There is, in Malachi 3:1, a prophecy which has two parts -
John the Baptist, Jesus the Saviour. When Jesus comes to us, He makes us
new (Malachi 3:2-3). This purpose of God - to make us holy - is in
fulfilment of His plan, which has been spoken of in "the past, as in
years long ago" (Malachi 3:4). In His coming, there is salvation, and
there is also judgment (Malachi 3:5). When we speak about prophecy and
fulfilment, there is something we must never forget: "I, the Lord, never
change" (Malachi 3:6). When we read God's Word, we must pray that we
will see the continuity that comes from the character of God. In Old
Testament times, in New Testament times and today, He calls us to
"return" to Him. He promises that He will "return" to us. as we are
faithful in committing ourselves to Him, He will send His blessing to us
(Malachi 3:7-10). This blessing is described in Malachi 3:11-12. if we
are to enjoy His blessing, we must learn to stop speaking against Him
(Malachi 3:12-14). It is a good thing to seek God's blessing. We must
never take His blessing for granted. That is arrogance (Malachi 3:15).
The better way is the way of fearing the Lord and serving Him (Malachi
3:16,18). When we give ourselves truly to the Lord, we will draw
strength from this: "They will be mine, says the Lord of Armies. On that
day I will make them My special possession" (Malachi 3:17).
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summarized in Proverbs 31:30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be
Comments
Post a Comment