Book of Malachi - Ch. 3, Vs. 7-8 (06/04/2023)

Well, you want to hear something crazy dad Today's the one year

Anniversary of brother Bill's last lesson. I Thought about that the other day

I was a little bit disappointed because I didn't think about it quickly enough and when I did I was like well

You know, maybe I should uh, or I was thinking I wish I had realized it sooner And maybe we could have prepared something to commemorate a little bit.

But then I Thought about something else. That's crazy and That is brother

Myron was here. It was just last week, right? yeah, that was this last week brother

Myron was here and he was preaching and What was his passage

It was Psalm 1 And so it was the whole chapter. He read the whole

Psalm and Brother Myron doesn't know that that was brother Bill's last

Chapter and so that was just a You know ordained thing that the

Lord put together to commemorate brother Bill's last lesson brother Myron came and preached that awesome sermon on Psalm 1 and So I thought that was pretty cool

Yeah, he passed away on the 7th His last lesson I was tanked on the 5th, so I guess tomorrow is technically the one -year anniversary but This was the

Sunday of his last lesson a year ago and Yeah, Psalm 1 was his last thing brother

Myron did Psalm 1 again last week pretty neat coincidence there I say coincidence Yes, and that's another reason today's special brother

Raymond's birthday today would have been Nana's 94th birthday and Wednesday Wait a minute.

Maybe it was to you know, it was Tuesday. We didn't find out till Wednesday But it was

Tuesday the 7th when he passed away Yep Yes, yeah today is one year since brother

Bill's last lesson Right I'm uh,

I'm basing it off of the day of the week Tomorrow's technically the anniversary.

But anyway, pretty crazy. Can't believe it's already been a year and The force they've diligently picked up where brother

Bill left off and He's several Psalms into that at this point

But anyway, pretty crazy so we will be thinking about brother Bill today also need to be thinking about the

Nichols because You know, we're just a couple days from the one year

Since his passing so I'm sure they'll be thinking about him quite a bit this week Well, y 'all go ahead and turn to Malachi chapter 3

Just To kind of give you a reminder of how we got where we are there are kind of four natural sections within the book of Malachi Where everything is divided up?

began with the love of God for his people in the first few chapters of I'm sorry, the first few verses of chapter 1 and Then starting in chapter 1 around verse 6 all the way through chapter 2

Verse 9 we talked about the sins of the priests The specific things they were doing

They can hear the music Okay, we'll turn mic number three just all the way down and that should stop it

And if that didn't stop it, let me know. I don't know what else would fix it. But so The second section was the sins of the priest then we began the third section in chapter 2 verse 10

Which was the sins of the people? When you get to chapter 3 at the beginning of it Malachi kind of diverges from The theme of that section the sins of the people and we discussed kind of the

Parenthetical that he gave us which he was he then shifted his prophecy out Into the future

John the Baptist then eventually the second coming of the Lord Now here we are in chapter 3 verse 7.

He picks back up where he left off Discussing the sins of the people. So we're still technically in the third section of Malachi here again if you're just in how it's broken up into the subjects of Malachi's prophecy, so we're talking about the people again and We'll just start right there

Malachi 3 verse 7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them

Returning to me and I will return unto you say the Lord of hosts, but ye said wherein shall we return?

So again Malachi picks back up on the sins of the people on the sins of Israel Kind of with this blanket condemnation of Israel's disobedience to God's degrees

Degrees throughout its history throughout Israel's history. Now, what's interesting is contrast that With the previous verse that we talked about a couple of two or three weeks ago at this point in verse 6

God Ends that parenthetical about his return By saying

I am the Lord I change not Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed

He is reminding us in verse 6 of his faithfulness and then we turn around and in verse 7

We're reminded of the constant Inconsistent unfaithfulness disobedience of Israel so You have a stark contrast right there between those two verses and of course what is talked about there in verse 7 calls to mind

God's comments in the past Kind of near the beginning of Israel's history Specifically from the point of them leaving

