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The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

Matthew

JULY 15

Reading 196

LINEAGE OF THE KING Matthew 1–2

“Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star inthe east, and have come to worship Him” (Matt. 2:2).Matthew invites us to look beyond the scenes of history’s most crucial birth. What he shows us is that Jesus had His origins in God’s eternal plan, and that the Babe of Bethlehem embodies that plan’s fulfillment.

Overview

Jesus’ genealogy established His descent from Abraham and David (1:1–17). His virgin birth fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (vv. 18–25). Other events (2:1–23) prove that Jesus is indeed the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament prophets.

Understanding the Text

“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” Matt. 1:1. The Greek phrase, “a record of the genealogy,” is found in the Septuagint only in Genesis 1 and 5. This indicates Matthew intended this phrase to mean “record of the origins.” Thus the first verse launches us immediately into the central issue of the New Testament. Who is Jesus? What is His role in God’s plan, and in our lives? Matthew’s answer is given in this two-chapter introduction, which demonstrates that Jesus is the “Anointed One” predicted in the Old Testament. That term, “Messiah” in Old Testament Hebrew and “Christ” in New Testament Greek, is Jesus’ title. It means that He is the One through whom all God’s promises will be fulfilled. As the “Son of David” Jesus fulfilled the promise God gave David that a descendant of his would sit on Israel’s throne, and rule a universal kingdom (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Isa. 9:6–7). Additional quotes from the prophets in these two chapters are from Old Testament passages that underline the theme of Messiah’s rule (Jer. 23; Hosea 11; Micah 5). (See DEVOTIONAL.) As “Son of Abraham” Jesus fulfilled the promise given the father of the Jewish race. He is the “Seed,” through whom the entire human race would be blessed (Gen. 12:1–3; cf. Gal. 3:16). Thus Matthew’s very first words alert us. Jesus is the focus of all Scripture. He is the essence—the substance and the spirit of its message. He is both Lord and Saviour. Our response to Jesus determines our destiny. “The father of” Matt. 1:2–17. Like other ancient genealogies, this one is organized to accomplish a specific purpose. While it is stylized, and does not include every ancestor, it is rooted in historical information that was available to Matthew in Old Testament documents and genealogical records maintained at the Jerusalem temple. Even as late as theA.D 90s, after the temple had been destroyed, when the Emperor Domitian ordered all descendants of David killed, the remaining few were located by referring to Jewish genealogical records. The church historian Eusebius tells us that when the last two appeared before the Emperor, he looked at their calloused hands and let them live. What threat could mere farmers offer, whatever their line? How fascinating. Jesus, born of poor parents, growing up in obscurity, working with His hands at the carpenter’s trade, would likely have made just as slight an impression on the Roman ruler. How difficult for us to judge greatness and humility if we look only at outward appearances. Jesus, the Son of God, the destined Ruler of the universe, King of an eternal kingdom, lived the most humble of lives, and died the most abject of deaths. As we read on in this Gospel we will see it over and over again. Jesus was a King, but a Servant-King. And as our King, Jesus calls us to a servant lifestyle like His own. “Whose mother was Rahab” Matt. 1:5. Hebrew genealogies characteristically mentioned only male ancestors. Matthew departed from this pattern, and included four women, three of whom were Gentiles, and the fourth of whom he noted had been married to a Gentile (Bathsheba, who “had been Uriah’s [a Hittite’s] wife”). Furthermore, with the exception of Ruth, the women were hardly models of morality! Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba had all engaged in adultery, even though by the first century they were highly regarded by the Jewish people. What point was Matthew making? We can perhaps suggest several. Perhaps Matthew was telling us that in the new era Christ introduced, women would have an increasingly important role alongside men. Very possibly Matthew was reminding us that Jesus has come to be the Saviour of the world, not just of the Jewish people. God introduced Gentile blood into the Saviour’s line as a grand reminder that He values every human life, and sent His Son to redeem us all. And, perhaps, these particular women are there to remind us that human flaws do not cut us off from being recipients of God’s grace. In fact, it is our flaws that led God to send His Son, that in a single grand redemptive act Jesus might cleanse not only our sins, but also those of the generations that preceded His birth. “Joseph her husband was a righteous man” Matt. 1:18–25. Joseph is one of the most admirable characters in Scripture. Following Jewish custom, he had sealed the betrothal contract that was the first but binding stage in marriage. Many assume that Joseph was an older man, and that after the betrothal Mary stayed with her parents until she was old enough to conclude the marriage and move into Joseph’s home. