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Malachi 3:16-18 meaningDecember 19, 2024
Some people decide to honor and follow the LORD. God pronounces “they will be mine” and become His treasured possessions. They will benefit from His compassion and, on return, to again distinguish between the godly and the ungodly.
Malachi 3:13-15 meaningDecember 19, 2024
The LORD rebukes His people for speaking arrogantly against Him because they say the evil are prospering and God is blessing them rather than the righteous. The inference is an accusation that God is not keeping His covenant promise to bless Israel if they follow His ways. As we have seen in prior sections, the fundamental problem is that the people have a wrong perspective about themselves—they have in fact not been obeying God’s covenant commands.
Malachi 3:8-12 meaningDecember 19, 2024
The LORD now chastises Judah for neglecting to bring the entire tithe offering that He prescribed—which was to be given voluntarily. He exhorts them to bring the entire tithe in offerings to Him and watch how He will bestow blessings upon them.
Malachi 3:7 meaningDecember 19, 2024
The LORD reminds the Jews of their history of rebellion and urges them to repent and return to Him so that they may experience His blessings, as promised in their covenant/treaty into which they entered with Him.
Malachi 3:1-6 meaningDecember 19, 2024
Malachi tells the post-exilic Judeans that they weary the LORD by saying they are seeking justice while doing evil. God says He will send His messenger, the Messiah (Anointed One), to be like a refiner’s fire and purify His people. He will cleanse the priests as well as the nation. In the meanwhile, He exhorts them to repent and return to Him.
Malachi 2:17 meaningDecember 19, 2024
Malachi closes Chapter 2 with another complaint from the people related to their prior objection that God was not listening to them. They are expecting God to bring justice, and He is not living up to their expectations. In all this, Judah is wearying the LORD by celebrating evil and saying it is good. They are not getting justice because they are themselves bringing injustice to Judah.
Malachi 2:13-16 meaningDecember 19, 2024
Malachi confronts the Jewish men for divorcing the wives of their youth. Because they are worshiping while practicing intentional sin, God will not hear their petitions.
Malachi 2:9-12 meaningDecember 19, 2024
God decries treating others with partiality because He is the creator and father of everyone. He chastises the people of Judah for engaging in the exploitative and immoral ways of paganism, thus breaking their covenant vow with Him.
Malachi 2:1-8 meaningDecember 18, 2024
The LORD rebukes the priests for failing to teach the people of Judah according to the standard He established with the Levitical priesthood. The priests have corrupted God’s covenant with them. Rather than having zeal for His word, God’s righteousness was not found coming from their lips.
Acts 19:30-41 meaningDecember 7, 2024
Paul tries to enter the theater where his friends are held captive, but he is not allowed inside. The mob inside the theater is so large and frenzied that many there don’t understand what the cause of the riot is. They shout “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” for two hours until a city clerk comes. The clerk shames the mob for disrupting the city. He defends the two disciples whom the mob has captured, noting that these men have committed no crimes. The city clerk commands everyone to go home, or else Rome will come and occupy the city in full force to prevent future riots.
Acts 19:21-29 meaningDecember 7, 2024
Paul begins to make plans to leave Ephesus and visit the churches in Macedonia and Greece. The smiths and craftsmen of Ephesus plot a riot against Paul, led by Demetrius the silversmith. Because so many Ephesians have put their faith in Jesus, they are no longer buying silver idols of the Greek goddess Artemis, and so the craftsmen are making less money than they used to. This mob of smiths charges through the city and storms the theater. They capture two of Paul’s friends there.
Acts 19:11-20 meaningDecember 7, 2024
Through Paul, God works amazing miracles. People with physical illnesses are healed by the touch of Paul’s hand, as well as by handkerchiefs which Paul had touched. Evil spirits are cast out of the people whom they once possessed. With these miracles, God is confirming to the Greeks that Paul is who they should listen to. Some unbelieving exorcists try to copy Paul and cast out a demon in Jesus’s name, but the demon attacks them and harms them. Everyone hears about this event and are even more reverent toward the name of Jesus. Magicians burn a great many of their spell-books to show that they are trusting and following Jesus.
Acts 19:1-10 meaningDecember 7, 2024
Paul returns to Ephesus. There, he baptizes men who put their faith in Jesus Christ. He begins preaching in the synagogue for three months, until some of the Jews speak evil of the gospel. Paul finds a lecture hall where he can teach every day about the kingdom of God. He is allowed to teach there for two years, and many people in the region believe in Jesus.
Malachi 1:11–14 meaningDecember 2, 2024
The LORD predicts a day when every nation will exalt Him, acknowledge His greatness, and honor His name. This puts to shame the priests of Malachi’s day. They offer stolen and sickly animals for sacrifice. They make vows they do not fulfill. God declares His glory and again warns the priests that all people, even Gentiles, one day will worship Him.
Malachi 1:6–10 meaningDecember 2, 2024
The LORD rebukes the priests for dishonoring Him through their disobedient worship and defiled sacrifices. He wishes someone would shut the temple doors to stop these vain offerings.
Malachi 1:1–5 meaningDecember 2, 2024
The LORD reaffirms His faithful commitment to the Israelites by contrasting them with the Edomites, whom He will forever destroy for their wicked deeds.
2 Corinthians 8:16-24 meaningNovember 25, 2024
Paul now focuses on the purpose of the financial collection for the Judean saints in need as it relates to the spiritual ministry of the gospel and the church. The overall spiritual purpose was for the glory of the Lord Himself (v. 19) and also to show the readiness and eagerness of Paul and his companions for this collection. Paul wants to be open and transparent as to the integrity of the collection, so he sends not only Titus, his most trusted companion, but also two other highly regarded leaders to ensure the offering is properly stewarded and delivered as promised.
2 Corinthians 8:8-15 meaningNovember 19, 2024
Paul appeals to the Corinthians by using Christ as an example of giving. Jesus was rich in heaven but became poor for our sake by coming to earth to die for our sins. He shares the principle of giving to meet basic needs of others, making particular note that this is not God’s command but a great opportunity for them to develop as disciples and lay up treasure in heaven. But it is up to them to decide how much to give.
2 Corinthians 8:1-7 meaningNovember 19, 2024
Paul changes the direction and subject of his letter. From defending his ministry and proclaiming the legitimacy of his message, he turns to challenge the Corinthians to participate in a collection to financially support the persecuted church in Jerusalem. For chapters eight and nine he explains that giving is to their advantage because it is a privilege or favor to do God’s work and receive His rewards.
Luke 8:49-56 meaningNovember 12, 2024
After healing the hemorrhagic woman, it is reported that the synagogue official’s daughter has died before Jesus could reach her, and His services are no longer needed. Jesus reassures the father, goes to the house, then raises the girl back to life. All are amazed at this, but Jesus warns them not to tell anyone about the events that occurred in the house. Jesus powerfully demonstrates His authority over life and death.
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