God’s final instructions before Jesus comes | Messenger to Messiah, part 6

Welcome to our final lesson in the Book of Malachi! We explore the myriad questions posed in the book, that feel a bit like a courtroom-like dialogue between God and the Israelites. The timeless nature of Malachi’s message resonates across eras by highlighting Israel's pattern of unfaithfulness and connecting it to our own lives.

The dense concentration of questions throughout Malachi, up to chapter 3, starkly contrasts with chapter 4 which contains no questions, signaling a shift from inquiry to God’s final judgment.

Acknowledging God’s love, as outlined in Malachi, encourages us to see the ongoing work of God in our lives and the world around us. The Israelites questioned God’s love and justice, despised worship practices, and failed to honor God in their daily lives. The answers to the questions in the book of Malachi reveal their shortcomings and guide us towards a faithful relationship with God.

The book of Malachi further explores the theme of justice versus grace; as Scripture teaches us, true justice is met only through the grace offered by Jesus. Repentance and confession are essential to understand God’s grace. Justice is found through Jesus.

The crucial question “How shall we return to You, Lord?” encapsulates the hope of returning to God by recognizing His unchanging nature and engaging with scripture. Stephanie discusses the path to God through spiritual disciplines, offering a free video course, "Pathways to God's Presence,” to deepen this understanding. Make sure to grab your full video course at https://www.gospelspice.com/pathways

In the context of the intertestamental period, Malachi’s teachings reverberated through four hundred years until John the Baptist's emergence. Stephanie reminds us of historical insights, drawing parallels with significant events and figures like Alexander the Great and the Roman conquest, to contextualize Malachi’s message within the fabric of time.

Through Malachi 4, God promises ultimate justice and restoration, symbolized by the "sun of righteousness." Here, the imagery of wings is a protective symbol throughout Scripture, which we will compare it to Jesus’ teachings. The notion of God’s impending judgment is juxtaposed with the promise of protection and healing for those who revere God’s name.

In the context of the upcoming silence of four hundred years, God’s last words offer a solemn warning blended with hope. Through Jesus, who embodied the curse and offered grace, our path was paved for redemption. Malachi invites us to ponder whether we stand beneath the protective wings of the Savior, or risk facing the blazing sun of righteousness without His grace. Malachi today challenges us to live as messengers of faith, rooted in grace through Christ, and eager to spread God’s love.

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