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he showed unusual compassion. Despite his feelings of hurt and betrayal, he “did not want to expose her to public disgrace.” Explaining this, Matthew called Joseph a “righteous” man. Why, in view of the fact that the Law’s penalty for adultery is stoning, would this suggest righteousness? Some might feel it would have been more “righteous” to demand Mary be punished to the full extent of the Law! The answer lies in the fact that “righteousness” in the Old Testament is conformity to God’s heart as well as His Law. Even Saul realized that grace better displays righteousness than strict legality, for he once cried out to David, “You are more righteous than I. . . . You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly” (1 Sam. 24:17). Joseph took this principle to heart, and though he thought Mary had treated him badly, he determined to treat her well. Thus in a spiritual sense as well as the physical, Joseph was truly a “son of David” (Matt. 1:20). The New Testament tells us little about Joseph beyond this. But how much these few words convey. He was a man like his ancestor, who had a heart for God and deep compassion for others. No matter how little known beyond our circle of family and friends you or I may be, we are spiritually great if Matthew’s word about Joseph is true of us as well. “The virgin will be with child” Matt. 1:20–25. The Hebrew term ’almah means “young woman,” and while it is typically used of young unmarried women, it lacks the technical force of “virgin.” However, there is no question about the Greek word Matthew chose here: parthenos. This is a young woman who has never had sexual relations with a man. When the angel that appeared to Joseph in a dream quoted Isaiah 7:14 he definitively interpreted the prophet’s meaning: it was Mary (a virgin) who bore Jesus as her Son. The message, that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, was accepted by Joseph, as it has been by Christians throughout history. The name, “Immanuel,” explains the implications. The Child conceived by the Holy Spirit is Himself God: God, come to be “with us,” not simply as a presence, but as one of us. Why the name “Jesus”? The name means “deliverer” or “saviour,” and expresses the purpose of His coming. God became one of us in order to “save His people from their sins.” Some who claim to be Christians do deny the Virgin Birth. Yet if Jesus was not both God and man, united through a miracle in Mary’s womb, He was merely a man. And no mere man, doomed to struggle with his own sins, would be free to save us from ours. Without the Virgin Birth there is no biblical Christianity. With it, our destiny is secure. For with it, the Jesus on whom we rely is God, and as God He guarantees the salvation He won for us on Calvary. “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews?” Matt. 2:1–8 The familiar story of the magi, a name given a philosopher class in Persia, is told in order to further define who Jesus is. Alerted by the appearance of an unusual star, the magi traveled to Judea to honor One born to be King. Their arrival caused consternation, and Herod demanded to know where such a Person might be born. The answer was found in Micah 5:2: the promised Ruler was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod’s claim that if the Child were identified he would “go and worship Him” was a revealing lie! It was a lie, because the aging Herod, destined to live only a few more months, intended to kill the Infant. The determined king, who had ordered the execution of his own sons when he thought they threatened his throne, could not bear the thought of anyone but him ruling his domain. The phrase “go and worship” was revealing, because the word “worship” helps us realize that scholarly Jews in the first century understood the Old Testament to teach that the Messiah would be God as well as man (cf. Micah 5:4). It’s never enough to know who Jesus is. Those who acknowledge His supernatural birth, but fail to commit themselves to Him as Saviour, are very like Herod. They too are unwilling to acknowledge Jesus’ right to the throne—this time the throne of their lives. Yet because of who Jesus is, we are to gladly bow, worshiping and welcoming Him, not only as Saviour but also as our Lord. “They were overjoyed” Matt. 2:9–12. The magi serve as a positive model of response to Jesus, even as Herod serves as a negative model. These foreign visitors came joyfully to the house where the little family lived. There they worshiped the Babe, and “opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts.” The gifts recorded are the traditional gifts given to royalty-gold, incense, and myrrh. More significant, however, is the pattern we see here. They worshiped Jesus. They then opened their treasures. And then presented Him with gifts. Too often we human beings worship our treasures. Money, or the things money can buy, become the focus of our lives. When we worship wealth we have no room for Jesus, or for others. We hug our treasures close to us, unwilling to part with them for any cause. Worshiping Jesus frees us from materialism. Our “treasures” lose their grip on our hearts, and as we discover the joy of serving Christ, we willingly present our material treasures to Him as gifts. “Take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt” Matt. 2:13–17. Though the wise men never returned to direct the demented Herod to Jesus, Herod determined to see Him killed. To be sure he destroyed one Child, Herod ordered all male children under two in the neighborhood of Bethlehem killed. The act underlines the cruelty of Herod, and also the futility of such cruelty. God had spoken to Joseph again in a dream and, no doubt using the gifts brought by the magi to finance the journey, Mary and Joseph escaped with the Christ Child to Egypt. Matthew quoted here from Jeremiah 31:15, picturing the anguish of those who lost their children in Herod’s purge. Yet Matthew 2:16–17 reminds us of a great truth. Even as the people of Jeremiah’s day were told that after their suffering “they will return from the land of the enemy,” so through the cross the infants who died will live again. “So,” the Lord declared through Jeremiah, “there is hope for your future.” Jesus did live to die for us. Because of Him, even when we suffer painful tragedies, we too have hope for our future. “He went and lived in a town called Nazareth” Matt. 2:19–23. After Herod died, an angel directed Joseph to return. The family settled in Nazareth, in Galilee, and there Jesus grew up and began His ministry. This is the third occasion on which Joseph is given guidance by an angel appearing to him in a dream. How responsive Joseph was to the Lord. In each case the text says that “when he woke up” Joseph did what the angel of the Lord commanded. In verse 14 we read that “he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt.” Joseph was not only willing to obey, he did so without hesitation. Mary is rightly honored as the mother of Jesus. She was a special young woman, highly honored by God. Yet what a human surrogate father Jesus had in Joseph! He was truly a special man, and his obedience was highly honoring to God. May you and I honor Him as much, and as well, by our readiness to obey.

