Completion...a meaningful trip down music lane...sermon post Malachi 3.13-4.3

 

A big "woohoo" from me!  2 years of around the clock classes and papers but very worth it to me personally.  I did my best to take the lessons from the classroom (ZOOM style) and to purposefully bring them into the church building and among the people of God.  Some of my sermon last Sunday was enhanced by these classes.  Thanks be given to all of you who prayed for me while I was filling my time and mind beyond its capacity at times.

This is sometimes my hangout on Monday mornings to read my Bible and think about the next passage of Scripture to cover.  Sometimes when I have finished this initial stage of studying the passage I just sit back and sip my caffe latte made with oatmilk (no flavorings please) and let my mind wonder back to all that God has brought me and us (Stephanie and the kids) through.  Music has been a big part of our lives because it is one way to express worship of God.  We read His word; we pray to Him; we fellowship with His family; and we sing of Him and His gospel.  

So a couple songs from the past have crossed my path.  The first is "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" written in 1993.  It is a spiritual song.  It includes us in the song with a way of expressing to God our great love for Him.  It is like a modern song of "My Jesus I Love Thee."  It is an opportunity to let yourself personally speak back to God of your love.

Take a listen.  This rendition is probably closest to Stephanie's playing of it.

The second is the song "Be Ye Glad" by the group Glad.  This takes Stephanie and I back to high school and college.  It was probably more the sound and reemergence of acapella music but now I look more at the lyrics of this 3 verse song.  

The first verse is all about Jesus, "from the grave of the innocent Adam."  That is a very theological way of saying Jesus and His life.  The second verse is about us coming from our spiritual graves, "now from your dungeon a rumor is stirring" and "has opened the gate be ye glad."  We go from Jesus' resurrection to our resurrection to the third verse which is about us living out this resurrected life, "be like lights on the rim of the water...be a refuge among the slaughter."  The chorus tells us to "be ye glad" for our salvation that "has been paid up in full by the grace of the Lord."  That salvation given and provided by God is so secure that "there is no disease or no struggle that can pull you from God, be ye glad."  Honestly, I never saw the depth of this song before.  I was just listening to the tight harmonies.  

Here is a rendition from one of the original Glad members, Bob Kauflin and he is playing it on the piano with his daughter singing.  Listen to these gospel words.

Finally, to the sermon post.  Malachi gives us the 3 groups.  Group 1 is represented by those of Esau, the Edomites, those who reject God.  Many times this group is referred to as the evildoers.  Group 2 is represented by those of Jacob, the Israelites, those who acknowledge God.  This group has been acting very arrogantly toward the God they acknowledge.  "How have we God?"  "Don't point fingers at us God."  Group 3 emerges from Group 2 as those who fear God, speak to one another and esteem God's name.  They are doing what God asks in Malachi 1.6a.  (underlining mine)

"A son honors his father, and a slave his master.

Then if I am a father, where is My honor?

And if I am a master, where is the fear of Me?"

says Yahweh of hosts to you,

O priests who despise My name.

Group 2 is despising God's name but Group 3, the remnant, is reverently fearing God with humble awe of Him and honoring all that He is.  

God speaks again of "the day."  The day of judgment is coming when the 3 groups are whittled down to 2.  The fate of those in Group 1 and 2 are the same but Group 3 "skip about like calves from the stall."

We could make Group 1, the world, those who reject God.  We could make Group 2, the religious, those who acknowledge God.  We could make Group 3, the converted, those who fear God.  Call out to God and respond with repentance, submission, confession, and obedience to be a Group 3 member "who fear Yahweh and who think upon His name."

Adam