relationships (Matthew 2:1-23) Obedience if Followed by Experience

(Matthew 2:1-23)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
    Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
    For from you will come forth a Ruler 
    Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until the death of Herod; this happened so that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
     Weeping and great mourning,
     Rachel weeping for her children;
     And she refused to be comforted,
     Because they were no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and settled in a city called Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY

To come to earth in flesh, in order to take our place in death on the cross, to pay for all sins, of all time, the Lord God chose the smallest tribe of the smallest nation, and described them as NOT being the LEAST among the Israelite tribes (verse 6)!  

God chose to make a great nation out of Abraham and Sarah, who were old, and had been childless, but they were willing to go where God told them to go.  And through them, all nations would be blessed.  God chose to make the throne of David everlasting, taking a small shepherd boy out of the fields, because he was a man after God's own heart, willing to do what God told him to do.  All of the "focus" on the Israelites is because the Lord chose this small nation to be "the missionaries" to the nations, to demonstrate His almighty power and blessings, so that all can come to know Him.

God has never and will never judge us by our size, stature, strength or popularity.  With the Lord, it has always been about our hearts and our willingness, since He created all of us with a purpose to have a personal relationship with Him.  Since sin entered the world, we are all born with a sinful nature, separated from God.  Therefore, each of us has to realize our need to be saved, to be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to the Lord.  But this is only possible through the Lord, Himself.

We are all created with a conscience, as well as a soul that is meant to be filled by the Lord.  Therefore, we all will have a sense that we were meant for eternity, and oneness with Someone, in order to feel complete!  That Someone being the Lord!  And we all will feel a sense that something is missing in our lives, and something is needed in order to feel fulfilled.  That something being the Lord!  The question is, do we want to seek the Truth, and will we recognize and accept the Truth when we see or hear it?  The Truth being the Lord!

Notice that the magi came from the east!  We don't know how many there were, we just assume that there were three, because three gifts are mentioned.  And not all "wisemen" were or are wise, although this particular group had perhaps heard God's prophecies, most likely by word-of-mouth.  Even through pagan countries, this is very possible.  And, even if they had never seen any of the scriptures or heard any of God's words, understand that God is omnipresent, and is always at work!  We see the magi being warned by God in a dream, so who's to say that God hadn't communicated to them in the past!  

However the magi came to know of the Lord, and to know the Lord personally, this particular group had come to understand the bigger picture... their need for God to be in their lives,  to love, honor and obey.  I mean, they set out on an extremely long journey, with expensive gifts, in order to go worship the King of kings!  Upon finding Him, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy!!!  Notice, in obedience, they left the comforts of their homeland and gave of their possessions, and their reward was then followed by immense joy!!!

Seriously, how many believers struggle just to get out of bed on Sunday mornings to go to church to worship their Lord and Savior, and/or struggle to open their wallets to give just a token of appreciation, never mind ten percent of their income?!

Now let's look at the relationship that Joseph and Mary shared with the Lord God!  From the previous chapter and other scripture, we already know that Joseph and Mary were believers.  And in this chapter, we see just how much they trusted in God's directions.  Without knowing exactly what God intended, or without knowing exactly how God was going to bring about His plans, they went wherever He told them to go.  In their obedience, God protected them and provided for them!

If and when God asks us to go somewhere and/or do something... are we willing?  Never mind leaving our country, are we even willing to get up off the couch to go next door and help our neighbors?  Or leave our social comfort-zones to share the good news with someone we just happen to meet - at school, work, the gym, in a store, or in the community...?!  Do we trust that in any given circumstance, good or life-threatening, God has some amazing plan in place?!  He does!!!  The question really is, are we willing to obey, in order to then experience God at work, and experience our relationship with Him growing closer each and every time?!

relationships (Matthew 1:18-25) Having a Willing Heart

(Matthew 1:18-25)

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The Jewish wedding back then was very different.  If you wish to see a small chart on how the Jewish wedding parallels the end times, click here.

Back then, once a woman chose her husband (or agreed to a marriage), they would become engaged.  BUT, legally they were already married, and to part ways even at that point, would have involved a divorce!  As we see in scripture, both Joseph and Mary were "righteous".  In Luke 1:28, Mary was described by the angel Gabriel as "favored one" and said that the Lord was with her.  All of these describe a person who is a believer.  Both had already put their faith and trust in the Lord God.  

Besides that, there was not anything "special" about either one of them, except that they both loved God and had willing hearts, which is what God desires from people, to become believers, to know Him personally, and have willing and trusting hearts.

