Daily Bible Reading - August 29, 2018

Today's Reading:

John 8:21-47

2 Chronicles 2:17-5:1

Malachi 1:1-2:9

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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

Today we start reading the book of Malachi. So let's get a

short overview of what's coming in this prophetic book. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and is a book of End-time Prophecy. It was written after the return from captivity in Babylon. The prophet Malachi wrote it approximately 430 B.C.

Key personalities include Malachi and the priests. And since we are all called to be kings and priests in the Father's service (Revelation 5:10), Malachi is especially relevant to us. The purpose of this book is that Malachi wrote to ensure that the hearts of God's professed people were right and that they were keeping God first in their lives.


•    In chapters 1-3, Malachi identified the sins of the professed people of God, including the priests.

He foretold that God would send a Messenger to prepare the way for His Return (this is the bearer(s) of the final Elijah Message), 

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And Yahweh, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His Temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says Yahweh of hosts”. 

Finally, he addressed the topic of tithes and offering and failing to return these blessings to the cause of God is stealing from Yahweh.

•    In chapter 4, the last chapter of the Old Testament, Malachi addressed, “the great and terrible Day of Yahweh” (vs. 5). He teaches about the coming judgment when God will set them ablaze in His holy anger. He also gives hope to the faithful with the Book of Remembrance. Those who do the will of God and are righteous will be spared.

Malachi, the last book of the Bible, ends very differently than it began in the book of Genesis. Let us compare them:
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This was a beautiful and perfect relationship with God.

Malachi 4:6, “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Consider the large contrast between the very first verse and the very last verse. Sadly, it was the sin of mankind that made all the difference. The Old Testament begins with the magnificent power of God’s creation and ends with fear and separation from God and in need of a Savior. 

It is not only meant to track human history, but also to call us back - in a message of restoration.