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We're beginning, finishing up this series of the Minor Prophets by going through the
last of the prophets, the last book of the Old Testament.
And I get the privilege of introducing us to this prophecy.
Follow with me as we read from Malachi 1, verses 1 through 5.
The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
I have loved you, says the Lord.
But you say, how have you loved us?
Is not Esau Jacob's brother, declares the Lord.
Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.
I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.
If Edom says, we are shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.
The Lord of hosts says, they may build, but I will tear down.
And they will be called the wicked country and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.
Your own eyes shall see this.
And you shall say, great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel.
Let's pray together as we enter into this study.
Father, would you grant us grace that we might hear your voice by the working of your Holy Spirit.
That we might comprehend what you would say to us.
Father, would you make something weak and very ordinary like this sermon into something marvelous and supernatural.
Would you visit us and draw us to you in a new and fresh way.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You know, I've said before, I love the prophets.
I love the minor prophets.
And I know that too often we think we avoid the minor prophets or even the major prophets.
Because we think maybe that these messages are for times past.
For people who were still bowing in temples with pagan idols.
And they were offering goats and sheep on altars to foreign gods.
And God was angry with them because of that.
And besides, Jesus has come.
We're now in the age of grace.
And so God's anger is spent.
And we just don't need to hear that much about this anymore.
Well, if that's what we think, we're missing something of very high value for us.
Because the times might change.
And the outward expressions of things might change.
But God does not change.
And the heart of man does not change.
We might dress differently.
We might do things that look a little differently.
But we are still the same today in this room as the Israelites were back then.
We're still wrestling with the same issues, the same idolatries, the same unbelief.
And so what the prophets spoke to Israel, they speak to us.
So as we get into this prophecy of Malachi, which I hope is going to be very valuable for us.
Let's get a look at the historical context.
Malachi was, well, let's back up.
Israel had been, because of their idolatry, their unbelief, their disobedience,
in God's anger and judgment, sent them off into exile in Babylon for 70 years.
But now they've returned.
And there were probably about three, two or three waves of returnees coming back from Babylon to Jerusalem
to restart their life there.
Ezra led a group back.
And under his leadership, they rebuilt the temple that the Babylonians had torn down to the ground.
And then a little bit later, Nehemiah comes to a city that's wall was still torn down,
every stone torn away.
And so he led them in rebuilding the wall around the city.
And Nehemiah probably spent about 13 years there with the Israelites in Jerusalem,
not only leading the construction of this wall, but also leading a whole series of reforms,
of spiritual reforms.
Because one of the things that we find is that you would think that after the exile
and all that Israel had been through, they would have gotten clued in to what was going on.
But they didn't.
And so as soon as they come back, they are reverting to some of their lifestyle of unbelief, of neglect,
and so forth.
So Nehemiah is bringing a bunch of reforms that have to do with the Sabbath,
with intermarriage, with a lot of things.
Well, but Nehemiah's got a day job back in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire.
And so he has to return.
And he does return and goes back for several years, quite a few years.
Well, while he's gone, all of those important critical reforms begin to fade away.
And so now, what we have in Jerusalem is, again, the people falling back into deep-seated unbelief.
Because you see, in Jerusalem, during that time, life was hard.
It was not what they thought it was going to be.
They had heard all these promises about the kingdom coming.
They had heard all of these promises about Messiah and all that God was going to do.
But yet, they were still under the strong thumb of a pagan ruler.
The city, the glorious temple that used to be under Solomon, was now, though it was rebuilt,
it's just a shadow of what it used to be.
Economically, it was still hard.
Life was not what they expected.
And so their religious fervor that they had initially, where they stood and declared again their allegiance to the covenant,
it was just kind of fading away.
And what we see happening in Jerusalem was that the people just got disenchanted.
All they saw was hardness.
And then that disenchantment turned to cynicism.
So what about all these promises?
What about this covenant?
What about all that you said that you were going to do?
What about these prophecies of glory?
What about...
They didn't think they saw any of it.
And so their hope just faded away.
And enter Malachi.
He comes at this point to again call them back to hope.
