Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Christmas is 10 days away and I wonder how you have been preparing your heart? Are you hurried, stressed, anxious or content and joyful on the ‘road to Christmas ’25’?
Last December, we searched for God’s answers to questions about Christmas. You’ll find all those 25 editions of “WWJ” in our home page Daily Archives Tab for the year 2024. They are fascinating and I urge you to consider them, again.
This December, as you know, we are following a 9-month journey we’re calling “the Grand Narrative”. It’s a chronological overview of the entire Bible, God’s story. We began last August and yesterday we drew near the conclusion of the Old Testament by considering the stories of Nehemiah and Esther. Most Bible scholars believe Malachi, the last prophet of God in the Old Testament, wrote his messages from God around 430bc, not long after Nehemiah’s remarkable leadership tenure in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem then was growing by the week with Jews returning from living in exile in Babylon and elsewhere. Why? Because many Jews were hearing that Jerusalem was safe again, thanks to the new, rebuilt city wall; and because the Temple of God had been rebuilt and worship of God Almighty was again a centerpiece of Jerusalem life. Then as now, there is no city in the world quite like Jerusalem.
But God was concerned... so concerned that God raised up one final prophet with some special messages. While the people didn’t know it after Malachi God would go silent for a very long time. What?
The white page between the Old and New Testament of the Bible represents 400 years of time during which NO person arose claiming to be a prophet with a new message from God. 4 Centuries of time! During which a huge amount of human history was made including the demise of both the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms; the rise of Alexander the Great; and then the global dominance of the Roman empire!
All this was exactly what God had predicted through His prophet Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar in explanation of the king’s dream as recorded in Daniel 2:27-45. Do you remember that?
Malachi’s 4-chapter messages from God found, as the last pages of your Old Testament, are powerful and very contemporary for December 2025! God begins with an accusation to His people. “I have loved you, but you ask, ‘how have You loved us?” (Malachi 1:2) Oh my that is so true of our human race, isn’t it? Every time life gets painful or disappointing humans shake their fist in the sky and cry out ‘God, where are you? Why are you allowing this painful mess in my life? I thought you were a loving God?’
Would you agree that we have seen the unlimited, unconditional, powerful LOVE of God poured out from God to humanity over and over and over again in the Grand Narrative thus far?
I wonder if you’d agree that these words are among the most powerful evidence of God’s LOVE, in every generation: Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness, Deliverance, Rescue, Healing, Provision, Protection, Promises kept? So how have you experienced God’s love in 2025? Let’s be careful about accusing God of LOVELESSNESS!
In fact, God’s love is the standard for authentic, genuine love and God proclaims it in Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9,10 and of course John 3:16, right? Pause… what do you see as the evidence of God’s love for you?
God next accused His people of not honoring him with their words, attitudes, actions and especially their shallow, fake worship! (Malachi 1:6-15) Oh my, our human race is guilty as charged, aren’t we? Just stand anywhere in public and listen to conversations; scroll through social media; read the news headlines; we are an angry, deceitful, selfish, vengeful human race quick to inflict pain on anyone, even those we don’t know!
So very far from the lifestyle God has designed for humans made in His image, especially those of us who claim to worship God! WHY? Why are we so dysfunctional? Why do we cause so much pain? Of course you know the answer… when we push God away we simultaneously invite the strong influence of the dark kingdom into our lives and we become angry, selfish, hurtful people!
Malachi then gave a third shocking message from God: Jewish men were divorcing their wives to marry foreign, idol worshiping, pagan women and this was breaking God’s heart! (Malachi 2:11-16) God said: “The man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect!”
Now that’s a very contemporary challenge from God for us, isn’t it? How many people do you know who’ve been wounded by the breakup of their family? It’s one of the most powerful weapons of the dark kingdom in total rejection of God’s design for the sacredness and safety of a loving family. (Deut.6:4-9) So what are you and I doing to prevent this pain among those people we know and love?
But my friends, have you noticed God always offers encouragement and hope, even when He disciplines? With His arms open, God spoke these powerful words to Malachi: “I the LORD do not change. So, you are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from My decrees…return to Me and I will return to you’, says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3:6,7) Have you found that to be true in your life story? Have you found God to be always faithful to His character, His promises, His Word, His unchanging attributes? And always ready to receive us back?
I wonder if those who heard Malachi’s message remembered another message from another prophet of God Micah: “God has shown you, O mankind, 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.” (Micah 6:8) Now let’s pause and reflect on that.
Oh, there’s much more in Malachi, and I urge you to read all four chapters, but we need to pause here. How does Malachi’s message apply to you and me today? Have we doubted God’s love? Have we dishonored, even mocked God with our talk, our attitudes and our behavior? Has our worship been nothing but empty rituals? Have our relationships wounded more than healed; been dangerous more than safe; been fearful more than joyful?
Is today a turning point for you, turning back to God? What action steps is the Holy Spirit urging you and me to take, right now?
More notes for further reflection are at the “Grand Narrative” link below and a wonderful worship song drawing us to embrace the God WHO both prophets Malachi and Micah describe, and as we have seen on every page of the Grand Narrative. And I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Malachi 1-4.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Malachi 2
Malachi 3
Malachi 4
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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