Podcasts about robbing god

Robbing God and Ourselves Please turn in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3, verses 6-12. In the Pew Bibles, you can find that on page 954 As we have gone through Malachi, we've seen a recurring pattern. First, the Lord makes an accusation. Second, he quotes the people of Israel questioning him – they ask “how?” and third, the Lord explains. ·      In chapter 1. “I have loved you” “How have you loved us?” “Because I chose you” ·      Next “You have despised my name” “How have we despised you?” “You have brought polluted offerings. ·      Chapter 2 – “you have been faithless.” “how have we been faithless?” “You have been unfaithful in your marriages” ·      And last week… “you have wearied me with your words” “How have we wearied you? “you have said ‘where is the God of justice?” This pattern has revealed two things. First, they had not been acting in faith before the Lord. And second, they were not aware of their faithless actions. They were blind to their own sin. Our text this morning continues this pattern. But it is also unique. It opens up with a call to respond. So, listen for that call and listen for the next example of their faithless actions. Reading of Malachi 3:6-12 Prayer One day over in Scotland, a poor man had been attending church… accidentally dropped a silver coin into the offering plate. It was very valuable to him. He had meant to offer a penny. When he asked for it back, the deacon refused, “sorry, in once, in forever.” Frustrated, the man responded, “at least I'll get credit in heaven.” To which, the deacon replied, “oh no, you'll get credit for what you meant to give.” Just trying to break the ice here. This is our fourth sermon this year on giving. We had three of them in our 2 Corinthians study and now this one. If you have been visiting, I don't want you to think that every couple of months you're going to hear a sermon on giving. No, in fact, before this year I don't think we had a single sermon on financial stewardship. Our philosophy of preaching involves working through books of the Bible. By doing so, we are allowing God's Word to direct our focus. That means as we go chapter by chapter, we'll come across matters that are sensitive. Matters that we need to hear. And that includes, of course, finances and money. It just so happens that both 2 Corinthians and here in Malachi touch upon giving (and that is not why I chose them) As you know, these are matters close to our hearts. Really, money in general is a personal topic. I can tell you that in the marriage counselling I've done over the years, financial conflicts have often been the thing that puts the most stress on marriages. Money can be a control mechanism. Money is often an idol. To be sure, money is not the problem. Jesus never said that money is the root of all kinds of evil. No, he said that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. What we're going to learn this morning is that your financial stewardship in regards to God's kingdom is an important matter. It is a window into your relationship with the Lord. We'll consider these verses in 3 points. Repent; renew; receive. 1. Repent – verses 6 and 7, return to me. 2. Renew – verse 8 to the middle of 10. God calls them to renew their obedience to the Lord… by bringing in the full tithe. 3. Receive – the end of verse 10 through 12. When they do, God will pour down the blessings of heaven. 1. Repent #1 – Repent. Notice that Malachi's prophecy in this section does not begin with a focus on their tithes. Rather, it begins with a focus on their relationship with the Lord. You see, it wasn't that the Lord walked away from them. No. Rather, they walked away from their relationship with him. They thought that God had abandoned them. They thought he didn't care. That's why the Lord begins in verse 6 with a reminder that he hasn't changed. And notice what he emphasizes. I do not change, that is why “you… are not consumed.” God is emphasizing his lovingkindness to them. He's reminding them of his patience and mercy toward them. The issue was their rejection of God and his ways. And it's not new. That is why in verse 7 God reminds them that their forefathers also turned aside from him. The returned exiles in Judah had been doing the same thing. In the previous chapters, God pointed out the various ways they had turned aside from his statues. And so, the Lord says to them: “Return to me, and I will return to you.” “But… but… Lord, we are back in Jerusalem. We have returned, haven't we? After all, we are back in the city where King David reigned… we are back where the temple is, where your very presence dwells. Why are you telling us to return to you? Is it not you who have departed us?” They didn't understand that it had never been about being in Jerusalem. Just like their forefathers before them, it was about their relationship with God. They had walked away from God's commands and his promises which was tantamount to walking away from him. But the Lord is gracious and bids them return to him. At the heart of this appeal to “return” is repentance. That is what repentance is. It's turning away from something that is not honoring to God and returning back to him and to what honors him. Honestly, these verses can apply to any pattern of sin in your life or my life. Yes, in a minute we're going to get into their failure to honor the Lord with their tithes and contributions. But the pattern we are given here is THE pattern for life - repentance and renewal. And so we should ask, what are the ways in which we have wandered from you, Lord? We ask him to reveal our sin… our pride our  lust or anger or coveting or dishonoring his name or steeling or lying or worse. And we then come to the Lord with contrite hearts. We grieve the ways in which we have broken God's commands, all of which have damaged our relationship with him… and with those we've sinned against. We repent, and we then we renew ourselves to walk again in God's ways. And when we repent, God is merciful and loving. He