16/03/2023

引言：叶公好龙

一、回到主来的预备中（V1-6）

1.你预备好了吗？
立约的使者-弥赛亚
在先知书里，忽然一词通常是代表灾难或审判的到来。

当时，是圣殿重建完成之后已经83年了。百姓因为弥赛亚迟迟还没回到锡安，所以失望地质疑，公义的神在哪里呢？表面看来，他们好像是很属灵的渴慕主和已经预备好等候弥赛亚的到来。但实际上他们的所作所为，正如叶公好龙一样，根本没有预备好自己的心。如果主真的当下来的话，他们的结局将会是灾难和灭亡的审判。

主再来的日子近了，我们预备好了吗？

2.你敷衍了事吗？
接着先知说神会在他们意想不到的时候突然进入祂的殿。神立约的使者来到的时候是要做洁净、审判、炼净、而且熬炼的工作。洁净将从责任重大的利未人也就是祭司开始。审判从神的家开始。因为他们是带领百姓先献祭予神的人。因为他们要先恢复起初对神的爱和信靠，并成为敬畏神合用的器皿，这样才能凭公义献上供物给耶和华，而不是敷衍了事地事奉。

弟兄姐妹，今天我们对神的事奉是尽心尽意的吗？还是敷衍了事？神是有怜悯和丰盛的慈爱、而继续不断的给我们机会的神。但我们不要滥用神的恩典。让我们不要敷衍了事，而是抓住每一个可以调整生命和态度的机会，对齐神、备好自己等候主的再来。

二、回到丰盛的赏赐中（V7-12）

1.失去祝福的破口（V7-9）
以色列人以为当献的就是奉献、 有参与事奉、有敬拜就以为是了。可是在神的眼中这些的奉献只不过是基本当纳的而已。十分之一和当献的供物是属于神的。不是我们的，所以不可以留下给自己用。经文告诉我们，如果我们没有献上，就会自招咒诅。

弟兄姐妹，如果我们当中还有人没有履行十一奉献，今天就堵住这失去祝福，自招咒诅的破口。把当纳归还给神，回到神早已给我们预备的丰盛赏赐中。

2.得神丰盛的途径（V10-12）
神接着给以色列人一个挑战，就是在奉献上试试祂。‘试试’的原文跟‘试探’是同一个词。神禁止人试探神，唯独在这处圣经，却挑战百姓试试祂。神为什么‘赌’到这样大，是因为钱是人最难胜过的诱惑。耶稣说不能事奉2个主。尤其是事奉神的人一定要胜过金钱，不然很难专心服事神。

三、回到完全的顺服中（V7-12）

我们会否也向以色列人那样，凭眼前的遭遇，只看见神永远计划中的一个小片段的人间事故，便怀疑神的公义，以为敬虔事奉神是枉然，就妄下定论呢？单单因见别人行恶未受报，便不想忠心事奉神，不愿继续过敬虔生活，甚至想照样去行恶，这并非出于正义而打抱不平，乃是要为自己的灵性堕落找借口。

四、回到敬虔的生活中（V16-18）

1. 渴慕所做蒙纪念（V16）
‘那时’指的是当那些不敬畏神的人在顶撞、抱怨神不公平同时，神却藉先知告诉以色列百姓，祂非常在意敬畏祂的人所谈论的事，并且侧耳倾听。 而凡是敬畏神、思念祂名的人，他们所谈论的，神都会记录在祂面前的纪念册上。

当我们看到傲慢自大，行恶的人依然过着好日子，不要为作恶的心怀不平，也不要在乎他们什么时候才会遭报。反之，要留意自己的一举一动是否被神纪录在祂面前的纪念册上。

2. 渴慕行善事奉神（V17-18）
在神所定的日子，就是主耶稣施行进入千年国度之前的审判的时候，神说将把善人和恶人，事奉神的和不事奉神的，分别出来。得奖赏或被刑罚就看我们在世上是否敬虔度日？所以我们要渴慕行善和争取每个事奉神的机会。

总结：

信实神在我们生命的每时每刻都以祂的真理法则和慈绳爱索引导我们走入祂为我们早已预备的福分。让我们常常检视我们的心，以悔改的生命常常回转到神的心意中。

Malachi 3: Returning to the Heart of God
GK611 Morning Devotion
16/03/2023
Speaker: Ps Deborah + Rev David Tan

Introduction: Lord Ye loves dragons

I. Back to the preparations for the Lord’s return (V1-6)

1. Are you ready?
Messenger of the Covenant – Messiah
In prophetic books, the word “suddenly” usually signifies the coming of disaster or judgment.

