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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/pablo-seguel/malach/
Good afternoon. Can you please open your Bibles in the book of Malachi? And I was praying after lunch about this message because we don't say too much about the minor prophets. And my brother just opened the book of Zechariah and said, wow, that was my answer.
And if you notice a special accent on my English, it's because I'm not from Scotland or Europe. I'm from Chile, South America. And my name is Pablo. If you remember my name, it's OK. If you don't, it's OK, too.
But my wife and Cheryl, my wife Cheryl and I, we are living in Illinois and gathering with the saints in the Lenox. And I have a couple of good friends here in Blue River. That's why I'm here. I want to read with you in this book.
Chapter one. There's one. The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. The name Malachi means my messenger. The Hebrew word is very similar. Actually, some scholars think that Malachi is not a proper name, that maybe it's just a way to express that the Lord is delivering his message through a messenger.
The same expression, very similar, appears in chapter three, when the Lord said, Behold, I will send my messenger. It's exactly the same, Malachi. That's the name in Hebrew for the prophet and sounds exactly the same for my messenger.
But this is just a matter of interesting study. This doesn't affect the message of the book at all. The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, wherein hast thou loved us?
This is the Lord's response. Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau. And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom says we are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, they shall build, they shall build. But I will throw down and they shall call them the border of wickedness. And the people against whom the Lord hath indignation forever.
And you and your eyes shall see and ye shall say, the Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel. A son on earth, his father. And a servant, his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor?
And if I be a master, where is my fear? Says the Lord of hosts and to you all priests that despise my name. And you say, wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer pollute bread upon mine altar. And you say, wherein have we polluted thee?
In that you say that the table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind of sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person?
Saith the Lord of hosts. And now I pray you beseech God that he will be gracious unto us. This hath been by your means. Will he regard your persons, saith the Lord of hosts? Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for not?
Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for not. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts. Neither will I accept an offering at your hand. These prophets are called minor, but they don't have nothing of minor.
It's because their message is shorter than other prophets' message. That's the only reason. But they are very important. And I agree with my brother that we read and we preach not too much from these books.
And this is a wonderful and at the same time, it's a burden. It's interesting how the book starts. The burden of the word of the Lord. And there is some controversy because this word burden can be also translated as oracle or message from the Lord.
But I think that we can join both ideas. The word can mean both burden or oracle. But the thing is that the message is heavy. The message is heavy. The message is a burden for the prophet's heart. And it's going to be heavy for the addressees, for the people who's going to listen the message.
It's the burden. The prophet Jeremiah said that the word of the Lord was like fire in his bones. Because what the people is about to hear is not a nice message from the Lord. It's a message that has the purpose to provoke an answer in these people.
This is the generation that already built the temple. My brother helped me giving some information about the setting of the book. Thank you very much. But Malachi is sent by the Lord to deliver this message to this generation.
And if you read throughout all the book, you will see that there's many questions here. It's very interesting how the Lord is delivering this message to the people. There's many questions. And there's some disputations.
There are at least six disputations that you can see here. The Lord's love, that the Lord loves Jacob. In chapter 1 verse 2 to 5. That God is Israel's father and he desires honest worship. Chapter 1 verse 6 to 9.
He is a father of all Israelites and expects true faithfulness. Chapter 2 verse 10 to 16. God wants honesty not words because he is just. Chapter 2 verse 17 to 3 to 5 verse 5. God is faithful to his word and desires genuine worship.
Chapter 3 verse 6 to 12. And again, God desires honesty. So there's several of indictments throughout the book. But before to start any indictment toward the people. The Lord starts speaking through the prophets by these words.
I have loved you. Those are amazing words. I have loved you, says the Lord. And in the way of how the Lord is saying this. He is saying, I have loved you and I still love you. And this is very important for the rest of the message.
This is the positive starting of the book. We could say that the book also finishes in a positive way. But the book starts with this positive, tremendous, beautiful, wonderful statement from the Lord.
To a people that has been unfaithful. To a people that has been doing pretty orthodox things. But with a cold heart. With complaints in their hearts. These people, you can see their apathy. In how they respond to the Lord.
As I said, the first phrase is beautiful. I have loved you, says the Lord. I have loved you and I still love you. Even though you are acting the way you are acting. And you can read the book. This is only three chapters.
