Matthew 1 - The Messiah Arrives!

 

Matthew 1– The Messiah Arrives!

 

Who could imagine that Matthew, a corrupt small-time tax collector for Rome, would one day write a document that would be read, studied, memorized, and treasured for centuries in every part of the world? It is no surprise that God’s Spirit would use this talent and training to produce a beautifully organized record of Jesus’ ministry, presented in a thoroughly Jewish way.

 

When Jesus looked at him and called his name, Matthew instantly turned his back on his old life and became a lifelong disciple of the young rabbi from Nazareth.  Matthew’s account demonstrates that the carpenter from Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah- Christ, the Anointed One. He begins the book with a seventeen verse, forty-name genealogy, tracing Jesus’ earthly lineage back some two thousand years and 42 generations. Matthew’s record includes a variety of surprising inclusions:

 

Women. Tamar. Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Including women was unheard of at the time, but it demonstrates Jesus’ desire to break down the sex barrier.

Gentiles. Three of the women weren’t even Jews. Tamar, Rahab and Ruth were from Canaan and Moab- nations detested by Israel.

Sinners. Tamar tricked her father-in-law into having a relationship with her Rahab was a prostitute before joining the people of Israel. And Bathsheba committed adultery with David before he had her first husband killed.

 

What is the purpose of including such people in the Lord’s genealogy? “In Jesus Christ, prostitute and king, male and female, Jew and Gentile, one race and another race, moral and immoral, all sit down as equals. Equally sinful and lost, equally accepted and loved.” By Tim Keller. Even the begets of the Bible show that the grace of God is so pervasive that even the begats are dripping with God’s mercy.

 

 Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. J.Vernon McGee Thru the Bible. Nelson’s Quick Reference. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

 

Malachi 4 - God's Healing Power

 

Malachi 4 – God’s Healing Power

 

Every person has needed healing at one time or another, whether it was a childhood scrape, or a deep emotional wound created by years of abuse. This imperfect world has caused many wounded hearts and soul- searching for healing. Some look for healing in a relationship, some in work, others in recreation. True healing, however, comes from God. One day, “the Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings,” to restore all things and to bring healing to wounded hearts. Whatever we face, healing can be found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

“Son of righteousness” is a title for Jesus Christ (Ps. 84:11). He is to His people what the sun is to our galaxy: the center of all things and the source of life and light (John 1:4). The same Son that brings burning to the lost will bring blessing to the saved.

 

Malachi pointed back to the Law and commanded Israel to obey and be prepared for what God was going to do. Then he pointed ahead to the ministry of Elijah, which was fulfilled in a spiritual sense in John the Baptist. (Luke 1:16-17). It may be fulfilled literally if Elijah is one of the two witnesses described in Rev. 11:1-13.

 

The Old Testament ends with the awesome word curse. At the close of the New Testament, the promise is, “And there shall be no more curse” (Rev. 22:3). What made the difference? On the cross, Jesus Christ was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:1).

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

Malachi 3 - The Coming Messenger

 

Malachi 3 – The Coming Messenger

 

Sometimes the only way to get rid of impurity is to use a powerful soap or a refining fire. God would be to Israel “like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap,” ready to clean and purify His people. Such cleansing often comes through hardship and trials. God allows difficulties to come into our lives so that the heat of these hardships can burn off impurities. Red-hot fire, pelting sand, and strong soap are harsh, yet good, for they accomplish the desired cleaning. In the same way, life’s trials can wash away what is impure in our lives, making us purer for God. 

 

God’s ways are not our ways. People think that to be secure, they must hoard money. God says the opposite. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,” He says then “watch what happens.” God promised to reward His people’s giving with abundant blessings so much that “there will be room enough to receive it.” In the New Testament, Jesus issues the same challenge: “Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” Luke 6:38. To refuse to give is to rob God; to give generously is to know God’s abundant blessing.

 

Not only did the people bring the Lord defective sacrifices, but they failed to bring tithes and offerings commanded by the law. Consequently, He cursed their blessings and destroyed their crops. When we rob God, we only rob ourselves. We cannot keep anything that rightfully belongs to God.

 

The messenger is John the Baptist (Matt. 11:7-10) who prepared the way for the Lord. When Christ comes as judge, He will purify Israel, especially the priests, and will judge the sinners.

 

God does not change.  He kept His covenant and did not destroy Israel. The faithfulness of God sustains us (Lam. 3:22-24).

 

Those who fear the Lord, obey Him and ponders His truth, and exercises spiritual discernment will be spared in the coming day of judgment.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible.

 

Malachi 2 - Corrupt Priests

 

Malachi 2 -Corrupt Priests

 

God through Malachi was reprimanding the priests for their ungodly sacrifices. They were offering animals that were sick and blemished. The priest’s despised God’s name and practiced blasphemy. God held the priests responsible for what they taught the people. Even today we are responsible for what we teach others.

 

In those days the Levi Priest’s were given the best of everything and were blessed more than the rest of the Israelites. Now He is telling them they will no longer be blessed but cursed. They will be made unclean so that they cannot even enter the temple. The priests did not honor God with their ways, so He no longer honored their positions.

 

When the Levi tribe was made priests they were selected because they honored God and followed His commandments but after being in captivity for 70 years, they no longer honored Him or followed His commandments. They were no longer good examples for the rest of the people. They were supposed to be the messengers of the Lord, but they were not. The Levites dealt treacherously with God and with each other.