We don't know that the writer of this prophecy, we don't know if his name was Malachi.
That name was not known really before then.
But Malachi means my messenger.
So this may be more of just a description of this messenger that has come to once again call Israel back to their covenant God.
But he comes to awaken God's people out of their disenchantment and their cynicism.
So I want us to look here at the struggle of disenchantment.
Let me explain what I mean by disenchantment.
Disenchantment happens when the wonder and the mystery, the mystery of God, it just fades into normalcy.
The normal state of life, in that normal state of life, is simply what I see, what I can touch, what I feel,
what is confronting me, this is life, this is normal, and this is all there is.
This moment, and a lot of times it's difficulty that leads us into such disenchantment,
because difficulty kind of focuses our attention and our eyes on the here and now.
Because this is where we struggle, this is where we hurt, this is where we're frustrated.
And so all that we see is all there is.
So how many of us this morning live in this kind of world?
You know, with struggles at work, we've got struggles with our families, we've got struggles with financial stress,
we've got struggles with chronic illness.
All of these things can contribute to this sense of disenchantment,
because we get overwhelmed with life.
This life, what we see, what we're facing.
And it can consume us.
And I actually think in our modern culture, we are even far more susceptible to disenchantment,
because we are led to believe, and we think, that through science or through technology,
we can come up with a solution to answer and take care of all of those problems.
We are enough.
All it takes is a new technological advance, a new app on the phone.
All it takes is something like that, and we can fix whatever is ailing us.
And so we are, our whole culture helps us or pushes us to focus on just what's here now.
What is material?
What can be felt?
What can be tasted?
What can be touched?
Just give us enough time, and we can fix it.
And so with that kind of approach to life, the mystery and the wonder of all that God is,
and all that he has said, this kind of fades away into the normal of life.
But with this disenchantment can often come cynicism.
And what cynicism is, is just that belief that because I have all this struggle,
and I've struggled for so long, that I just start losing hope that anything could ever be different.
And we just give up hoping.
Don't hang on to promises because, well, I mean, if they're true, and maybe they are,
but they're probably true for somebody else, but I haven't seen it.
And I might profess belief in the promise,
but down inside, there is just not much hope.
And so in that cynicism, I turn to that which I can trust, and that's me.
I will make things work.
I will make things happen.
I will.
And so forget the commands of God.
I got to do what works.
Why bother with what he says?
This is where Israel is.
And you can see it in the very first question,
the way that Malachi introduces this prophecy,
and this is kind of the formula he's going to use all the way through.
He says, the Lord says, I have loved you.
But you say, how have you loved us?
Hear the voice of cynicism?
If God loves us, then why are we where we are?
If God loves us, why are his promises still not fulfilled?
If God loved us, why are we still enslaved to these pagans?
Cynicism.
The problem with cynicism
is really rooted in a very deep-seated unbelief.
That unbelief
begins with this determination
that we are going to design life.
We are going to determine what is valuable,
what is good, what is right.
We are going to say how life should go.
My life should be happy.
My kids should be beautiful and successful.
You know, all of these things,
we determine how life is supposed to be.
And when God doesn't work according to the plan,
we immediately turn on him
and say, you have been unfaithful.
You have not fulfilled your promise.
You are not good.
Because if you were,
life would be different.
And so when our picture does not align with God's design,
we turn on him
all this abundant life stuff
that he has promised
in our mind is just a crock.
We basically end up then calling God
a liar.
because what he said,
obviously,
just look at our life,
is not true.
I don't know if you are cynical this morning.
I don't know if you've ever been that way.
This is,
in a lot of ways,
in so many ways,
a description of the way I approach life.
I go so easily here
because,
honestly,
I think I have good plans for my life.
I think I know how to make it work.
I think I know what is good.
I think I know the way it should be.
And very often,
the way I think it should be
and the way God thinks it should be
collide.
And so,
I have a hard time
when finances are threatened,
life struggles just become long
and persistent.
My immediate reaction
is not to run to God
to ask him for help.
My immediate reaction can be,
I run at God
and say,
what are you doing?
And then I run away
because he's no help at all.
