The Bridge - Malachi

Reformer Martin Luther called John 3:16 “the little gospel”. In the same way, we can speak of Malachi as the “little Old Testament”. Malachi is the bridge between the Old and New Testaments (Malachi 3:1). A silence of 400 years lies between the voice of Malachi and the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). Malachi is the last prophet to speak to Israel in its own land. “Malachi” means “my messenger”.

When we read the book of Malachi we find that the priests became irrelevant and neglectful (Malachi 1:6,11,12). The priests refused to work except for money. This resulted in carelessness among God’s people in keeping themselves separate from the heathen nations. Mixed marriages with women of outside tribes became common. Some men had not hesitated to divorce their israelitish wives to make this possible (Malachi 2:10-16).

In Malachi 3:10 we see of giving a tenth or tithe in everything which belongs to God.

In Malachi 3 and 4 we see people saying that God did not seem to distinguish between good and bad people (Malachi 2:17). He blesses all alike, and evil people often flourish at the expense of their fellow citizens (Malachi 3:14-15) and so what’s the use of being good? The answer to such a complaint is that God does care. He showed this to them by saying that one day he will send his messenger to prepare his way, then he will come in person suddenly and sit in judgement and separate the evil from the good (Malachi 3:1). When God really gets ready to act, what will he do? The action will be final (Malachi 3:1-3). God wants all his children to honour and adore him. He longs to have us obey and worship him.

Each one who loves and looks for him may help prepare his way by the very manner of living and work. Amid all the hypocrisy of the day, there were those in the Jewish community who still feared God and remained faithful (Malachi 3L16). God bent his ear to hear his people speak about him.

There are certain sins that Malachi rebuked

·         Spiritless routine worship (Malachi 1:6-8)

·         Evil associations (Malachi 2:10-12)

·         Questioning God’s justice (Malachi 2:17-3:6)

·         Robbing God (Malachi 3:7-12)

·         Impatience in waiting (Malachi 3:17-4:3)

Suppose we do find some of these sins in our daily lives. What are we to do? Confess them to God. Malachi had to encourage the people by assuring them of God’s wonderful love. In the same way, I encourage you to confess the sins and ask God to forgive in Christ Jesus name, so that your prayers will be answered and you will stay blessed.

The glorious Future - Zechariah

Zechariah is a book of revelation of the Old Testament. He was the prophet of restoration and glory. Born in Babylon, he was priest as well as prophet. Zechariah, whose name means “Jehovah remembers”, prophesied for three years. The glorious future rather than the sad present was his message.

In Zechariah 1 we find Judah still a remnant, Jerusalem far from restored the gentile nations at ease round about it (Zechariah 1:14-16). He pictured God’s love and care for his people. He was a prophet to the remnant of the Jews who returned from Babylon after the seventy years of captivity. He tried to tell the people one day the Messiah would come and God’s chosen people would rise into power. Zechariah does not condemn the people, but presents in glowing pictures the presence of God to strengthen and help. He especially encourages the governor, Zerubbabel, who was conscious of his own weakness (Zechariah 4:6-10). Zechariah foretells the saviour more than any other prophet except Isaiah.

The prophet, looking far into the future, saw Messiah of the days to come as one Person, but in two aspects. First, he saw him in humiliation and suffering, and again, in majesty and great glory. Of the Minor Prophets, Zechariah majors in visions (Zechariah 1:1-6). The visions are followed by a symbolic act of crowning the high priest (Zechariah 6:9-11). We find a committee from Bethel waiting on Zechariah to ask him if the national fasts should be kept (Zechariah 7-8). The Jews themselves had instituted these fasts. They had been used to fasting on their anniversary days. Zechariah warned them against cold formalism in their religious observances. He urges them to change their fasts into feasts of joy and be practical in their righteousness.

Zechariah 9 to 14 is full of promises of the coming Messiah and a worldwide kingdom. The prophet no longer pictures a city rebuilt on its foundations, but a glorious city whose wall is the Lord. It is not armed for war, but is a city filled with peace, for the Prince of Peace reigns. He shall come the first time as the lowly one, riding upon a clot, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).

