Bible Study - Apathy - How Do You Treat God? - Malachi 2 and 3 - June 17,2011

Bible Study – Apathy – How Do You Treat God? – June 17, 2012

This is lesson three (3) in our series of study entitled “Apathy - Who Cares?”

Our scripture is Malachi 2:17-3:12.

GOD hates Spiritual apathy, which is the lack of enthusiasm or emotional emptiness. It is going through the motions of playing Christian. Those who do are only fooling themselves. HIS desire is for those who worship HIM to honor HIM, as well as to honor their commitments to HIM and their fellowmen.

GOD was very upset with the priests in Malachi’s time because they were not obedient to HIS commands and they were not setting the right example for those who came to the temple to worship HIM. The priests and the people were going through the motions of worshiping GOD. As a result, bad attitudes developed by the people toward GOD and fellow Israelites. The Israelite men were divorcing their Israelite wives and marrying younger pagan women. The priests either encouraged such a practice or remained silent because they would not confront the wealthy or privileged about their sins. The Israelites thought that people with wealth were in favor with GOD and HE had blessed them. GOD made it clear to them that HE was disgusted with both the priests and the worshipers for such practices.

Christians need to keep in mind that they are priests. They are accountable to GOD and can come into the presence of GOD directly, 24/7. The shed blood of CHRIST allows them to have free access to GOD. The way Christians treat GOD reflects their love and commitment to HIM. This is the heart of our lesson this week.

The dynamics of worshiping GOD changed when CHRIST gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sin for those who accept HIM as their Savior.  

Let’s read Malachi 2:17-3:5:

Judgment at the Lord’s Coming 

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?”When you say, “Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and He is pleased with them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

I suspect that many Christians have questioned the apparent prosperity of those who do evil while GOD-fearing people seem to be suffering. When Christians have this mindset, it causes GOD to be weary.

Christians must trust HIM in all things. There was a general opinion among the Israelites that GOD favored those who did evil because HE seemingly accepted their lifestyle by not punishing them.

HE is the only ONE Who has direct access to every person’s heart and HE alone works within each person to bring him/her to the point of salvation. In Old Testament worship, the shedding of the blood of animals was an outward expression of a person’s desire to be cleansed of his/her sins. They had to go through the priests. When they worshiped GOD, HE knew their heart. Were they worshiping in truth or going through the motions? When they worshiped in Spirit and truth the shed blood of the sacrificial animal was a place holder for them until CHRIST gave HIS life to pay in full the debt for sin with HIS shed blood.

Christians are the physical link with whom GOD is working. HE knows who they are and HE leads Christians to them by the Holy Spirit. It is exciting when GOD uses you to present the Good News to others. A Christian may not see that person come to a saving knowledge of CHRIST at the time they talk with them. GOD may use you to plant a seed, water, dig around or add some fertilizer in the life of the person to whom GOD is revealing truth. But whatever a Christian does in obedience to GOD’S leadership is just as important as having the opportunity to have a person pray to receive CHRIST. Christian brothers and sisters, you are vital in GOD’S plan and activity but you must be willing to obey HIS leadership.

Our next scripture reveals to the people that GOD had a plan for redemption for all who would accept CHRIST as their Savior. When you read our next scripture keep John the Baptist, forerunner of CHRIST, and CHRIST in mind. CHRIST will become a reality in about 430 years later when HE came to earth as a baby which fulfilled what Malachi had recorded.

Let’s read Malachi 3:1-5:

1 “See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire—see, He is coming,” says the Lord of •Hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like a cleansing lye. 3 He will be like 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. 4 And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by. 5 “I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, and cheat the wage earner; and against those who deny justice to the foreigner. They do not •fear Me,” says the Lord of Hosts.

GOD told the priests and the people that HE was going to send a messenger. It is natural for people to expect what GOD tells them to take place quickly. However, it was over 400 years after this scripture before HE fulfilled this scripture. GOD’S messenger was John the Baptist, the forerunner or herald GOD had chosen to announce the coming of the promised Messiah. The “Messenger of the covenant” to come is the LORD JESUS.

GOD was very upset over the apathy of the priests and the people of Malachi’s day. The promised Messiah would establish a new covenant by fulfilling the old covenant. This would, in effect, make complete the old way of worship and establish a new dynamic relationship with GOD through a personal relationship with CHRIST.

The righteousness of CHRIST was compared to a refiner’s fire and the cleansing lye, both purify. A refiner’s fire brings the impurities or dross to the surface as the metal is heated. The dross is skimmed off and the refiner turns the heat higher and higher until he can see his face in the metal he is purifying. GOD’S desire is for HIS children to reflect HIM in their lives.

The cleansing lye was used to remove a stubborn stain or bleach a fabric. To remove a spot from fabric requires the application of the lye by rubbing, soaking, washing and rinsing. Both processes are designed to take something of menial value and turn it into something of greater value. The things of menial value left in their menial state means that they have not reached their greatest potential. GOD’S desire is for HIS children to reach perfection by being made in the image of CHRIST.