Since they were both believers, they understood that divorce is against God's will, but so is having any sort of sex outside of marriage.  In fact, in the Old Testament laws, anyone who committed adultery was stoned to death.  We can only speculate here a bit, but Joseph perhaps sent Mary away, giving him some time to pray and seek the Lord's wisdom in this, which is what any of us should do in all situations.

Obviously, no one will ever face a circumstance even close to this one!  Although, back then, this would not have been all that far-fetched.  Sure, a woman could have claimed that she was carrying the long expected Messiah, in attempts to excuse an indiscretion;  but anyone knowing scripture back then would have understood the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3), the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:16), the prophecy of Daniel (chapter 9) as to the Jewish Age, and more importantly the prophecies of Isaiah about their coming Messiah (Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6).

The Lord God answered Joseph's prayer by sending an angel to confirm His plan, with very specific instructions.  In faith, Joseph obeyed these directions, even abstaining from intercourse until Jesus was born, so as not to raise any questions that Jesus was from the Holy Spirit.  As we see in further scriptures, God brilliantly orchestrated everything so that they and Jesus would be protected.

We can see just from this one event how important it is for a believer to marry another believer.  Imagine how this would have gone if either one of them had chosen to marry an unbeliever!  Marriage is teamwork.  And in the Lord, He will bless this union, to remain strong and unified, as both husband and wife draw closer to the Lord.  When God has a plan and purpose for us, we can be confident that He will equip us and work out all the details.  And if we are married, His plans will also incorporate both spouses!  All we need to do is to continue seeking Him out in our relationship with Him, and have a willing heart.

relationships (Matthew 1:1-25) Personal and Pleasurable

(Matthew 1:1-25)

1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram. 4 Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. 5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. 6 Jesse fathered David the king.

David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa. 8 Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah. 9 Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah. 11 Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor. 14 Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud. 15 Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob. 16 Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

This lineage of Jesus is extremely important.  First of all, it fulfills what was promised in the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3):  that through Abraham's seed, all nations would be blessed:  which is through Jesus' work on the cross, making salvation possible..  Also, it is only through Jesus' work on the cross that fulfilling this entire covenant would be possible.  The land (in its entirety), seed (many descendants), and blessings (physical and spiritual fruitfulness), will only be completely realized when Israel as a nation are believers, having accepted Jesus as their Savior, and their physical, as well as their spiritual King!

This leads us to the next important factor, that Jesus came through the lineage of king David.  This will fulfill the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:16), that the throne of David will be everlasting.  After the Tribulation, Jesus will come again, to establish the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants.  And sitting on the throne of David, He will usher in a thousand years of worldwide peace.  Again, only possible through the Lord Jesus, because He is the Son of God.

This leads us to the next important factor!  Verse 20 tells us that Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, Jesus came in flesh to be fully man, while still being fully God (verse 23).  This is critical to know and understand.  Jesus had to be God in order to live a perfectly holy life while here on earth, in order to die in mankind's place and pay the price for all sin, of all time, and then rise again to have victory over death!  But He still had to fully man in order to take our place in death!  So, let's backtrack here and look at what it meant to be fully man.  

As we look at Jesus' ancestors, we see many sinners who came from dysfunctional families.  We also see women who came out of pagan countries... and not just pagan countries, but countries that were Israel's enemies.  Although, what we know of most of them, they choose to leave their pagan ways, and chose to follow God.  As well, we see several very godly men who also chose to follow God.  While David is one of them, and even considered by the Lord as "a man after God's own heart", we are reminded in verse 6 that even he struggled with a sinful nature!  The "godly" part is that when he did sin, he would go to the Lord to confess, in order to continue striving after God and His will.

Now, how does all of this relate to the topic of relationships?  Why would the Lord leave heaven and be born into the body of an earthly man, for the sole purpose of coming to suffer and die on a cross???!!!  It is only because of His great love for all people, and His desire to provide a way for people to have their sins forgiven, so that He can enjoy a personal, pleasurable relationship with us - with all of those who choose to love Him back!  This is why He created us in the first place!

(Colossians 1:15-20) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

relationships (Malachi 4:1-5) Desire to Bless

(Malachi 4:1-5) 

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. 2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall. 3 And you will crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.

4 “Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:.

This tiny portion of scripture contains several prophecies.  First, let's address the prophecies that refer to God's relationship with Israel.  Keep in mind that God chose Israel to be the missionaries to the world, and through them, the nations would see God's power and how He blesses those who love, honor, worship and obey Him.  

