Wow, there are a lot of commentaries available on today's passage in Malachi. Here are some of them...
You Shall Go Forth Leaping like Calves by John Piper (Christmas)
The Greatness of God's Electing Love by John Piper (Malachi 1:1-5) which discusses that little phrase "Esau have I hated".
Honor Thy Majestic Father by John Piper (Malachi 1:6-14)
The Curse of Careless Worship by John Piper (Malachi 1:6-14)
The Curse of Priestly Failure by John Piper (Malachi 2:1-9)
The Glory of Priestly Success by John Piper (Malachi 2:1-9)
Message on Love by David Legge (Malachi 1:1-5)
Message on Service by David Legge (Malachi 1:6-14)
Message on Discipline by David Legge (Malachi 2:1-9)
But, today I'm going to focus on the last chapters in Nehemiah.
In his sermon, A Praise Service to Remember, David Leggee, speaking about the celebration that occurred at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, says.....
Holiness precedes happiness! If you look at verse 30 of Nehemiah chapter 12, you will see that Nehemiah called for the priests and the Levites, and they purified themselves, and they purified the people, and they purified the place, and they purified the walls. You've got to understand, if you want to be happy as a Christian, if you want to have the joy of the Lord, you've got to be pure - because holiness precedes happiness. They didn't just say: 'Oh, the walls are built, let's have a party and a great celebration!', but the first thing that was done before all the joyous festivities was that the priests came, they were cleansed, the people were cleansed, the walls were cleansed, the gates were cleansed.....
Charles Swindoll put it this way: 'Moral carelessness and borderline sin give laughter a hollow ring'. Have you a hollow ring in your laughter? Is it because there's sin in your life, there's compromise, there's backsliding in your heart? (emphasis mine)
So happiness takes some effort. We all just want to be happy. Just be happy. It doesn't work that way. We need to be holy first. We need to get our focus off of ourselves, and focus on God.
His second point is that the expression of happiness is celebration and singing. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43b
Not just the music.... the joy!! And though their celebration was exuberant, it was also organized. And what a procession it must've been! One group led up and around the wall by Nehemiah and one by Ezra - can you just see it?
And his last point is that the secret to happiness is our focus. When we focus on ourselves, we inevitably lose our happiness. But when we focus on the Lord and on His attributes - we cannot help but be filled with happiness.
David Legge also has a sermon on Chapter 13 which I haven't had a chance to read yet.
I wanted to close with this quote from my Life Application Bible....
Nehemiah's life story provides many principles of effective leadership that are still valid today. 1) Have a clear purpose and keep evaluating it in light of God's will. Nothing prevented Nehemiah from staying on track. 2) Be straightforward and honest. Everyone knew exactly what Nehemiah needed, and he spoke the truth even when it made his goal harder to achieve. 3) Live above reproach. The accusations against Nehemiah were empty and false. 4) Be a person of constant prayer, deriving power and wisdom from your contact with God. Everything Nehemiah did glorified God.
Leadership appears glamorous at times, but it is often lonely, thankless, and filled with pressures to compromise values and standards. Nehemiah was able to accomplish a huge task against incredible odds because he learned that there is no success without risk of failure, no reward without hard work, no opportunity without criticism, and no true leadership without trust in God. This book is about rebuilding the wall of a great city, but it is also about spiritual renewal, rebuilding a people's dependence on God. When we take our eyes off God, our lives begin to crumble. (emphasis mine)
Can you believe that tomorrow is our last day in the OT?
Tomorrow's passage: Malachi 2:10-4:6, Joel 1-3
6 comments:
I love the last chapter of Nehemiah. I LOVE the man's passion for God's holiness!! That chapter was actually my text for a message I shared in our church almost a year ago. I think that revelation and the resulting preparation for that message were the catalysts in my faith journey. And nothing has been the same since!
Sometimes it's been hard ~ it's tough to care about what holiness should look like in my life when so many don't seem to think it's important to take the whole "set apart" thing seriously; to really think about how that should make their daily lives look ~ but I think about the deeper relationship I have with God now and all I've learned here on this blog and in other studying, and I think it's been the most rewarding year of my spiritual life!
Here's that link again. I forgot embedding it will open it in just this tiny window!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23345008/Life-Love-and-the-Pursuit-of-Holiness
I think holiness has been the theme of the year! And the wrath/fear of God. And really, if we truly understand both His wrath and His love, a pursuit of holiness should be our natural reaction.
I re-read your sermon again Tammi and I think you so hit the nail on the head. There MUST be a difference in us, otherwise, what's the point?
Paul indicates that's the only way people will see God.
(assuming Paul wrote Hebrews, anyway!)
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