Malachi 2, 1 Peter 5

(Malachi 2)

It’s always interesting to me when I read something in the New Testament at the same time as I read a related truth in the Old Testament. There are times that I feel most certainly that the Spirit is leading that to affirm or confirm a leading, but there are other times that I just have to realize that some of these truths are just ALL OVER the Bible. I feel that way about the topic of how we view injustice, the oppressed, and the poor. I’ve always, and I mean always, thought that was primarily a New Testament topic. But read the prophets from cover to cover. Most frequently, that was God’s indictment. When we don’t read through scripture as we study, and instead only pick and choose our verses, we miss them in context and even more so can easily miss the consistency of God’s heart. We’ll find ourselves going back to the same verses over and over instead of discovering new ones.

In Malachi 2, we see a continued theme that we saw in 1 Peter 4: The significance of our relationship with our wives on the IMPACT of our communication and worship of our God. Just look at verses 13 and 14: “Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.”

Father, thank you for the gift of marriage, and the covenant relationship that it represents. Thank you that you saw us as men in your creation and knew something was missing. Thank you for our wives. May we cherish them and honor them as an act of worship to you.

(1 Peter 5)

There is so much to learn and be challenged from in chapter 5. I’ll focus on verse 8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

This morning Father, I pray for my brothers in Christ. I pray that you will help each of us see our blind spots. I pray you will help us stay in your word. Protect us. Help us to be self-controlled and alert. Give us the strength to follow your leading and resist our own selfish desires that entice us and drag us away and give birth to sin. God, may we see sin for what it is, leading only to death.