DAY 365

IT IS FINISHED!

Malachi and Revelation 22

Well it has arrived, the last day of reading the Bible in one year. In a moment I want to share some reflections, but here is a bit on Malachi from my ESV Bible Introduction.

MALACHI: Although the urging of Haggai and Zechariah had brought the completion of the temple (516 b.c.), this had not produced the messianic age many expected. The warm response to Zechariah's call to repentance had grown cold, because God apparently had not restored the covenant blessings. Malachi, writing a short time later, called the people to repentance with respect to: the priesthood, which had become corrupt; worship, which had become routine; divorce, which was widespread; social justice, which was being ignored; and tithing, which was neglected. "Will man rob God?" the Lord asked through Malachi (3.8), and he promised to "open the windows of heaven" (v.10) for those who pay their full tithe. Malachi predicted the coming of both John the Baptist and Jesus, referring to each as a "messenger" of God (3:1)

YESTERDAY I closed my comments on Revelation, a rather amazing drama.

If you have hung in here with me and worked your way through the Bible what are your thoughts about it? I have heard the Bible described in a variety of ways:

·         God’s love letter to his people

·         800,000 words that say there is forgiveness for the past, new life for today, and hope for tomorrow

There certainly are more summary statements. I do not think I can boil this last year down to a single statement. I am struck by how much the New Testament is connected to the story of the Jewish people. I have read the Bible through a number of times, but having to write about it was a very different experience. I found two recurring thoughts. First I kept saying to myself that I was writing too many words. Second I kept having to go back and look up Jewish history, especially when we were in the prophets.

The other thought I now have is that I want to do more. These books of the Bible are like onions—there are many layers to peel back and examine. BUT—and I think this is one of the things that I really am struck by—I am amazed at how God hangs in there with us. Think of all the history we read and how people kept walking away. Then the Son comes and we kill him. And yes I know it was part of God’s plan all along, but we did not know that until after we killed him and the Holy Spirit came. And then after the Resurrection we are still ignoring him…and yet God does not give up on us…in many ways, as difficult as you might have found reading the Bible, it is remarkable that God still has hope in us, in you, and in me—He really does love you.

Thanks for reading along with me. I would love to hear from you and you can send me an email at dcollum@thecathedralofallsaints.org – God bless you.