Egypt forward. I know there's quite a bit of history before that but With that is the starting point

God Comments even at that time about Israel's stubbornness at the

Mount at Mount Sinai as God is giving Moses the

Ten Commandments You know the people of Israel are down at the base of the mountain making a false

God and worshiping that idol and Fast forward

Toward the end of Moses his life He actually reminds the people before he departs from them what

God said about that unfaithfulness He repeated to his people for the entire nation before they went into the promised land

He reminded them of that disobedience of that stubbornness and Literally gave them warning that it was going to continue to be an issue for them

He didn't say, you know, be careful. Don't make sure you're not stubborn again, you know, try not to do that He told them it was going to happen and you don't have to go here.

I'm just gonna read a couple verses but in Deuteronomy chapter 31 In verse 27

Moses is telling the people again right before they go into the promised land He says for I know thy rebellion in thy stiff neck

Behold while I am yet alive with you this day Ye have been rebellious against the

Lord and how much more after my death that is a really interesting note that You know

Moses left. He's not very optimistic about the state of his people

As he is, you know, he has been there. He's been their mentor. He's been their leader He's been their judge for 40 years and you would think and you would hope that after 40 years

He may have gotten him to a place of you know, alright guys It's been a long road.

It's been a long road, but we're here. I'm gonna leave you with this, you know, go do your best No, he's leaving with No confidence at all in the people that he has been leading for the past four years

How much more after my death will you rebel against God in verse 28? It says gather unto me all the elders of your tribes in your officers

Then I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to record against them.

So He's just laying out the facts here Y 'all are going to continue in your rebellious spirit toward the

Lord even more So after my death and he ends by saying for I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves

He's just telling him like this is gonna happen. It's your nature and turn aside from the way which

I have commanded you that's what they're gonna do and Evil will befall you in the latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the

Lord to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands This is

Deuteronomy that we're reading from here This is the end of Moses's life as he is again telling them exactly how it's gonna play out after he's gone

Fast forward all the way to the end of their Old Testament history. We'll just call it that for a sec here we are here we are in Malachi and Everything that Moses told the people before he even left them is once again coming to pass

So certainly the history of Israel from that day of Moses to the time of Malachi where he is now prophesying

What it's doing is that history? Gives Malachi a very strong basis for this charge that he's now giving

Israel in verse 7 When he tells them you're gone away from mine ordinances and again, it's it's it's

God talking through Malachi So it's really God's direct words You have gone away from mine ordinances and you have not kept them the basis for that is not just Present -day

Israel at the time of Malachi. He's calling back all the way to the times of Moses Arguably even before that but certainly that is is the the reference point here

God is calling back point for point. He can call back point for point all of the explicit disobedience

From generation to generation which has now resulted in the curses of their day

Is remember at this time Israel is under a curse we're gonna get back to that in just a moment but the result the resulted curses are

From this long history of disobedience that has continued unwavering From the time of Moses to present -day

Malachi, but it's of course amazing. So here we are in verse 7 It says you have gone away from my ordinances

You have not kept them but It's amazing how the verse ends because despite the very deserving

The very deserving punishments and rebukes that Israel is receiving at this point

You have God once again with his long -suffering spirit

He doesn't end it there. He doesn't end it with the punishment with the rebuke He says if Israel were to return to him in faith and in obedience

Then he would respond and would return to his people. So he didn't have to say that He had reminded them of that dozens and dozens hundreds of times throughout the

Old Testament they ignore it They continue down the path of disobedience

And if there was ever a time where God could finally just kind of cut the cord and be like, all right

This is the last straw you have not kept my ordinances You have not even cared about them.

We're done No he gives them yet another reminder that all they have to do is return to him and he will return back to them and That promise of course was based on a very specific covenant that God made with Israel in the days of Moses In fact,

I'm gonna go ahead and read it. If you go back just one chapter from that Deuteronomy passage. We were just reading in Chapter we were reading from chapter 31 a second ago.

