Through My Bible Yr 02 – August 30

Malachi 3

⁷ Since the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.

You say, “In what way should we return?”

⁸ Will a man rob God? You are robbing me!

You say, “How have we robbed you?”

In regard to the tithe and the special offering. ^{[1] 9} You are being cursed since all of you, the whole nation, are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the complete tithe to the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Just test me in this, says the Lord of Armies. See whether I do not open for you the windows ^[2] of heaven and pour down blessing on you, until there is more than enough. ¹¹ I will restrain the devouring swarm so that it will not destroy your produce from your soil. Your vine in the field will not be without fruit, says the Lord of Armies. ¹² All the nations will call you blessed, because you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Armies.

¹³ Your words against me are harsh, says the Lord.

You ask, “How have we spoken against you?” ¹⁴ You say, “Serving God is pointless. What have we gained by carefully keeping his requirements and by walking around like mourners before the Lord of Armies? ¹⁵ Now we will call the arrogant blessed. Even evildoers are built up. They even test God and get away with it.”

Israel’s Response

¹⁶ Then those who fear the Lord spoke with each other. The Lord gave them his attention and listened. A book of remembrance was written in front of him for those who fear the Lord and have regard for his name.

¹⁷ They will be mine, says the Lord of Armies, on the day I make them my treasured possession. I will spare them just as a man spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ Then you will again see the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Malachi 4

¹ Look! The day is coming, burning like a blast furnace. ^[3] All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble. The day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord of Armies, a day that will not leave behind a root or branch for them. ² But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness ^[4] will rise, and there will be healing in its wings. You will go out and jump around like calves from the stall. ³ You will trample the wicked. They will surely be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I take action, says the Lord of Armies.

⁴ Remember the law of my servant Moses, which I commanded to him at Horeb to serve as statutes and judgments over all Israel.

⁵ Look! I am going to send Elijah the prophet to you before the great and fearful day of the Lord comes! ^{[5] 6} He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with complete destruction.