intro: the best movie of all time.
tombstone is the best movie of all time.
the part where wyatt earp says, "you tell them i'm coming, and hell's coming with me."
god does that sort of thing here.
malachi: 3:13 - 3:18
13. "Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, `What have we spoken against You?'
14. "You have said, `It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we
have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
15. `So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.' "
16. Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.
17. "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as
a man spares his own son who serves him."
18. So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
this passage divides neatly:
v13-15 are the words of the wicked; they attack the idea that it is worthwhile to serve god.
v16 mentions the encouragement that god's true people offered to one another.
v16-18 records god's response - he's paying attention and will make it worthwhile or painful in the end.
the passage is thick with irony - the very thing that the wicked reject god is moving to fulfill at the same time.
the faithless
13. "Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, `What have we spoken against You?'
14. "You have said, `It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we
have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
15. `So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.' "
1. the wicked deny that god will judge evil (v15).
have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
this has been all over malachi...god has been trying to re-establish that he's coming with a whip to clean the house up.
2. the wicked deny that god will reward righteousness (v14)
what's so bad about this?
well..it's an attack on god's promises, god's system, and god's people.
subjective: it's discouraging to to god's people
let's be honest. who doesn't struggle with holding onto this belief?
do you want someone to be reading you the riot act on it?
objective: it's calling god a liar
god has said he will.
the wicked scoff and say, "no way".
god doesn't like to be told what he will and won't do by some scrub he created out of dust.
3. notice that they are condemned for belief not action
- not action: god doesn't condemn them here for sleeping around or cheating on math tests.
- false beliefs: god condemns them for false beliefs about god
god is very concerened with true beliefs about himself.
4. god says that this is arrogant. why?
- it denies that god's words are true.
- it says that there is no power of god over man; that man is free to do as he wants.
the faithful
16. Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.
1. what do the faithful need to do?
- affirm what god said
- encourage one another.
- wait (for god's justice and their reward)
god handles the rest...
god's response
16. Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.
17. "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as
a man spares his own son who serves him."
18. So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
1. god does notice the words of the evil and the words of the good.
no visible sign is given that he's watching/recording however - future revealing is the plan here.
he is responding through his prophet to the wicked that he does know what's going on.
2. god makes a list (an elephant never forgets).
i forget things. i forgot to buy floss 4 days straight.
i eventually grabbed some scratch paper, slapped it on the fridge with a magnet, and wrote "floss" on it.
in this case...it's a great picture of god writing "a book of remembrance".
- this is the same picture as the 'book of life' in rev 20:12
12. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened;
and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which
were written in the books, according to their deeds.
3. righteous and wicked; biblical thought.
- bifurcation here: people are either righteous or wicked
how should we think about that?
- all men are sinful and therefore wicked. (rom 3:9-20 for starters)
- some men pursue god and righteousness and are called rightous.
- how? by receiving the grace of god through faith.
this is not a question of where does this grace come from; this passage doesn't discuss that...
the old testament doesn't usually focus on the mechanics of salvation; it focuses on the human piece.
our job is "believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (heb 11:6)
and "by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality" (rom 2:7).
- great phrase in v17: "I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
our response
live for the long term
- re: justice and vengeance
believe: that god will settle all scores far better than you can.
- be willing to wait to see it.
- re: rewards
believe: that god rewards those who pursue righteousness and god's plans.
encourage:
if you feel like christianity is work, rules, and a pain...think about god remembering goodness.
it's not worthless, it's not unseen.
it changes our ability to suffer when you know that god sees and isn't unware.
challenge: value the right stuff
- check your schedule - what is your time spent on? does it show that you believe that god is taking notes now?
- check your budget - what is your money spent on? does it reflect a belief that god accepts your gifts?
(outline)
1:1-1:5 - how have you loved us?
1:6-2:9 - how have we despised your name?
2:10-2:16 - for what reason (are our offerings no longer accepted?) (actually stated in 2:14)
2:17-3:6 - how have we wearied him?
3:7 - how shall we return?
3:8-3:12 - how have we robbed thee?
3:13-3:18 - what have we spoken against him?
4:1-4:6 - (day of the lord)