Scripture Reference: Malachi 1:2-5

III. God’s Love Defined – Continued

1. A Providential Love – Continued

From last lesson: Jesus does not mean we are to hate our loved ones in the normal sense of the word; the obvious and literal meaning is to love less those than we are to love Christ.

Our love for Christ is to so tower above all our other loves that it and them should contrast the way love and hate are contrasted. Malachi tells Israel that God’s love for them has towered over them, far above His love for Edom and all other nations. Just as we are the objects of Christ’s special love and Christ is the object of our special love, so Israel was the object of God’s special love.

2) God’s Severe Actions (verses 3–5). God’s strange attitude is revealed in His severe actions toward Edom in history. Most likely pointing to Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign of destruction in 587, Malachi reminded Israel of the crushing of Edom. It was now a wasteland where wild jackals roamed. The Edomites might try to rebuild but God, the Lord Almighty, would stop them. This wicked land would live under this sentence of wrath forever. Israel would thus see the power and greatness of God active across the border into Edom and across all natural borders.

God’s wrath upon Edom, however, was not arbitrary, it was the inevitable response of a holy God to the cruelty of the Edomites. God had this to say about them in Amos 1:11, “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.” The perpetual anger and cruelty was a way of life for Edom and because of it they received due payment from God.

3) God’s Saving Alternative (verse 5). But you may be saying, Israel was just as wicked. Sure they were. However, when Amos got through with Edom, he turned his spotlight on the sins of Israel (Malachi 2:6–16). But this is where the grace of God’s special love comes in. Edom got what it deserved. But praise God, Israel didn’t. She received forgiveness and mercy and thousands of renewed chances. David said, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).

Grace, is getting what we need and not what we deserve. A song by singer/songwriter Dottie Rambo says, “He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs.” Salvation is such a blessing of love that we should look up from any bad circumstance and say with Paul, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Like you and myself included, others have had some hard times. There have been times in the past when I have wanted to say, “God! Do you even care about me?” When that happens we all need to go again to the cross where we began our walk with God and trace His salvation blessings down to our present hour. I have forgiveness, my sins removed; a new heart; a spirit renewed; a loving family, an abundant life, and the hope of heaven. I certainly don’t deserve it but I have it, because of God’s great love through His grace. Therefore, there is nothing Satan throws our way that should cause us to forget such great salvation blessings and our Savior’s unending love.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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