00:00 Introduction and Clarifications

01:36 Addressing Listener Questions

01:42 Discussion on Alcohol and Hospitality

05:39 Transition to Malachi

05:43 Overview of Malachi's Prophecies

07:23 God's Love and People's Response

09:14 Confronting the Priests and Marital Infidelity

11:17 Judgment and Giving

16:57 The Day of the Lord and Conclusion

17:59 Final Prayer and Outro

Hey, we're back for another

episode of the daily Bible podcast.

2

This one won't be that long,

more hard hitting questions,

3

more controversial issues.

4

But before we get started, let

me just make clear if I wasn't

5

clear in yesterday's episode.

6

Oh, you were clear.

7

Yeah, but I just want to say this.

8

I'm not against categorically.

9

I'm not against dancing.

10

I'm not against dancing at weddings.

11

Okay.

12

Um, I just wanted to make

that abundantly clear.

13

I'm not sitting here saying,

Hey, I'm the combustion.

14

That's like a Baptist.

15

I don't think it's, I don't drink.

16

And I don't chew.

17

And I don't go with girls that do.

18

I don't to be clear, does it matter?

19

She doesn't.

20

She doesn't.

21

Um, I mean, she might she's danced in

the past at weddings and stuff, but

22

she definitely doesn't drink a juice.

23

I fit that paradigm, but

I'm not against dancing.

24

I just wanted to make that clear in

case people were out there going,

25

oh, Patrick, PJ, whatever legalist.

26

Fine.

27

I'm probably legalistic in some areas.

28

I get that, but not, you

can dance at a wedding.

29

Just don't dance deductively at a wedding.

30

That's my only thing.

31

And that that line is sometimes

confused because people don't have

32

their sensibility shaped by scripture.

33

Right.

34

And that was basically

yesterday's episode.

35

So if you're, if you haven't

listened to yesterday's episode,

36

go back and listen to it.

37

And I think it's possible for

Christians to come away with saying,

38

oh, you know, I think the lines

here, I think the lines there.

39

And there certainly is room to disagree.

40

I think, I think that's, that's true, but

I think you and I were talking offline.

41

There are things that we would

say, man, super obvious, no

42

go like you shouldn't do that.

43

There's things that you shouldn't.

44

There's there's movements

that your body shouldn't do.

45

Right.

46

Um, and we would agree with that and it's

harder to be more specific than that.

47

And I know you guys are like all, come on,

tell us exactly what it's hard to do that.

48

Yeah.

49

But it's one of those things

where we could, if we could see

50

it and we don't want to see it.

51

To tell you like, oh,

you shouldn't do that.

52

Don't don't send us videos and

be like, Hey, is this okay?

53

Don't don't do that.

54

But if you do, don't say, yeah, make

sure you exclude me from that email.

55

Also me.

56

I haven't.

57

I have another email question that.

58

There was two questions.

59

That's the one here's the second one.

60

I have neighbors and people come

over to our house who drink.

61

Alcohol to be clear.

62

Not coffee, right?

63

We don't keep alcohol or water.

64

We don't keep alcohol at our home,

but I wonder if for the sake of being

65

hospitable, I should buy it to offer when

we have families over for dinner or people

66

in the neighborhood who enjoy drinking.

67

What are your thoughts on this?

68

Yeah.

69

Th this is a, uh, a big, broad question.

70

Um, So you're going to

get the big, broad answer.

71

Yeah.

72

Yes.

73

Listen, I'll just answer it directly.

74

I don't think there's a problem with that.

75

If you personally don't have a

conviction that to have alcohol in

76

your house or to drink is sinful.

77

Uh, and again, that gets to the question

of your conscience before the Lord.

78

If you don't have that, if you're just not

drinking, because you feel like man, it's,

79

you know, it's just not a better part

of wisdom or for my health or whatever.

80

But I don't object to people that

do, and you've got neighbors across

81

the street and you're going to have

them over as long as you know, that

82

those neighbors across the street.

83

And this is a, this is a big caveat.