If you go back to chapter 30 Let me read this really quick because this is interesting

This is this is again a reference point for what God is Reminding the people of Israel in verse 7 when he says returning to me

I will return unto you. This isn't some old I'm sorry. This isn't some new promise.

This is in fact a part of a very An important covenant that was made it says

Deuteronomy 30 To start at verse 1 and it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee the blessing and the curse

Which I have set before thee and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whether the

Lord thy God hath driven thee and Shalt return unto the Lord thy

God and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day Thou and thy children with all night heart and with all thy soul

That then the Lord thy God will return thy captivity I'm sorry the

Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee from all the nations whether the

Lord thy God hath scattered thee. I mean, this is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament. He brings them back

They disobey they're scattered. They are exiled This is somewhat true even in the time of Malachi even though they have returned

To a very small portion of the promised land. They have their temple back. They're still under the rule of the

Persians He's telling them be even back in Deuteronomy. This is going to be a result of your disobedience

It's gonna be part of the curse that's put upon you if you disobey, but I Will turn that captivity.

I will have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee from all the nations Whether I have scattered thee if any of thine be driven out into the outmost parts of heaven from thence

Will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land

Which thy father's possessed and thou shalt possess it and he shall do thee good and multiply thee above thy father's and the

Lord Thy God will circumcise thine heart This is Moses uses this phrase a couple of times and it's always so astounding when you consider the fact that even

The very giver of the law from the human viewpoint. It was God But Moses was the instrument that God used to deliver the law to his people including the the you know

Reaffirmation of circumcision being a token of their Election as a people even that person

Reminds them that it's the circumcision of the heart that really matters. It is the relationship with their

Lord and You know, that is a direct reference to their eternal salvation.

Not just their election as a Peculiar group of people the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed

To love the Lord thy God with all mine heart and with all thy soul That thou mayest live and the

Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee which

Persecuted thee he will literally Shift the tides turn the tides reverse the course and put the curses that the people are experiencing on the enemies that are

Persecuting them and of course Put the blessings back on Israel and now it shall return and obey the voice of the

Lord it all comes back to obedience and Do all his commandments which I command thee this day remember in verse 7 of Malachi 3 that we just read

Thou has not kept my ordinances they He's telling them in crystal -clear terms here that what is needed for immense blessings and for their enemies to be cursed and yet They find themselves doing the opposite over and over again all the way to the end of the

Old Testament and the Lord thy God will make thee plenty plenteous in every work of thine hand in The fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattle and in the fruit of thy land for good for the

Lord will again Rejoice over thee for good as he rejoiced over thy father's if thou

I'll read one more verse here if thou shalt hearken under the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in the books of the law and if Thou turn into the

Lord thy God with all mine heart and with all thy soul These are the blessings that are possible and this is not the first time in fact

You know if you go back a couple more chapters Deuteronomy chapter 28 the first 15 verses It's just laying out blessing after blessing that are theirs to take

If they obey and if they keep his commandments, it's really it just hinges on those couple of things and Then it goes on for a saw we've read

Deuteronomy 28 at least a couple of times in this study It goes on for like 60 some odd verses

Explaining to them the specific curses that will come upon them if they do not Obey him and keep his commandments.

So It's really amazing verse 7 of Malachi chapter 3 It begins with him reminding them of their history of disobedience not keeping his ordinances and he reminds them one more time even still

That if they return to him, he will return to them just as he promised way back again in the days of Moses but again

Look at the end of verse 7 one more time How does verse 7 end? It ends with the question asked by these people

There's then there's been another common theme throughout Malachi of them questioning God's statements directly to them.

They ask Wherein shall we return? This is at least the third or fourth time.

They've questioned a direct statement from God. He's literally speaking to them. His words are truth so you got to think about the magnitude

The Gravity that these questionings carry when they the audacity behind these questions anytime they do it

But this time Oh go ahead, man Well, it's funny

I was gonna touch on that in a second because they ask a couple of questions in the in the following verses

Starting with this one and We don't know exactly There's a couple of options at least in my mind.

