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Nehemiah 12:27-13:6; Nehemiah 5:14-19; Nehemiah 13:7-31; Malachi 1:1-2:9<\/strong><\/span> We finish up the book of Nehemiah today!\u00a0 Today in Nehemiah chapter 12 we read about the dedication of Jerusalem\u2019s Wall, which is awesome to read about.\u00a0 Verses 27 & 28 tell us \u2013 \u201cDuring the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, lyres, and harps. The singers were brought together from Jerusalem and its surrounding villages and from the villages of the Netophathites.\u201d<\/em><\/span> Below is a great image for Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 30 today:<\/span><\/p>\n Today we start the book of Malachi!\u00a0 There is some great stuff in this short book\u2026 particularly when we get to tomorrow\u2019s readings.\u00a0 \u00a0The name Malachi means \u201cmy messenger.\u201d\u00a0 Malachi was written in approximately 430 B.C. and he was likely a contemporary of Nehemiah.\u00a0 Malachi was written to the returned exiles in Jerusalem well after the temple had been rebuilt under governor Zerubbabel in 516 B.C.\u00a0 \u00a0By 430 B.C. there was a spiritual malaise in the land.\u00a0 It is speculated that this is in part because Jerusalem was then just a small province in the large Persian empire. But, the big reason is probably because the glorious future of God sending his Messiah, Jesus \u2013 as pronounced by Isaiah, Haggai and Zechariah and other prophets \u2013 had not yet come to fruition.\u00a0 \u00a0A good overview of Malachi is online at bible.org<\/span> at this link<\/span>.\u00a0 \u00a0Below is an icon from the Orthodox church of the prophet Malachi:<\/span> Chapter 1 verse 2 stood out to me in today\u2019s readings: \u201cI have loved you deeply,\u201d says the LORD.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I guess this really resonated with me since we are now reading the last book of the Old Testament.\u00a0 As I look back on our readings earlier this year \u2013 all of the books of the Old Testament that we have read and all of the interaction between God and his covenant people, I have to absolutely nod my head in agreement with these words from God in verse 2.\u00a0 God loved deeply in the Old Testament.\u00a0 And God loved deeply the New Testament.\u00a0 And God loves us deeply today.\u00a0 Do you believe that God loves you deeply?\u00a0 And do you believe that he always will?\u00a0 Do you in turn love God deeply?\u00a0 Today will you reach out and jump in to the deep end of the pool of God\u2019s love?<\/span> Verse 7 also stood out to me: \u201cYou have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.\u201d <\/em>The chapter goes on to describe how blind, crippled, and diseased animals were sacrificed to God \u2013 which were unacceptable holy sacrifices to God per his laws in Leviticus 1:3 and Deuteronomy 15:21.\u00a0 We are no longer under the law of these sacrifices, as Jesus was the final sacrifice once and for all on the cross.\u00a0 However \u2013 I wondered to myself as I read this verse, do we still offer \u201cdefiled sacrifices\u201d to God in some ways today in our lives?\u00a0 Do we give God maybe the left-overs of our life?\u00a0 Our left-over time, finances, energy, prayers, love, etc.?\u00a0 Should we instead be giving God our best sacrifices \u2013 our firstfruits, our early morning energy, our constant prayers, our deepest love?\u00a0 Indeed, as Oswald Chambers puts it, are we giving God our very <\/span>Utmost for His Highest<\/span>?\u00a0 Are you giving God the very best of who you are?\u00a0 Every day?\u00a0 Or is God typically just getting your leftovers?<\/span> Worship Video: <\/strong>Today\u2019s readings reminded me of the wonderful song \u201cEverlasting God\u201d by Brenton Brown:<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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