Malachi 2:1

Malachi 2:1 says, And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. God had a commandment for the priests, those who were supposed to represent God to the people and the people to God.  This is what we as a priesthood of believers are supposed to do today.  Verse two adds, If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. The commandment to the priests was if they did not take God's word to heart, or if they really didn't believe it and give glory to God, then He would send a curse on them.  Simply claiming to be a priest was not enough.  God then added that He had already sent a curse on these priests.  This also applies to those today who claim to represent God to the world but who don't really put their faith in Him.  Verse three continues, Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.  This was very descriptive of how God felt about the actions of those who called themselves priests of Israel.  God hasn't changed His judgment of false priests.  Verse four states, And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.  God reminded them that He had established His covenant with Levi who represented the priests, and He was reestablishing it with those who would be true to Him.  We have a covenant with God through Jesus Christ, and simply claiming to accept Him is not enough.  We must be true to our calling as Christians.  Verse five adds, My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.  God said His covenant with Levi was for life and peace, as long as Levi and the priests who came after Him would represent Him to the people and the people to Him.  If we would have life and peace today, we need to remain true to God.  Verse six continues, The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.  God said that Levi remained true to his calling and He remained true to His covenant with Levi.  Therefore, Levi walked in peace and equity, and did not turn away to iniquity.  We must do the same.  Verse seven says, For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.  God said priests should speak the truth of God's law since they were messengers of the LORD.  Verse eight adds, But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that the priests of that day had departed out of God's way.  They had also caused the people of Israel to stumble at God's law and corrupted the covenant of Levi.  We as Christians have a covenant relationship with God, and we should never cause anyone to corrupt God's covenant.  Verse nine continues, Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.  God said He had made the priests contemptible to the people, since they had not kept His ways and had been partial in the law.  We cannot show partiality when it comes to God's law and still expect His blessings. 

Malachi 1:6

Malachi 1:6 says, A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?   God stated that a son honored his father and a servant his master, but then asked where was His honor from the priests of Israel.  God aided that the priests despised His name, and we know that when Jesus Christ came, this was especially true.  The religious leaders despised His name.  We cannot afford to do the same thing today.  Verse seven adds, Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.  When God said that the priests offered polluted offerings, they asked when they had done this, just as they had asked when they had not honored God.  Anytime we offer less than our best out of a sincere heart to God, we offer a polluted offering to Him.  Verse eight continues, And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that when they offered the blind and lame for a sacrifice that what they were doing was evil, and asked if the governor would be pleased with such an offering.  We cannot give more to the rulers of the world than we give to God.  Verse nine declares, And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. When they prayed to God, they were asked if God would regard their requests graciously if they had no real respect for Him is what I believe the question means.  We cannot see God as a source for what we want while at the same time not having any real reverence for Him.  Verse ten adds, Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.  Just as people would not shut a door for no reason, they should not offer sacrifices for no reason, or without any real concern for what they represented.   When they did, God said He would not accept their sacrifices, and He still won't today.  God does not have to accept our leftovers just because we bring them to Him.  Verse eleven continues, For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that since His chosen people, the Jews, had rejected Him that His name would be made great throughout all the world of the Gentiles.   Jesus Christ came to save not just certain people, but everyone who put their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse twelve says, But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.  God said that the people of Israel had profaned His table by their cheap offerings.  We must bring the best that we have to God, including the best that we can be as individuals, or we profane God's table, or altar.  Verse thirteen adds, Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.  God said that the people of Israel had declared serving Him to be a weariness.  We should never grow weary in doing God's work and following His will for our life.  Verse fourteen concludes, But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.  God warned against promising one thing to Him and then giving something less valuable.   God will always expect us as followers of Christ to give Him only our best, especially when we have dedicated something to Him.