When a person comes into the presence of GOD his/her impurities immediately become apparent to him/her because the righteousness of GOD exposes his/her imperfections. The Prophet Isaiah recorded an encounter he had with GOD in Isaiah 6:5:

5 Then I (Isaiah) said:
Woe is mel Ex 33:20; Jdg 13:22; Isa 59:3; Jr 9:3-8; Lk 5:8 for I am ruinedm Or I must be silentbecause I am a man of •unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips,n Ex 6:12,30and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

It is clear that Isaiah felt extremely unclean and Spiritually naked in the presence of GOD.

The Israelites considered the sons of Levi as holy and righteous but verse 3 reveals that even they will be subjected to the refiner’s fire to make them righteous. Clearly, no human can be pure or righteous enough through his/her own effort to stand in the presence of GOD.

This is why CHRIST gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sin. All who accept CHRIST as their Savior have been made pure and righteous through the passion of CHRIST. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sinn 1Jn 3:5 to be sino Or be a sin offering for us,p Rm 8:3; Gl 3:13; 1Pt 2:24 so that we (All who accept HIM as their Savior) might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The cleansing shed blood of CHRIST removes all of a Christian’s sin, past, present and future. That is why Christians can approach GOD directly, 24/7.

In essence, GOD was telling the priests and the people that when they come to HIM with the right attitude, purpose and heart to worship HIM in Spirit and truth, their offerings will please HIM. It was a matter of re-establishing the right relationship with HIM. When they do their Spiritual eyes would be opened to see how he judges all who honor and respect HIM versus how HE judges the wicked such as - sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, and cheat the wage earner; and against those who deny justice to the foreigner.

Let’s read Malachi 3:6-7:

6 “Because I, •Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Robbing God 7 “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you 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?”

GOD reminded the priests and the people that HE had not changed. HE did not bless the wicked and punish those who worshiped HIM. They could not accuse HIM of such because HE had not destroyed them. HE had good reason to destroy them because they had turned from obeying HIS statutes. The Israelites had abandoned HIM but HE had not abandoned them because they had not been annihilated. HE had not changed or moved but HE was pleading with them to come back to HIM. If they did come back to HIM, HE would restore their relationship.

GOD knew their hearts. HE knew they would ask, “How can we return?” Our next scripture reveals the answer.

Let’s read Malachi 3:8-12:

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!”You ask: “How do we rob You?”“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. 9 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. 12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.

GOD told them that they were robbing HIM by not giving HIM a tenth plus contributions.

More sermons have been preached using this scripture than we can count. But we have to be careful. From an investment point-of-view it is excellent. Give to GOD and HE will make sure that you are blessed with more. We must keep in mind that it is all about our hearts. The heart is not the organ that pumps blood but the very core of our existence or the eyes of our heart. It is the most secret place where GOD meets with us and we talk to HIM in truth.

I am convinced when Christians come to the full realization of the love that GOD has for them, they will respond and obediently serve HIM as led by the Holy Spirit. It will not be a struggle but the result of a natural response to a renewed heart through the process of sanctification.

Christians that are in the right relationship with CHRIST do not respond or serve HIM out of obligation but out of love, adoration and appreciation.

GOD promised the Israelites that when they restored their relationship with HIM, HE would rebuke the devourer and protect their produce and grapes used to make wine. Satan is the devourer. His goal is to defeat and destroy GOD’S children. He attempts to devour the physical and Spiritual things that are important to for Christians to use to cope with this life and to grow Spiritually. Christians make bad decisions by leaning on their own understanding, which can lead to trouble. They take matters into their own hands, which ends up in a mess. Romans 8:26 gives us a clue how GOD comes to our rescue even when we do dumb things - 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. GOD is actively working in the lives and situations of HIS children to achieve the best result from difficult situations. We may have to suffer serious consequences as the result of our doing but GOD will help the best to come from it, when we seek HIS help.

The devourer attempts to destroy your Spiritual wealth and your physical wealth but GOD can intervene to prevent him from achieving his goal. A Christian’s role during such times is to trust in GOD. This is easy to say but very hard to do. But during such situations is where much dross is brought to the top of our lives that reveals our hearts. When we are in the refiner’s fire or being bleached to remove a bad spot in our lives, GOD’S purpose is always to strengthen and build our trust in HIM.

This is what GOD wanted for both the priests and the people to experience by returning to HIM and building the right relationship with HIM.

How do you treat GOD? How you treat GOD reflects your heart toward GOD. Is your treatment of GOD based upon, “What have YOU done for me lately?” I know, because I have been there and it is easy to go there when things don’t go to suit me.

GOD’S desire is for HIS children to worship HIM in Spirit and truth. As Christians, we must be honest with GOD and lay our lives open before HIM. When we do, then HE can help us address what needs to be worked on in our lives.

Blessings as we journey together to the Promised Land!!!