84

As long as you know, that the people

that you're having over into your home

85

don't have a problem with alcohol.

86

As long as you know that

you're not walking in inviting

87

somebody you're in your home.

88

That's a closet alcoholic at

home in the evening and ESE.

89

You wouldn't really know that though.

90

You wouldn't unless they were

vulnerable enough to tell you that.

91

So.

92

Maybe, maybe I'm

reversing my call on this.

93

Maybe I'm saying it's it.

94

Maybe it's not the best.

95

The best route on that, because you

don't know, unless you do, if you

96

do, if you've gotten to know them, if

you've been around them, And you you've

97

had the conversation somehow then.

98

Yeah.

99

I think it's it's okay.

100

It's appropriate.

101

What, what have you, but if this

is somebody that you don't know.

102

I think you've got to

be careful with that.

103

I think the other thing to

consider too is as a Christian.

104

If you're inviting unbelievers

into your home, you have to

105

be careful about that too.

106

And about the witness

and the testimony there.

107

And it's not that alcohol is

bad, but you you're dealing with

108

somebody that's uninformed, right.

109

That.

110

This unbeliever, walking into your house

is uninformed about the concepts of

111

Christian Liberty and everything else.

112

And we are called to be

light and not darkness.

113

And I think there's an opportunity for

us to be light, not by drawing attention

114

to the fact that, Hey, we don't drink,

but by the fact that when you put

115

drinks out for them, it's LaCroix and

Waterloo and not Shiner and cores light.

116

Um, Yeah, it's not that shiny and Coors

light are sinful, but there's a way

117

for you to, to avoid any appearance

of evil so that maybe they're

118

not going to draw the conclusion.

119

Okay.

120

You're not any different than,

than I am because you're drinking.

121

I drank and ran.

122

You know, It's another way to stand out

is what I guess I'm trying to drive that.

123

Yeah, and I, I, and I, I love

the question because it it's.

124

It's thinking about your neighbors and

thinking about how to be hospitable

125

and how to make them feel welcome to.

126

So the intuition is awesome.

127

I applaud the question in the first place.

128

Um, I would land in a different area.

129

I probably the same year, I think.

130

As you land, I wouldn't do it.

131

Um, I think.

132

I have different experiences with alcohol.

133

Uh, I don't know.

134

I don't know if I've mentioned that

on the podcast yet, but my experiences

135

have not been largely positive.

136

So I would have a much harder

time swallowing having we've had.

137

In fact, one of our neighbors only

moved in to the California home.

138

Uh, he brought over a bottle of

wine and like kept it for for years.

139

Cause.

140

Can we don't drink it.

141

So we had it in our cupboard.

142

I don't know where we had it.

143

We had it there.

144

It's probably really expensive now

because I think wine gets better with age.

145

Is that how it works?

146

Well, I think we threw

it away at some point.

147

We never looked up what it was.

148

So maybe it was a really good one.

149

I just tossed it out.

150

We can add a building.

151

We could have had a building.

152

Oh man.

153

Anyhow.

154

So he gave it to us and when we

were super thankful and it was.

155

Such a nice gesture when we received

it, we were thankful for it.

156

And I think that spoke more to

me than what thing it was itself.

157

And I think when you, when

you have your neighbors over.

158

The way that you treat them though.

159

Their thoughtfulness toward them.

160

I will speak for itself.

161

And even if you don't offer their

favorite brew, I think you can still

162

offer them a great hospitable, warm

environment by your personality.

163

And by your genuine love for them.

164

So I would not be concerned about that if

I, man, I think it's such a landmine of

165

potential areas where you can step on a

landmine and blow up, blow up a situation.

166

I'd rather play it safe.

167

I agree.

168

Yep.

169

Um, I'm with you.

170

Well there, we answered that one.

171

Sufficiently.

172

And shortly.

173

Yeah, look at us.

174

All right.

175

We're proud of.

176

It's got a Malachi.

177

All right, Malik.

178

All right.

179

Malika means my messenger.