 

When the Israelites came out of captivity they saw the foreign women and left their wives to marry them. Thus, idols came into their homes and they worshiped them. The Lord told them that whoever did this whether priest or person, they would be cut off from them. The wives they left came to the altar weeping and God heard their cries, so God no longer noticed the offerings of the priests but let them do as they please. Ho no longer accepted them as His messengers. The Hebrew wives were the wives they made a covenant to God with and that is the only marriage God would accept.

 

We are God’s children, poor or needy, we will be accepted by Him and will enter His kingdom. God sees our obedience to Him and will reward us in the end.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans for You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. Through the Bible by J. Vernon McGee.

 

Malachi 1 - Loving Jacob, Hating Esau

 

Malachi 1 – Loving Jacob, Hating Esau

 

God said that he loved Jacob because of the fact that He knew what was in Jacob’s heart. He hated Esau because he did not have a heart for God. He had no desire for Him at all. The difference here between loving and hating is simply that the life of the nation that came from Esau, which is Edom, and the life of the nation which came from Jacob which is Israel, demonstrate that God was right when He said that He loved one and hated the other.

 

If God loves the good, He has to hate the evil. The histories of the nation of Israel and the nation of Edom are altogether different. God says that because of Esau’s life, because of the evil which was inherent in this man and which worked itself into the nation of Edom, He was justified in making this statement.

 

In the days of Malachi the Israelites were wallowing in doubt and disillusionment. The priests were corrupt, and religious observances were a sham. As a result, the people were guilty of hypocrisy, idolatry, infidelity, divorce, materialism, and gross indifference to the things of God. Then comes the prophet Malachi.

 

He asked his countrymen a series of convincing questions designed to bring about repentance. But his pointed questions had no effect. So God eventually stopped speaking, and after Malachi, the nation received no further revelation from God until John the Baptist arrived on the scene some 400 years later.

 

Malachi reminds us that spiritual heart disease is slow but deadly. People who stop seeking God become discouraged and apathetic. Turning inward, they become self-absorbed and oblivious to God’s voice. Though they may appear healthy on the outside because of their contnuiing religious activities, on the inside their hearts are becoming increasingly cold and hard. In time, the ugly symptoms of soul neglect will become obvious. Don’t be counted among those who succumb to spiritual heart disease. Like the Israelites, we often relegate the heavenly king to the margins of our lives; giving Him less than our best. Our Savior deserves the best of our time, talent and treasure.

 

 Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. J.Vernon McGee Thru the Bible. Nelson’s Quick Reference. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

Zechariah 13 & 14 - Idolatry Cut Off

 

Zechariah 13 – Idolatry Cut Off

 

God’s grace will be poured out on his people, and they will mourn for the death of Jesus and for their sins. In this time near the end of the tribulation period. All the demons and idols will be cast out. The Anti-Christ will end up in the Lake of Fire and Satan will be sent to the bottomless pit. Then when the Lord comes, the prophets will be ashamed of their prophecies because when the Lord comes it will be that His coming made liars out of them. The prophets will go back to being farmers. When the Lord appears, they will ask Him about the wounds on his hands. These wounds represent the wounds that were inflicted upon Him on the cross.  He received these wounds from the people He considered friends even though they acted like enemies and crucified Him. (Matt.26:31). 1/3 of the nation will survive and 2/3 will be cut off.

 

Zechariah 14 – The Day of the Lord

 

An army that has a representative of every nation will come against Jerusalem and overtake them. Many horrible things will happen that day, but some will escape. Then the Lord will come and fight against all the nations for Israel. He will stand upon the Mount of Olives and there will be a great earthquake that will split the mountain in two. Many people will run from it. This day will begin in darkness but by evening there will be light. At this time Jesus will establish His kingdom and there will only be one language. All of Jerusalem will be safe and there will be no more destruction. Peace will finally come to Jerusalem. For all those nations that fight against Jerusalem there will come a plague and the people will die a living death. It will fall upon all the people and the animals. A remnant of the Gentiles from all the nations shall be preserved and brought from the ends of the earth. There they will celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Those who don’t come will suffer from the plague and will receive no rain. Zechariah ended this book with a vision on the “day of the Lord”. On that day, the phrase “Holiness to the Lord” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts. To be holy means to be set apart for sacred use. In this New Jerusalem, even mundane utensils will be considered holy intended for God’s work. Our lives should be dedicated to God that even the mundane task that we undertake are sacred, holy, and done for the Glory of God.

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah.

Zechariah 12 - The Coming Deliverance of Judah

 

Zechariah 12 – The Coming Deliverance of Judah

 

The burden on the Lord that is spoken of in verse one is the judgment against all the world who rejects Him as the creator of all things, even of mankind whom He breathed life into.

 

In the days of tribulation Jerusalem will become the center of attack and judgment. When the enemy comes against Jerusalem, then God will smite the enemy with confusion. God says He will protect the House of David first. You might ask why David when we know of his affair with Bathsheba. But we must remember that David repented of that sin and God still held him close to His heart.

 

When we get to heaven I am sure we will be shocked to see some people there that we would have never believed to be worthy of heaven and we will wonder where others are that we thought should have been there. That’s why we should never judge another person because only God knows their heart.

 

Now, David was a great soldier and God says that even the weakest man will be like David and David will be like God. In fact, it was through the lineage of David, through Mary that our Lord and Savior was born. Later in the chapter God says He will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem and then He will pour out a spirit of grace on all His people, the Israelites and they will mourn for Jesus’ crucifixion and for all their sin. This will be the day of Atonement when God will forgive them for all their sins.

 

We as believers should mourn over all our sins and be truly repentant and receive Christ into our heart as the one who died for us.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

J, Vernon McGee Through the Bible