Number one is either they were truly ignorant of God's promises to them.

They were truly ignorant of it or In the reason they would have been ignorant is because of their

Irreverence toward God's Word toward the books of the law the histories the writings that they had They they didn't think they were important anymore and so they didn't read them and therefore they were ignorant of all these promises

So God says these things and like what are you talking about? How is that possible? That's one possibility. The other possibility is that they weren't ignorant.

They did in fact know exactly what he was talking about But in order to probably, you know

Maybe try to escape the guilt of these charges made toward them They're like a little kid lying to get out of trouble with their parents

It's actually getting them in more trouble But they it's just their reactions their instinctive fallen nature to try to wiggle out of it.

And so they're like pleading ignorance To become then innocent. I don't know which of those two it was.

It could have been either one. I Want to say it's probably the latter. I Want to say that they they did they were fully aware of what

God was talking about and Yet were just like little kids trying to wiggle their way out of the guilt of the charges that were being made against them and Get to a point of innocence

But here's the thing and I was actually gonna get to this at some point I had it in my notes But to answer your question Matt either way

It doesn't matter that we're not told Which of those it is because either way they are held equally responsible

For knowing all of these things that God has been talking about. They had all of the books

In the temple, they had all of the oracles of God. They had the scriptures In fact, they were the only people on the planet at this time had

The scriptures the the oracles of God It doesn't matter whether it was willful ignorance or them trying to you know, maybe even lie and Try to play ignorance or if it was legitimate ignorance because they just weren't reading

Doesn't matter either way because they had God's Word and they either should have been reading it And they certainly should have been keeping the ordinances the

Commandments They had Deuteronomy chapter 30 that we just read they knew how to get out of all these troubles.

They were in so Again, we're not told it explicitly where this is coming from. Where are these?

What's the angle behind these questions, but doesn't matter because they're held Responsible equally

There well, there's been there's a common theme throughout Malachi has been rationalization and we talked about the dangers of rationalizing

You know, maybe six weeks ago or something You're right, and it's interesting that we are held to a similar mandate in the

New Testament via 1st John 1 9 What what what is the you know, what's the charge there?

It's to agree that what we did is wrong this what it means to confess right and so You're right

Matt that what God is telling them and he tells them in verse 7 that we just read

Return to me agree with me that what you guys have been doing Is wrong that it's been against the very words that I've given you and I'll return to you

It's as simple as that But what do they do? They they try to they question they question

God's direct statements They respond to that by saying we're in shall we return or in other words how?

Shall we return? Anyone know something interesting again, this isn't the first time in Malachi that they've questioned

God's statements They questioned his love for them in the first chapter. They questioned how they were profaning his sacrifices.

Y 'all remember that How were we defiling the sacrifices they questioned that? in Every single time they questioned

God Even though he has no need to do it. He answers them anyway, and he gives them an explicit response

Lays it out in crystal -clear terms an answer to the question but this one is different because if you'll notice they ask this question at the end of verse 7 and Verse 8 picks up with God talking again, but he doesn't answer the question this time

So unlike the previous occasions in this book in which God's statements are questioned God didn't even answer

This question. How shall we return to you? Think about that for just a second

He tells them return to me and I will return to you and they say how shall we return?

And he doesn't answer. He doesn't give him an answer this time. He's answered every other question.

What's the difference? Well, yeah, it's a every time it's been a question related to the statement

God made So in other words, he says I have loved you. I Hated Esau, but I loved you.

I loved Jacob And they say how So the question is love for him and he answers it.