180

And, uh, he's the last prophet

before the 400 years of silence.

181

So 400 years of silence, meaning from,

uh, The end of Malakai's prophecy until

182

John the Baptist comes on the scene.

183

He is the next prophet to show up

and he's going to show up, preparing

184

the way for the coming of the Lord.

185

But Malakai is going to bring

an end in, in for 400 years.

186

God is going to be silent and

there's not going to be any

187

direct revelation from him.

188

It's not that they're going to

be without the voice of God.

189

They're going to have the

voice of God in the scriptures.

190

And then.

191

The law and everything

else they'll have there.

192

But in fact, during this 400 years

of silence is we have emerged

193

from that the dead sea scrolls.

194

And so one of the best.

195

Pieces of preserved scripture that we

know of as far as old Testament goes,

196

comes out of this period of 400 years

of silence because of the scribes and

197

the scenes and so forth and so on.

198

So it's a fascinating time of history.

199

But Malikai brings an end to

the, the, the old Testament to.

200

Um, this period of time where God was

speaking to his people through profits.

201

Wow.

202

Really cool.

203

And it's yet the he's in the

last book and the last place.

204

Yup.

205

So that's kind of nice.

206

It's chronologically

appropriate this one, at least.

207

Well, Genesis two and.

208

Yeah.

209

Um, numbers and Deuteronomy.

210

Yeah.

211

He may have prophesied during the

time of Nehemiah and during the

212

time that Nehemiah had returned.

213

That is to purge it.

214

You remember, we talked about

that in yesterday's episode,

215

he went back for a period.

216

Things didn't go well, there.

217

Uh, because many of the sins that

he confronts in this book are the

218

same ones confronted by Nehemiah

when he returned to Jerusalem.

219

Uh, after that, Visit back

to Susa in Nehemiah 13.

220

So.

221

We're not exactly sure,

but that's possible.

222

It's a good shot.

223

That that's when he, he was prophesying.

224

Uh, the, the book is, is set up with a

lot of charges in rhetorical questions.

225

Um, and so right off the

bat Malikai wants to.

226

The Lord says, I have loved, you says the

Lord, but you say, how have you loved us?

227

Yeah.

228

So the Lord is going to make these

statements and then say, but you

229

say how you say how you say into.

230

And so this is the way that the

Lord is going to navigate this and,

231

and talk to the people and bring

these charges through Malakai.

232

Against them.

233

But the book opens with this

statement of God, the love for his

234

people in the first five verses.

235

And then again, they questioned that

love and perhaps they were expecting

236

greater things after having returned to

the exile, because you would wonder why

237

would they say, how have you loved us?

238

They've got the wall,

they've got the temple.

239

Uh, but maybe they wanted more,

maybe they wanted the Davidic

240

king and they didn't have it.

241

Maybe they wanted the Messiah.

242

He didn't show up.

243

And so they're just disgruntled

with God and they're there.

244

Uh, not seeing the blessings that

he had provided for them is 60 14.

245

The load rebukes them.

246

Uh, for this and they're there.

247

I mean.

248

We'll call it what it is.

249

They're pathetic offerings.

250

Uh, he says you're bringing things

to me and, and bringing them to, to

251

offer them to me that you wouldn't

even give to your, your officials.

252

Uh, you're bringing defiled,

you're bringing broken, you're

253

bringing blind animals to me and

the Lord wanted things that were.

254

As close to perfect as they could possibly

be, because it was a symbol of, we want

255

to honor the Lord with these offerings.

256

And so they were recognized they

were responding to him in all that

257

he had done for them by, uh, by,

by giving him pittance in return.

258

Yeah, he ends in a very powerful way.

259

I am a great king.

260

You're not.

261

Yeah.

262

The Lord is not just a figment

of your religious imagination.

263

He is a great king who deserves.

264

Great honor.

265

And for them, they suffered.

266

They suffer the consequences by giving

him something weak and lame and despise.

267

But we can do the same thing

by offering him less than

268

what he deserves in our lives.