will receive us when we return to him. Did you notice that second part? “Return to me, and I will return to you.” Which brings us to the people's first question, “But you say, ‘how shall we return?'” They didn't know how. 2. Renew This is the renewal part, by the way. point #2. You see, renewal is the way we return to God. Renewal of our faith. Renewal of our obedience. But just like before, God's people didn't know what God was talking about. And so, in verse 8, the Lord asks, “will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.” I've been robbed twice. One time, my car window was smashed in and some things were taken. Another time, I was out of the country. I was in a crowded market, and someone bumped into me. That sort of turned me around. Someone else then bumped into me. At first, I thought it was just because of the large crowds. But a few minutes later, I looked down and the pullover windbreaker I was wearing had been cut. Someone had sliced open the front of my jacket, where there was a zippered pouch. My wallet was gone. It happened without me even knowing it. I'm sure some of you have experienced worse. When it happens, you feel violated and unsettled. You think, what could I have done to prevent it? Here's the thing. Can man rob God? I mean, he knows and sees all things. He is furthermore all powerful. In his sovereignty, nothing is unknown and nothing is out of his control. In other words, robbing God is not really possible in the sense of God being taken by surprise. So, this is a shocking accusation. The people had been robbing him, so to speak. But just like the other patterns of sin, they didn't realize it. And so they ask. “How have we robbed you?” The Lord responds, “in your tithes and contributions.” They had not been fulfilling their obligations. They had been holding back. By the way, this is very similar to their polluted sacrificial offerings back at the end of chapter 1. But this accusation is broader. Notice in verse 9. “…you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.” Let's talk about this tithe thing. The word “tithe” comes from the Hebrew word for tenth. They were to give 10% of the fruit of their labors. That tithe was often paid in grain or other crops. And just like the sacrificial animals, they were to tithe their very best. Tithing was part of the Levitical law – those were laws related to the sacrificial system and the priest. Their tithe supported the priestly work. It was not an option, it was an obligation for them. In a minute, we'll come back to the question of whether tithing applies to us today. So, stay tuned. But first, why weren't they doing this? Why didn't they tithe? Well, besides the drought that they were in, which we've discussed, their crops had been infested by some sort of “devourer.” Verse 11 mentions that. …perhaps locusts had damaged their crops.  They didn't have much to begin with and now they were experiencing both a drought and an infestation. They didn't tithe because they didn't think they could afford the tithe. It's convicting to think about that… Is that not often our excuse? They justified not tithing but by doing so, they were in fact robbing God. It's like when you buy a house. You know, you go to the bank, you get a mortgage. You call it “your house,” but the bank really owns it. You pay the bank every month interest and principal. But if you don't make the payments, you are in a sense robbing the bank. They can take your house back. Not tithing was robbing God because it was all God's in the first place. They had been entrusted with it. But they thought it was theirs to give or not. And because of all the stress of the situation, they withheld from God what was truly his. So, here's the big question for us: Is giving 10% something that applies to God's people today? To ask it in another way, since tithe was part of the Levitical law, does it still apply to us? And I believe the answer to that question is “no” and “yes.” ·      “No” in the sense that we no longer have that explicit obligation. The tithe mentioned in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy was to maintain the ceremonial law and to support the Levites who didn't have a land inheritance, unlike the other tribes. The sacrificial system is no longer in effect. That is because Christ has come and has fulfilled it. Tithe was a part of that. ·      But the answer is also “yes.” The principle of tithing is still very much a part of the New Testament teaching. Jesus affirmed giving proportional to someone's income. Also, in 1 Corinthians 16, each person is directed to set aside a portion for the collection of the saints. As we studied in 2 Corinthians earlier this year, there's a call to give generously.  Furthermore, even though there are no more priests, we do learn that some elders in the church are to labor in teaching. In other words, supporting the work of the church and God's kingdom is a New Testament principle. It's just that it's not the formal “tithe” obligation from the ceremonial law. But, you ask, does that mean that 10% is not prescribed? Let me answer that by saying this. In the Old Testament, the tithe for the priests was not the only requirement to give. There was the Festival tithe. There was a poor tithe every third year. They were to give a first fruits offering at the earliest part of the harvest. There were others as well. Some estimate that their contributions added up to over 25% of their income. Here's how pastor Kevin DeYoung puts it. He said, “Whether the Old Testament requirement is a binding prescription or not, I find it hard to imagine that Western Christians who have seen the glory of God in the face of Christ and enjoy great prosperity, would want to give less than was required of the poorest Israelite.” He furthermore says this: “Statistics consistently show that Protestants give less than 3% of their income to their churches. A tithe, for most churchgoers, would be a huge step in the right direction.” I think that is well said. Tithe is no longer mandated, but 10% is