The Despicable

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Malachi 3:4-6

Have you ever had a thought so wonderful that you found it escaping in the moment after next? That is just the sort of thing going on right here. So too do you at any moment expect to see the King of glory come marching on in as though ushered in by the text. I mean, there’s the part about all the unpleasantness seen in those that are being witnessed against. In case you didn’t catch them all the first time, let’s go through it just one more time together if you will. In all this, our God is still working. Nor has he yet left us alone. God will not force you to follow him but of course. Still though, the invitation has gone out from him into all the world that it may after him follow. So I would rather wish that you would. Your doing so would save all the unpleasantness of which will now come. There’s some sorcerers, adulterers, and oppressors here to be seen. You know, I could go on forever about the states that are man. Still though, they come in two classes here to be seen. There’s the lost and the found, the forgiven and those in need of some such themself. It’s so easy to get bogged down on the details. Thank God though for his mercy and grace in pulling us out. Otherwise, we’d have been as stuck as the Levites once found. Remember that wonderful thought we had much earlier. David once compared it to the knowledge of God which was too high and wonderful to be attained yet by any. That is why it must come creeping in softly on little cat feet, either that or in dreams. There are all sorts of ways to hear from the Lord. One of the best is by knowing his Word. Then after, prayer is one of the next best ways which closely follows the text. You know, the funny thing about prayer though is it ushers us straight into God’s presence himself. That is how Judah and Jerusalem’s offering has provoked the coming down of the Lord. So too, can their right state be seen in their names. Perhaps you might have already heard it or not of who you are being found in your name. God is holy and just and so is reflected in such. Now that does not mean we can call the Lord whatever we please. Come on now. It’s almost like calling you anything but saved and forgiven, a child of the Father and pretty nigh well on the way home. It is this then that has called the knowledge of God forth from the text. You know the Lord while interested in all your mess and distress wants nothing more than to make you saved, healed, free, set at perfect liberty. As the Scripture says, for if the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed. So too Judah and Jerusalem have been set free from what was keeping them in bondage and holding them down. This was nothing more than the province of Israel as seen at the first. Before if you remember, there was nothing more than a ‘no one loves me’, and a ‘it’s not fair,’ and a ‘why have you forgotten the Lord’ that came from the state of the first. It also spilled over, affecting the house. Now the Levites had left off of their serving the Lord. Their own families were suffering along with everything else. There’s such a sweet spirit here to be seen despite all the mess that’s occurred right in the middle. He has forgotten all about Jacob’s strivings for blessings and also who’s best. His faith it seems has been put to the test and so has he also found for himself a place now to rest. This knowledge of such comes not in by itself but rather is ushered in of the Lord. He can be seen as the hen-pecked groom of the people as pointed out in the text. So too he stands looking out over the city Arms spread open wide waiting to receive all who dare offer with pure heart or yet come inside.