At that time, it was 83 years after the rebuilding of the temple. Because the Messiah has not returned to Zion, the people are disappointed and started questioning, where is the righteous God? On the surface, they seemed to be spiritually longing for the Lord and ready for the coming of the Messiah. But in fact, their actions, just like Ye Gong loves dragons, did not prepare their hearts at all. If the Lord really comes, their end will be a judgment of disaster and destruction.

The day of the Lord’s return is near, are we ready?

2. Are you serving halfheartedly?
Then the prophet said that God would suddenly enter His temple when they didn’t expect it. When God’s covenant messengers come, they will do the work of cleansing, judging, purifying, and refining. Cleansing would begin with the accountable Levites, that is the priests. Judgment begins at the house of God as they are the ones who lead the people to offer sacrifices to God. This is because they must first restore their initial love and trust in God, and become suitable vessels who fear God, so that they can present offerings to Jehovah in righteousness, instead of serving in a hasty manner.

Brothers and sisters, are we serving God with all our hearts and soul today? Or being hasty? God is merciful and abounding in love, and He continues to give us opportunities. But let us not misuse God’s grace. Let us not be hasty but seize every opportunity to adjust our lives and attitudes, align ourselves with God, and prepare ourselves for the return of the Lord.

2. Return to the rich reward (V7-12)

(1) The gap of losing blessing (V7-9)
The Israelites thought that what they should offer was dedication, that they took part in the service and worshipped. But in the eyes of God, these offerings are nothing more than basic dues. Tithes and offerings belong to God. It’s not ours, so we can’t keep it for ourselves. The scriptures tell us that if we don’t give, we bring upon ourselves a curse.

Brothers and sisters, if there are any of us who have not fulfilled our tithes, let us close this opening today that breaches our blessing and invites our own curses. Pay back the dues to God and return to the rich rewards that God has already prepared for us.

(2) The path to God’s abundance (V10-12)
God then gave the Israelites a challenge to test Him in dedication. The original text of ‘try’ is the same word as ‘test’. God forbids people to test God, but only here in the Bible, the people are challenged to try Him. The reason why God “gambled” so much is that money is the most difficult temptation for man to overcome. Jesus said cannot serve two masters. In particular, those who serve God must overcome money, otherwise, it will be difficult to concentrate on serving God.

3. Return to perfect obedience (v7-12)

Will we also be like the Israelites, relying on what happened before us, seeing only a small fragment of unfair incidents in God’s eternal plan, and start doubting God’s justice, thinking that it is useless to serve God reverently, and jumping to conclusions? Just because you see others doing evil without getting retribution, you don’t want to serve God faithfully, you don’t want to continue to live a godly life, and you even want to do evil in the same way.

4. Return to a godly life (V16-18)

(1) In remembrance of what you desire to do (V16)
“At that time” refers to when those who did not fear God were contradicting and complaining that God was unfair, God told the people of Israel through the prophets that He cared very much about what those who feared Him said, and He paid attention to listen. And all those who fear God honoured His name, what they talked about, God will record in the l of remembrance before Him.

When we see arrogant, evil people still living a good life, don’t feel miserable and don’t bother when they will be punished. On the contrary, pay attention to whether your every move is recorded in the book of remembrance before Him.

(2) Desire to do good and serve God (v17-18)
On the day appointed by God, that is, when the Lord Jesus will execute the judgment before entering the thousand-year kingdom, God said that he will separate the good from the wicked, and those who serve God from those who do not. Whether we are rewarded or punished depends on whether we live godly in this world. So, we must desire to do good and strive for every opportunity to serve God.

Conclusion：

At every moment of our lives, the faithful God guides us into the blessings He has prepared for us with His laws of truth and cords of love. Let us examine our hearts frequently, and return to God’s will with a life of repentance.