a good starting place to pray about and consider. More importantly, though… and please hear me on this… we should give joyfully and sacrificially out of hearts that love the Lord and love his kingdom. Alright, going back to the peoples' question. “How shall we return?” God answers in verse 10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” He is referring to the storage rooms in the temple where the offering of crops was stored. They were to faithfully resume their tithing despite their poverty. You know, repentance and renewal go together. We can't separate them. As the Scriptures say, we are to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Your repentance from sin is validated by a renewed commitment to the Lord and his commands. This is not about earning salvation at all. It's about responding to the salvation that God has given you in Christ by renewing your faith in him and your obedience to him. 3. Receive Which brings us to number 3. Receive. We will experience God's blessings when our lives are aligned with his commands. I'm being very intentional how I say that. The second half of verse 10 talks about the windows of heaven being opened. It's talking about rain. And then in verse 11, we learn that the devourer will be destroyed. You know, the plague of locusts will end. And then the soil will once again be fruitful. The harvest will be plentiful. And then in verse 12, all the nations will call them blessed. Remember, God's people in Malachi's day were still under the Levitical framework. For them, there was a direct correlation between their tithing and the abundant blessing that God would give them. God was promising them that if they repented and renewed their commitment to him in their tithes, that yes, they would receive an abundance of God's blessings. But there's something else here. Did you notice that the language in verses 10-12 is the language of God's promise to Abraham? In God's covenant with Abraham, God promised to give Abraham's descendants an abundant land. And God promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through them. In other words, the promise here was a renewal of God's covenant promises with his people. The blessings they were promised were tied to their repentance and the renewal of their relationship with the Lord. For us, what's really important to understand is that the Levitical system and the covenant with Abraham have both been fulfilled in Christ. We cannot interpret these verses without understanding them through a Gospel lens. We can't say that if we are faithful in our gifts and offerings that God will materially bless us. No, rather, the blessings alluded to here are ultimately the blessings that we receive in Jesus Christ. He is the mediator of a new covenant. The priestly role and sacrifice itself have been fulfilled in him. Furthermore, the promise to Abraham about his seed and about all the nations of the earth being blessed are likewise fulfilled in Christ. Abraham's true seed, Jesus, bore the curse that our unfaithfulness deserves so that the blessings promised to Abraham might come to people from all nations. And speaking of curse, go back to verse 9. At the beginning of 9, the people were reminded of the curse of sin. Their failure to tithe and our failure to give, indeed condemn, as does any sin. But Jesus has satisfied our failure to meet these obligations and has likewise fulfilled the promise of blessing. What I am saying is that we dare not interpret Malachi 3's blessings to be material blessings. If we do so, we have failed to see the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ. The blessings spoken of here, like the “land of delight” ultimately point us beyond the material things of this world. They point to a new creation – one where the curse, mentioned here, is no more… and people from all nations will worship the Lord in his very presence forever. There are so-called preachers today who abuse this passage and who falsely promise material reward. For example, Joel Osteen said this about Malachi 3:10. He said, “Tithing is the key to financial blessings.” God wants us to have the overflowing part, he said, “but…we have to be faithful and obedient with the first part, giving.” There are so many things wrong about that. It misapplies the Levitical obligations and blessings. It completely misses the reference in these verses to God's covenant with Abraham. Rather than focus on repentance and renewal and our relationship with the Lord, which is what this passage is about, it instead focuses on us. It is worldly and man-centered and turns money into an idol, rather than turning us from our idolatry and back to the Lord. It misses the true Gospel, the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The message of Malachi 3 is not “give so that God will give more back to you.” No, rather it is, “give because God has already given you abundantly in Christ.” To bring this all together, yes, we are promised blessings in verses 10 through 12. But those blessings are spiritual blessings in Christ. When we repent and renew ourselves to the Lord in obedience to him, God blesses us in abundant ways. For one, he renews our relationship with him. To use the words here… When we return to him, he will return to us. When we seek by God's Spirit, to live in obedience to his Word, we will spiritually flourish with assurance and peace in our hearts, and perseverance in trials, and hope for the future. And all of it comes from and through the ministry of Christ, through which we have already received abundant blessings. We do not give in order to receive Christ; we give because in Christ we have already received far more than we could ever repay. Conclusion So, may we not rob God. Because in doing so, we are robbing ourselves. Rather, may we renew our hearts toward him in faith and obedience. May we generously and joyfully contribute to the work of the saints. And through that repentance and renewal, may we experience the abundant blessings that God has given us in Christ Jesus.

