Post by Cindy on Aug 22, 2015 13:21:46 GMT -5
“The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.” (Malachi 1:1) (NKJV)
Malachi spoke because he could not help but speak. ‘The burden of the word of the LORD’ was upon him.
Malachi did not begin his message by saying, ‘I have been thinking about some things and would like to share them with you.’ He did not say: ‘It seems to me …’
His message was laid upon him by the Lord, and it was pressing upon him. It lay upon him like a weight, and the only way he could get any relief from the pressure was to declare it faithfully.
God still has a message of truth for people today. It is a message about human sin that calls for divine judgement. It is a message about forgiveness of sins through the redeeming work of Jesus. It is a message of enormous importance, but few seem to feel the weight of it. Sadly enough, even preachers often do not give the appearance of feeling the weight of truth. They breezily enter their pulpits to smile agreeably at their people and give them a few tips on this or that, making sure as they do so, that they generously sprinkle in words that are bound to get some chuckles. Who would guess that they have been charged to stand before an eternity-bound people on behalf of the eternal God with the express purpose of preparing the former to meet the latter!
Malachi had read the Word of God and had read the people of God. And the gap between the two was great. It was so great that he could not stand idly by. He had to seek to narrow the gap by declaring the Word to the people. A pressured man pressuring a casual people to feel the weight of the truth—that is Malachi!
Ellsworth, R. (2007). Opening up Malachi. Opening Up Commentary
Other prophets spoke of the same thing. Jeremiah said: “But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9) “But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.” (Jeremiah 6:11) We hear it in Job as well: “For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.” (Job 32:18–20) Paul said the same thing too: “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) Jesus told us to pray that the Father would send more people to preach the gospel because the fields were ripe, and we do desperately need more people to do speak up and tell about God's wonderful gift to us, and why we need it. Instead though, we have a bunch of pastors who are simply "doing their job" and a bunch that aren't even saved themselves. It's getting harder and harder to tell the wolves from the sheep anymore.
But I noticed something else about Malachi that I think affects us today as well. Today we have thousands of false prophets and false teachers, and people even calling themselves apostles as well as prophets. Not a day goes by that you can't look up and read or listen to, or watch, hundreds of so called "new prophecies", all of which are nothing but lies no matter how good or right or agreeable they sound. At the same time, our country and the entire world has become so sinful that Sodom was more righteous then we are now! When we read the Bible, it's not hard to see how God deals with sin and those who know, see that happening in our world daily as well. But, there's one other way God deals with sin when the people refuse to listen and respond to His prophets and His Word. I think we'd all agree that our country and the world in general, fits that category right now, don't you? The vast majority of people in the world today refuse to listen to what God's Word says, and refuse to repent of their evil ways, including a great many who call themselves "Christians." If you recall, Malachi was the very last prophet God sent to the people until John the Baptist. After having prophets in every generation for all that time, now there would be 400 years without a single voice warning the people.
Why did God stop sending prophets like He always had? Because the people became so sinful and wouldn't repent. They preferred to hear anything but His Word. Just like today. Once Malachi spoke his piece, God had said all He was going to. They had all the information they needed if they should choose to live by it. And some did. Not many, but God always had a remnant that He kept for Himself, just as He does now. To me, this is yet another way we can be absolutely sure that all these so called "prophets" today that are listed on Elijah's list site and other similar places, and that you can find on many TV shows, are 100% False! If we look at Israel's behavior during the time of her last prophets and the next 400 years, we won't see much difference between them and us right now, except perhaps that evil is even more prevalent now then it was then. God broke His Silence long enough to send John the Baptist and Jesus and a few prophets afterward, but then we were told even by those prophets that God had now revealed everything we needed in His Word. So why would God reward the evil of this world by sending more prophets in our time, when one way He judges sin is through His silence? I don't believe He would. He's the same yesterday, today and forever.
Therefore, the only "real" prophets that exist today, in my opinion, are those who simply from knowing God's Word, are constantly warning people to read it, study it, and obey it or else. That's what the job of a prophet is. Other then that, they are to expose sin (rather then covering it up) so that people see it and have to choose whether or not they're going to repent or continue in it. As far as foretelling the future goes though, that's simply not needed anymore. God's already done that, so we know what the future holds for us, or would if we knew His Word, because it's all right there. Malachi, God's last prophet, told Israel who God's next prophets would be and even when to expect them: Elijah and Jesus; and that holds true for us today as well. John the baptist ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah when Jesus came the first time (Luke 1:17) and because Israel didn't accept Jesus as their Messiah before, Elijah will come again (or someone else in his spirit and power) during the Tribulation, before His 2nd coming. Therefore the next people on this earth who will see a real prophet, will be those alive during the Tribulation, who see Elijah. To me, this proves beyond any doubt that there are no prophets today like those in the Bible and there won't be any either; not until the Tribulation has begun. That's not all that far off though, so I sure hope that people will be listening to the other kind of prophets - the ones who reveal sin, and who tell people to get into God's Word and obey it!