I'm sorry. I got it backwards He says I have loved you and they say how and then he uses Jacob over Esau as the example

Then he says you have polluted your smile my altar. They say how he says you have defiled my sacrifices

They say how and he in all of those cases he gives them an answer But here he says return to me and I'll return to you and they say how he does not respond at all

He doesn't address that think about the disappointment for a second. Imagine The disappointment that the

Lord was experiencing with his people here Because of all the things to question I mean it's one thing that they question his love for him and it's kind of amazing to me that the

Lord had enough patience to even Address that to even answer it as if they needed an answer, but he went ahead and did it but here

It's almost like we get a sense of his disappointment reaching a peak level In you know from the human viewpoint we're thinking about Jesus Pre -incarnate, of course in the

Old Testament he was still in time just like he was with Abraham when he says now I see your faith before he

Sacrificed Isaac. He was there. He knew the future but he was there and he was experiencing history with his people

I mean, that's why he created us Was so that he could just be with us and so that he could be a part so that we could be a part of History with him.

This is another example of that in real time. He's looking at these people. He's talking to them through Malachi and He asked the question,

I'm sorry, he makes the statement they ask a question he doesn't address it his his disappointment had to have been just Unimaginable go ahead dad

It is interesting because if you go back to that Deuteronomy passage we were just reading

Moses said it is the Lord that will circumcise your heart So to dad's point dad just mentioned in case y 'all couldn't hear it online or in the recording

Perhaps he didn't answer it because there wasn't really a way they could answer it and From God's viewpoint.

It's certainly true that he Is ultimately the one

That performs the circumcision of the heart. I mean No one can perform heart surgery on on themselves whether physically certainly not spiritually

I mean as impossible as it would seem to perform open -heart surgery on yourself physically it is infinitely more impossible for you to do that to yourself spiritually so as Moses points out it is

God that will circumcise the heart but They think about how many times that God puts his sovereignty and parallel within the same passage of our of our responsibility he still gives us the framework for returning to him

I Obviously 100 % agree with dad. It is a work of the Lord and yet Remember, why were we even created?

He created us because he wanted to have a relationship with us He wanted us to be a part of it with him, so it's his work

He is the source of these things happening and yet going back to those early chapters of Deuteronomy 30

He is remember he's reminding them about Obeying him keeping his commandments doing these things.

He gave them some conditions for blessing He also, but it was also tied to Them returning to him and therefore as a result

God returning back to them and so he doesn't answer the question Imagine the disappointment he had with his people they had all of the scriptures

Including the ones that we just read a second ago those ones in Deuteronomy they clearly lay out the causes the effects the

Antidotes if you will For the turmoil that they were experiencing here in Malachi They had all of the information they needed

Including obviously a pretty close relationship with God at this point close enough where they had a prophet speaking

God's direct words to them even still at this time. They had all of it and yet here.

They are playing ignorant Again in questioning even the simplest.

I say simplest one of the clearest Things Realities that God has reminded his people time and time again throughout the

Old Testament Return to me, and I will return to you. That's that's You know the the foundation of it of course he gives them how to accomplish that obedience

Keeping his commandments his ordinances But it's it comes back to return to me desire me, and I will return to you

So the fact that they say how shall we return? It's just like you got to be kidding me, and he doesn't even address the question they had everything they needed to understand

What God was referencing now whether again to go back to Matt's original question kind of what I said just rehash it whether it was true ignorance because of their lack of interest in God's Word or whether it was a fake ignorance to somehow kind of Achieve innocency in some way

From From the accusations that were being made against them. They were just as guilty either way Because they did have the oracles of God they were held responsible to live according to those now just to Throw out a parallel really quick while we're on that before we go to the next verse we are moving somewhat slowly this morning

Think about us today in the church age think about the church and think about so oh my goodness

Gracious, I mean what today is the fourth so we're four days into debauchery month and It's already the the the sin has already been just absolutely

What was the word you used It's been atrocious, but it's just been all -encompassing.

It's all over the place already. We're four days in to quote -unquote pride month and I Have seen

Countless, so I follow a lot of pastors theologians apologists on Twitter It's where it's really the only thing

I use Twitter for is just seeing what they're saying about current events again These are pastors that I greatly respect theologians and so oftentimes you will see them commenting on Things being said by quote -unquote progressive

Christians They call themselves pastors and leaders spiritual leaders in the stuff that those guys are saying the quote -unquote progressives

About needing to be accepting and inclusive and all of these words that just make your stomach turn

It's gross and if Pride Month wasn't bad enough already is when you see these these fake evangelists and not evangelists fake evangelical

Christians That they're they're they're You know just as much

Lost as those that are flaunting everything This throughout this month. They are just as lost as they are, but they're doing that in the name of Evangelical Christianity in the name of the

Lord how many of them have said this is not you know Jesus wouldn't be condemning these people.

