WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday August 30, 2015
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readers worldwide
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RETURN
TO A JUST GOD
(Give
to the LORD what is HIS)
(Malachi
3:1-14)
It must not be forgotten that JESUS
HIMSELF was raised on scripture. In fact, HE based HIS entire ministry on what
it says, and HE also approached HIS death with its words on HIS lips. Peter C.
Craige once wrote, “When people cease to care, then, religion, morality, social
customs, and values, all cease to function as mortar that holds together a
society, and maintain ancient faith”.
In the book of Malachi,
the prophet challenges the people of Israel about their lack of seriousness
toward their relationship and obedience to GOD. It is never an easy task to
deal with indifference, or its consequences, or, a gradual slide towards an
unstructured existence, much like we live in today.
Malachi is the last of
the twelve so-called “minor prophets” and the final book of the Old Testament
in its present order. It brings to an appropriate end, our reflections on the
messages of the prophets of ancient Israel. In fact, one can hardly read
Malachi 3:1 without being reminded of the ministry of John the Baptist. It
prompts us to recall his immortal words of him being “a voice crying in the
wilderness”, seeking to make straight the way of the LORD.
In the New Testament
Greek, the word used for “messenger” is “aggelos” (ang-el-os), and it describes
one who brings news, or tidings, by divine order from GOD. JESUS came to usher
in a new covenant from GOD. It is a covenant that is far superior to any
before, or since, that time. In Malachi 3, the word messenger takes on a
three-fold emphasis, because there we see the messenger, Malachi, announcing
the coming of the messenger, John the Baptist, who announced the coming of our
LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, the ultimate messenger.
Taking up at verse 6 we
find the fifth of six oracles that are found in the book of Malachi, and it is “a
call for repentance”. It begins with perhaps the most immortal of all
statements from GOD that are found in all the annals of Scripture. There GOD
announces that “I AM THE LORD, AND I DO NOT CHANGE…”. It is a profound
utterance that seeks to drive home the point that the coming New Testament
would by no means contradict the Testament of old, and even JESUS confirmed
this statement when HE declared in HIS, now famous, “Sermon on the Mount”
(Matthew 5:17-20 - NLT), “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come
to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to
fulfill them. I assure you, until Heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest
detail of GOD’s Law will remain until its purpose is achieved. So if you break
the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least
in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys GOD’s laws, and teaches them,
will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven”.
Since the beginning of
the fall of man (Adam and Eve), away from the laws of GOD, GOD has extended a
perpetual open invitation to us, through HIS prophets, pleading with us to
return to HIM. Sadly, and surprisingly, each generation since then, seems to
fail to understand, or see where we have ever even strayed away from HIM in the
first place (v.7). We have abandoned GOD, for instance, in our refusal to share
with each other, and, we have totally misunderstood the purpose of tithes and
offering for many generations now. When we fail to give at least “a tenth” of
what we have, into the storehouse for those who are in need, we fail to take
the curse off of “one hundred percent” of what we have, and are trying desperately
to keep for ourselves. And so GOD says that, in reality, we are cheating HIM
(v.9).
The “storehouse” or
church pantries and coffers should be the largest room in any place of worship,
not the sanctuary. Christians should desire more so that they may have more to
give away, not more to keep. GOD’s mercy is rendered to those who give, not to
those who receive, and then strive to keep. HE opens up the windows of Heaven,
and pours out HIS blessings on those who desire to share and give a portion of
that which they receive, to others who are in “temporary need”.
However, we should always
keep in mind that, GOD does not advocate enabling a person to stay in a
position of neediness, and making them totally dependent upon us, but rather,
HE wants us all to eventually move into a position so that we can help someone
else who is struggling, or going astray, and always only see our total
dependence on HIM, as being necessary and real (Vs.8-14).
It is the duty of the
Christian to build his or her foundation on “the Most High Faith”. We must
learn to pray in the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, and remember the conditions of
the New Covenant under which the love of GOD has called us, and then finally,
we must wait on mercy from JESUS CHRIST unto eternal life.
The, contents of the
book of Malachi suggests that it was probably written, during the interval,
between Nehemiah’s two terms as governor of Judah. The prophet’s charges
against the sins of Judah in those days were met by sarcasm and denial by most
of the people of Israel. They, as a nation, had once again failed to put GOD
first, despite having so recently experienced HIS benevolent grace, by HIM
releasing them from their captivity in Babylon.
Malachi seems to remind
us through his messages, that, until CHRIST comes again, we can’t expect to see
a just society established here on earth. And while it is true that perfection
won’t even come to the Church, until GOD’s program for it is consummated with
the second coming of our LORD and SAVIOR, until then, the Church will only be
perfect when no human being is in it.
It now seems that the
very minute we enter into the Church, perfection leaves out the door,
however, we as
Christians can still, all reach a high level of maturity by learning and
becoming accustomed to practicing the immortal acts of love that has already
been exhibited to us by JESUS HIMSELF, during HIS lifetime here on earth. And
those of us who love the LORD will continue to converse together about HIM,
and, by the way we live our lives, we can continue to display the distinctions
that exist between good and evil in the world.
The “Christian Hope” still
consists of a promise to the faithful, and the differences between believers
and non-believers will always ring eternal. And through it all, we can rely on
our “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Love”, the three great enduring things, GOD
personified, to sustain us. And “Love” will always remain as the greatest of
those three eternal qualities, because it is, quite literally, the very
foundation of the Christian life itself. Understanding that, we can see, quite
vividly, why “our love of CHRIST is the true measure of a person’s spiritually”,
and, why that same love of CHRIST, also exemplifies the closeness of our
relationship with GOD.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