Four. There are three chapters in the Hebrew Bible. But there are three chapters. It is going to take you like 20 minutes to read the whole book. And you will be impressed with the language. With the tone of the message.
And how the people answer the Lord. What? Are we robbing to you? How we can despise your name? And all that kind of answer. The kind of answer that we gave to our parents when we were teenagers. The kind of answer that maybe you are receiving today.
From your kids. If you have teenagers. I'm about to enter to that stage. So pray for me, please. The kind of some insolence in the tone. But before to say a word, the Lord said, I have loved you. That is how the Lord opens the book.
And look at the answer of the people. Look at the people's answer. They said, where in has thou loved us? In what way? Another version says, how have you loved us? How? Can you show us some evidence of your love?
Can you prove in what way you have loved us? This is the people's answer. And this is very interesting. Because all the people's action. This is very interesting too. This is people who is involved in sacred things.
This people is living in terrible things. Worshipping idols. They already passed that time. They came back from exile. They learned that lesson about idolatry. Sort of. This people is serving in the temple.
This people is bringing offerings. This people is giving tithes to the Lord. But the Lord said, I'm not pleased with you. I'm not happy with you. But the first thing again. And this is very important.
The Lord said, I have loved you. But the answer is, how? How? Remember, Lord, you said. You sent Agai. You sent Zechariah. You spoke about riches. About prosperity. About peace. We still don't see it.
Where is it? When we start to doubt about God's love. All problems come. When we start to doubt about God's faithfulness. When we start to doubt about His love. All kind of problems will come to our lives.
I mean, when I speak about problems. I speak about inner problems. Contempt. Complaints. A lack of faith. A cold heart. And we are on risk to start to do things mechanically. Just because we have to do it.
But inside, there is complaint. Inside, there is not joy. The absence of joy, as my brother Frank told before. Our hearts look more like stone hearts. Cold. Without joy. They say, how? How have you loved us?
So the Lord is going to give them just one example. Of how He has loved them. And He goes thousand years ago to make His point. The Lord goes to Rebecca's womb. To make His point. The Lord said, do you remember Isa?
Do you remember Jacob? Of course they did. Of course they remembered. The Lord declares, yet I have loved Isa. But sorry, I'm changing the doctrine here. I have loved Jacob. But Isa, I have hated. And I have turned his hill country into a wasteland.
What is the Lord saying here? The Lord is saying, do you know how you can see my love for you? I chose you. Before Jacob and Isa were born, I chose Jacob. And now here, I know that we tend to think with words as love and hate.
In a very sentimental way. But probably here, love and hate has to do with the election of Jacob over Isa. I don't think that the Lord hated, in a sentimental way, Isa. Because He blessed Isa as well.
He made of Isa a great nation. He gave Isa lands and all of that. But in God's purposes, in God's plans, He chose Jacob. Not Isa. And Deuteronomy, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read that the Lord chose Israel.
Not because they were better than other people. Just because He loved them. He loved them. All God's purposes go through Israel. Amazing, right? That's the only people. So, the Lord could choose other people, other nations for His plans.
But He chose Israel. But the Lord then gives another evidence. He not only chose Jacob over Isa. But He also fulfilled everything He said about Isa. Because if you know the prophet Obadiah, you will remember all the prophecies about Edom.
Edom, Isa, Seir is the same person. It's the same people. It's the same land. And probably at this time, Obadiah's prophecy was fulfilled already. The Lord is saying, look what happened to Edom. I told that Edom was about to be destroyed and that happened.
And they will not rebuild again their cities. Even if they want to do it. That's what the Lord said in verse 4. Edom may say, though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins. But this is what the Lord Almighty says.
They may build, but I will demolish. So, the Lord is saying, look how I have loved you. Edom, Isa, your brother, he wants to prosper again. He wants to rebuild the city again. But they won't. I won't allow it.
Because my plans for them are fulfilled. But with you, I still have plans for you. I have not finished with you yet. I'm still working on it. Don't doubt about my love. Later on, we can see other questions.
The first question that the Lord asked is, I mean the first sentence is, I have loved you. And they doubt about that. How have you loved us? How? How have you loved us? In our case today, if we doubt about God's love, where do we have to look?
We have to look to the cross. And we will see how much God loves us. But if we stop watching, if we stop looking at the cross. If we start complaining in our hearts. If we start doubting about God's love in our hearts.
