Malachi (Quality: good)

[0:00] God, so to prophesy in a very dark period of the nation's life, namely Israel.

[0:13] And that which is recorded in this book never grows old. But it still has the photographic effect of sobering to us, presenting to us continually, what the life of our own nation is.

[0:38] Naturally, things had come to an awful pass at this time when this prophecy was given.

[0:54] The nation that had previously been so favored by God had completely, utterly departed from him. Or their dealings were corrupt.

[1:10] You may read it concerning them and how typical it is of the very day in which we live. We read of the sorcerers and the adulterers and the forsoers and so forth.

[1:28] We don't have far to look to find out the truth of that, surely. Every day we find the recurrence of that wherein man in his awful state by nature is continually making manifest.

[1:49] The working of Satan within him. You cannot look around upon the nation and see that which is evil without being fervently reminded that this is the work of the devil.

[2:12] Yes, he never does wish men any good, only evil. And it was, in this case, as it is and it will be until the end of time, in those recurring periods wherein there is a forsaking within the midst of the land.

[2:33] But that wherein God dealeth and pronounceeth the solemn judgments, which shall indeed in due course be ministered unto them.

[2:49] It was the same in the politics of that day. There was a continually the day of the compromise. That which had been strictly forbidden concerning Israel and Judah.

[3:04] And how they went and broke through all the bands that had been so set before them by the Lord. And sought those treaties and so forth with other foes.

[3:23] Yes, they did not trust in the Lord. They were looking to the arm of flesh. They wanted to enter into packs. That they felt that thereby they might indeed run in safety.

[3:39] And in doing so, had forgotten the Lord. He was out of their reckoning. He was completely out of that which was relative unto all their thinking.

[3:51] And then there is that which related unto the religious nature of that day. Oh yes.

[4:05] Religion. Why, it had indeed fallen to the ground. It had become as an old wife's tale.

[4:17] Anything would do. Yes. Do we find it any better today? Do we find people seeking after the truth?

[4:30] Or is it that wherein they seek after entertainment? Or that which is relative unto their own intellects and reasonings relative to the word of God?

[4:42] Not listening unto the voice of authority which is alone contained to the word of God? But to that wherein men say, I think.

[4:54] I thought. Oh yes. They would thereby defry that which is relative to the authority of God's word. And then we wonder why religion seems to lose all its power.

[5:09] And all its life. And it sinks down into a terrible abyss of despair. It was in this time that these words were spoken.

[5:28] God will never leave himself without a remnant in the earth. So to witness unto and concerning himself. So we come to the first word of our text.

[5:42] And we see that it is then. They that fear the Lord speak often one to another. Yes. The times were exceedingly dark.

[5:55] And they were dark in respect unto the sentences that men were pronouncing against God.

[6:07] If you read this prophecy through, surely you will be struck with that question that so oft times arises, wherein he, wherein they say, wherein have we done this?

[6:30] Or have we done that? You are accusing us, they are saying to the Lord, of certain things. But wherein have we done this?

[6:42] In this very same chapter which we've read, we've read. How that the Lord said, return unto me and I will return unto you. But he said, wherein shall we return?

[6:54] Will a man rob God? He'll rob me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In jives and offerings. Yes.

[7:07] The question is continually recurring. They cannot see owing to the blindness that is within their minds and their hearts.

[7:19] The course that they are actually taking. They think everything is quite all right. Everything is going to work out very well in the end.

[7:34] Everything is coming to a successful conclusion. Yet ye say, what have we spoken so much against thee? Yes, that's the question that they are putting to the Lord.

[7:48] And the Lord said, ye have said, it is vain to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?

[8:00] And that we have walked monthly before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy. Yea, they that work wickedness are settled.

[8:11] Yea, they that tempt God are even diligent. All that which is relative unto the evils that abound. All they seem to be prospered.

[8:21] There is no end to them. And thus they speak against God and his dealings. And not only did they speak hard words against God, but unbelief was rampant in the land.

[8:43] Oh, there was hardly one that you might have approached in that season who would have said that he truly believed the word of the Lord. They had the word of the Lord from the prophets.

[8:55] And they listened and they walked contrary to that word. They didn't believe in it. They didn't believe one single sentence that came forth from the prophets.

[9:09] Yea, they discarded them and scorned them. And so it is, in that which is relative to the times in which we live, the truth?

[9:23] No, they don't want to hear it. Begin to speak of that wherein a man may prosper in business. Speak of that wherein by his dealings and his tradings he may have much success.

