Week 1: Pure Offerings and a Closed Temple

This week, 2012 will draw to a close. If you've diligently stuck with the reading plan: Congratulations on finishing the Bible in One Year! We hope you enjoyed the weekly blog posts as well as enjoy the satisfaction that comes from reading through the entire Bible. Not many people have done that, and you are blessed you have had the opportunity and willpower to do it. If you've got side-tracked and didn't finish the Bible in one year... No worries! You can finish where you left off last year, or take a fresh start this week.

In 2013 we will continue the reading plan we did last year, with one section from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, one Psalm, and one section from Proverbs. This provides a nice balance of different scripture readings each day.

This week's Bible reading plan is as follows (2 more days to close out this year):

• Sunday: Malachi 1:1-2:17, Revelation 21:1-27, Psalm 149:1-9, Proverbs 31:10-24
• Monday: Malachi 3:1-4:6, Revelation 22:1-21, Psalm 150:1-6, Proverbs 31:25-31
• Tuesday: Genesis 1:1-2:25, Matthew 1:1-2:12, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 1:1-6
• Wednesday: Genesis 3:1-4:26, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9
• Thursday: Genesis 5:1-7:24, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalm 3:1-8, Proverbs 1:10-1
• Friday: Genesis 8:1-10:32, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalm 4:1-8, Proverbs 1:20-23
• Saturday: Genesis 11:1-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalm 5:1-12, Proverbs 1:24-28

Our S.O.A.P. this week is from a passage from Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, as well as from Revelation, the last book in the New Testament:

Scripture:
Malachi 1:

10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

Revelation 21:

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

Observation:
In the opening chapter of Malachi, the LORD is very upset with his children, the people of Israel. They call him 'father' and 'master', but they don't honor him like a son would honor his father, or a servant would honor his master (verse 6). The priests offer mediocre sacrifices (v. 7 & 8), but they pretend to do the right thing. That is what makes God really upset, and why he shows his righteous anger in verse 10. He tells his children that it is better to shut the temple doors (like closing the church), than to pretend everything is going well.

Then, in the next verse, God is looking into the future, beyond the current situation. He sees a multitude of nations honoring his name, and bringing pure offerings in every place. In a sense, he's looking to the time after Jesus came to earth, and the good news of Jesus Christ was broadcast all over the earth, bringing multitudes of people into fellowship with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It's a time of reconciliation between God and his people. This includes the time we live in as well.

Application:
Even though God's name is honored all over the earth in our times, and Jesus showed us the way of reconciliation, when I take an honest look at my life and the life of the church, there is a lot that God could be upset about as well. And perhaps he is at times. I'm upset with myself at times, when I know I'm not honoring my Heavenly Father and bring him mediocre sacrifices. There's a lot that can be improved, and that's why there's also the book of Revelation. In Revelation 21, we see the final final picture of reconciliation.

In these verses, we see that the temple is closed for good. Actually... there no longer is any temple, because God himself and the Lamb (=Jesus) are its temple! There is no need for sunlight or moonlight, as the glory of the Father and the Son provide the light. But just like Malachi 1:11, we do see the nations bringing their splendor and pure offerings to the LORD. Worship will continue, but no longer in an imperfect way. All our worship will be pure and holy, and honoring of the One who is worthy of all glory, honor, and power.

As we embark on a new year, more than ever, I do want to make an effort to bring pure worship to Him who saved my life from eternal death and who gave me life everlasting.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we worship and adore you. Thank you for another year that you have given us. A year full of blessings, but also full of pain and struggles. You hold it all in your hand, and we look toward you to guide us in the new year. We look forward to your second coming, Lord Jesus, when all things will be made new, and even our worship will take on a new purity. Help us and guide us we pray. In your name. Amen.

I hope you will continue to read the Bible on a daily basis. There is no better thing than to daily sit at the feet of our Lord and let Him teach us.

Have a blessed week and a blessed New Year.

Dick

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. [Jude 24,25]