DEVOTIONAL

Behold Your King(Matt. 1:18–2:6)

Babies are cute. They are not supposed to inspire awe. Perhaps that’s one reason why people find it so easy to trivialize Christmas. Baby Jesus, lying helpless in the manger, can be viewed with mild affection. Folks can smile down at Him, and then move on to the real business of the season-shopping, vacation, being with the family, sending cards that say “holiday greetings” and so are unlikely to offend with an overly religious message. Despite what people may assume, Matthew wasn’t interested in having us meet “Baby Jesus.” We know, because over and over this Gospel writer quoted from the Old Testament. And the passages he selected and applied directly to Christ are passages that insist we see not an Infant but a King; not a Babe, but the Master of the universe. Who is Jesus to Matthew? Matthew 1:23 identifies Him with a virgin-born Child predicted by Isaiah. What did Isaiah say about Him? He is “Immanuel,” a name that in Hebrew means “With Us Is GOD!” Look at the Babe in the manger, not with mild affection, but in awe. For in this Child all the glory of God shines through. Matthew also quoted from Micah 5, which predicted the birth in Bethlehem of a Ruler who would be the Shepherd of God’s people Israel. Looking in Micah, we discover that “He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord.” In fact, “in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.” His people will be secure, for His greatness will “reach to the ends of the earth.” Why not, when His strength is the strength of God, and His majesty the name of the Lord, which He bears! And when Christmas comes again, don’t be concerned if the Supreme Court rules against local government displays of creche and cradle. The plastic replicas, however cute, hardly represent the King of kings. To catch the spirit of Christmas, read again Matthew’s account—and the prophecies he quotes. And then bow down in awe.

Personal Application

The Christ we need to keep in Christmas is not the Babe so much as the King of kings.

Quotable

“Napoleon was right when he said, ’I know men, and I tell you, Jesus is more than a man. Comparison is impossible between Him and any other human being who ever lived, because He was the Son of God.’ Emerson was right when he replied to those who asked him why he did not include Jesus among his Representative Men, ’Jesus was not just a man.’ Arnold Toynbee was right when he said, ’As we stand and gaze with our eyes fixed upon the farther shore a simple figure rises from the flood and straightway fills the whole horizon of history. There is the Savior.’ “—Billy Graham

