In the previous postings we have found that the Lord does indeed have different types of love which He extends toward his most prized creation–mankind.  General love (my term) is that which He awards every human being ever born simply because they are His creations.  The other type of love (agape) is the love one EARNS by the conduct (“walk”) of one’s life.  God’s general love, with which He loves the world (Jn. 3:16), does not exempt those in the world from having to EARN His agape love through WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS/HOLINESS.  Such WORKS are manifested when one OBEYS GOD’S LAW.  This is the same Law the deceived church claims the Father “nailed to the cross” of His Son Jesus Christ.

Scripture proves that man determines which type of love he receives from God.  As I have noted many times, this Truth is proved beyond a doubt in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 which, along with the rest of the Old Testament, were spoken, written and preserved by “holy men of old as they were moved by the Spirit of God” (2 Pet. 1:21).  The Holy Scriptures also tell us that what the prophets spoke and wrote were preserved for “our (the church’s) instruction, upon whom the ends of the world have come” (1 Cor. 10:11), and that the Church was founded on the teachings of both the prophets and the apostles (Eph. 2:20), Jesus Christ Himself having joined them together around Himself, making Him the church’s chief cornerstone.  What Christ joins together man must not separate.  Religious man, however, has separated the Old Testament from the New Testament and discarded the former.  This is Satan at work.  There should be no break between the Testaments in that the latter proves the Truth of the former.  Where Malachi leaves off, Matthew begins, which brings us to the focus of this posting–RELIGIOUS MAN’S DEADLY MISUNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S LOVE.

In Malachi chapter one we find the Lord God Himself speaking to the prophet who calls His Words “The burden (message) of the Word of the Lord.  In verses 11-14 He speaks to those whom He loves, but who have turned His love into an excuse to reject His Word and to do whatsoever they want to do while calling their version of Truth “the table (food) of the Lord.”  In Scripture, God’s Word is often symbolized as food to be internalized then manifested in one’s “walk”–lifestyle (thoughts, words and deeds).  Scripturally, God also equates his Word with His name, which is referred to as His power.  This is why Jesus instructed us to pray in His name, which carries His (Holy Spirit) power.  If the truth be known, less than one percent of all church prayers are answered.  Malachi 1:11-14 tells us why.  In Romans 15:8 the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus came to confirm the promises God made to the fathers–Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Those promises were passed on to their obedient descendants–the true Church of God.

Does the Lord love all people?  Many passages of Scripture make it abundantly clear that He does indeed “… so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son ….”  Then why are church prayers, spoken in His Son’s name, rarely, if ever answered?  Something has turned the church’s heaven to iron (Lev. 26:19) which her prayers cannot penetrate.  God promises that if He hears our prayers He will answer our prayers.  Unanswered prayers are not heard on high.  Why?  Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 provide a general answer to the question.  Malachi 1:11-14 goes into more detail.  The focal passage will reveal two Truths: 1) God’s general love for man has nothing to do with man’s personal relationship with Him.  Man’s attitude toward God’s Word (Law) has everything to do with man’s relationship with the Almighty.  The relationship revolves around God’s NAME and man’s OBEDIENCE.

In verse 11 God declares that HIS NAME will be greatly honored among the Gentiles (heathen) to whom the Israelites were to serve as His light, which He described as an everlasting fire (Isa. 10:17; 42:6; 60:20).  Jesus would later tell His disciples that as long as He was in the world He was the light of the world (Jn. 9:5), but that upon His death, they would be the light of the world (Mat. 5:14).  Obviously, Jesus and the disciples were all separate individuals.  Therefore there had to be one thing that they all shared that made them all the same thing–God’s light.  That one thing was His Word–the “BREAD of life” which was what Jesus called Himself in John 6:35.  Note that John also called Him “the WORD” in 1:1-4.  In Malachi 1:11  God’s WORD is also called the “TABLE OF THE LORD” and “MEAT.”  All–the WORD, BREAD, TABLE, MEAT–are one and the same embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.  Keep this connection in mind as we study the focal passage.

Beginning in verse 11 God tells us that throughout the world, His NAME (power) would be honored among the Gentiles who would come to Israel’s LIGHT which would shine forth as they obeyed His WORD/BREAD (symbolic of Jesus Christ) which, when obeyed would constitute the believer’s “PURE OFFERING”–a SACRIFICE UNTO HIM.

In verse 12 He accuses Israel of “profaning” His NAME by calling His Word/Bread/Table (Jesus) “poison” and “contemptible.”  They PROFANED HIS NAME by proclaiming that His Word/Meat/Table/Bread were not to be obeyed, but rather “snuffed” at (vs 13).  Israel had determined that His Word was “repulsive” and His insistence on obeying it a source of “weariness.”  So with what did they replace the “contemptible,” “repulsive,” “weariness-producing” Bread/Word/Table/Meat the Lord had given them?

In the last part of verse 13 He tells us.  Recall that He calls man’s obedience to His Word an “OFFERING” unto Him.  Israel, having grown “weary” of God’s Word and of making an “offering” unto Him by obeying it, had come up with a much better offering.  Here the Lord alludes to the animal sacrifices Israel was forced to make annually to cover their sins.  Instead of the pure, healthy and fit lambs God had commanded them to offer, they had been bringing Him sick, weak and injured animals.  This symbolized their rejecting of His pure Word in favor of their own words, doctrines, etc.  Not only had they stopped obeying Him, they expected Him to accept what they were offering Him.

In verse 14 God calls them “deceivers” who know what He has commanded them to do but do the opposite.  Sound familiar?  It should, for this is the outcome of the church’s “God loves you,” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” “simply repent after each sin and it’s all good” mantras.  Just as religious men had turned God’s loving grace into a license to sin, thereby denying both the Father and the Son (Jude 4), they have also turned God’s general love into carte blanc acceptance of whatever they wanted to do in the spiritual realm.  This is exactly what the modern church has done.  Her parishioners have labeled as “corrupt” God’s expectation of obedience to His Word, and in so doing, have denied both Father and Son.  In Luke 10:16 Jesus said that by denying His and the Father’s Word they prove that they “despise” both of Them.  However, all is well because they have accepted Jesus as their Savior and faithfully repent after each inevitable sin.  After all, His love makes all of the guilt go away.  And Satan smiles.  L.J.