A Living Sacrifice

Messages from the Minor Prophets

 Study Guide Week Two

Message for Sunday July 8, 2018

This Week Reading:   Malachi 2:11-16  Additional Reading: 2 Samuel 24:18-25; Hebrews 12:1-3                                                                                                                                                              

Introduction 

Malachi is the last of the books of the Old Testament and also the last word of prophecy from God for 400 years. The 400 year silence was broken by John the Baptist. The name Malachi means my messenger. Nothing is known at all about the life of Malachi. The book of Malachi takes place in what is known as the time of return from exile. The people of Israel had returned to Israel from exile in and captivity in Babylon. The temple had been rebuilt and the usual temple services and sacrifices were again being conducted. It was a time however of waiting (for the Messiah) and a time where there were no miracles recorded. Everything seemed to be very routine. In this environment the faith of many became cold and ritualistic and they were just going through the motions. Malachi reminds the people that God is their Father and God is their Master but they have forgotten God (1:6). This apathy has resulted in the break of relationship with God and with each other in marriage and other relationships. The people brought sacrifices that did not cost them anything (1:7-8). The animals they presented were diseased and lame and of no value. The people also did not give generously and sacrificially (3:8). They also failed in their commitment and sacrificial love to one another. God tells the people He loves them (1:2) yet the people's love towards God was not sacrificial but rather superficial.

Some Background Information

The people failed to sacrificially love God and as a result they also failed to love their neighbor. A broken relationship with God led to broken relationships in society (Joyce Baldwin). In verse 11-16 Malachi discusses some of the examples of practices of the people that reflect their disregard for God and His covenant. The first is by marrying women who worship foreign gods and the second by divorcing the wives of their youth. Intermarriage was not the problem. Ruth from Moab married Boaz but she committed to the true God see the book of Ruth). Here the people where marrying women who did not commit to the true God. This caused them to not be fully committed to God. This was a problem throughout the history of the people of Israel and God continually warned against intermarrying. Divorce was also an example of the people's lack of sacrificial living and loving. Both of these practices are examples of unfaithfulness. Verse 16 is one of the strongest statements in the Bible against divorce.

Digging Deeper Questions:

1. Describe a time when you observed someone living sacrificially? Loving sacrificially? 

2. In verses 11-12 what situation is God bringing to their attention? How can being married to someone who worship a false god affect a person's consecration to God?

3. In verse 13-14 what situation is God addressing? Why?

4.  Discuss the connection from God's point of view of how you treat those in your life and how acceptable your worship is to God? Give some modern day examples both positive and negative.

5. Why does God speak so strongly against being unfaithful to your spouse in these scriptures? What is the connection between faithfulness and sacrificial living?

6. Why does God hate divorce? Is there forgiveness and recovery for people who get divorced?

7. What is the difference between generous giving and sacrificial giving? What is an area of your life in which you give generously but not sacrificially? What would be the impact/blessing for yourself and those around you if you started giving and loving sacrificially??

This Week’s Victory Challenge: Implement together a plan to reach other people through your group. (same as last week - keep at it until you have a plan). If you have a plan begin praying for it and implementing it.