Malachi spoke because he could not help but speak. ‘The burden of the word of the LORD’ was upon him.
Malachi did not begin his message by saying, ‘I have been thinking about some things and would like to share them with you.’ He did not say: ‘It seems to me …’
His message was laid upon him by the Lord, and it was pressing upon him. It lay upon him like a weight, and the only way he could get any relief from the pressure was to declare it faithfully.
God still has a message of truth for people today. It is a message about human sin that calls for divine judgement. It is a message about forgiveness of sins through the redeeming work of Jesus. It is a message of enormous importance, but few seem to feel the weight of it. Sadly enough, even preachers often do not give the appearance of feeling the weight of truth. They breezily enter their pulpits to smile agreeably at their people and give them a few tips on this or that, making sure as they do so, that they generously sprinkle in words that are bound to get some chuckles. Who would guess that they have been charged to stand before an eternity-bound people on behalf of the eternal God with the express purpose of preparing the former to meet the latter!
Malachi had read the Word of God and had read the people of God. And the gap between the two was great. It was so great that he could not stand idly by. He had to seek to narrow the gap by declaring the Word to the people. A pressured man pressuring a casual people to feel the weight of the truth—that is Malachi!
Ellsworth, R. (2007). Opening up Malachi. Opening Up Commentary
Other prophets spoke of the same thing. Jeremiah said: “But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9) “But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.” (Jeremiah 6:11) We hear it in Job as well: “For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.” (Job 32:18–20) Paul said the same thing too: “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) Jesus told us to pray that the Father would send more people to preach the gospel because the fields were ripe, and we do desperately need more people to do speak up and tell about God's wonderful gift to us, and why we need it. Instead though, we have a bunch of pastors who are simply "doing their job" and a bunch that aren't even saved themselves. It's getting harder and harder to tell the wolves from the sheep anymore.
But I noticed something else about Malachi that I think affects us today as well. Today we have thousands of false prophets and false teachers, and people even calling themselves apostles as well as prophets. Not a day goes by that you can't look up and read or listen to, or watch, hundreds of so called "new prophecies", all of which are nothing but lies no matter how good or right or agreeable they sound. At the same time, our country and the entire world has become so sinful that Sodom was more righteous then we are now! When we read the Bible, it's not hard to see how God deals with sin and those who know, see that happening in our world daily as well. But, there's one other way God deals with sin when the people refuse to listen and respond to His prophets and His Word. I think we'd all agree that our country and the world in general, fits that category right now, don't you? The vast majority of people in the world today refuse to listen to what God's Word says, and refuse to repent of their evil ways, including a great many who call themselves "Christians." If you recall, Malachi was the very last prophet God sent to the people until John the Baptist. After having prophets in every generation for all that time, now there would be 400 years without a single voice warning the people.
Why did God stop sending prophets like He always had? Because the people became so sinful and wouldn't repent. They preferred to hear anything but His Word. Just like today. Once Malachi spoke his piece, God had said all He was going to. They had all the information they needed if they should choose to live by it. And some did. Not many, but God always had a remnant that He kept for Himself, just as He does now. To me, this is yet another way we can be absolutely sure that all these so called "prophets" today that are listed on Elijah's list site and other similar places, and that you can find on many TV shows, are 100% False! If we look at Israel's behavior during the time of her last prophets and the next 400 years, we won't see much difference between them and us right now, except perhaps that evil is even more prevalent now then it was then. God broke His Silence long enough to send John the Baptist and Jesus and a few prophets afterward, but then we were told even by those prophets that God had now revealed everything we needed in His Word. So why would God reward the evil of this world by sending more prophets in our time, when one way He judges sin is through His silence? I don't believe He would. He's the same yesterday, today and forever.
Therefore, the only "real" prophets that exist today, in my opinion, are those who simply from knowing God's Word, are constantly warning people to read it, study it, and obey it or else. That's what the job of a prophet is. Other then that, they are to expose sin (rather then covering it up) so that people see it and have to choose whether or not they're going to repent or continue in it. As far as foretelling the future goes though, that's simply not needed anymore. God's already done that, so we know what the future holds for us, or would if we knew His Word, because it's all right there. Malachi, God's last prophet, told Israel who God's next prophets would be and even when to expect them: Elijah and Jesus; and that holds true for us today as well. John the baptist ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah when Jesus came the first time (Luke 1:17) and because Israel didn't accept Jesus as their Messiah before, Elijah will come again (or someone else in his spirit and power) during the Tribulation, before His 2nd coming. Therefore the next people on this earth who will see a real prophet, will be those alive during the Tribulation, who see Elijah. To me, this proves beyond any doubt that there are no prophets today like those in the Bible and there won't be any either; not until the Tribulation has begun. That's not all that far off though, so I sure hope that people will be listening to the other kind of prophets - the ones who reveal sin, and who tell people to get into God's Word and obey it!
!!