It's just laughable and I mean it's it's so it's so Opposite of what is true like you got to wonder how on earth these people like how do they have any followers at all?

Well, the answer is their followers are not reading the scriptures themselves, but again, okay So not to go down a rabbit trail too far there, but think about Where we are today the church the people and I say the church.

I'm talking about those professing Professing to be a part of the church, that's a better way to put it not the church

But those professing to be a part of the church Collectively Christianity in this country, but really the whole world

Do we get to claim ignorance of? The word when we are being punished for straying from the word of course not

It's the same thing that was happening in Malachi and at different places throughout the Old Testament with Israel They're claiming ignorance, but that does not get them out of the curses that they are now under for Disregarding God's Word and so think about the things that are to come in this country because you have people in fact possibly even the majority of people that are within the umbrella of evangelical

Christianity That are professing the name of the Lord that are a part of a church whether it's a true church or not most likely not although even solid churches can be filled with tears in the seats

They're there they're professing the name of the Lord And yet they go out and they do things like supporting what's going on this month and saying that you know

We this is it's being a good Christian by being supportive of that They don't get to claim one of these days when the curses become more and more greater and greater

They won't get to to claim ignorance of God's Word Oh, well, you know, how were we supposed to know that we shouldn't just be loving of everybody or anything of that sort

When that day comes they won't get to play ignorant just like the Israelites here in Malachi Aren't getting to play ignorant.

They are under a curse whether they knew What was to come of their sin or not again?

They are held equally responsible whether to Matt's point earlier They knew what they were doing or whether they didn't know what they were doing.

What was the angle behind these questions? doesn't matter and So think about that for a minute as you know

We progress throughout this month and as we will see greater and greater sins against the

Lord Consider the number of quote -unquote Christians out there that are supportive of it

When the day comes when the curses are too much to bear for everybody

They won't get to claim ignorance Verse 8 of Malachi. I don't know where the last point was that I sent you guys

I think in Deuteronomy you can go back to Malachi chapter 3 Maybe we can get one more verse in before we call it a day verse 8 of chapter 3 says will a man rob

God so Remember God doesn't answer their last question. How should we return?

He follows it up with a completely different question now He is now at he is now asking them a question He says will a man rob

God That's a pretty hefty accusation What on earth is he talking about?

He says yet You have robbed me. I mean he the reason he asked he asked this rhetorical question because it is so ridiculous.

It's like Even the heathen would probably fear robbing a

God whether it was their God or not Even the Pagans at that time probably would not have been as audacious as the

Israelites were toward their God in Robbing him. He says will a man rob God. It's a rhetorical question.

He follows it up by saying yet You have robbed me and Then here the

Israelites go again. They ask another question. They again question God's statement He says you have robbed me.

They then say wherein have we robbed thee in This time he does follow it up with a pretty plain answer in tithes and offerings

You know doesn't get simpler than that he

Makes it crystal clear How they have been performing this particular sin against him.

He states it. He states it bluntly Israel is now being accused of being thieves now

Think about this for a second being a thief against your fellow person Your your fellow people around you that was bad enough in fact

There was an entire commandment dedicated to thievery given to Moses This again should have been something

This is like should be at the top of the list in terms of do not do this for the people of Israel It's bad enough to steal from a person and yet it would take an absolute fool

To try to steal from God himself and even still this is the next charge against them that God is making directly to them

God is now telling them you have robbed me and Again, they ask how we've done that He says in tithes and offerings now in a comparison with Malachi 1 6

If you go flip back and you read chapter 1 verse 6 It says a son on earth his father a servant his master if then

I be a father Where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear sayeth the Lord of hosts Oh priest that despised my name

And you say wherein have we despised thy name? and he answers ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar and Then they ask wherein have we polluted it and he says in that you say the table of the

Lord is contemptible So remember that for just a second put a pin in that that was one of the first charges against The people again, of course, this was directly to the priests at that time in Comparison with that the nation's sin here had to do with offerings again.