269

And it's not necessarily the

money, although certainly our

270

resources are part of that.

271

It's really the totality of our lives.

272

So, even though you're reading this

about the offering, I think you could

273

take this in and more broadly, apply

it to everything about your life and

274

what you give to the Lord in terms of

your time, your energy, your talents,

275

and anything else that you may have.

276

Yeah.

277

Yup.

278

Chapter two then.

279

Uh, verses one through nine.

280

Next God turns to confront the

priests for failing in their duties

281

and dishonoring their ancestor.

282

Levi in the process.

283

This is, uh, the, the opening

charge in chapter two here.

284

He's going to rebuke them and

rebuke them for what they've done.

285

Um, verses 10 through 16, then he shifts

over to the concept of marital infidelity.

286

Again, intermarriage that not only married

foreign wives, but they had divorced

287

their Israelite wives in the process.

288

And so God was angry with

them is talks about covering

289

their garments and violence.

290

God.

291

It says here hates divorce.

292

And that's such an important

point for us to make that, that

293

marriage is so significant.

294

I was talking to somebody

recently about this.

295

Um, the future of marriage and our

country and in part of me wonders.

296

If we might not get to a place, uh,

where the, the institution of marriage

297

is, is one thing in our government.

298

And another, another thing in the church.

299

Um, you know, as the government

continues to demean, what.

300

Marriage is.

301

And, uh, the church has to uphold

a biblical perspective of marriage

302

and marriage is a thing that God

takes very, very, very seriously.

303

And the thing of the matter is.

304

That document that your pastor signed

when you guys got married, doesn't

305

really mean anything in the eyes of

God, because if you go to a third world

306

country and you marry, you bring two

people together in marriage in that third

307

world country, they're not submitting a

document to the United States government

308

that says, Hey, we're married, right?

309

That doesn't it's, it's about the,

the formal ceremony before the Lord.

310

And that's what matters more than

your going to the courthouse and

311

signing the document and paying

your buck your 80 bucks or whatever

312

to get your marriage license.

313

It matters your promise to one

another before the Lord and here.

314

Malakai St God detests divorce and

what was so wicked here, they were

315

divorcing their Israelite wives,

and God brought them together

316

to produce more godly offspring.

317

And they were going after

these foreign women.

318

And they were polluting

the race of, of Israel.

319

They were polluting the,

the line of David there.

320

They're polluting all of this.

321

By engaging in, in marriages with people

that weren't part of the people of God.

322

Terrible.

323

Yeah, it was a, it was a

horrible situation for sure.

324

Um, Chapter three then.

325

Uh, in chapter two, verse 17, as

it ends in chapter two, that people

326

were questioning whether God was

actually going to do anything.

327

Or to bring justice against the evildoers.

328

Kind of this question of

is your hand paralyzed?

329

Are you able to do anything

against the wicked and here?

330

And so in response in

verses one through four.

331

Uh, God warns them that

the Messiah would come.

332

And when he did, he was going to

judge and purify his people from

333

their evil and their wickedness.

334

And he was going to sit over

them in judgment for their sinful

335

lack of concern for justice.

336

Um, Yeah.

337

And then verses six through 15.

338

Okay.

339

Giving.

340

Uh, God confronts the people here for

their disobedience and giving any compares

341

it here, pastor, rod to robbing him.

342

And it let's talk about that for a second.

343

How is it robbing God for

us not to give to him?

344

Are we.

345

Are we, are we going to make a distinction

between old, old Testament, new Testament?

346

Are we just trying to say

like broadly speaking?

347

I was thinking broadly.

348

Go ahead and make the distinction

first because you brought that up.

349

So let's make the distinction and then.

350

What are the.

351

What principles can we pull out of that?

352

Okay.

353

You can see here's the man, I feel bad.

354

A lot of prosperity preachers are going

to go to Malakai chapter three and

355

say, Hey look, you don't give your tie.

356

They're robbing God.

357

And you're going to suffer

the results of that.

358

And you're gonna have the devour.

359

Uh, destroy all your crops and

harvest and all those things.

