the earth?” It would seem so by their actions!
Read Malachi 1:9-10… Malachi urges them to call upon the Lord and to repent (v. 9), that God might forgive them and return His blessings to them. If not, (v. 10) God would rather the doors to the temple be shut so that these useless and evil sacrifices will stop before they offend God any further, even to the point of His wrath!!
Read Malachi 1:11-12… Malachi looks forward to the millennial period (v. 11) when Israel will again offer pure sacrifices to God, throughout the world, sacrifices acceptable to Him; but that is in the distant future.
The reality is (v. 12, at the time this Book was written), Israel’s sacrifices/ offerings were detestable to God.
Read Malachi 1:13-14… The priests (v. 13) declare their weariness in trying to hold to God’s requirements for their sacrifices, as if that were some kind of excuse. By doing so, they proclaim the rebellion in their own hearts, for it is clear that they continue to offer to God lame and sick animals, knowing that God requires the very best unblemished animals to be offered to Him.
Only unblemished male animals from the flock could be offered (v. 14); anything less cheated God, and was unacceptable to God. Unblemished males from the flock were offered to God with a vow; then, an unacceptable animal was substituted in place of the more valuable unblemished male.
You might be saying to yourself, what does the condemnation brought against Israels’ priests have to do with us and our present day relationship with God?
Let’s consider what God’s Word says to us, priests of God’s kingdom, who are to offer daily sacrifices to Him.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death and judgment, forever. Jesus freed us from our sins by His own shed blood (cf. Revelation 1:5-6), by which we are forgiven our sins and eternally saved; but we are also set apart as a “kingdom and priests,” for the purpose of serving God the Father (see 1Peter 2:9-12).
Listen! If you are a Christian, you are a priest in God’s kingdom, and as a priest you are responsible to bring acceptable sacrifices and offerings to God.
But we aren’t to bring the shed blood of animal sacrifices before God, as though we were under Old Testament Law and the first covenant. Christians are under New Testament Grace, a new covenant validated by Jesus Christ’s sovereign ‘once and for all sacrifice’ for the sins of the whole world.
Read Hebrews 9:14-15, 22, 27-28… Jesus Christ is the only unblemished sacrifice acceptable to God, it is only through His blood that we have eternal life, through a new covenant, that we may serve the living God.
Israel’s priests were offering unacceptable sacrifices: cheating God, dishonoring the priesthood, showing contempt for God’s name; they were clearly disobeying God’s law concerning animal sacrifices — what they were offering was unacceptable to the Holy God of Creation, and so they would suffer for their impertinent, impudent, insolent, irreverence.
Read Hebrews 10:1-7, 16-18… God doesn’t require that we perform rituals or offer dead animals to Him as if we were under Old Testament LAW (Law Advocates [supports and validates] Wrath). Christians are under New Testament GRACE (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense).
We are forgiven sin, all our past, present and future sins, through Christ’s sacrifice, once for all.
Read Romans 12:1-2… God requires you to hear and obey His Word, living as a sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him; everything you do, think, and say — your attitude and your actions, everything in your life — is to conform to that which pleases God and brings honor to Him; God doesn’t want dead sacrifices, He wants living servants.
Are you living each day (in every aspect of your life) in a manner that God would say is acceptable to Him? Let me answer that for all of us: most likely not! Read Malachi 2:1-2… The priests of Israel were human, just like you and I; they failed God, just like you and I. God called them to hear and to obey what He said, just like you and I — they were to do that which brings honor to God’s name — if not, they would indeed suffer the consequences, just like you and I will!
God gives us the same option today, so, let us hear and obey that we may be transformed to know and to do God’s good, pleasing and perfect will — for this brings honor and glory to His name, and blessings to His people.
Pastor Mike –