Chapter 11 reveals the shepherd who would seek to save Israel, but is rejected. He is sold for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This all foreshadowed Christ and his betrayal by Judas. Chapter 12 gives us the prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem by the Antichrist and his armies in the last days. Then we see the repentance of the Jews when they shall see him whom they have pierced. The foundation shall be opened to the house of David for sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). Then the return of the Messiah upon the Mount Olives, which shall cleave asunder by an earthquake (Zechariah 14:4), reminds us of the day when he left the earth at that same spot with the promise of his return (Acts 1:11). Finally he shall be King over the whole earth and all people shall be holy unto him (Zechariah 14:9-20).

We see prophet prophesying about a glorious future. But at the same time, we see about the fasting in chapters 7 and 8. I have seen people not eating non vegetarian foods at lent days. They claim they are on fast. They will be waiting for the Easter day. When the day comes, they will drink liquor as much they can and gets dunked. Don’t know why they fasted for the 40 days.

Fasting is only profitable as an outward sign of an inward confession of sin. Merely refraining from eating will never bring a blessing. God wants a humble and contrite heart. May God help you to understand his holiness and live a holy life, leaving all the worldly lusts to bring glory to the name of Christ Jesus.

Rebuilding - Haggai

Those who are seeing this Bible history first time may not digest it in the way it should be. God created human and because of their sin, called a particular group – Israel. He blessed them and gave promises to them, but they also went against Him. God allowed enemies to conquer them as punishment and they were exiled. God sent prophets to prophecy good and bad about Israel.

Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are the last of the prophetic books. They prophesied to the Jews after they returned to Jerusalem. Haggai is the first voice to be heard after the exile. Haggai is determined to persuade the people to rebuild the temple.

With a colossal task before them of rebuilding the temple and restoring the worship of Jehovah, the Jews laboured under the same old sins – idolatry and intermarrying with idolatrous neighbours. Because of all this, the work dragged and the people lost heart and became selfish. Neglecting the Lord’s house, they had become more interested in building homes for themselves than for God (Haggai 1:4). God would not allow all this to go on and so he sent punishment as a result. God sometimes allows hardships because of our indifference to him. Crops failed and business was depressed because of the sin of the Jews. When people forget to love God, they forget to love their fellow citizens.

In Haggai 2 we see people became discouraged because the new temple did not measure up the older one in any way which king Solomon build. The foundation itself was very small. But Haggai came with encouragement telling that God is going to pour his resources into the new building. “I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty” (Haggai 1:7). Haggai showed the people, their impurity. He made them realise their sinfulness. He showed them the reason their prayers were not answered was that they had put off so long completing the temple. Haggai showed them that the land had been rendered useless by their neglect, but God was working and it would be different now. “From this day in I will bless you” (Haggai 2:18-19).

I have experienced people getting uncomfortable when questions are asked about their sins. Prophets and Servants of God are there in between us not only to pray and bless us, but also to show us the right path and warn us if we take the wrong one. If someone points out your sin, instead of defending and putting them down, repent about it and ask God for forgiveness. In 2 Samuel 12, we see Prophet Nathan showing King David’s sin and the King repented (Psalm 51).

In summary, no church attendance, church activities, lighting a candle or visiting Holy Land can bring you closer to God. Only way and it is the easiest way, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and accept Christ as your saviour.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

May God help you to understand his words so that you will respect his servants and live a life which brings glory and honour to God and work for his kingdom through his church.

The Day of the Lord - Zephaniah

Zephaniah lived in the reign of good king Josiah. He depicts God as both loving and severe (Zephaniah 1:2; 3:17). We see Zephaniah denouncing the various forms of idolatry – Baal and Malcham or Molech all being condemned (Zephaniah 1:1-2:3). The Idol worship was destroyed during Josiah’s reign. Zephaniah was mainly responsible for the revival under Josiah. The book begins with sorrow, but ends with singing. The first of the book is full of sadness and gloom, but the last contains one of the sweetest songs of love in the Old Testament.

From Zephaniah 1 we see Judah being taught that “the day of the Lord” was coming when there would be a special reckoning. In Zephaniah 2, the prophet calls the people to seek God, hoping that “perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger” – Zephaniah 2:1-3. He declares that nothing can save the nation from doom but real repentance. Then he turns to the 5 nations, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia and Assyria. They shall be visited with the wrath of God because of their pride and scorn toward the Lord’s people (Zephaniah 2:10).