The other problems will come. Same as the people of Israel in these times. Well, that's why the Lord is complaining against, for example, the priests. The priests. They were responsible. They were responsible to guide the people.
To make offerings. And also to teach. This is very interesting. Yes, I want to read in verse 7 of chapter 2. Verse 7 of chapter 2. Just to see one of the responsibilities of the priests. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge.
And they should seek the law. They should seek the law. This they refers to the people. And they should seek the law at his mouth. For he is the messenger. Again, the word messenger is here. For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Another version says. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge. Because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. And people seek instruction from his mouth. But. Verse 8. But, ye are departed out of the way.
Ye have caused many to stumble at the law. Ye have corrupt the covenant of Levi. Says the Lord of hosts. Another version says. But you have turned from the way. And by your teaching have caused many to stumble.
You have violated the covenant with Levi. Says the Lord Almighty. The Lord is not happy with the priests. The Lord is so unhappy. That in verse 10 in chapter 1. He says. Who is there of all. I read this before.
All that one of you would shut the temple doors. So that you would know like useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you. Says the Lord Almighty. And I will accept no offering from your hands.
This is striking. This is astonishing. This phrase. All that one of you would shut the temple doors. Do you know what the Lord is saying? I am not pleased with you priests. You know actually. I hope that the best thing you could do.
Is one of you go to the temple. And shut the doors. I am not pleased with you. And this is terrible. This is terrible. Because. They think they are doing great. And they are doing terrible. The Lord is not pleased with them.
I am reading this book. Because I think we should take a profound. A deep look inside. Of us. Each believer. And examine my own life. My devotion. My love. If my heart is a whole. Heart for God. I am longing for his presence.
I am longing for knowing him better. I am suffering because I can't know him. I can't know him more and more. I am suffering because I can see. Because I see in my life so many things. That the Lord still has to change.
Or I am happy because I am from the assembly. We do the practice. The biblical practice. Which is very good. But the inside. What the Lord would say. These people was. Complaining. They were despising.
They were doing things for the Lord. But their heart was. In another part. But the Lord still loved them. And do you know why does the Lord still love them? It's because the Lord said in chapter 3 verse 6.
I the Lord. Do not change. I do not change. I still love you. That's why I am saying this. It's because I love you. That's why I send my messenger. Because I love you. This is why I am sending these words toward you.
To make a change in your way of thinking. In your way of loving or feeling about me. Says the Lord. I have to finish. But I want to finish with a wonderful thing. In verse 16. Of chapter 3. This is a wonderful verse.
Do you know the words of the prophet? They. Provoked a reaction on the people. Not all the people. Those who feared the Lord. Then. They had feared the Lord. And the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it.
And a book of remembrance was written before him. For them that feared the Lord. And that thought upon his name. I read another verse that says. Then those who feared the Lord. Talked. Those who feared the Lord.
Talked with each other. And the Lord listened. And heard. You know what happened? Some of the people listened. The message from Malachi. They didn't like it. It's the same when. We discipline our child.
Our children. Our kids. They are very angry at the beginning. But a few minutes later. They come and say. They are happy again. Because they thought. They said. Daddy you are right. I am sorry. You were right about what you said.
I made a mistake. I am so sorry. And some people. Some persons of the people of Israel. That were listening the words of the prophet. Those feared the Lord. And they listened. And they talked. They talked with each other.
Those who feared the Lord. Talked with each other. I don't know what they did. But they joined in some corner. Maybe outside the temple. I don't know what they did. But they joined. They gathered together.
They said guys. We are in trouble here. We are not. We are not acting well. We are doing. Terrible things here. Look what the Lord said. We are not doing. What the Lord want us to do. Was the Lord indifferent to that?
This is wonderful. And the Lord listened. And heard. Amazing that. They used two expressions. To speak about listening. The Lord listened. And heard a scroll of remembrance. Was written in His presence.
Concerning those who feared the Lord. And honored His name. Oh. My brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn't matter. If it is in America. Or Canada. Or Chile. We need to listen. We need to listen. What the Lord is saying.
Through His word. And we need to talk. And we need to say. You know. Yes. The prophet is right. The prophet was right. The fact that we are doing. Things correctly. In the outward. Doesn't mean. Necessarily.
That we are okay. In the inward. Not always. Not always. There is a match. Sometimes we can do. The good things. The correct things. But our hearts. Our hearts can be. Distance. Cold. Complaining. Against the Lord.