James Ramsay - April 23, 2023
Remembering God's Covenant
From Series: "Worship that Remembers P"
A journey through Malachi.
A message from the series "Worship that Remembers P." Series: Worship that Remembers Title: Remembering God’s Coming Reading: Malachi 2:17-3:5 The worship of the people Malachi testifies against has become both a lie and led to injustice. They say, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD…”. God has not, however, left this scenario as is. Malachi promises a ‘messenger’ to ‘prepare the way before me’. This one will be a ‘refiner’s fire’ - an image of refinement and cleansing. It has all the echoes of the mission of John the Baptist and, as one of the last prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures, leaves us anticipating this a ‘messenger’ of repentance. Of course, John the Baptist is a forerunner to the one who is infinitely greater, Jesus. Perhaps this warning is why many came from Jerusalem and the surrounding regions to be baptised by John. John’s baptism of repentance from sin seems to be a precursor in the gospels to recognising the presence of the Kingdom of God in the person of Jesus.
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CloseReading: Malachi 2:1-9 In our passage for today, the call to remember centres on the covenant God made with Levi and his priestly descendants. It is summed up in verse 5 as a promise of ‘life and peace’ and ‘fear’ (or reverence). There is an echo here of the first passage we looked at in Malachi in the movement from ‘love’ to ‘honour’. Levi, according to this passage walked before God in integrity, ‘peace’, and ‘uprightness’. Now, however, his descendants lead the people of Israel in the opposite direction. Here is a call to remember the promises of God and worship from this place of assurance. In Jesus we have a ‘better covenant’ (see Hebrews 7:22). Surely this calls us to worship with an even greater integrity.
Related Topics: Covenant, Malachi, Worship | More Messages from James Ramsay
A journey through Malachi.
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