The Books of Obadiah and Malachi complete our tour of the Twelve Minor Prophets and the Hebrew Bible. But wait! There's more!

June 29, 2025 Morning Service. Part of the The Old Testament's Last Word: Malachi series. (Malachi 3:6-15)

Jim Franks discusses Malachi 3:8—“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.”

This week Pastor Joie walks us through Malachi 3:6-12, asking the question: Are you robbing God?

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Our spending, saving, and giving choices reveal our deepest values. Scripture addresses money over 2,000 times—more than faith and prayer combined. In this message, Pastor Philip Miller examines Malachi's diagnosis of financial health and prescription for joyful generosity. What if your relationship with money unlocked deeper spiritual wholeness? This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://moodyoffer.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. 

Our spending, saving, and giving choices reveal our deepest values. Scripture addresses money over 2,000 times—more than faith and prayer combined. In this message, Pastor Philip Miller examines Malachi's diagnosis of financial health and prescription for joyful generosity. What if your relationship with money unlocked deeper spiritual wholeness? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/173/29

Our spending, saving, and giving choices reveal our deepest values. Scripture addresses money over 2,000 times—more than faith and prayer combined. In this message, Pastor Philip Miller examines Malachi's diagnosis of financial health and prescription for joyful generosity. What if your relationship with money unlocked deeper spiritual wholeness? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/173/29

Message by Bro. Stephen SorrellText: Malachi 3:8March 7, 2025 - 7PM

Are there ways in which the believer may be robbing God? Money has a powerful grip on many.

