Title: Heaven Can’t Wait To Love You
Scripture Reading: Malachi 1:1-4
The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
2 I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
Malachi is the last prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah.
- God’s love for a rebellious people
Malachi 1:2-4 has similar heading from bible commentators:
- God’s love for Jacob
- Israel, beloved of God
- God loves Israel
- The Lord’s love for Israel
- The love of YHWH for Israel
Malachi started his prophecy with the word, ‘burden.’ In some translation it means, ‘oracle.’ It is an ‘utterance.’ Malachi is speaking into that day.
Vernon Mcgee says, a ‘burden’ is a judgment, a judgment from God, and it will be a very strong and rigorous rebuke that God will give to them. Yet coupled with that burden is an emotional release when delivering this message
The message? Verse 2 says, ‘I have loved you.’
But they were rebellious. Which was the cause of all their problems, even until today.
In Malachi God’s people were living in sin. We have to take note of a few truths.’
- The temple has been rebuilt
- The priesthood was defiled
- Marriage was corrupt
- The tithes that should have been brought to the temple was kept for themselves.
Yet, in spite of these sins, YHWH declares ‘I have loved you.’ Morgan translated this phrase as ‘I have loved you, I do love you, I will love you, says the Lord.’
- How God demonstrated His love
YHWH, to strength this truth that He loved Jacob, he added, ‘Yet I have hated Esau.’
Esau (Edom) stands for all non-covenant people, especially the enemies of God’s people. The verb ‘hated’ is apparently a Hebrew Idiom of comparison.
Firstly, God ask you to find assurance in His election, His choice of you.
Bible commentator Leon Morris cited examples where the word ‘hate’ clearly seems to mean something like ‘loved less.’ It means that God loves your more and loved your neighbors (Esau: noncovenanters) less. Leon Morris also stressed that the thought here is much more like ‘accepted’ and ‘rejected.’
This is not teaching about predestination. Both have sinned. But Israel by God’s free mercy was forgiven and restored, while Edom was left in the misery which he had brought upon himself by his own iniquity.
Secondly understanding our election can bring a wonderful assurance of God’s love.
Thirdly the greatest demonstration of His love is found in the finished work of Jesus.
- What is your response?
Malachi 1:2, ‘Yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us?’
The question highlights the underlying resentment that most of the covenant people felt toward God for the difficult times they face, and they are only a remnant of the community of God’s people.
Many people have asked the same question and in this age of Grace God has answered you.
Firstly, God’s greatest answer to your doubt is the revelation through Jesus Christ.
Secondly is power from the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly you have direct access to God. But with the sacrifice of Jesus, however, all that have changed. We can go directly to God with prayer. You can dump all the burdens of your life on Him. You can sit quietly and wait to hear His voice. You are gifted with a living, breathing relationship with God of the Universe.
In conclusion, the greatest thirst for humankind is love. We don’t feel love by the family, friends and even God. We don’t feel love from society. But seeing all this, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to demonstrate love. Jesus demonstrated love by his actions. He demonstrated love to individual. He reached out to an adulteress at Jacob’s well. He healed a woman with the issues of blood for 12 years. But when love was demonstrated to humankind, God turned away his face from Jesus, who needed love. He did not receive the love he too needed and cried, ‘My God, my God why have you forsaken me.’ He was hated and crucified on the cross. Why? So that when Jesus was resurrected, God could restore love relationship with us again. Individually when Peter denied him three times, with the cock crowing two times, he wept bitterly. Knowing that he has failed. Many of us have failed badly in this life. But the angel said to Mary, ‘Jesus is not here, He is risen; go and tell the disciples and Peter in Galilee.’ God can’t wait to love you. Jesus is already risen and Heaven can’t wait to love you.
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