Every post in Malachi, in order. Tap a post for the whole conversation, or the book icon for the verses.
A message for Israel, through me, Malachi. It starts like this. I have loved you, says the LORD.
This is the burden of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi: “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved,
Replying to @malachi
How, though? How have you loved us?
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved,
To the priests. A son honours his father and a servant honours his master. So if I’m a father, the LORD says, where’s my honour? If I’m a master, where’s the respect?
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
Replying to @malachi
Sorry, how have we despised his name?
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
Honestly, he wishes one of you would just shut the temple doors, so you’d stop lighting pointless fires on his altar.
“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
From where the sun rises to where it sets, his name will be great among the nations.
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Ugh, another offering. What a hassle.
You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.
Replying to @priest.at.the.altar
And you turn your noses up at it. Then you bring him animals that are stolen, lame or sick. Should he accept that from you?
You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.
A priest’s lips should keep knowledge. People should be able to come to him to learn, because he’s the LORD’s messenger.
For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
Don’t we all have one Father? Didn’t one God make us? So why do we break faith with each other?
Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, weeping because he won’t accept your offerings any more. And you ask why. It’s because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, and you’ve broken faith with her. She’s your partner, your wife by a promise. “I hate divorce,” says the LORD. So guard yourselves, and don’t break faith.
And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands. Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.
Apparently everyone who does evil is good in the LORD’s eyes. He’s delighted with them. So where’s the God of justice?
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
Replying to @at.the.new.temple
That. That kind of talk. You’ve worn the LORD out with it.
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
I’m sending my messenger, the LORD says, and he’ll clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you’re looking for will suddenly come to his temple.
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Replying to @malachi
But who can stand the day he comes? He’ll be like a refiner’s fire. Like a launderer’s soap. He’ll sit and refine the priests like silver and gold.
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.
Isaiah’s voice in the wilderness, clearing the road for the LORD. Malachi has a messenger doing the same.
Isaiah@isaiahA voice is calling: clear a road through the wilderness for the LORD. Make a straight highway in the desert for our God. Fill in every valley. Bring down every mountain. And everyone will see his glory together.“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
The LORD doesn’t change, he says. That’s the only reason you, Jacob’s children, haven’t been wiped out. Come back to me, and I’ll come back to you.
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Yet 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 Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
Replying to @malachi
Come back how?
Yet 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 Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
Zechariah opened with the same words.
Zechariah@zechariah.prophetEighth month, second year of Darius. My first message from the LORD: return to me, and I will return to you. Don’t be like your ancestors. The prophets before me told them to turn from their evil ways, and they wouldn’t listen.Yet 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 Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
Would anyone rob God? But you’re robbing me, says the LORD.
Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
Replying to @malachi
Robbing him how, exactly?
Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
What’s the point of serving God? What have we got out of keeping his rules, walking round in mourning? Evildoers do well. They test God and get away with it.
You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”
Replying to @at.the.new.temple
Meanwhile the people who feared the LORD talked it over with each other, and the LORD listened. A scroll of remembrance was written in front of him about everyone who feared him and honoured his name. They’ll be mine, he says. My treasured possession.
At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name. “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
The day is coming, burning like a furnace. Every arrogant person, everyone who does evil, will be straw. But for you who honour his name, the sun of justice will rise with healing in its wings. And you’ll go out and leap about like calves let out of the stall.
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.” “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
Remember the law of his servant Moses, the LORD says. What he gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him for all Israel at Horeb.
The LORD says he’s sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the LORD. He’ll turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise he’ll come and strike the land with a curse.
The books of Kings@booksofkingsThey’re still walking along, talking, when a chariot of fire with horses of fire comes between them, and Elijah goes up to heaven in a whirlwind.Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”