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

Matthew

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Matthew launches the New Testament with a triumphant shout. The Messiah promised in the Old Testament has come! He is Jesus of Nazareth, whose death and resurrection offers forgiveness to all. The hunger of the early church to know about the Lord led to the drawing of four portraits of Jesus by four different writers. This one is by Matthew, one of Christ’s own disciples, who probably wrote before A.D. 70. Matthew quoted frequently from the Old Testament to show that Jesus is the Messiah promised there. Among his reports of what Jesus did, Matthew wove summaries of what Jesus taught: about God’s kingdom (Matt. 5–7), about discipleship (Matt. 10), about God’s plan (Matt. 13), about spiritual greatness (Matt. 18–20), about the future (Matt. 24–25). Perhaps the greatest contribution of Matthew is to help us see Jesus as a Servant-King, and to help us sense our own calling to a servanthood like His. Reading this book we understand why Matthew was the Gospel most quoted by Christian writers of the first three centuries of our era.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	The Lineage of the King	Matt. 1–2
II.	The Purposes of the King	Matt. 3–7
III.	The Authority of the King	Matt. 8–15
IV.	The Servant Attitude of the King	Matt. 16–20
V.	The Suffering of the King	Matt. 21–27
VI.	The Resurrection of the King	Matt. 28

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

JULY 14

Reading 195

GOD’S PRIZED POSSESSION Malachi 3–4″

’They will be Mine,’ says the Lord Almighty, ’in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him” (Mal. 3:17).The little Jewish community in Judea may have strayed from the Lord. But God kept careful track of individuals who loved and remembered Him. In the same way God maintains our names on His “scroll of remembrance.”

Background

Tithing.

Under Mosaic Law a tenth of all that the land produced belonged to the Lord. This tithe of flocks and produce was brought to the temple, where it was used to provide offerings and to support the priests and Levites who ministered there. An additional tithe was to be set aside every third year, and retained locally, for the support of widows and orphans and others in need. While the principle of the tithe can be seen before the Law was given (cf. Gen. 14:20), the concept underlying it is specific to the Old Testament Law. The Lord owned the Holy Land, in which His people were settled. As the One who gave them Canaan, God had a right to the “rent” due on the land His people worked. Malachi challenged his generation, calling on them to “test” God in this. Begin paying the tithe, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (3:10). While the tenth is not mentioned in the New Testament as a standard of giving (see 2 Cor. 8–9), certain basic principles are common to the teaching of each Testament. All we have comes from and belongs to God. We are but stewards of His possessions. We honor God by our giving, showing by our contributions to support modern ministries that the Lord is important to us. And showing too that we trust God enough not to rob Him of His share out of fear that we will not have enough.

Overview

Malachi predicted a day of purifying judgment (3:1–5). The Lord urged His people to show repentance by their tithes (vv. 6–12) and talk (vv. 13–15), and promised to bless individuals who fear Him (vv. 16–18). Malachi closed with a vivid image of the Day of the Lord (4:1–4), and a promise of Elijah’s return (vv. 5–6).