Malachi: Draw Near to Me - Malachi 3.6-12 Jobey McGinty "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This message, whether coming from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew or God through the prophet Malachi, remains consistent throughout the Bible. It serves as both a caution and a promise, a statement of fact and a guide for those seeking to draw near to God. To find where your heart truly lies, observe where you invest your time and resources. God understands that our satisfaction and contentment will only be complete when He possesses our entire hearts. We cannot fully surrender our hearts to Him if we cling to the blessings He bestows upon us. In His goodness and love, He invites us to test Him in this: by generously sharing our time and resources in our pursuit to love Him and those around us, He assures us that He will provide blessings sufficient for all our needs.

John Starke preaches from Malachi 3:6-15, continuing in our sermon series "Staying With God".

by Elder Chris McCool, Pastor (preached on October 16, 2016) As we continue our study of the book of Malachi, we find more problems with Judah in that day. We have already seen some of the issues, and today we … Read More

by Elder Chris McCool, Pastor (preached on As we saw in the first half of this sermon, the children of Israel in Malachi’s day were robbing God in the sense that they were not giving to the temple and ministry … Read More

What we do with our time and money proves whether we trust God. 

Thanks for joining us!

A sermon on Malachi 3:6-12.

July 7, 2024.

What does the Bible say about your giving? That's what Jay and George are talking about on today's Text-Driven Tuesday. Join us as the guys discuss the oft-misunderstood and abused text of Malachi 3:6-12, and see how your giving is a gauge for your worship. Conformed to Christ aims to engage the mind, affect the heart, and call people to follow Christ. Additionally, our aim is to introduce and explain passages of Scripture and difficult theological doctrines in a down-to-earth and easy-to-grasp manner. Theology and the Bible should impact your life, and our goal is that we might play a small part in seeing that happen. Conformed to Christ is a ministry of Christ's Fellowship Church. https://cfclawton.org/ ***Be sure to subscribe on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and Amazon Music Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCgQBeT-Mj1CmngPdhZyWybQ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conformed-to-christ/id1503247486 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NvbmZvcm1lZHRvY2hyaXN0L2ZlZWQueG1s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YruCZu4hla6Ll3rBu7UPY Podbean: https://conformedtochrist.podbean.com

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Message Notes: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=r1obf8LzC

It's become commonplace in popular culture to tell people to follow their hearts. But what Malachi makes clear is that that's terrible advice. What we see in Malachi 3:7-12 is that when it comes to something as ubiquitous as money and wealth, we can't trust our hearts. The people are robbing God by not giving joyfully, humbly, and sacrificially. How can they return? By regaining our fear of the Lord. It's the fear of the Lord that saves us from the danger of wealth and provides us with a direction for our wealth. Pastor Josh's sermon: The Generous God | Matthew 6:2-4

Donald Grey Barnhouse was - for half a century one of the most widely acclaimed American preachers. Scholarly exposition and a popular approach marked his teaching as well as a passion for Making God's Word Plain. Listen and find out why an unyielding faith, devotion to Christ, innovation, and great energy marked his ministry. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/791/29

Old Testament: Malachi 1–4 Malachi 1–4 (Listen) 1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.1 The Lord's Love for Israel 2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,' and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.'” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” The Priests' Polluted Offerings 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?' 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. The Lord Rebukes the Priests 2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring,3 and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.4 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction5 was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people6 should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” Judah Profaned the Covenant 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant7 of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts! 13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?8 And what was the one God9 seeking?10 Godly offspring. So guard yourselves11 in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,12 says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers13 his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” The Messenger of the Lord 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” 3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.14 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. Robbing God 6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?' 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer15 for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?' 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'” The Book of Remembrance 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 16 The Great Day of the Lord 4 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules17 that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”18 Footnotes [1] 1:1 Malachi means my messenger [2] 1:11 Or is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14) [3] 2:3 Hebrew seed [4] 2:3 Or to it [5] 2:6 Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9 [6] 2:7 Hebrew they [7] 2:12 Hebrew any who wakes and answers [8] 2:15 Hebrew in it [9] 2:15 Hebrew the one [10] 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking? [11] 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16 [12] 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces [13] 2:16 Probable meaning (compare Septuagint and Deuteronomy 24:1–4); or “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, and him who covers [14] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness [15] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests [16] 3:18 Ch 4:1–6 is ch 3:19–24 in Hebrew [17] 4:4 Or and just decrees [18] 4:6 The Hebrew term rendered decree of utter destruction refers to things devoted (or set apart) to the Lord (or by the Lord) for destruction (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 150 Psalm 150 (Listen) Let Everything Praise the Lord 150   Praise the LORD!  Praise God in his sanctuary;    praise him in his mighty heavens!12   Praise him for his mighty deeds;    praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3   Praise him with trumpet sound;    praise him with lute and harp!4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;    praise him with strings and pipe!5   Praise him with sounding cymbals;    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!6   Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8) (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 22 Revelation 22 (Listen) The River of Life 22 Then the angel1 showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life2 with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Jesus Is Coming 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,3 so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.4 Amen. Footnotes [1] 22:1 Greek he [2] 22:2 Or the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life [3] 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments [4] 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints (ESV)

