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December 15

Title: A Messenger Must Come First

Text: Malachi 3:1

I doubt the nation of Israel knew this, while he was on earth, but Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Covenantal era. It makes me wonder if they would have listened to him more, if they knew it would be 400 years until another prophet spoke again. Think about this: 1000 years of prophets. Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea, etc. There was always someone you can find who functioned as God’s spokesman. And now silence. God was silent. Did He finally abandon Israel? His plan? In those moments, I hope they remembered the words of Malachi. 

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

It is in these moments of reflection that I hope you, the reader, realize the absolute blessing it is to have the inerrant, inspired revelation of God at our fingertips. The Bible is accessible to us anytime we want. We don’t have to go to the temple, asking the priest to unroll the scroll. We have His revelation to us. We have His promises. We can read about the beginning and the end. Why do we neglect His word? The only answer is this: We don’t want to hear His voice. 

I bet Israel wished they had a Bible during those 400 silent years. God is not silent. He is here reminding us that Christmas is coming.