Understanding the Text

“The Lord you are seeking will come to His temple” Mal. 3:1. These words were not a promise, but a threat. The people of little Judah complained about God. “Where is the God of justice?” they asked (2:17). Now Malachi warned them that the One they said they desired, will come. We too look forward to the Day of the Lord and to Christ’s second coming. But we need to ask ourselves a question that these folks never thought to ask. “Are we ready?” There’s nothing we can do to speed His coming. But we can and must prepare ourselves for His appearance. In Judea in Malachi’s time the people talked about Messiah’s appearance. But they paid no attention to the commitment, the personal moral purity, and the zeal to do God’s work, which would prepare them for that day. It’s certain that the One whom we desire will come. Let’s make sure that when He appears, we will be filled with delight rather than regrets. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver”Mal. 3:2–5. Precious metals were placed in a crucible over hot fires. The ore melted, the impurities were skimmed off, and the unadulterated metal was poured into molds. “Launderer’s soap” was a powerful chemical compound that was used to soak newly woven cloth. The bits of gummy matter that remained were dissolved, and the new cloth was thus brightened and purified. Neither image suggests a pleasant experience. Each implies purification. As a result of God’s painful purifying work, Malachi said that “the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord.” Divine discipline today too may seem as uncomfortable as a refiner’s fire or as distasteful as a powerful launderer’s soap. So when undergoing discipline, you and I need to keep our eyes focused on the product. When God has purified and cleansed us, our offerings to Him—our worship, and our lives—will be acceptable once again. “I will come near to you for judgment” Mal. 3:5. How much better not to need purifying, because we already live pure lives! Here Malachi listed some of the attitudes and actions that call for judgment. More importantly, he summed up their cause: these things are done by those who “do not fear Me.” If you and I maintain a reverential awe of God as well as love for Him, we need not worry about judgment. If we truly fear and love God, we will always do right by others. “How do we rob You?” Mal. 3:6–12 It’s possible for a believer to say in all honesty when he hears a call to turn back to God, “How am I to return?” This is because we are often unaware of straying from the Lord. Like Saul, we don’t know that the Lord has departed from us (see 1 Sam. 16:14). Malachi suggested a simple test. Go through your checkbook! Are you giving God a fair portion of what you earn? Or are you robbing God by selfishly using what He has given you without concern for others or for the ministry of the Gospel? The question comes with a challenge. If you’ve been holding back because of fear that you won’t have enough, God invites you to test Him. After all, the wealth of the universe is His. Shake off your fear, God says, and “see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” God can be trusted. We need not hold back out of fear. “You have said harsh things against Me” Mal. 3:13–18. It’s not uncommon even for believers to wonder sometimes if faithfulness really pays. And as for unbelievers, they scoff loudly, preferring the ways of the arrogant rich to those of the humble. But there are two defects in all such thinking. First, the whole idea that we worship God in order to “gain” something is flawed. We keep God’s requirements because He is God, and we love Him. We do not obey God in order to be paid in the coin of earth’s realm. Second, the idea that God’s blessings are material is also flawed. And so Malachi said of those who feared the Lord and talked about His name, “They will be Mine . . . in the day when I make up My treasured possession” and “I will spare them.” The distinction between the righteous and the wicked can’t be determined by this world’s bottom line. The balance in our bank account has nothing to do with the treasure stored up for us in heaven. Yes, at times we may wonder if it pays to serve God. When we do, we have God’s Word that there is, and will be, a great distinction made between “those who serve God and those who do not” (v. 18). “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” Mal. 4:1–4. Malachi closed with another distinction between the righteous and the wicked. When the Day of the Lord comes it will “burn like a furnace” for “every evildoer,” but will be like the warming and healing sun for those who revere God’s name. What a thought. When Jesus comes, He will seem beautiful to you and me. We will exult joyfully, and rush to be near Him. But the One we find so beautiful will strike terror into the hearts of those who have failed to bow the knee to Him. How can we be sure that we will welcome Christ with delight? Malachi said, “Remember the Law of My servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.” If we do those things that we know please God, we will have no fears nor regrets at His coming. “I will send you the Prophet Elijah” Mal. 4:5–6. The Old Testament closes with this promise. Jesus said that John the Baptist carried on an Elijah-like ministry. He preached repentance, and so turned hearts. But the people of Israel did not welcome their Messiah. They rejected Him, and turned Him over to the Romans to be crucified. Thus Malachi foretold another Elijah, destined to appear before Messiah returns and “that great and dreadful Day of the Lord[’s judgment] dawns” (v. 5). What a close to the Old Testament. The ancient issues are unchanged. God still struggles with men, calling His own to faith and obedience, warning the arrogant, and urging repentance. The history of God’s people is replete with cycles of revival and sin, of restoration and judgment. Through it all one would think we, and all His people, must surely learn the lesson so clearly taught. God does love us. He calls us to trust Him, and to display our trust in obedience. If we do, we can rest assured: there is blessing ahead. But for all who refuse to trust and turn to wickedness, the future holds only judgment. It is coming. Just beyond tomorrow lies a great and terrible Day of the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL

The Eye of the Beholder(Mal. 3)

