The God of Distinctions (9/3/12)

Shalom,

 

     Please begin by reading Mal 3:13-18.

 

     Does it pay to serve Yahweh?  That's the question being asked in this passage.  It's a question that's been asked for thousands of years.  Our problem is that most of the time we're considering it according to our earthly blessings instead of our eternal ones.  Yahweh accuses his people of speaking harsh and arrogant words against him.  The word for harsh is directly connected to the "hardening" of Pharaoh's heart.  Even when questioned by their Creator they respond arrogantly.  "What have we said against you?"

     And Yahweh tells them" "You've said it's useless to serve me, and that evildoers are better off than those who serve the Lord God Almighty."  Have any of us complained in the same sort of way?  Most likely yes we have at one time or another.  We've all seen reprobate celebrities tripping along in their excesses without facing punishment in the timely manner we'd like to see.  We've experienced schemers and liars getting ahead, while some godly people we know are suffering.  Many have looked at this situation and automatically judged it unfair.  Many have wondered why Yahweh isn't much quicker in handing out judgment and punishment.

     Yahweh doesn't deny that this can happen, but he does offer a different perspective.  He points out that he keeps a close eye on the righteous.  He talks about who is his "treasured possession."  He tells them the ones he's watching out for are those "who feared and honored his name."  Yahweh gives everyone time to repent and change their ways.  When we demand instant judgment and punishment we should reconsider and think about what that means to us.  If Yahweh must immediately punish sin, then we'll also receive this instantaneous judgment.

 

     We write down names to remember them at times.  According to this passage a scroll is kept to show Yahweh never forgets the righteous.  The people mentioned in verse 16 are special to their loving Father.  The Scroll of Remembrance is a memorial to those worthy of honor and celebration.  They've done something worth remembering.  And because of this Yahweh has special plans for their future.  This is a list we most definitely want to get our names on.  The only way to get on this list is to fear and honor Yahweh, to work at living in accordance with his righteous standards.

     The Great God Almighty, Supreme Judge of the Universe, promises to make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked.  And he clarifies who each is by whether or not they've served him.  The Hebrew word bayin is about being discerning to be able to separate things.  Yahweh clearly knows who is and isn't his.  And he's looking for people who use the same sort of spiritual discernment in their own lives.  If we can separate the good from the evil and then avoid the evil, we'll find ourselves aligning with our righteous God.

     When people speak of their dreams they don't normally plan on being unfaithful.  Has anyone ever heard a child say, "I want to find the spouse of my dreams so I can then be unfaithful."  Or "I want to become the CEO of a major corporation so I can embezzle millions of dollars."  Or "I want to marry at least 5 or 6 times."  We may be sinful people, but we're not that corrupt.

     I don't believe adult followers of Jesus, people who've asked him to be their Savior, set out to be unfaithful.  Yet at times we all falter and waiver.  Maybe in the toughest moments of a crisis we find there are gaps in our faith.  But Yahweh's solution to this is to remind us that all we've said and done to honor his name is recorded for eternity.  While what we have is still doubt, he speaks to us to return to faithfulness.  He wants us to overcome our doubt by remembering the good we've done in the past, and the good he's done on our behalf.

     Yahweh says there's a reward waiting for us if we stick with him.  The scroll isn't necessary because our Father might forget our names, but to show us how faithful and compassionate he is.  On the day of the final judgment, when all wrongs are rectified and wickedness receives its ultimate punishment, it will be clear that Yahweh is absolutely just.  We'll see that the distinctions he makes are absolutely fair and right and true.  And he'll have evidence on hand to show anyone who doubts his justice.

 

     Passover showed that Yahweh made a distinction between his people and Egypt.  The physical sign was the blood on their doorposts.  Those who heard his instructions and faithfully followed them were spared from losing the firstborn of their households.  This clear distinction was made to ensure that those who got judged on that evil night were the ones who refused to obey the Lord God Almighty.  Like verse 18 says, "You will again see the distinction between the righteous and wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

     We see the intelligence, personality, and purposefulness of Yahweh throughout the Bible.  He made supernatural distinctions between people again and again, proving that nothing happens in a random or uncalculated manner.  Those behind the blood-stained doors were unharmed, while others died.  Gideon's fleece was wet or dry, while the opposite was true of the ground.  Babylonian soldiers died throwing the three Hebrew men into the fiery furnace.  Our Creator rains on one field but not another (Amos 4:7).