360

Anyway.

361

I want you to be clear.

362

First of all, if you're looking at

the old Testament, the giving, the

363

giving requirements are different.

364

He asked them for a tie, which means 10th.

365

And they had multiple ties, which

means that they, they owed more than

366

just 10% of, of their produce to God.

367

They owed much more than that.

368

They had a very high.

369

A rate of giving, I guess it wasn't even

giving at that point, you're, it's, it's

370

a mandated response to God's leadership.

371

They had a theocracy, although I'll

be it within the, with under the,

372

under the leadership of another

authority, but they had a theocracy.

373

And so God operated his temple.

374

He support his Levi's and his priests

by their offerings, by their ties.

375

And so God says, you need to give.

376

This is not, this is not an ask.

377

It's not a recommendation.

378

This is what you need to do.

379

I'm asking you to do this.

380

This is what God says.

381

So when God says here to them, you need to

give, and you're robbing God by not giving

382

your you're stealing food out of the, out

of the mouths of the priest and the Levis.

383

And then for the operation of the temple.

384

So that's the context, that's the

immediate application it's for them.

385

And so he's saying don't steal from God.

386

Otherwise you're not going to be

blessed for Christians though.

387

I think there is this a sense in

which again, just kind of appealing

388

back to a few, a few chapters ago.

389

When we don't give God, what's rightfully

his out of the overflow of our hearts.

390

We end up doing much the same.

391

Now there's no guarantee that God's going

to give you the yacht or the really big

392

house off of frontier with the lake.

393

And.

394

I mean.

395

There's no guarantees, nice house.

396

It is a nice house.

397

Uh, but God does expect us to

give the standards of giving are

398

different in the new Testament though.

399

So pastor PG, talk to us then

about what it looks like.

400

If we have a tie there's

not is not the requirement.

401

What does require, what does God

require of us for new Testament given?

402

Yeah.

403

We talk about sacrificial giving, right

giving to where it, you feel it right.

404

We want to not give from the

end, but give from the top.

405

And.

406

The cream.

407

Yeah.

408

And it's, it's, you know, people

will talk about 10% and that

409

comes from that, that number Thai.

410

There is no new Testament principle

that says you have to give 10%.

411

We often will tell people

it's a good place to start.

412

Um, And I think there's going to be

different seasons where, you know, at

413

some point in your life, 5% may hurt.

414

5% may be sacrificial giving for

some people during certain seasons.

415

Um, so I don't think we want to throw

a percentage on there and say, this

416

is what it has to be for some of

you, it may be 30% is going to be

417

that number that hurts at some point.

418

So.

419

It's going to be flexible.

420

It's going to be variable for people,

but at the end of the day, you

421

want to, you want to be a sacrifice

because it's, it's like the old

422

Testament you're bringing something.

423

To bring those lamps to bring those goats.

424

It cost them.

425

Um, they were saying you are

worthy God of this, this offering.

426

And at the same time, they were also

saying, and we're going to trust

427

you to continue to provide for us.

428

Despite the fact that we're giving

this to you now, and that's where

429

God goes in this chapter as well.

430

He says, Hey, put me to the test.

431

Right?

432

Give what I'm asking you to give

and see what I don't do for you.

433

Now, we don't want to go to the prosperity

side of that and say, if you give the

434

Lord is going to fill your coffers, right.

435

Because we don't, we can't guarantee any

of that, but there is blessing in that.

436

We do know that you're in a good, good

place because you're obeying the Lord

437

and the Lord is going to honor that.

438

Now, what is that going

to exactly look like.

439

I don't know, it could be a lot

of things except for the BMOC.

440

It's going to turn into roared.

441

Right, right.

442

Do you know that?

443

I would also add one more thing too,

for the new Testament, Christian

444

first Timothy chapter six gives us

a parameter to work with in terms

445

of what our giving should look like.

446

He says in chapter six, verse 18.

447

That for those who are rich and by the

way, Americans by and large are rich.

448

And especially this part of the country,

I think we're doing pretty well.

