Malachi 3:6-12 The Citizen

Theological Proposition/Focus:

Homiletical Proposition/Application:

Introduction:

Setting the Stage:

Malachi was written to a Jewish remnant in Palestine. After the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, the people were deported. In 536 BC some of the people were allowed to return and in 516 BC a new temple had been constructed. Nehemiah who had come to help rebuild the city returned to Persia in 432 BC. Xerxes was king and he imposed heavy taxes on Palestine. Malachi wrote to the people in this context.

The theme is one of patient hope in God and special emphasis is placed on God's demand for justice. Malachi taught that spiritual apathy is unacceptable before God. God has plans for the future and expects his people to change their attitude and worship him through faith always trusting that he is sovereign. God’s standards have theological, social, and ethical implications and God expects his people to live by those standards.

Malachi's style is one of asking good questions and significantly, Malachi is the last prophet to write before John the Baptist comes on the scene more than 400 years later.

Body

Principle: Citizenship comes with rules but is impossible to lose (6-7).

Image: The penalty for speeding

As a citizen of a country, there are certain rules you are expected to follow. Suppose you are caught speeding, what is the penalty? You are fined. Suppose you get caught speeding again? Again you get fined. Now suppose you are caught stealing, what is the penalty? You are fined and might get placed in jail. Do you ever risk losing your citizenship? No.

In Malachi 1 the people had asked an important question. Does God even love us? You see the people had returned to the land and built the temple, yet they had not been blessed the way they expected. The people were stuck in the absence of blessing wondering if God still loved them.

God faithfully waits for obedience (6-7a)

The Bible is filled with examples of people who disobey God. Time and time again, The people of Israel failed to obey.

Exodus 32:7–9

In fact, as Moses was receiving the very law of God, the people were breaking the law.

God patiently waits for his people to return

However, as we see in the second half of the verse, God promises to return to those who return to him. The people of God never cease to be the people of God. God is faithful and is simply waiting for us to return to him.

It seems that Israel, in response to God's call for them to obey responded with the classic, I didn't know better, what do you want me to do.

MTR: Ask God to search your heart.

In Psalm 139 David talks about God's ability to truly know him. God knows his inner being. God knows what no one else knows. God knows the thoughts of his heart. Then David says something profound in verse 23 and 24. "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." David asks God to search him and root out anything unpleasing. We need to do the same. No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter what you have thought, God remains faithful to you and he is waiting for you to come to him with an open heart. He alone can root out the evil, he alone can fix your heart.

Principle: Citizenship warrents sacrifice (8-10a).

God calls the people out for robbing him. The wording "Will a mere mortal rob God?" in verse 8 carries the idea of incredulity. How could someone even think about doing such a thing as robbing the God of the universe?

God is supreme and deserves his tithe (8, 10a)

The word for Tithe (מעשׂר) here in verse 8 literally means a tenth. We will talk a little more about tithe later but here it is important to recognize that God expected Israel to set aside 1/10 of everything for God.