Bible Studies

   There was a Bible teacher who reported having a conversation with the Lord that went something like this: “My son, you and I are incompatible, and I don’t change!” (See Malachi 3 v.6) In the short book of the prophet Malachi, the last prophet to speak before the 430 years of deafening silence, there is a series of convicting questions and answers that are designed to bring a people or a priesthood from a condition of incompatibility with God to a condition of compatibility with God, if they so desired it. It is God’s last ditch effort to bring His people “onto the same page” with Himself before the discontinuation of the prophetic word in their history until the arrival of John the Baptist and their Messiah himself. These poignant questions and responses reflect the cluelessness of the people of God, yet reveal a glimmer of a sincere desire and willingness on the part of at least a remnant to see things God’s way and to better feel His heart and understand His grievances.
First in chapter 1 of Malachi God says He has loved His people yet they respond, “in what way?” (v.2) They had come to such an insensitive state that they needed to be reminded of the many ways they were favored. They were out of touch with an awareness of the many demonstrations of God’s gracious love. Then God tells the priests they have despised his name but they want to know in what way. (v.6) There is at least some clueless kind of honesty in these questioning responses. It is a place to begin if nothing else, in approaching am acknowledgement their own true condition. God informs them that they have despised His name by offering defiled food (far less than their best) on His altar. How does that defile you they want to know but God points out that they would never offer such an offering to their human governor, putting it into perspective for them. (v.8)
In the fourth stage of this process of potential readjustment in their relationship with Himself Points out that His people cover the altar with tears and crying and want to know why God doesn’t respond. It is because they have dealt treacherously and falsely in their marriages, showing themselves to be unfaithful in their covenants before God. (Chapter 2, v.14)
Three verses later GOD lets them know they have wearied Him with their words. Again they want to know in what way and GOD responds that they have called evil good and even portrayed GOD as being pleased with their unfaithfulness! GOD has just made it known to them that He hates divorce and considers it a form of violence. Perhaps there are a few among them for whom it is not too late and they are feeling the conviction and repenting when they hear this, repenting of their evil intentions. They may have considered themselves gentle souls incapable of violence but this expression of violence kind of sneaked up into their lives from behind. Perhaps too there are some who are reading this message that I have written and delivered and likewise are changing their hearts and minds in regard to their own situations. Sadly, divorce has become casually acceptable far too widely in our churches today.
GOD goes on to issue a plea for His people to return to Him to a place of observing His ordinances again. But the people typically want to know how they are to return, since they are unaware that they ever left. How can one who never left (in his or her own mind, that is) ever return? GOD tells them how they can begin their return, by realizing that they have robbed GOD and by ceasing to offend in that way and by returning what they’ve stolen. But they want to know how they have robbed GOD and so, as usual, GOD has to spell it out for them (withholding their tithes) because they had so rationalized their offense that it didn’t appear at all to be robbery to them. Try me in this, says GOD (this is one of the only places in the entire Bible where GOD says that) and I’ll pour out uncontainable blessing and rebuke the devourer for you. These are mighty powerful promises GOD offers them and us, and yet the tithe goes neglected by such a large part of the contemporary church. 
 In His eighth and last grievance in this book GOD lets His people know that their words have been strong (harsh) against Him. In some cases He may also have meant that their thoughts or unspoken words, which may account for the predictably puzzled response of the people wondering what they had said. They had said and thought that it was useless to serve God, the LORD reminds them. (Chapter 3, v.14)
Those who were still standing, so to speak, after this gauntlet of grievances and indictments from the LORD, those who survived this barrage, searching their own hearts and minds with a sincere desire to be reconciled, could have come through these heart-wrenching exchanges to a restored compatibility with their God.  Those who submitted to this "adjustment", their words and meditations might have landed in His book of remembrance and they could have been among His jewels (v.16-17) and under His healing wings, going out and growing like stall-fed calves.(Chapter 4 v.2) So can we be those who endure GOD’s cross-examination with a humble heart and with Jesus Christ our advocate beside us, knowing if anyone moved, if anyone drifted away and grew callous and presumptuous, it wasn’t our great and gracious God, it was us! But thank God, there’s a remedy, there’s an alternative!

"Can two walk together except they be agreed.?"  (Amos 3, v.3)