449

Verse 18 says that the

rich people are to do good.

450

This is for Christians, Christian,

rich, rich Christians do good.

451

And to be rich in good works.

452

Your rich and your bank account.

453

That's awesome.

454

Be rich in the good things that

you do for the sake of the king.

455

And lastly, he says here, And be generous

and ready to share B you know, it's like

456

a, it's like someone who is always ready

to do CrossFit or someone who's always

457

ready to go out to eat a good meal.

458

They're just going to like

they're oh, they're always ready.

459

You wake them up in middle of the night.

460

They're always ready to go get some

tuxedos from the local, whatever place.

461

Um, and he says in verse 19, thus

storing up treasure for themselves

462

in a good foundation for the

future, so that they may take

463

hold of that, which is truly life.

464

And I think he, he addresses.

465

The temptation to think

that money is where life is.

466

And Jesus says over and over again, and

Paul's just reiterating what Jesus says.

467

Your life is not in the

abundance of your possessions.

468

And therefore, for those of

us who are Christians, our,

469

our call is to be generous.

470

And it's, there's there's calls

to give to your church locally.

471

Um, and I think the standard is

a good starting place is 10%.

472

But to your point, it depends

on where you're at financially.

473

Um, but Christians are

called to be good stewards.

474

We're called to be generous.

475

We're called to be ready to give to the

kingdom because ultimately it's his work.

476

It's his money and we want

to be obedient to that call.

477

Yeah.

478

Yeah, helpful for sure.

479

Malakai four, then the last

chapter, the old Testament.

480

Uh, day of the Lord shows up again.

481

We've talked about the day of the

Lord and he says, behold, the day

482

is coming, burning like an oven.

483

Uh, and he says when all the arrogant

and all evil doers will be stubble.

484

And so the day of the Lord is coming,

this is going to be a, for the

485

righteous, a day of joy, but for the

unrighteous and the wicked a day of, of

486

suffering a day of judgment from God.

487

Um, Versus four or Malika.

488

Chapter four verses five and six is a

prophecy that ended God's audible voice

489

until it's going to be picked up again by

the one who's actually going to fulfill

490

this, uh, Elijah, the one that's going

to come is going to be John the Baptist.

491

Because the Jesus is going to

be asked later on his ministry.

492

Hey.

493

Uh, we've heard that Elijah is

supposed to come and he's going to say

494

Elijah has come and you rejected him.

495

And he's talking about

John, the Baptist here.

496

So John, the Baptist is going to be the

one that's going to be the fulfillment of

497

the last two verses in the old Testament.

498

And he's also going to be the

opening of the prophetic voice

499

returning in the new Testament.

500

Right.

501

It's kinda cool.

502

How that ties together.

503

Really neat.

504

I mean because you and the

Malakai four, you start again

505

and, and John one, Luke one.

506

Matthew one.

507

Yeah.

508

Really cool.

509

How this scripture does that.

510

Yep.

511

Yeah, well, let's pray.

512

And then we'll be done with

the old Testament portion

513

of the daily Bible podcast.

514

Celebrate.

515

Uh, that we do.

516

Thank you for your word.

517

We thank you for, um, these passages

that we've, we've been reading.

518

We thank you for the book of Malakai

and, and how we can take old Testament

519

trues and bring them into our life

and try to apply them in our life.

520

And we pray for wisdom in doing that.

521

Uh, we want to don't we, we

don't want to do that flippantly.

522

We don't want to do that.

523

Um, in a way that is, is out of

keeping with what your word is,

524

is originally intended to do.

525

And so give us some great wisdom and

discernment to know how to do that.

526

But Lord, give us an appreciation

for these texts, these passages,

527

these old Testament passages.

528

And allow us to realize that this

is intended, not just for Israel,

529

but intended for us today as well.

530

So we pray this in Christ's name.

531

Amen.

532

Amen.

533

Can you bring your Bibles, including

the new Testament starting tomorrow.

534

We'll be back for another episode.

535

See.

536

I think guys.