Malachi 1:1

Malachi 1:1 says, The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.  This message to Israel given to Malachi to present to them was referred to as the burden of the word of the LORD.  God's word can be a burden to those who do not accept it, because it will call them to repent of their sins and put God above everything else.  God's word can also be a burden to those who accept it, because it requires them to share in the responsibility of reaching out to the lost people of the world with God's message of salvation, but it will be a light burden, because they Holy Spirit helps them bear it.  This message was for Israel, God's chosen people, and I believe because of their rebellion against God, they had become a burden to Him.  Verse two adds, I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,  God said that He had loved the people of Israel, but that they questioned when and how He had loved them.  They gave the example of Esau and Jacob, asking if Esau was not Jacob’s brother, but saying that God loved Jacob and not Esau.  Their contention was that God's love was arbitrary, but God loved Esau just as much as He loved Jacob.  Esau just did not love God.  If we suffer God's punishment, it will not be because God does not love us or loves someone else more.  God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of everyone, not just certain people, and He did so out of love for each person.  Verse three continues, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.  God's chosen people placed the blame for what happened to Esau on God, and not on Esau himself because of his attitude toward God.  This is the same argument people use today when they rhetorically ask how a loving God can send people to hell.  God has done everything possible to keep people from going to hell if they accept His salvation, but as with Esau the choice is theirs whether or not to put their faith in God.  Verse four states, Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.  God said that the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, said that even though they were impoverished that they would return and rebuild cities in the desolate places.  They did not say that God would do this through them, but that they would do it without God's help.  We may think that we can accomplish great things without God today, but just as God told the Edomites, what we build or accomplish without Him will be torn down by Him.  Verse five adds, And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.  God said that they would see His work in Israel and that He would be magnified.  As followers of Christ today, whatever we do should magnify or glorify God and never be done to magnify or glorify ourselves. 

Zechariah review

 First, we see that Zechariah was called by God to proclaim God's truth.  We as Christians are called by God to proclaim His word of truth to the world today.  Zechariah did not always immediately understand what God was saying to him, and when he didn't, he asked for help in understanding what God was saying.  If we do not know what God is saying to us today, all we need to do is go to Him in prayer and ask.  God will not leave us confused about His word to us if we are truly followers of Christ.  God spoke to Zechariah by visions of ordinary things that God gave a special meaning.  In Jesus' day, a man dying on a cross was an ordinary event, but the death of Jesus was given an extraordinary meaning, and if we only see a man dying on a cross, we miss God's salvation that came through the death of Jesus Christ.  God called on the people of Judah and Jerusalem to return to Him and follow His commands in all that they did.  God did not just suddenly decide that the people of Judah and Jerusalem were going to be forgiven no matter what they did, and He will never do that with people today.  If we are to be saved then we must come to God through faith in Jesus Christ.  We will never be pronounced forgiven by our own merit.  God told His people that He expected them to use all that He blessed them with for the advancement of His kingdom and to bring glory to Him.  I believe this is still true today.  God said that as the Creator of the universe that He would stand with those in Israel and Judah, all of His chosen people, when they were faithful to their covenant with Him, and He would likewise stand against all who refused to enter into that covenant relationship with Him.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a covenant relationship with God by which He secures our salvation, and until we do, we will never be a part of God's people.  God fights for His people and against those who oppose them.  He has already secured the victory.  Next, we will look at the book of Malachi.

Zechariah 14:12

 Zechariah 14:12 says, And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.  God basically said that those who fought against Jerusalem would ultimately face a horrible death.  When God's judgment comes, all those who fought against or even denied salvation through Jesus Christ will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse thirteen adds, And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.  God said that when this judgment came that neighbors would be fighting neighbors.  Without God's guidance, people tend to want what is best for themselves without any real concern for their neighbors.  Verse fourteen declares, And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.  Even Judah, those who were supposed to be God's people, would fight against Jerusalem, God's holy city, to claim some of the riches there.  Those called God's people would destroy themselves out of greed.  When someone pretends to follow God, but does so simply for material reasons,  then they will find themselves at war with others who do the same.  Verse fifteen adds, And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.  God said that the plague that He was going to send would affect not only the people, but their animals as well.  Nothing is going to escape God's coming judgment.  Everything that a person owns will fall under God's judgment, and anything gained outside of obedience to Him will be destroyed.  Verse sixteen states, And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.  All those that were left would continue to worship God, because they had been redeemed by their faith in Him. This is the church today.  We are to daily worship God and be faithful to His calling.  Verse seventeen adds, And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.  God said that those who did not come to worship Him would have the rain cut off from them.  Though we do not come to God to be materially blessed, if we do not put our faith in Him one day we will be cut off from all the good things in life.  Verse eighteen continues, And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.  God said that if the withholding of rain did not bring people to worship Him that He would send a plague on them.  If mild suffering does not bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, then one day we will suffer the everlasting plague in hell.  Verse nineteen declares, This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.  God was now going to pronounce His punishment on all who did not come to truly worship Him, and we know what the ultimate punishment will be for those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior today.   Verse twenty adds, In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.  Verse twenty-one concludes, Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.  God said in that day everything would be consecrated to Him.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, everything we have should be consecrated to Him.

