SATURDAY (1/2/21)

Hey family, it’s Ila here with you again. Is it okay if we just pass the small talk and get real for a moment? I realize I can’t verify your agreement, but thank you for pretending with me. Let’s get real! Sometimes, I’m pleased with myself as a “good” person…Other times, I deeply—desperately—know that I need a Savior to rescue me from my wretched self. In today’s passage, God sends Malachi the prophet to shine a spotlight on some wretched sins. It’s not a happy message. It’s quite devastating. Yet, it’s necessary.

God’s people were back in their own land, worshiping in their own temple. They were no longer exiles, no longer controlled by a foreign power. Life seemed to be good! They were home. They were free. But the people were enslaved to another master and power: sin.

Let’s buckle up, humble ourselves, and hear what God says to a people who desperately need the Savior: Malachi 2:1-3:5

Yes, God loves us always, and He is a forgiving God! But God is not okay with us dishonoring His name or dishonoring other people. In the very last book of the Old Testament, it is quite clear that laws are not enough to make people good.

We need a Savior.

To dissect this intense section further, grab a piece of paper and list out the major crimes of God’s people in:

  • Verse 2:8
  • Verse 2:11
  • Verse 2:14
  • Verse 2:17
  • Verse 3:5

Confess and ask God to cleanse and free you from any of these sins.

  • What is Jesus promised to do to save God’s people? (3:3-4)

Thank Jesus for fulfilling this prophecy and coming into our world as the promised acceptable sacrifice for our sins.