[9:38] Oh, they talk about that all the day long. They be pleased in the occupation of their minds with such matter. So to enlarge and see if they cannot for themselves so gain some advantage out of it.

[9:53] Yes. Yes. Yes. For a solemn thing it is. For unbelief so to possess the heart. that it takes hold of you as a slave.

[10:07] Blinds you. And takes you. Yea, and takes away from you all liberty.

[10:18] I was going to say, well, we can even see that being wrought out in some parts of the world today. But oh, what an awful thing it is when unbelief enters into a national life.

[10:34] And the people in respect of God. And the people in respect of whatever they may know of God or have heard of him, rebel against him and turn their backs on him and say, we don't believe a thing that we hear.

[10:48] Yes, the word of God is. Yes, the word of God is discarded. And everything that relates unto the God of truth is gone. This day in which these words were spoken was a day when there was a falling away.

[11:07] A falling away from all that they had previously known concerning the blessing of God. Yes, God had indeed blessed them.

[11:21] God had appeared for them. Many times God had delivered them. But oh, it has come to such a pass that there is no holding past unto those things which they formerly received.

[11:41] So there is a falling away. Today, men do not consider the works of the Lord that he hath done for this nation.

[11:57] They put him out of mind in all their calculations. In all those things in which they would be found occupied and bringing into effect.

[12:09] Where is God in these things? It might verily be said, as we look upon such a scene, there is no God.

[12:21] There isn't so far as they are concerned. And who is the one that says it? The foolish. The ignorant. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.

[12:36] So we see the desertion. The falling away. You needn't be surprised at the falling away in the day in which we live. Where there is the turning away from truth, where there is the replacing of it with that which is relative to men's reasonings, and men's fear arisings, and that wherein they stake publicly in the very light of the truth of God that they think it ought to mean something else.

[13:07] Oh, my dear hearer, surely there is an effect to be that awful disease that is eaten at the very core and the very vitals of the Christian life, and that brings it into disrepute.

[13:27] Because in this day, the real religion was gone. It was gone. Listen to what he says regarding it.

[13:41] He says, A son of his father and a servant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is mine?

[13:52] He has said the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

[14:06] Ye offer polluted bread upon thine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.

[14:20] And yes, Then, They that feared the Lord Spake often one with another.

[14:33] The scene is very dark. It doesn't hardly seem to be a glimmer of light, as it were, Shining. But in ruin, O there is that wherein the Lord Points to a distinctive people, A people who feared the Lord, Who lived in the midst of this degenerate nation, It is still true.

[15:00] And they that feared the Lord, Yes, let us look then at these conversers. Who are they? They are they who are a distinct, A distinct people by reason of their separation.

[15:20] They have been brought away from the mass of mankind. The arguments and the follies of mankind have no place in their hearts.

[15:30] They have the recognition of the greater one, A higher governor than any that is upon us. Why, the Lord even speaking concerning that, Said with regard to what they offered to him.

[15:46] He said, Why, he said, If you went and offered this to an earthly governor, To your governor, Would he accept it? And yet few expect me to accept it. Ah, When we turn away from those things which relate unto the world, With all its schemes and its plans and all the rest of it, And have our eyes fixed upon God, Then there is the distinctive feature of our life, That is not to be found, Involved, Included, In that which is so contained in these evil things, But in that wherein there is a separating, In the fact of the possession of a pure heart.

[16:42] A heart that recognizes God, That sees God, That has God set before it, Then in the light of all that was taking place, Here are these distinct people, And they've got something to talk about, Then they that feared the Lord, Spake often, One with another.

[17:09] Well, I expect the rest of the world, Spake very often, One with another. But it's a very different conversation, Which is going to occupy these people.

[17:25] And why? Because this people are a people that fear the Lord. That isn't a slavish fear, It is a filial fear, Which is within their hearts.

[17:44] And they have then something to talk about, Not what the world talks about, But that which is peculiar unto themselves, As they are found as a distinct and separated people.

[17:58] Do you find your conversation, In the world? Do you think that the things of this world, Occupy your thoughts, Mainly, To the exclusion of all others?

[18:17] Or do you think, That you have a longing, And a yearning within your heart, To find a companion, To whom you can pour out, That wherein, The fear of the Lord is in you.

[18:34] Yes, You want, As it were so, To come to them, Who are so, United in their own desires, And longings, That they can no longer remain in the world.

[18:45] They've got to come out of it, They've got to get away from it all, And they've got to assemble themselves together. And so they speak, Along with another.

[18:58] And not only because they feared the Lord, But because they fought upon his name. He was in awe of their thinking.

