Show Notes
The book of Malachi is part of the so-called "minor prophets" of the Hebrew Bible. And while it's true these books tend to be shorter than other prophetic texts (such as Isaiah), they nonetheless pack a major punch. Malachi is no exception to the rule. In this first installment of an extended series through Malachi, we look at some ways in which the book gives us a glimpse into the beliefs and expectations of the Jewish people. Malachi, indeed, has important things to say about concepts such as election, the covenant, and the significance of Israel's priestly vocation -- all of which play an integral role in the writings of the New Testament. In short, if you want to read the New Testament well, you can't neglect Malachi.
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One aim of Malachi's prophecy is to raise awareness about the corruption of the priesthood. This is seen clearly in Mal. 2:1-9. The priestly vocation, as outlined in Deuteronomy 18 and Numbers 3, is to be taken seriously. But the priests of Malachi's era were very negligent. And this specific problem raises other problems for Israel as a covenant community: If Israel herself is to be a priestly mediator to the world of God's blessings (Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:6), how can she fulfill her calling if her own internal priestly system is unhealthy?
In this episode, Matt discusses a passage from Matthew 8, where a centurion comes to Jesus and exhibits exemplar faith. What can we learn from the Centurion’s faith? And what can we learn about faith as being more than just a cognitive exercise, but also a humble posture toward God and a bold stance in the world? +++
In Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus encourages his followers to pursue first the Kingdom of God and not to worry about temporal things. In doing so, Jesus challenges various assumptions that plague so much of modern culture -- not least, the assumption that ultimate meaning can be found in material possessions. But Jesus pushes back on this, reminding his listeners that people are valuable for who they are, namely, children of God.
This episode takes a deep dive into Mal. 1:6-14, where the priesthood is rebuked for not giving God the honor due his name. On the surface, this passage says alot, especially in terms of individual, practical/devotional application. But Matt takes listeners behind the text, showing how the larger story of Israel, the calling of Abraham in particular, factors into the equation as well. In short, Malachi isn't prophesying from within a theological vacuum. To the contrary, he prophesies in light of ancient Jewish beliefs, among which were inlcuded, not least, important missiological expectations. +++ Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted Matthew's blog: https://matthewhalsted.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!