Every once in a while, about every day, I tell my wife she’s beautiful. She usually smiles and says, “That’s what you think.” She suspects that I’m biased, even though I keep telling her that I’m totally objective about her. I must admit that in most cases, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What seems beautiful to one person won’t to another. It all depends on our perspective. That’s what Malachi said in this chapter of his little book. Our attitude depends on how we look at life. Malachi even identified three things that we need to look at from God’s perspective. The first is discipline (vv. 1–5). When some painful thing occurs, don’t despair. Look at it as a purifying fire. See the beauty that exists within you, that God is so eager to display. God is willing to burn away your impurities, even though it hurts you. Don’t think of the present experience. Look beyond it, and rejoice in what you will become. The second is finances (vv. 6–12). Don’t look at the little you have, and worry about how you’ll make ends meet. This will only shut your heart to the Lord, and make you stingy in your giving. Instead remember that God possesses all the wealth in the universe. Trust Him enough to give freely, and expect Him to provide all that you need. The third is blessings (vv. 14–18). Some media evangelists sound so much like the disgruntled of Malachi’s day. They ask us to measure blessings by financial well-being, and so beg us to give to their ministry, promising that God will more than repay in good, hard cash. But Malachi urged us to serve God not for profit, but out of love. Even so, we are abundantly repaid, not in cash here, but in blessings stored up for when Christ returns. Only in eternity will we see the distinction God makes between those who serve God and those who do not, so we should not expect large cash down payments now! And don’t expect those outside of Christ to see life as we do. Many Christians may not even share these perspectives. But you and I need to embrace the way of looking at life that Malachi adopted. We need to look beyond our pain, to look beyond limited resources, and to look beyond material rewards. When we see the beauty God seeks to create in us through discipline, the unlimited resources of our God, and the glory that awaits us in eternity, we will serve God with overflowing joy.

Personal Application

Be wise, and view life with spiritual eyes.

Quotable

God laid upon my back a grievous load, A heavy cross to bear along the road. I staggered on, and lo! one weary day, An angry lion sprang across my way. I prayed to God, and swift at His command, The cross became a weapon in my hand. It slew my raging enemy, and then Became a cross upon my back again. I reached a desert. O’er the burning track I persevered-the cross upon my back. No shade was there, and in the cruel sun I sank at last, and thought my day was done. But lo! The Lord works many a blest surprise, The cross became a tree before my very eyes! I slept—I woke—to feel the strength of ten, I found the cross upon my back again. And so through all my days from then to this, The cross—my burden—has become my bliss. Nor ever shall I lay my burden down. For God some day will make my cross a crown. -Amos R. Wells

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

Malachi

JULY 13

Reading 194

DISHONORING GOD Malachi 1–2

” ’If I am a father, where is the honor due Me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty” (Mal. 1:6).How can we honor God in our worship and in our daily lives? The pointed questions that Malachi asked his generation help us evaluate our own relationship with the Lord, and point to ways that we as His people can honor Him.

Background

Postexilic life.

Some 50,000 Jews traveled from Babylon to Judea in 538B.C The Persian Cyrus had supplanted Babylonian rulers, and he decreed that captive peoples could return to their homelands. So a little group of Jewish pioneers, motivated by religious enthusiasm, set out for Judea. They were intent on rebuilding the temple of God and on building a faith-community in the land promised to Abraham’s offspring. The story, as told in Ezra and Nehemiah, and as reflected in the postexilic Prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, is one of mixed triumph and tragedy. After the temple foundations were laid, the difficulties of reestablishing farms and homes on what was then a desolate frontier seemed overwhelming. Commitment to rebuild the temple waned as the exiles concentrated on meeting their own needs. Some 18 years later the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah rekindled the spiritual fires, and the temple was finished in 515B.C But again revival fires cooled. About 80 years after the first group returned home, the scribe Ezra led another small contingent back to the Holy Land. God later supplied another godly leader in Nehemiah, who served as governor and rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls. Each of these leaders, however, found a people less committed to God, with a lax lifestyle that revealed a marked lack of respect for the Lord. Most commentators believe that Malachi, whose words condemned the same spiritual maladies, ministered sometime after the governorship of Nehemiah. If so, we can’t help being amazed—and warned—by how quickly the Old Testament community drifted again from its commitment to the Lord. Perhaps this is the major contribution of Malachi to our own lives. We see how vulnerable all of us are to spiritual drift. We’re shown ways to find out if we ourselves are off course. And we are encouraged by the promise that as we remain true in our commitment to honor God always, we will be among those who make up God’s most treasured possession.

Overview

God had loved His people (1:1–5). Yet His priests treated Him with contempt (v. 6–2:9), and His people wearied God with their unfaithfulness (vv. 10–17).

Understanding the Text

” ‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord” Mal. 1:1–5.