[19:09] What a contrast, To what, Is so apparent in the other. He is, The preoccupation, Of their minds.

[19:22] They fought upon his name. How much do you think of him? What think ye of Christ?

[19:33] Is the test. To try both your state, And your scheme. You cannot be writing the rest, Unless you think rightly of him.

[19:45] Do you think upon him? Yes, They fought upon his name, And the result is, That they consort together.

[19:58] They come together. They have, As it were, That binding, That uniting, The one to the other, That they can only find, What they desire, As they may so converse, One with each other.

[20:13] Yes, The name of the Lord, Is that, Which rules their thoughts, And guides their thinking. And so, What is uppermost in the mind, Has to come out.

[20:28] It has to declare itself. And they had to declare it. Yes, They consorted together, Because they were united in him.

[20:41] In that precious name. Yes, There was that, Which did indeed, Bring them into a sweet unity, The one with the other.

[20:56] What a blessed thing it is, When there is a consulting together, Of the people of God. What a blessed thing it is, When there is that unity, Purpose.

[21:07] When there is that unity, In the Lord Jesus Christ, That so binds thee in thy heart, Unto, That one, Whom the Lord hath joined to you.

[21:24] Ah, How can two walk together, Except they be agreed, They've got to be going, In the same direction, Haven't they? No good one going one way, And one the other way, There's no agreement in that.

[21:35] And it is so in the thinking, If we cannot agree, If we cannot, As it were, Enter into those things, Which the other is speaking about, It's bound to end in a separation, Then they consort together, Because of that union, Which they find, In the one common head, It is in him, That their life doth consist, And so, He is the one object, Of their conversation, Is he yours?

[22:18] In all your conversation, Is he so set before you, That you desire, That you may indeed, Be found in accordance, With his mind, And his will, Concerning you, Never mind, What others say, Never mind, What they may press upon you, They may come to you, Like the worldling, Of all, Its ingratiating, Ideas, And so forth, Away with it, All we want to know, Is that which is going, To be profitable unto us, And we shall only find, That in that one object, Of conversation, Talking about him, Yes, And as they talked about him, They found it to be, To their profit, Then they that be, As the Lord, Spake often, One with another, You know, If they have not found it, Profitable, The conversation,

[23:19] And the conversing together, Would soon have ceased, And come to an end, But there was a binding, There was a cord, Of divine love, That linked them, One toward the other, And so, We come, To the actual conversation, Perhaps you say, But it doesn't say anything, In the verse, About what they talked about, No, But there are other things, In the word of God, Which expressly set forth, What, What is the conversation, Of the righteous, And I am sure, That these people, In this day, Which they lived, Would have discussed, About the same things, What would they discuss about, Why, Why, The glory of his kingdom, They shall talk, Of the glory, Of thy kingdom, Oh, They have it before them, The graphic picture, Of a nation,

[24:21] Which is hurrying, To destruction, A kingdom, Which is so shortly, To be broken, In pieces, And their eyes, Are turned upward, And they would talk, Together, One by one, Of those things, Of the king, Of that wherein, He reigns over all, Of that wherein, He is the gardener, Amongst the nations, They will speak, To the glory, Of that wherein, In his kingdom, Everything, Does speak, Accordingly, Of his glory, And then it will come down, To his power, They shall speak, Of his power, Oh, That power, Whereby, He can exercise, His right, That whereby, He can nullify,

[25:22] All the efforts of men, And bring them, To utter confusion, Yea, To turn them, Into pieces, Not, And to establish, That wherein, All power, Is given unto him, In heaven, And in earth, Be well for us, If we turn, Their conversation, Hence, Oh, The puny efforts of man, What are they?

[25:51] When you bring, Into consideration, That the Lord, God omnipotent, Reigneth, Yes, They will talk, Of his power, And they will talk, Of his love, The love, That he had, Toward his people, In the beginning, Of this same, Prophecy, You have the question, Put, I have loved you, Said the Lord, Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?