As well, through Israel, the nations would be blessed, as the Lord would be born through Abraham's bloodline, coming in flesh, in order to make salvation possible.  This is seen in the Abrahamic covenant (God's promises to Abraham, in Genesis 12:1-3) which also include the promises of Israel having land, seed and blessings.  

In this chapter, verses 2 and 4 remind Israel that in order for them to have these promises fulfilled, they must be in perfect obedience.  The only way to be perfectly obedient is to believe and trust in the Lord.  The Mosaic covenant (the ten commandments in Exodus 20:1-17) shows Israel, as well as us, what it means to be obedient.  But HOW, is the question!  Because God is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin, and we are incapable of living perfect lives without any sin!  

This is why God provided the way, through His Son and His work on the cross.  When anyone goes to the Lord to humbly repent of their sins and accepts His salvation, He forgives our sins (past, present and future), covering us with His righteousness, changing us from the inside out, and sealing us with His Holy Spirit of promise, who is then with us for eternity to protect, help, and guide us.  Only in Jesus' salvation can we be saved and have a personal relationship with Him!

The reason why God created us in the first place, is to have a personal relationship with Him, because He wants to work with us, and He wants to bless us!  God also uses people to bless others, as seen through the prophets.  This scripture gives a two-fold prophecy of a prophet (Elijah-like) to prepare the way for Jesus.  John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus when He came to earth in flesh the first time (Matthew 3:1-3).  In the Tribulation, there will be two prophets preparing the way for Jesus' second coming (Revelation 11:3-13).

God does not want anyone to be punished, therefore He gives everyone just and fair opportunities with fair warning!  But anyone rejecting the Lord and His salvation will be judged and punished according to their sins.  Right now, Jesus brings spiritual peace to those who seek to have a personal relationship with Him.  In the Millennium, Jesus will also bring physical peace to this world, as He will sit on the throne of Israel, to fulfill all covenants.  This also includes the David covenant (God's promise that the throne of David will be everlasting, in 2 Samuel 7:16). 

It is important to understand that when God makes promises, He will fulfill them!  Therefore, when the Lord tells us that He wants to save us, be with us, help us, bless us, and have a relationship with us, only God is able to do this!  And God desires to do this, as well as all things, for each and everyone of us!

relationships (Malachi 3:1-18) Purpose and Blessings

(Malachi 3:1-18) 

“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of armies. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 “Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner in his wages or the widow or the orphan, and those who turn away the stranger from justice and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of armies. 6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

7 “From the days of your fathers you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

8 “Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you! 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. 11 Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor will the vine in the field prove fruitless to you,” says the Lord of armies. 12 “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of armies.

13 “Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies? 15 So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also put God to the test and escape punishment.’”

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. 17 “And they will be Mine,” says the Lord of armies, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

With this blog, I've been in the Old Testament now for over 5 years!  And while that might sound dreary to some, this has been an amazing spiritual journey of getting to know Jesus better and better.  When the Lord (Jesus) speaks, I recognize more and more of His words and how He "speaks" to the people in the four gospels!  But, let me stay focused on what God is saying right here!!!  And there's so much!!!

There is the prophecy of the messenger (John the Baptist), to clear (prepare) a way for the Lord (Jesus) to come to earth in flesh - the first time.  There is the prophecy of the Tribulation, when at the very end of those seven years, at the end of the Jewish Age, Jesus will return to earth and judge the nations, removing all evil and all unbelievers (verses 5-6).  

As well, there is the prophecy of the Millennial kingdom which describes a time when Jesus will bring the Jews and all other believers with Him to fulfill all covenants and establish peace on earth (verses 2-4).  At the end of the Millennium, the Lord Jesus will judge all unbelievers of all time according to their sins, because they have rejected Him and His salvation.  

Even though the Lord God desires that all come to know Him, because He is love, He will not force anyone to love Him back.  And because He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin.  But because He is love, the first time He came to earth in flesh, His work on the cross paid the price for all sin, of all time, for all people, whether someone was going to accept His free gift of forgiveness or not!

The answer to the question, "Who can stand before the Lord?" is - no one.  We are all born with a sinful nature.  But when a person choses salvation in Jesus, Jesus refines us, and cleanses us from our sins, and covers us with His righteousness, and only in His strength, mercy and grace are believers able to stand before Him.

