The book of Malachi is the last of the Old Testament and signals the start of a four hundred year drought.
For 400 years the nation of Israel were without a prophet, without a spokesperson of God to enlighten, to guide or even rebuke.
In this period, Israel were forcibly occupied by the Roman Empire, leaving the once fiercely independent nation now subject to Roman rule, culture and an alternate religion.
Against this backdrop, a yearning for the Messiah was heard in the heavens, there rose an eager desire for the one prophesied about in Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.”
God heard the call and so in John 3:16, “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.“
In the five stages of revelation, here is the next leap of faith.
Last month we explored the first stage, believing in God, the Father, a higher power, the creator, acknowledging something greater that reveals there is more, that we do have a purpose, a meaning. This first stage is shared by all, though the depth of revelation may differ.
The month we move to the second stage, the revelation that God so loves us that He sent His Son.
Moving from a knowledge of faith to a living faith requires revelation of scripture.
Knowing that Jesus lived, reading the stories in the Bible and hearing of his life is fascinating – he healed the sick, the blind, the lame, he rose people from the dead! He changed water to wine, he withered a fig tree through a word. He knew the plans his Father had for him and prophesied. Amazing signs and wonders, better than any Harry Potter book!
Yet, if these scriptures are revealed then these writings take on a whole new dimension. Just as last month we discovered that the Father has a plan for us, personally. This month, the revelation, is that Jesus descended to live, to heal, to restore, to offer a message of hope to me, personally.
The fact that Jesus lived, if this becomes revealed, signals an acknowledgement that the Father cares for us so deeply he offered His own Son to stand in our stead. That Jesus cares intimately for us and seeks to shine a light, a beacon of hope, of love.
As we will discover next month, Jesus was so desiring to reach us, so intent on revealing His deep love and concern for us, he not only lived for us, but also died for us.
Jesus lived so that He could show the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). A way of life that allows us to overcome the worries, the burdens, the stresses and the fears that inhibit so many of our daily walks.
Jesus cares and wants you to live an explosively joyful life.
If you want to know more start with prayer, that God will reveal a word to you, that the right people will come into your life and that you can experience His love and begin to see signs of this promised hope.
