Dr Paul Allen

The Jews had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. They’d obeyed the messages of God from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah . They’d rebuilt the temple of God. And nothing happened. No Messiah, no great divine war against Israel’s enemies, no worldwide kingdom of God—none of the good things those prophets said would come about. So the people grew indifferent. They offered faulty sacrifices ( Mal 1:8 , 13 ), married pagan women ( Mal 2:11 ), were unfaithful to their wives ( Mal 2:14 ), and withheld tithes and offerings ( Mal 3:8 ). Furthermore, the priests of God were misleading the people and disrespecting the God who had called them to ministry ( Mal 2:8 ). God has made sacred covenants with His people. He’s their Father and Master, the one who loves them and disciplines them. This sort of behavior just won’t do, so a prophet named Malachi (which means “my messenger”) points out the great disconnect between God and His people: He cares for them, but they don’t care for Him. The p...

English: God's Promises to Abram, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902), gouache on board, 4 13/16 x 5 7/8 in. (12.3 x 15 cm), at the Jewish Museum, New York (Photo credit: Wikipe dia ) When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces ( Genesis 15:17). When God made His promises to Abram, Abram asked God to assure him that He would keep those promises: “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” (v. 8). God’s affirmation came in a dream during which Abram was instructed to cut certain animals in half. After he had done this, God repeated His promises. Then God, in the form of a smoking fire pot and blazing torch, passed between the pieces of the animals. What did this mean? It meant that God was making a covenant with Abram. Among the ancient Hebrews , when a covenant was made, it was not done the way we do it today. Covenants were not written; ...