     The egotistical Haman erected a stake on which he planned to execute Mordecai, but it ended up being used for his own execution instead.  The man who was hated and despised moved into the position of power and authority Haman craved.  How could he know that Yahweh had maneuvered a young Jewish lady into the position of the new queen?  Yet this young woman was used to end Haman's attempt to destroy the people of Israel.

     Jesus spoke of two men standing in a field.  He said one would be taken while the other was left behind to face terrible tribulation.  We know from other scriptures that the righteous man is sealed with an invisible mark of Yahweh's ownership.  Yahweh determines who receives this mark.  We don't get it by joining a church.  We get it by becoming part of the Church of Jesus the Christ.  We don't get it by claiming to be a Christian and believing in Jesus.  We get it by surrendering our lives to our Savior and obeying him.

     We choose for ourselves which mark we bear.  We can be sealed by the touch of the Holy Spirit, or we can be horribly scarred with the idolatrous mark of the world system of demonic slavery.  It won't be hard for the angels to choose between the two marks.  They'll quickly and easily sort out humanity into the sheep and the goats because of the spiritual cleanliness or corruption they see in our hearts.  We determine the mark by trusting in what our Lord has provided for our salvation.  We refuse the mark by insisting that we don't need his help to correct our sin problem.

 

     Below you'll find three statements that we all need to consider.  This is a self-evaluation.  No one can make this determination for you.  Going through this should include a time of confessing any known sins.  If after reading through these you think you need to male a public confession, make sure you find some mature Christians to help in making this profession.

     Lord, I confess to you that I'm not...

     > Putting good effort into knowing you to my fullest capability.

     > Faithfully tithing to your church, the fellowship you've assigned me to be in.

     > Passionate about serving you with my full heart, soul, and strength.

     We don't ask ourselves these kinds of tough questions often enough.  We'd rather not face our weakness, or we sometimes think it's too hard to go any farther than we already have.  Self-discipline is hard work.  2 Cor 13:5 admonishes us to do a solid self-examination of our motives.  "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless of course, you fail the test."

 

     When the New Covenant was established in the Passover Lamb, Jesus our Messiah and Master, an ancient seal of distinction was brought into universal use.  Yahweh's protection is now available to anyone who calls out for the saving grace provided through Jesus.  A clear distinction is made when the Holy Spirit marks us at salvation.  This mark is still being given out today.  Part of what should be going on the Scroll of Remembrance is new names of people we've helped come to meet Jesus.  Assurance of our faith is a good thing.  We're not boasting in our special position when we claim Jesus as our Savior because all the credit for our salvation goes to him.

     We can see the Great Lamb and truly appreciate his blood which is able to cleanse us from all sin.  We can be thankful for all he did to deliver us from our sin.  We can see people pass from death to life by receiving his forgiveness.  This Lamb is an innocent man, a perfect man, a humble and extremely generous man.  He's a Jewish man who fully obeyed his heavenly Father and purchased our redemption.  Yahweh made a distinction in setting Jesus forth as the only way to receive salvation.  Some people are upset at this exclusiveness.  But I see it as our loving heavenly Father's grace in giving a single option.  It seems easy to me, instead of a multitude of ways based on human preferences.

     Jesus is filled with healing power and good deeds and wants to share them with us.  His blood covers the door frames of our hearts with a mark only visible in the Spirit.  When the final hour of separation comes, only one group will be spared from condemnation and damnation.  But there won't be any protection apart from the mark of the atoning blood of Jesus.  Make sure you've made the right distinction and discernment of ultimate truth.  Only then will the Father, Son, and Spirit make the distinction of allowing you into their Heaven.

 

     Blessings & Peace,  Mike