Protected from the Bible – is this your church?

"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!"  ¹Ellsworth, Roger; Opening up Malachi

This is from a book about Malachi - the last book of the Old Testament..  The last one before Jesus arrived on earth.  

Before getting into this, let's set some background from when the prophecy was given -

When we hear the name ‘Malachi’, many of us think of the last book of the Old Testament. Useful information for winning a point in a Bible trivia game! Few realize that Malachi conveys a message that is of critical importance.

The mood of Malachi’s time

... the temple had been rebuilt and the sacrifices had resumed before Malachi came on the scene. The walls of Jerusalem had also been constructed. Many good things had been achieved in the long, tortuous task of rebuilding the nation.

But while good things had happened, Malachi’s was not a good time. Miles Bennett describes the situation in this way:

A spirit of dull depression had settled over the inhabitants of Jerusalem; skepticism and spiritual indifference held the people in their grasp.… The flood of skepticism abroad in the land affected both the people and their religious leaders. Religion became largely a matter of ritual. Apathy and stinginess toward God prevailed.  ²T. Miles Bennett, The Broadman Bible Commentary; Malachi, Broadman Press, vol. vii, p. 368

How did the people get into such a state? Two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, had promised that the temple would indeed surpass Solomon’s (Hag. 2:1–9). The people concluded that the only way for this to happen would be for the Messiah himself to come and make the temple glorious by his presence. Years passed and the people had not seen anything that looked like a fulfilment of the prophecies of Zechariah and Haggai.

Joyce Baldwin writes: ‘… the Temple had been completed, but nothing momentous had occurred to indicate that God’s presence had returned to fill it with glory.’  ³Joyce G. Baldwin, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 211.

Consequently, in the words of Baldwin, ‘The round of religious duties continued to be carried on, but without enthusiasm.’  ⁴Joyce G. Baldwin, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 211.

These people were called upon to live upon the bare word of God until he would again move mightily in their midst, but they were finding this to be very difficult. They longed for manifestations of God’s power and, when these were not forthcoming, they became weary of performing their duties.

The Book of Malachi is shocking. We are surprised to find the Jewish nation in such a terrible state after the Babylonian Captivity. By the time Malachi came on the scene, the captivity had been over for more than one hundred years. Although that is a substantial period of time, the captivity was such a traumatic event that we should think its lessons would not have been forgotten. But the people of Malachi’s generation were showing signs of doing that very thing. The nation began to disregard her special covenant relationship with God (1:1–5) as both priests (1:6–2:9) and people plunged into sinful behaviour (2:10–3:15).

While they kept up the various religious observances the priests and people quite obviously did not have their hearts in what they were doing. The priests brought defiled sacrifices to God and complained about how tiresome the religious duties were (1:7–8, 13). Meanwhile the people thought nothing at all about disregarding God’s laws regarding marriage (2:14–16) or about withholding their tithes (3:8–10). They also regarded service to God as vain and meaningless (3:13–15). Furthermore, the people seem to have all but lost faith in the coming of their Messiah (3:1).  ⁵Ellsworth, Roger; Opening up Malachi

Maybe not so different from today?

As I read this, I can't help but feel the similarities to us - here - today.

Now!

Not surprising when so many generations have wanted it - all of it - and right NOW!