Morning: Malachi 1–4 Malachi 1–4 (Listen) 1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.1 The Lord's Love for Israel 2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,' and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.'” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!” The Priests' Polluted Offerings 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?' 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. The Lord Rebukes the Priests 2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring,3 and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.4 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction5 was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people6 should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” Judah Profaned the Covenant 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant7 of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts! 13 And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?8 And what was the one God9 seeking?10 Godly offspring. So guard yourselves11 in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,12 says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers13 his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” The Messenger of the Lord 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” 3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.14 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. Robbing God 6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?' 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer15 for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?' 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'” The Book of Remembrance 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 16 The Great Day of the Lord 4 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules17 that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”18 Footnotes [1] 1:1 Malachi means my messenger [2] 1:11 Or is (three times in verse 11; also verse 14) [3] 2:3 Hebrew seed [4] 2:3 Or to it [5] 2:6 Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9 [6] 2:7 Hebrew they [7] 2:12 Hebrew any who wakes and answers [8] 2:15 Hebrew in it [9] 2:15 Hebrew the one [10] 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking? [11] 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16 [12] 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces [13] 2:16 Probable meaning (compare Septuagint and Deuteronomy 24:1–4); or “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, and him who covers [14] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness [15] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests [16] 3:18 Ch 4:1–6 is ch 3:19–24 in Hebrew [17] 4:4 Or and just decrees [18] 4:6 The Hebrew term rendered decree of utter destruction refers to things devoted (or set apart) to the Lord (or by the Lord) for destruction (ESV) Evening: Revelation 22 Revelation 22 (Listen) The River of Life 22 Then the angel1 showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life2 with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Jesus Is Coming 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,3 so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.4 Amen. Footnotes [1] 22:1 Greek he [2] 22:2 Or the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life [3] 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments [4] 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints (ESV)

With family: 2 Chronicles 35; Revelation 21 2 Chronicles 35 (Listen) Josiah Keeps the Passover 35 Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. 3 And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the LORD by1 Moses.” 7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king's possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls. 10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them. 16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept. Josiah Killed in Battle 20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the LORD, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Footnotes [1] 35:6 Hebrew by the hand of (ESV) Revelation 21 (Listen) The New Heaven and the New Earth 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place1 of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,2 and God himself will be with them as their God.3 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” The New Jerusalem 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.4 Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits5 by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Footnotes [1] 21:3 Or tabernacle [2] 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples [3] 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God [4] 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters [5] 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters (ESV) In private: Malachi 3; John 20 Malachi 3 (Listen) 3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.1 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. Robbing God 6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?' 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer2 for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?' 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'” The Book of Remembrance 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. Footnotes [1] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness [2] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests (ESV) John 20 (Listen) The Resurrection 20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus'1 head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,2 “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,3 Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Jesus and Thomas 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,4 was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Purpose of This Book 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Footnotes [1] 20:7 Greek his [2] 20:16 Or Hebrew [3] 20:19 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time [4] 20:24 Greek Didymus (ESV)