The judgement on Israel’s local enemies is literally fulfilled (Zephaniah 2:4-15). The Judgement on Israel’s enemies over this wide world is yet to be fulfilled (Zephaniah 3:8; 2:10-11). God says the idols of their enemies shall be broken up, and the Gentiles shall worship God, everyone in his own country (Zephaniah 2:11).  In Zephaniah 3, he concludes with the most wonderful promises of Israel’s future restoration and of the happy state of the purified people of God in the later days.

The rejoicing of Zephaniah 3:14-20 must refer to something besides the day when the remnant will return after the captivity of Babylon. Judah’s worst judgement followed that return. It has seen little but misery ever since. Neither did anything like this occur at Christ’s first coming. It must refer to the day when the Lord himself shall sit on the throne of David, when his people shall be gathered from the four corners of the earth (Zephaniah 3:19). This prophecy shall be blessedly fulfilled in the Kingdom age when Christ comes to this earth to reign in power and great glory.

The question asked when you read this book is, when the people are gathered, will you be there with them? Only you and God knows about your salvation as each and everything happening in your heart and mind, you and God are witnesses, even the secret sins. May God enable you to confess your sins and accept Christ’s salvation and lead a life pleasing to him, so that you can be one among the people whom Christ calls for his Kingdom.

The Just Shall live by Faith - Habakkuk

Habakkuk was one of the Levitical choristers in the temple (Habakkuk 3:19). Habakkuk knew well that Judah must fall before the great power of Nebuchadnezzar. But one question arose in his mind and troubled him greatly – Why should any nation as wicked as Babylon conquer a nation like Judah, which was less evil? It seemed to him that it was just a matter of evil triumphing over evil. God had to show him his ultimate plan. Judah needed punishment. God was using Babylon to correct Judah, but Babylon’s turn would come. Babylon would be utterly blotted out. As for God’s people, there was yet to be glorious future and a kingdom where Jehovah himself would prevail.

In Habakkuk 1, we see Habakkuk knowing his own land, Judah, full of lawlessness. The righteous were oppressed (Habakkuk 1:4,13). The people were living in open sin. They were worshipping idols (Habakkuk 2:18-19). They were oppressing the poor. Habakkuk knew that the day was dark. He knew that this sin was leading to an invasion of Jerusalem by a strong enemy.

Habakkuk asked his question to God. He did not call a committee or form a society to solve the problem of the day. He went straight to Jehovah and stated his problem. Then God answered, “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” – Habakkuk 1:5. God wanted Habakkuk to look beyond the present. God was already working. God called the Chaldeans to the work of punishing Judah. They were a cruel scourge that swept over the land to destroy it (Habakkuk 1:5-11). God’s answer horrified Habakkuk. He could not understand how God would allow such awful means to bring about punishing his people. It is mentioned in Habakkuk 1:12, 13.

Habakkuk is a prophet who sang in the night (Habakkuk 3). Habakkuk prayed sincerely and God appeared to him (Habakkuk 3:1-16). God always responds to the cry for help from his people. Habakkuk realizes that God is in control of this universe and that he is working out his own purpose in his own time. Habakkuk learns that he can trust implicitly in God. He realizes that he can see only a small part of God’s plan at one time. One must wait for God to reveal his entire program. One must know God’s way is best. God does not promise that he will unravel every problem, but he does assure us that we can put our trust absolutely in him.

One of the texts in Habakkuk has great significance in history of the Reformation. A catholic priest called Martin Luther opposed the hypocrisy of the religious forced faith of Catholics by the words – “The just shall live by his faith” which can be seen in Habakkuk 2:4. The same is mentioned in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. On this day when you read this, remember Christianity is not about doing works to reach God, but it is by faith and grace of God that a person can reach Almighty. May God help you to know Christ, understand him and accept him as your personal saviour to know God’s grace and live in salvation.

Sow and Reap - Nahum

Nahum was probably a native of Galilee and lived at the time of King Hezekiah and prophet Isaiah. The theme of this book is the destruction of Nineveh, the city Jonah warned. Nineveh is a culprit and God is sending Nahum to declare his righteous judgement upon her. In the Judgement of Nineveh, God is judging a sinning world. Nahum was written about 150 years after the revival of Jonah’s day when the city of Nineveh was brought to repentance in “dust and ashes”. Mercy unheeded finally brings judgement.