The foundation of our relationship with the Lord is not our faith, but the fact of God’s love. It is the unshakable conviction that God loves us and has shown His love for us in Christ, that creates faith, and keeps our love for the Lord growing. How significant then that the people of Judah responded to God’s affirmation of love with a cynical question: “Love? Oh yeah? How have You loved us?” This is just the first of a series of seven such questions asked by the priests or people of Judah which revealed their spiritual lethargy. All talk of God, all occasions for worship, had become dreadfully boring to God’s own. In modern terminology, worship had become a drag! Unless you and I keep a clear focus on God’s love, and return that love, our faith too will soon become meaningless. We will lose our sense of joy, and those things we have done to please God will seem like meaningless chores. Keeping the “personal” in our personal relationship with God is our first and most important priority. “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated” Mal. 1:1–5. Here “Jacob” and “Esau” refer primarily to the peoples descended from the two brothers. God had demonstrated His love for the Jewish people (“Jacob”) by restoring them to their homeland. But the Edomites (“Esau”) had been displaced from their lands by the Nabateans, and the territory had become a “wasteland” inherited by “desert jackals.” This was a divine judgment on a people who had from early times been hostile to God’s chosen people, and merited punishment (cf. Ex. 17:8–16; Jdg. 3:12–13; 1 Sam. 27:8; Obad.). “I have loved” and “I have hated” is a way of expressing acceptance and rejection, and has two references. The saying describes God’s rejection of any claim Esau might have had to inherit God’s covenant promise to Abraham (Gen. 25:23; Rom. 9:13). And the saying contrasts what has happened to the Jewish people and the Edomites. Both the original choice of Jacob, and the subsequent experience of the Jewish people, display the love of God for His chosen race. Today if anyone were foolish enough to challenge God, saying, “How have You loved us?” we would point to the Cross. And we would testify how Jesus has changed our lives. God’s decision to sacrifice His Son, and the subsequent experience by Christians of the great salvation Jesus won for us, prove God’s love beyond any shadow of doubt. There may be times when you and I ask “why?” But we never need wonder whether God loves us. Grasping the extent of that love, we will say with the godly of Malachi’s day, “Great is the Lord.” “How have we despised Your name?” Mal. 1:6–14 When God through Malachi confronted the priests of Judea for failing to honor Him, they responded blandly with another cynical question. The response was the same as a denial: “Despise Your name? Not us!” Malachi went on to identify three ways these religious leaders showed contempt for the Lord. First, they demonstrated disrespect by placing “defiled food on My altar” (vv. 6–7). Old Testament Law described in detail how sacrifices were to be offered (cf. Lev. 1–6). This was not mere ritual: careful observance of the rules governing sacrifices was a way to show respect for the Lord. The priests, however, disregarded the Law’s regulations and so defiled the sacrifices (rendered them ritually unclean). It was as if our parents came over for dinner, and we served them a can of dog food. Second, they demonstrated disrespect by offering disqualified sacrifices (Mal. 1:8–9, 13–14). Old Testament Law required that sacrificial animals be unblemished. These priests accepted diseased or crippled animals for sacrifice. Malachi said pointedly, “Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?” Yet they dared to offer such beasts to God, who is no mere governor but the universe’s great King! Third, they disdained the privilege of leading in worship, finding it “a burden” and sniffing “at it contemptuously” (vv. 10–14). They had totally lost any sense of God’s presence, and were merely going through the motions of worship. What clear and simple—and yet overwhelming—tools for us to use in evaluating the quality of our own personal relationship with God. Are we careful to show respect for God in the way we worship, or are we careless in our church attendance and practice? Do we give Him our best, or does the Lord receive only our leftovers? Do we look foward to worshiping the Lord privately and with others, or has worship become boring and meaningless? If we have fallen into the ways of the priests of Malachi’s day, then we need to confess now. We need to focus again on God’s love for us in Jesus, and ask the Lord to fan our love for the Lord into flames. Then we need to return to worship filled with a vital sense of Christ’s living presence as we bow down to Him. “If you do not set your heart to honor My name . . . I will send a curse” Mal. 2:1–9. The failure of the priesthood was critical, for “a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction” (v. 7). Any flaw in the priesthood was bound to affect the people they were called to serve. Malachi charged the priests of his day, “You have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble” (v. 8). A priesthood that failed in its mission of serving God and instructing the people would surely be punished. The warning is directly applicable to us. New Testament believers are called a “holy priesthood,” serving under Jesus our High Priest (1 Peter 2:9). We too are charged with worshiping God and instructing others in His ways. Because our lives have such an impact on others, we must guard our commitment carefully. The higher the calling, the greater the responsibility. And ours is the highest calling of all! “You have wearied the Lord with your words” Mal. 2:17. Most of us remember how small children pick up a phrase or saying, and repeat it again and again and again. After a time it seems as if you can’t stand hearing it even one more time. I have that problem with popular music. Right now a group called “New Kids on the Block” has captivated our nine-year-old. All I hear is snatches of their songs hummed or sung over and over again, or “Joe likes pizza,” Joe this, and Joe that. I’m pretty sure I can’t stand it much longer. But at least I’ve learned what it means to be “wearied with words.” Malachi portrays God as fed up too. He heard His people talking, and they were saying the same things over and over again. But God was not just annoyed by what they said. God was slandered! His own people claimed He was pleased with this or that person who complained, “Where is the God of justice?” In other words, “God’s not being fair!” Somehow the perspective of the people of Judea had become distorted, and neither the Lord nor His ways were understood. How dangerous it is to suppose that we can judge what God does. How dangerous to suppose that we can relegislate morality, and pronounce “good” those who do what God says is wrong. There’s just this spirit loose in our land today, as moral issues are clouded by rhetoric and demands for the “right” to do wrong. As believers, we ourselves are bound by God’s Word. We must stand with God in His identification of what is right and of what is wrong.