Zechariah 14:1

 Zechariah 14:1 says, Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.  Zechariah said that the day of the LORD was coming, and the people of Jerusalem were going to be divided into those who put their faith in God and those who didn't.  We today as followers of Christ know that the day of the LORD is coming, and the world will be separated into those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who don't.  Verse two adds, For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  The people of Jerusalem were going to suffer defeat because they did not obey God.  Being God's people in name only was not enough, just as being a Christian in name only is not enough today.  Verse three declares, Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  Those nations that defeated Jerusalem would not escape the wrath of God.  Just because God allowed other nations to defeat His rebellious people did not mean that they were going to escape His punishment.  Verse four adds, And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  Matthew Henry says this refers to Jesus Christ taking away the division between the Jews and Gentiles when He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all on the Mount of Olives.  We know that God will stand in judgment of all people one day.  Verse five continues, And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.  Matthew Henry says this valley is the gospel church.  Verse six states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: Verse seven adds, But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the time between when Jesus Christ first came and when He returns.  His light is always there, but it is not accepted by all, so therefore is not as bright as it will one day be.  Verse eight says, And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.  God said that the living water, Jesus Christ, would flow out of Jerusalem into all the world.  This began when the Holy Spirit led and empowered the apostles, and it continues today through those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and proclaim His gospel to the world.  Verse nine adds, And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.  This refers to when God's judgment comes on the world.  People will then realize that there truly is but one God, and He will rule over all the world.  Verse ten states, All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.  Verse eleven adds,. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.  God was going to restore His land with those that put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  This day is coming, so we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ until it does. 

Zechariah 13:1

 Zechariah 13:1 says, In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  God said that in that day, after Jesus Christ came, that there would be a fountain to wash away the sins of the people.   This was done by the blood of Jesus Christ.  We must be washed clean by His blood to have salvation from our sins.  Verse two declares, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.  God said that when people were washed clean of their sins and lived by faith in Jesus Christ that all idols would be removed from their life, as would the false prophets.  If we truly follow Christ, we will never worship idols nor be drawn away from God by false prophets.  We will know the truth of God's word.  Verse three adds, And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.  God said that the parents of those who prophesied false prophecies would kill them.  This would mean that the parents had put their faith in Jesus Christ and knew His word, and points out the severity of claiming lies in the name of God.  Verse four states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:  When Jesus Christ came, those false prophets who accepted Him as their Savior and Lord would be ashamed of their false prophecies and would hope that no one remembered them.  We, as Christians, should pray that any false ideas that we may have proclaimed about God before accepting salvation through Christ will be forgotten.  These false prophets would no longer wear the garments associated with prophets.  Verse five adds, But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.  The false prophets would no longer proclaim themselves to be prophets, but would declare themselves to be simply men making a living.  These false prophets, once they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord would admit that they had never been called by God to prophesy.  Verse six says, And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.  Matthew Henry says that this referred to the false prophets having been beaten in order to get them to renounce their false prophecies so that they would not be killed, but I don't believe that people can be beaten into accepting God's truth.  They must come of their own free will.  I believe this is a reference not to false prophets, but to Jesus Christ whose hands were pierced by the Jews, those who were supposed to be His friends.  Verse seven declares, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.  This is a reference to the coming suffering of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind.  He took on the punishment for all of humanity so that we might be restored to God.  Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, we are restored as little ones to God because of His sacrifice.  Verse eight adds, And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  God said that the people were to be separated into those who believed in Jesus Christ and those who didn't, with more not believing than those who did believe.  There will always be more people who deny God, and Jesus Christ in particular, than those who put their faith in Him, but this does not relieve us of the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the world.  Verse nine declares, And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.  God said that He would save those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  He would be their God and they would be His people and He would keep them safe through all the trials of life.  This is still God's promise to those who follow Christ today.