God sent Nahum to predict the final doom and complete overthrow of Nineveh and her empire. This empire had been built up by violence. The Assyrians were great warriors. They were out on riding expeditions continually. They built their state on the loot of other people. They did everything to inspire terror. They said they did this in obedience to their god, Asshur. God was going to doom Nineveh to perish in a violent and extraordinary way (Nahum 2:11-12). Nahum’s prophecy was not a call to repentance, but the statement of certain and final doom (Nahum 1:9; 3:18-19).

Nahum 1:2-7, gives us an excellent opportunity of presenting the attributes of God.

·         Is Jealous

·         Is avenging

·         Is filled with wrath at evildoers

·         Maintains wrath against his enemies

·         Is great in power

·         Will not leave the guilty unpunished

·         Is Indignant

As father, he is

·         Slow to anger

·         Good

·         A stronghold in the day of trouble

·         Knowing them that trust him

The verdict of Nineveh by Nahum s seen in Nahum 1:8-14

·         Condemned to utter destruction – Nahum 1:8-9

·         Captured while defenders were drunk – Nahum 1:10

·         Name blotted out – Nahum 1:14

·         God to dig her grave – Nahum 1:14

Nahum told this destruction as prophecy. We look at it today as history.

The picture of the siege and fall of Nineveh and the desolation that followed are described with graphic eloquence in Nahum 2:3. God would make an end of her with an overrunning flood, her name would be utterly cut off and he would dig her grave. The Medes and Babylonians completely destroyed Nineveh in 612 BC. It occurred at the Zenith of her power. According to Nahum’s prophecy, it came true – a sudden rise of tigers, carrying away a great part of the wall, assisted the attacking army of the Medes and Babylonians in its overthrow (Nahum 2:6). The city was partly destroyed by fire (Nahum 3:13,15).

Nineveh is a type of all nations that turn their backs on God. In our day, proud civilizations are staking everything upon the strength of people power and machines and there is a terrible disregard of God. We find that Nineveh was overthrown because of her sin (Nahum 3:1-7) and that her great wealth and strength were not sufficient to save her (Nahum 3:8-19). Often time’s nations and people depend upon might and power to survive. They forget that it is not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).

The person or nation that deliberately and finally rejects God, deliberately and finally and fatally elects doom. Beware!!

Country Preacher - Micah

Micah was a country preacher who lived in the days of Isaiah and Hosea. He was a prophet of the common people. He prophesied concerning Samaria, the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. He denounced the social sins of his day (Micah 2:2). He felt keenly these social evils. He saw the unfair treatment of the poor by the rich. He felt that these sins cried up to heaven.

Micah wanted the people to know that every cruel act to one’s fellow citizen was an insult to God. God is offended by the conduct of the people and the rulers. In spite of the state of things, the people tried to carry on their religious observances. Micah shows the uselessness of all this (Micah 6:7-8).

As the book opens we hear the cry, “Hear O peoples, all of you listen. O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign Lord may witness against you” (Micah 1:2). He further added God rebuked Samaria and Jerusalem for social injustice, unfaithfulness, dishonesty and idolatry (Micah 2:1-11; 1:6-9). He told them that Samaria, the capital of Israel, would fall (Micah 1:6-7). A similar judgement would come upon Judah. Judah’s sin is described as an incurable wound. The sins of the people ae stated in Micah 2:1-11. God will being suffering and shame upon them for their unscrupulous use of power.

In Micah 3 to 5 he gives a message to rulers concerning the coming of Christ. Even there he broken hearted tells of God’s judgement upon Judah for her sins. Jerusalem and its temple will be destroyed (Micah 3:12; 7:!3). The people of Judah will be taken captive to Babylon (Micah 4:10).

Micah was also a prophet of hope. He always looked beyond doom and punishment to the day of glory when Christ himself shall reign, when peace shall cover the earth. God gives the promise. Messiah will come. He will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 4:8; 5:2-4). In Micah 6, he gives a definition of religion. He tells to Act Justly, Love mercy and walk humbly with God.

Men and women are always trying to get back into the good graces of God with some outward religious service or some worldly rather than spiritual things. God wants righteous conduct and a real personal experience of him in each life. Because of unrighteous conduct, the people had to suffer unbelievable consequences. The best way to get back into God’s grace is to accept God’s grace.

May God help to walk with him and be victorious in your life through Romans 12:1-2.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Don not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will”.