DEVOTIONAL

Always Be True(Mal. 2)

A children’s song captures the meaning of the seventh commandment. “Always be true,” it says. “Always be true to one you’re married to.” Malachi too captured this meaning. “Judah has broken faith,” the prophet proclaimed. Men had married pagan wives. Men had discarded older wives to marry younger, more sexually attractive girls. In many ways, but particularly in these, the people of Malachi’s day showed that they totally misunderstood the concept of loyalty which lies at the root of every human relationship, and at the root of relationship with God Himself. You see, God had long ago made a commitment to Abraham and his offspring. Those offspring had often proven rebellious and disobedient. Yet through the long centuries God remained faithful to His covenant commitment. God would love, endlessly, even if His people did not love Him in return. That’s what covenant means. Commitment. Loyalty. Always being true. Marriage was intended by God to be a covenant relationship. It was to be a pact of loyalty, by which two of His people committed themselves to one another. Oh, there might be the unusual situation in which the hardness of one person ultimately made marriage impossible and divorce a necessity. But there could be no excuse for what was then going on in Judah. Men were obviously marrying to satisfy their passion, with no sense of the deeper meaning of marriage. They took foreign wives, who surely would not attract them by their character or faith! And they cast off older wives in a heated rush to find a younger bride, who would be no more to them than a sex object. Where was the commitment so essential to covenant relationship? Where was loyalty? Gone! And, Malachi said, God is a witness on the side of the wife who is treated so shabbily. Malachi said God no longer pays attention to the offerings of such a husband, nor accepts them. Such divorce God hates, for it is an act of violence, tearing at and destroying the very heart of the abandoned wife. Reading this passage I can’t help thinking of one couple I know. He began an affair with a fellow worker, and then decided to leave his wife and two teenagers to marry her. He did leave. And I’ve counseled with both the wife and the teens, and seen the terrible damage his choice has done. Seeing their hurt, I understand why God hates such a divorce. That husband has never faced the appalling nature of his betrayal, or acknowledged to any of the three he’s harmed that his abandonment was a sin. The husband and his new wife go to church regularly. They sing in the choir. But I wonder if he ever senses the terrible fact that the Lord “no longer pays attention to [his] offerings or accepts them with pleasure from [his] hands”?

Personal Application

We are to model our relationships with others on God’s covenant relationship with us.

Quotable

“There are more people who wish to be loved than there are willing to love.”—S.R.N. Chamfort

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

Malachi

INTRODUCTION

Malachi is the last of the three postexilic prophets. He ministered to descendants of those who returned to Judea from the Babylonian Captivity. When Malachi wrote, priests and people had become lax in their worship at the rebuilt temple, which had been completed in 515 B.C. Through a series of sharp rhetorical questions Malachi challenged his generation to shrug off its spiritual lethargy, and stir up the fires of complete commitment to the Lord. Malachi serves this same function for believers today. We too need to examine our hearts and our practices, and maintain that enthusiasm which is appropriate to a people of the living God.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	God’s Favored Nation	Mal. 1:1–5
II.	Disrespectful Priests	Mal. 1:6–2:9
III.	Unfaithful People	Mal. 2:10–3:12
IV.	God’s Promises	Mal. 3:13–4:6