Not only does the Lord God want a personal relationship with us, He wants to do life with us!!!  He wants us to work with Him, so that He can bless us.  Verse 7 is very clear!!!  When we are with the Lord, THEN He is with us!  And when we are with Him and He is with us, we will be obedient in His will and His instructions.  

Our obedience is the evidence of our relationship with God!!!  But also, when we choose to be obedient, demonstrating our faith and trust, this is when we will experience the Lord, and how He will work mightily for us, in us, and through us!  This is when He will bless us!  And, He WANTS to bless us (verses 10, 17-18)!!!  This is why God created us in the first place!!!

relationship (Malachi 2:1-17) Seeking Peace

(Malachi 2:1-17) 

“And now, this commandment is for you, the priests. 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of armies, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. 3 Behold, I am going to rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. 4 Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, so that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and justice, and he turned many back from wrongdoing. 7 For the lips of a priest should maintain knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of armies. 8 But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have ruined the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 9 “So I also have made you despised and of low reputation in the view of all the people, since you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.”

10 Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, may the Lord eliminate from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of armies.

13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He no longer gives attention to the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your marriage companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why the one? He was seeking a godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Often, when God's word gives us a bad example of what not to follow, He gives us a good example to follow.  In this chapter, our good example is Levi.  And, most often, when God's word tells us what not to do, He then tells us what we should be doing.  These are all the points found in this chapter:

• being saved is to be in a personal relationship with the Lord,
• as the Lord is committed and faithful to those who love Him, strive to be committed and faithful,
• live in God's life and peace which is an eternal blessing,
• walk with the Lord in spiritual peace,
• in the Lord's peace, seek to be peaceful with others,
• therefore DO NOT deal treacherously with others or be violent

• be careful about your spirit,
• nurture your personal relationship with the Lord by drawing closer and closer to Him,
• cherish your personal relationship with the Lord by putting Him first,
• show reverence to the Lord and His name,
• be in awe and give honor to His name
• be awake and answer to the Lord while giving your offering with a humble and thankful heart,
• therefore DO NOT profane the sanctuary

• obey the commandments which are given as an object of reverence to revere the Lord
• faithfully pursue and keep the Lord's way,
• therefore DO NOT cry to God when you are willfully living in sin and expect Him to find favor with you

• seek instruction from spiritual leaders who are messengers of God
• listen to what God's says and take it to heart, 
• pursue truth, understand it, and maintain knowledge,
• give true instruction,
• teach your children to be godly,
• therefore DO NOT twist God's word to consider evil things good, or twist them to try justifying sinful behavior

• walk with the Lord in justice, 
• stand up for the true victims and be on the side of true justice,
• therefore DO NOT show partiality

• turn others from wrongdoing,
• therefore DO NOT cause others to stumble

• a believer should marry another believer,
• be committed to your marriage in God's will
• nurture your marriage in God's will, so that as you grow closer to the Lord, you grow closer to each other,
• cherish your marriage by putting God first in your lives and consider your spouse next in importance, which is to consider others (especially your spouse) more important than yourself,
• therefore avoid divorce and DO NOT treat your spouse treacherously

relationship (Malachi 1:1-14) More Than Worthy

(Malachi 1:1-14) 

The pronouncement of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi:

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; this is what the Lord of armies says: “They may build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the territory of wickedness, and the people with whom the Lord is indignant forever.” 5 And your eyes will see this, and you will say, “The Lord be exalted beyond the border of Israel!”

6 “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of armies to you, the priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8 And when you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 9 “But now, do indeed plead for God’s favor, so that He will be gracious to us. With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 10 “If only there were one among you who would shut the gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of armies, “nor will I accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of armies. 12 “But you are profaning it by your saying, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 You also say, ‘See, how tiresome it is!’ And you view it as trivial,” says the Lord of armies, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I accept it from your hand?” says the Lord. 14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of armies, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

What if someone claimed that they loved us like family, but invited us over and served us rotten food while they ate a freshly prepared gourmet meal?  Or what if we had saved a person from a burning building, but they publicly thanked and gifted those who set the fire?  Or if our children just stopped visiting or talking to us, even after we've done our best to equip and help them towards a successful life?

It does put things into perspective considering that the Lord is God, King, and Creator of everything!  And considering everything the Lord Jesus has done, is doing, and will do for us, and wants the very best for us, does He not deserve our love, and our respect, energy, time, attention, devotion, honor, and our very best?  He is so much MORE than worthy!