[26:25] Was not Esau Jacob's brother, Said the Lord? Yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, Yes, They will talk, Of that distinguishing, Disriminating love, That wherein, They had known, Of that love, Received of its effects, In their own hearts, That ye may know, The love of God, Which passeth, All understanding, You talk about it, Oh, Let not thy mouth, Be closed, Relative to that, Wherein you should, Just evile the love, Of thy Lord, Toward thee, Oh, You may be surrounded, As it were, By enemies, On every hand, But, In the company, Of those, Who fear the Lord, Let the language, Go forth, As it did, With the psalmist, When he declared,

[27:27] Come, O ye that fear God, And I, Who declare, What God hath done, For my soul, Ah, If you've got a touch, Of his love, That is the result, You love to tell of it, And not only of his love, But undoubtedly, They speak of his grace, The grace, The free favor of God, That it be so made, No, No to them, Why have I been brought out, Why have I been gathered in, Why am I brought, Amongst this godly company, Why am I made to know, The delights of that, Wherein the conversation, Centres on a precious Jesus, And I find in that, Which satisfies my soul, For where he is spoken of, Then he is surely present, In that,

[28:28] Wherein they, With a pure heart, And a true desire, Do so, Desire to esteem, And magnify his name, They fought upon his name, Yes, His grace, And what about his blessings, How many blessings, You've had from the Lord, I've known some people, In congregation, Wherein they have been, Definite recipients, Of the blessing of the Lord, And they tried to hide it, They shut it up, As it were, In their own breast, And were determined, To let nobody know about it, But did it succeed, Not in the end, The time came, When they had, To talk, And they had to talk,

[29:29] To those who loved, And feared the Lord, And thought upon his name, Because, They found a union, With them, They felt a oneness, With them, And so, They, That feared the Lord, Spake up, One with another, Yes, His grace, His love, But I'm sure, There's one thing too, They speak about, In regard to, The giving of his blessings, Oh, They will talk about, His word, That which other men, Despised, And scorned, And derided, Was the most precious thing, That they possessed, For in it was the word of God, In it was the revelation, Of a, Of a glorious God, In the presentation, Of his son, Jesus Christ, In it was to be found,

[30:30] That wherein, Faith, And salvation, Is so concerned, Believing on him, And the result, Being saved, Oh yes, They would no doubt, Talk about that, But now I want you, To notice finally, The hearer, Here is one, That is heartening, He is listening, The term, That is used here, The Lord, Harkened, And heard it, Means intensity, Of hearing, It is as though, I might stoop down, And put my ears, It were close, To their mouth, That I might hear, Every word, That came out, Of their mouth, That is how, The Lord, Harkened, Unto this people, Yes,

[31:32] And not only, Harkened, But he approved, Of it, Is all your conversation, A matter of approval, Of approval, Unto your God, Do you ever, Think about that, Oh it is in this, That he listens, And he finds, That which, A God, Which surely meets, With his approval, And as a result, Of his approval, He says, Is not going to be, Left, Left, To perish, Is going to abide, And remain, Write a book, The book of remembrance, For them, That think upon his name, The book is recorded, Anything, That I may say, Out of the true heart,

[32:33] The my Lord, And Savior, Jesus Christ, Doth not go, And pass, Doth not go, Unknown, By him, No, He delights, So to record, That wherein, You have spoken, Well of him, That wherein, You do so, Consort yourselves, Together, That you may act, Together, In the unity, Of the spirit, Oh yes, This shall be written down, You tried to speak, A word, Didn't you, The other day, For your Lord, And your master, You thought, It was quite secret, Between the one, That you were speaking to, And yourself, No, If that was spoken, With an eye, To the glory of God, My dear hearer, That word is recorded, On high, Oh you remember,

[33:33] How that Job, Had to declare, My record, Is on high, And it is there, Before the Lord, As a continual, Remembrance, Of his people, Always before him, Always present, What a wonderful thing, To know, That when I do, So gather together, With them, That love and fear, The Lord, And the conversation, Centers upon him, The Lord, Looks down, With delight, And with pleasure, And he says, Record it, Let it not, Be forgotten, No, It shall be, Before me, Continually, And a book of remembrance,

[34:33] Was written, Before him, For them, That feared the Lord, And that thought, Upon his name, How stands, Is the case, With you, Can you say, Yes, I do love, To speak about him, I do desire, To extol his name, And exhort him, And what does, The Lord say about it, He sees, He sees those endeavors, He sees that, Which is the effect, Of his own work in you, And he says, And they shall be mine, Except the Lord, In that day, When I make up my dues, Only all, That all distinct, Company of people,

[35:36] The Lord, Looks upon them, The Lord, Pronounces his delight, And the Lord says, These, These, Are mine, Oh, That you and I, May be numbered amongst them, That we may learn, The lesson here, To get away, From the wall, To draw near unto God, And so, To speak with him, That we may speak, With others, Heart to heart, Recording the goodness, And the mercy of God, The blessings, That he has given us, Yes, And knowing, That as we speak, There is one, Who is transcribing it all, That this word, That spoken for him, Shall never, Be obliterated, From his eyes, Wonderful that,

[36:39] But nevertheless, As true as I stand here, Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[36:52] You, Thank you.