So the first charge against them was about offerings This is about offerings as well. Remember he says in tithes and offerings.

This is how you have been robbing me Now the first time in the passage we just read first chapter 1 verse 6 and 7 it had to do with their attitude of disrespect which led to again a profaning of The offerings it started with disrespect you call your earthly father

You honor your earthly father, but you don't honor me so it started with disrespect and it led to the pollution of their offerings in the profaning of those offerings and It in that particular passage

It's the quality of their sacrifices that are in question. Okay, the quality of them they were profaning these sacrifices

They were offering defiled sacrifices. It's it's the quality of these sacrifices were terrible

But in the verse we're reading now in Malachi 3 8 it is now the quantity that has become an issue

Because God is accusing them of robbery of thievery They are not bringing all that they should to his table, so the quantity was

I'm sorry the quality was bad They were offering defiled sacrifices. Then you fast -forward to chapter 3, but they were offering wasn't enough.

They were withholding What they should have been giving To the Lord and when we get to verse 10, which at this point will be next week.

It tells us You know, he the Lord is telling them how to fix it. He says bring all of the tithes

Into the storehouses, you know quit like holding back quit stealing from me bring it all bring all that you were supposed to The tithe was literally a tip of all the produce in livestock

Which the people possessed and we learn about that in Leviticus chapter 27 I have like two maybe three minutes.

So I'm gonna end with a quick quote just in regard to these tithes and offerings for saying it because I don't

I typically don't quote I haven't done many quotes from the commentaries, but when it comes to tithes and offerings, there's a lot of interesting things

I mean there's purpose behind everything in the Old Testament, right the the 10th What the the tithes and offerings were composed of those types of things?

So one of my favorite commentaries that I've referenced is called the Bible knowledge commentary and it's from some of the really old guys from DTS back in the day like Wofford and Roy Zuck, I believe is his name and One of the things

I love most about that commentary is the cross -referencing So they just do a great job if you're in a passage, they will give you every other

Every other, you know cross -reference that you can think of that is speaking to that as well

So that's been a very helpful tool but I wanted to read just a direct quote from those guys really quick in regard to these tithes and offerings that Is being talked about in verse 8

It said they say a Tithe was to be given to the Levites Who in turn remembered the priests came from the tribe of Levi?

Okay So tithes were to be given to the Levites who in turn were to give a tithe of the tithe to the priests and Then they reference numbers chapter 18 verses 21 to 32

They continue the Israelites were also to bring a tithe of their produce and animals and eat it with the

Levites With the Levites before the Lord in Jerusalem as an act of festal worship and we learn about that and they quote

Deuteronomy chapter 12 in Deuteronomy chapter 14 Also, they continue every third year a tithe was to be stored up in the towns for Levites Strangers widows and orphans we learned about that again in Deuteronomy chapter 14

So these tithes again The reason I'm quoting this is we're getting a picture of how exactly the

God's people were robbing God at this time again This is a very hefty accusation that's being made.

They ask. How are we doing it? He says tithes and offerings. Okay. So what were these tithes and offerings even intended for?

They were ordained by God in Deuteronomy 14 so that there would be something not only for the

Levites Which again was the priestly tribe, but also for the strangers those Traveling through their land for the widows for the orphans these things were intended to take care of these people

What was true religion according to James? True religion is being there and taking care of the widows in the orphans

That isn't like an ancient reality Even back in the times of Deuteronomy God set up Certain things he put certain things in play so that his people were there to take care of the widows and the orphans

They weren't doing that and by not doing that they were literally robbing God. So let me continue the quote

They say while the word offerings Word offerings may refer to offerings in general.