If he was help,
he would have fixed this a lot better than he did.
Instead of running to the scriptures
to see what is true,
I often just read the scriptures
and laugh and say,
that's not true.
Instead of running to God in prayer
of asking him for help,
I turn away from him
because I said,
what good is it going to do?
cynicism.
What?
Cynicism.
The problem is not with God,
if that's where you find yourself.
it's not him.
It's us.
Because we have taken on,
we have taken this approach to life
that is built on our own arrogance
where we think
we can determine everything on our own.
when I think that God has failed
and I'm tempted to run away
in anger
at what he has done
instead of
judging him for injustice
and his unfaithfulness,
what I really should do
is run to him
and get a readjustment.
He's not the one
that needs a readjustment.
I am.
I need to get a heart adjustment.
And when we become,
when we feel ourselves
getting into the cynicism,
we need to be very careful
that this self-determined,
self-centered view of reality
and the way it should be
becomes the reason
why we would reject God
and say he's not worth following.
Because the problem
is not his faithfulness
to his promise.
The problem is
we have a very distorted view
of what life is supposed to be.
And we need to,
instead of running away from him,
to run to him
and let him readjust
our perspective.
And here in Malachi,
that's exactly what he does.
He is giving them
a heart readjustment.
Because what he does here
in these verses,
before he calls them
to task on anything
that they,
else that they have been doing wrong,
look at what he gives them.
He gives them
the gospel.
He gives them
a reminder.
He said,
wait a minute.
I've loved you.
What you think
is evidence to the contrary,
you have grossly misinterpreted.
Because actually
that evidence
should say to you
how much
I love you.
He said,
you're not abandoned.
Far from it.
Let's look at the evidence.
Let's compare you
and your cousin Esau.
Let's compare the two.
Where is Esau?
Where are the Edomites?
Are they here?
Are they still around?
Try to find them.
They're gone.
They've been wiped out.
Now they might say,
oh, we'll rebuild.
But as you watch,
they are not there.
They will not be there.
And where are you?
You are back
in your home.
Right in the place
where I promised
I would be with you.
You have,
you have not deserved
anything more
than the Edomites.
Maybe less
because you had the law.
You had all this stuff.
And look at what you did.
Look at what you really deserve.
And what if you get?
I brought you home.
I put you back
in your city.
I put,
the temple is here.
My presence is here.
I haven't abandoned you.
I've loved you.
And it's on the basis
of this evidence
of God's love
for his covenant people.
and the evidence
that backs it up.
He will now call them
to a new obedience.
He doesn't call them
to an obedience
to gain love from him.
He says,
I want you to obey
because I love you.
And here is
probably one of the most
basic truths
that we have to
be clear on
is that all of our obedience
before God
and his word,
all of our faithful
waiting until his promise
is fulfilled,
all of our resistance
to temptations,
all of that
stands
or falls
on our believing
at a functional level
of two truths.
That God
is
and that he loves.
Everything
flows
out of that.
That God is there
and God
loves me.
It's not
that he is
this great authority
that commands
my obedience.
I mean,
that's true.
It's the fact
that I'm loved.
Because
I will never
trust
someone
if I don't think
they love me.
I will never
put myself
in the hands
of someone
that I don't think
is working
for
my
good.
All the Christian life
is built
on that belief
that I am
loved.
look how
the writer
of Hebrews
puts it.
He puts it
in Hebrews 11
6.
He says,
without faith
it is impossible
to please him
for everyone
who would
draw near
to God
must believe
that he
exists
and that he
rewards
those who
seek him.
do you hear
the old
traditional
table blessing
that is
full
of rich
good theology?
God is
great.
God is
good.
That's it.
If you learn
nothing else
that is
it.
God is
capable
of fulfilling
his love
and he
desires
to fulfill
his love.
Because I'm
only going to
trust somebody
who's working
for my good.
Imagine
you are
a little
kid
and you've
been left
at let's
say daycare.
You're only
about five
or six
years old
but your
mom
has promised
you that
she would
come
and get
you.
