David Futrell “Malachi: A Gift For the Final Generation” Malachi is the last book of the O. T. and is a book of Prophetic Oracle describing the preparation needed to honor the Lord and prepare for the coming Great Messenger, Jesus the Messiah. It is a post-exilic book, meaning it was written after the return from 70 years of captivity in Babylon. The prophet Malachi wrote it approximately 430 B.C. After King Cyrus declared freedom to the Jews in 536 B.C. there was a decree given for them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Millions remained in Babylon while only thousands returned to Jerusalem to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. The 2nd Temple was completed in 515 B.C. The purpose of this book is that Malachi wrote to call the hearts of the Jews back to loving God in first place and that their lives would reflect His commands and life. It is my sense that just as the Book of Malachi was written to serve as a signpost for the 1st coming of Jesus, so the Book of Malachi will be used as a signpost for Believers in Jesus in the final generation. One of the main themes of the message of Malachi is a call to Priestly ministry. I am convinced that God is calling His people into their primary occupation as Priests before their God. Malachi 1:1 “The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.” I. HISTORICAL CONTEXT A. Malachi is believed to have served as a Priest or a Farmer. He delivers this prophetic message around 430 B.C. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are the final 3 prophetic messages to Israel before the coming of Jesus. a. Haggai (520 B.C.)- “Why have you neglected the work of rebuilding the Temple and focused on your own houses?” This temple will be a shadow of the final generation and the global Temple of night & day worship. b. Zechariah (520 B.C.)- Zechariah speaks to those working to finalize this work and proclaims that it would be completed by the power of and intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Those who stand near the Lord will shine the brightest before the people (Sons of Oil). c. Ezra & Nehemiah (460-432 B.C.)- These two messengers were used by God to encourage Israel to remain faithful in the work of rebuilding the wall of defense around Jerusalem. d. Malachi (430)- Malachi comes on the scene to try to correct and call the people out of spiritual lethargy and complacency in the routine work of Ministry to God. B. If you were to summarize the heart of Malachi’s target audience it would be “apathetic”. Apathy means, “lack of enthusiasm or passion”. C. The Priests and the people had been serving the religious system while their hearts were far from God. Their offerings were not sacrificial and lifestyles were not sacrificial to God Himself. They had assumed that their sacrificial living did not matter. God says to Israel that they did not honor their Heavenly Father nor obey their Master God. D. God is calling His Priests back to His heart through Malachi’s message. E. Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ F. Malachi starts his letter by explaining his heavy heart to receive and then proclaim this word from the Lord. • Mal. 1:1- The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. G. The Word of the Lord is heavy & weighty to carry when there is striving against it by a people. The Word from the heart of God is a burden for His heart when He must strive against a people who have not www.ihopmiami.org Book of Malachi 1 David Futrell received it or refuse to agree with it. God has no rest in the midst of a people who do not agree with Him. The power of agreeing with God and His commands is that God rests in their midst (2 Chron. 6:14; Ps. 132:5; Isa. 66:2). H. 1 Chronicles 15:15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. I. If we are disconnected to the heart of God the work will actually crush our hearts. When we carry the Word and work of God apart from standing before Him often we will grow weary in the work. This was the condition of Israel during Malachi’s ministry. J. Revelation 10:9 “…He (the Angel) said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” II. GOD’S LOVE: THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL THE FATHER DOES A. Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ B. God is intending to speak like an arrow directly TO their hearts in this correction. He is speaking to them out of His love for their well-being and greatness. There are many in the Church of Jesus who need to hear this and receive this message spoken to them. C. “God uses the least severe means to reach the greatest number of people at the deepest level of love without violating anyone’s free will in training the future rulers of the earth. (Mike Bickle) D. The restoration of the “tabernacle of David” is about restoring the Priestly calling and ministry as a means of mending the Fatherless spirit on a generation. Our Heavenly Father waist for us. He waits for you (Gen. 3:8; Mt. 6:6)! E. John 17:26 And I (Jesus) have declared to them Your name (character/heart/will), and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” F. This is what we were created from and created for and called into. We love to be loved. Why? We were created that way. You were created to be loved and to love. This is the internal and eternal search for every person. G. We can only fulfill our calling to love others from the place of receiving love. We love because we were first loved (1 John 4:19). Husbands will only love their wives after first receiving God’s love. Neighbors will only love others neighbors after first receiving God’s love. H. Loving God in first priority is an end in itself. As we pursue the love of God above everything, including legitimate pleasures, eternal treasures are produced. Loving God always produces a love for others. I. In the hour when the ‘lightenings, thunderings, and voices’ are poured out from God’s throne to the earth the Priests of God will be those best equipped to stand. J. Revelation 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 1) Lightenings- God is revealing Himself and His glorious Son to all who seek Him. Light is released from His throne through spiritual wisdom & revelation. 2) Thunderings- This is an expression of God’s power and authority. 3) Voices- There is communication coming forth from God Himself. 4) Seven Spirits of God- This is the position of Holy Spirit to the Father & Son. The “Seven Spirits” speaks of the fullness of Holy Spirit as describe in Isa. 11:2. All of this flows forth (proceeds) from God’s holy throne like a mighty river. The Holy Spirit takes what is the Father’s and testifies of them to the earth; Holy Spirit Himself, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord. www.ihopmiami.org Book of Malachi 2 David Futrell K. God has declared that only Priests can approach and access His throne. Only the Priestly ministry can discern and receive what the Father is saying and doing. We are all called into this Priestly ministry. WOW!!! www.ihopmiami.org Book of Malachi 3 David Futrell “Book of Malachi: A Return to Your Priestly Ministry” Our highest identity in this life and into eternity is to be called “Sons of God” and the “Bride of Christ”. Our greatest occupational calling is to serve God as Priests and Kings. Our identity before God will never change nor diminish for eternity because of what Christ accomplished on the Cross. However, our maturity as Priests and Kings in this life will determine our usefulness for the Father in the ages to come. We can grow in this reality as we walk in obedience and faithfulness. I. REVIEW A. Malachi 1 is primarily an address to the people of Israel who were fulfilling their outward religious duties but their hearts were far from the Father. God was delivering a prophetic message of correction TO them rather than against them because of His love for them. This was a demonstration of His longsuffering and patience to see them walk in the fullness of His plans as a royal priesthood and a holy nation. B. Some translate Mal. 1:2 as God saying, “I HAVE loved you. I DO love you. I WILL love you forever.” This is His declaration over you as well.