It seems to refer here in There talking about the verse we just read Malachi 3 8 to those portions of the offerings as well as those portions of the tithes

Designated for the priests and they they reference the the Hebrew word Terumah, which means contribution they're saying that they you know, the context indicates that it's specifically

Again the portion of the tithes and offerings for the priests that are being robbed of God here if the

Levites and priests would not Receive the tithes and offerings they would have to turn to other means of supporting themselves

Remember the tribe of Levi their inheritance was God. They didn't get land They had to rely on God for their substance

So God, of course put things in play where the Levites were living in the inherited portions of land for the other tribes

So they always had a place to live and they relied on their substance from God But remember God ordained the means

The means were the other tribes would be giving tithes and offerings and a portion of that would be for the priests to live off of so if they weren't getting that The priests now had to figure out a way to support themselves, which was not the the ordained order for the the tribe of Levi That God put in place and then they end the quote by saying as a result the temple ministry would suffer

So that was again from the Bible knowledge commentary on Malachi 3 8 and the the reason

I wanted to read all that was just again to kind of show you guys the Not only the the severity of the charge being made against the

God's people at this time in terms of robbing God, but like what was the

Practical result of them robbing God they probably were just thinking this doesn't matter who care like let's hang on to this ourselves

Do we really need to be tithing our substance and be giving offerings? We already have covered multiple times the irreverence and the lack of fear toward God In fact, maybe even a lack of faith in him at all at this time in history

So they're withholding these tithes They're holding it for themselves and God is saying you have robbed me by doing that in the chain reaction the domino effect

If you withholding those tithes and offerings are my priests are now having to support themselves

There is nothing for the widows nothing for the orphans nothing for the strangers that are traveling through sojourning sojourn sojourning sojourning

That's weird That did not roll off the tongue like I thought it would And there's nothing for these people in because of that you have robbed me directly

God says Really really crazy stuff. So we'll pick it up at verse 9 next week. Do y 'all have any final thoughts before we?

Leave here. I think I'm pushing the clock Well, it's incredible how

Like the level that these people took it Their disrespect toward God, but again, it's in direct parallel to exactly what we're doing today now by we do

I mean us as individuals this room not necessarily talking collectively again the church and by church

I'm talking about people that profess to be a part of it We know God knows his church.

He knows his bride. He knows the elect. He knows their hearts We don't though and therefore if someone is going to profess to be a part of The church

In some form or fashion They are to be held to the exact same standards that that are given in the word and yet they are ignorant of it

They are ignoring it on purpose Just like the people of Malachi did and they're gonna be held responsible for doing so so it's really crazy when you consider the things that are happening around us right now and You know the fact that we're going through this particular book.

Yes, sir Wow That's Amazing in the fact that he says that He calls them uncircumcised.

He let he lumps them with the heathen nations Because of the lack of circumcision of the heart.

So again, it tells you that that's where it's at The physical is a token. It's the circumcision of the heart that means anything and he's telling them if you're not gonna be circumcised of the heart

You may as well be lumped in with the rest of the heathen uncircumcised That's amazing. Glad you heard that dad

Alrighty, I better dismiss this real quick because I'm being past the clock here Heavenly Father Thank you so much for this wonderful day that you blessed us with Thank you for bringing us all together once again and for allowing us to be in this

Place not only of worship but also a fellowship and to be able to edify each other lift our spirits

And just be there for one another as we do walk through this dark valley that is

At this point a pagan nation that is deliberately in every sense and in every possible way that they can going against your word and profaning your name

Doing everything that everything they can to Curse and tempt you and we know

Lord that you are going to address every single You know every single instance of that that vengeance is yours

And yet even still through your long -suffering spirit You will wait so that all of your elect can be drawn to you and we're so thankful for that Lord and we ask that You equip us to be out there

Sharing your word and your gospel so that we can be the instruments ready and useful for doing that very thing and Bringing your own to you

And we're thankful for that honor and that privilege Lord We ask you to be with us for the rest of today for the through the rest of the services