And you
are convinced
that your
mom loves
you and
your mom
hey your
mom is big
and strong
and she
is going
to be able
to come
back and
get you.
And so
every other
offer for
someone to
take you home
with them or
every other
suggestion that
maybe she's not
coming or
whatever you
just say no.
I believe
that my
mom loves
me.
And I'm
waiting.
If you
didn't believe
that.
If you
weren't sure
that she
loved you.
If you
weren't sure
that she
was capable
of even
getting back
or if
once she
came back
if you
would be
ill-treated
or abused
if another
better opportunity
came along
you might
take it.
Because hey
you need
help you
got to get
help somehow.
But her
willingness to
wait your
willingness to
wait on mom
is all
based
on if
she
loves you.
love you.
So in
my life
you know
my sexual
purity
my financial
integrity
my
willingness
to
worship
regularly
and faithfully
all of
that rests
on this
truth
if I
am loved.
So
sin
issues
temptation
issues
they're
really
not
based
upon
how
disciplined
we
are
they're
not
really
based
on
our
behavior
at all
they're
faith
issues
what do
I
believe
because
what I
really
believe
is going
to drive
what I
do
and if
I
don't
believe
that
I'm
loved
and I
then who
have I
got to
trust
I've
got to
make
things
happen
on my
own
this
is
what
orphans
do
orphans
are
fiercely
independent
self
dependent
because
they have
nobody
else
they don't
have anybody
they can
trust
they don't
have anybody
that cares
for them
and so
if it's
going to
happen
they've
got to
make it
happen
we're
not
orphans
we're
sons
we're
daughters
what do
I believe
what do
I believe
about his
love
and do
I believe
it to
the point
that I
will say
no
to all
other
offers
or that I
will say
no
to all
other
temptations
or I
will say
no to
cynicism
do I
believe
it enough
to rest
and wait
in his
coming
for me
so what
evidence
do you
have
what
evidence
do we
have
that
this
love
is
going to
be
fulfilled
well
Israel
was shown
right there
before their
eyes
what
happened
to Edom
and where
God says
you know
I have
hated Esau
and that
phrase
is basically
saying them
and it
says look
what I've
done with
you
compared to
what I've
done with
them
what I did
with them
appears to
be hate
because you
I should
have hated
but I
didn't
I've
loved
but for
us
the evidence
is even
greater
because it's
not Esau
that we
see God
hated
it was
Jesus
his own
son
his own
beloved
Isaiah
said
it
pleased
him
to
crush
him
he
poured
out
his
unmitigated
hatred
of
sin
in our
idolatry
in our
unbelief
all of
that
he poured
out
on
Jesus
not you
not us
instead
he brought
us
home
we
don't
receive
that
judgment
instead
we
because he
treated
Jesus
this way
instead
we get
his
smile
look how
Paul put
it in
Romans 8
32
he who
did not
spare
his own
son
that gave
him up
for us
all
how will
he not
now
with him
graciously
give us
all
things
does God
love you
here's the
evidence
if he
wasn't
willing to
stop
there
why would
he stop
anywhere
the
Christian
life is
a radical
life
we are
called to
a strict
obedience
we are
called to
wait and
say no
to all
this world
offers
and that
evidence
we're
given
he
will
encourage
us
to do
that
so we
have a
savior
who was
hated
and given
what you
deserve
and in
turn we
were loved
and given
what he
deserved
and this
is the
evidence
as we
come here
to the
table
this
morning
this
is why
we do
this
it is
to remind
you
that
you
are
loved
to this
degree
so as
we
celebrate
the
sacrament
we
come
and
remember
we
look at
the
evidence
we
look at
what he
was
willing
to do
and
once
again
say
I've
seen
your
love
for
me
I
believe
it
I
have
tasted
it
and
I
will
stand
on
it
let's
pray
together
father
why
is
it
so
difficult
for us
to
grasp
this
but
maybe
it's
just
the
hardness
of
our
own
hearts
father
would
you
melt
that
hardness
and
would
you
again
make
this
a
fresh
feeding
a
feast
of
your
love
and
grace
we
come
in the
name
of
Jesus
amen
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