THE LOVE OF GOD.

SERIES: GIVE YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER

TEXT: MALACHI 1:1-5

One of the men who influenced D.L Moody was a young preacher named Henry Moorehouse. He once preached for the whole week using the same text every night-John 3:16.

The theme of the whole Bible, Genesis to Revelation is the love of God. He told them that God wanted every person to be saved because He loved them. In all ages, God loved the sinner.

If today you ascend Jacob’s ladder and ask Gabriel who stands in the presence of God Almighty to tell you how much love God the father has for this poor lost world, all that Gabriel could say is John 3:16.

This message “The love of God” is the constant and central message of the Bible.

We are not surprised that the prophecy of Malachi begins with this great affirmation “I have loved you says the Lord.”

But the backslidden people argue “wherein have you loved us?”

They had lost their love for God, now they were questioning God’s love for them.

To illustrate God’s love for them, He pointed to His favored treatment of Israel over her ancient enemy Edom.

To anybody who did not have a backslidden heart, the election of Israel in the beginning, the protection of Israel from captivity were clear evidence of God’s love for His people.

This declaration and illustration from Israel’s national life teaches us three things about the love of God. Let us learn:-

GOD’S LOVE IS UNMERITED-1:2-3.

• The Lord said, “I loved Jacob and I hated (rejected) Esau.”
• This refers to God’s selection of Jacob’s family instead of Esau’s as the line through which the Messiah would come.
• This choice was clearly an act of God’s sovereign grace. It had to be of grace because it was made before either Jacob or Esau was born.
• God in His foreknowledge knew the character of each of these boys and the nations that would flow from them.
• But it was of grace none the less, for neither could have done anything to merit God’s favor before they came out of their mother’s womb.
• God’s dealing with us are always out of grace.
• We are saved by grace, we are empowered for ministry by grace, we are kept by grace.
• God’s love is always unmerited-Romans 8:28-30.

GOD’S LOVE IS UNCHANGING.

• The force of the affirmation “I have loved you” in Hebrews is “I loved you and I love you still.”
• Israel has become degenerate and cynical.  But though she had dishonored God by offering, second rate offerings and sacrifices, disobeyed God’s laws concerning divorce and robbed God of tithes and offerings, still he loved them.
• Israel’s love for God had waned, but God’s love for Israel remained constant.
• God’s love is always eternal, unending, unchanging.
• God turns from His wrath but never from His love.
• God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
• Even when humans stop loving you, God’s love is unending towards you and me.

GOD’S LOVE IS UNIVERSAL.

• Israel was chosen to be God’s missionary people so that His name would be exalted from border of Israel to the ends of the earth and so that all men everywhere might be saved.
• In His mission plan God first chose a man Abraham to tell the world of His love, but Abraham failed.
• God then send a family, the family of Jacob to tell the world about His love, Jacob failed.
• God has now send the church to tell the world about the love of God-Are we succeeding in the mission?
• Two thirds of the world, still have not heard about Jesus Christ.
• Coca-cola company has done better than the church, because coca-cola is found in every nation, every town but not Christ.
• God in this passage identifies Himself as “The Lord of Hosts.” This is the most majestic names of the Lord. It is used 26 times in Malachi and 260 times in the Old Testament (Jehovah- Saboat).
• The word “hosts” refers to heavenly powers.
• This title emphasizes the fact that God has untold forces at His command and is therefore invisible.
• The love of God is unconditional-Agape love.

CONCLUSION

• The truth of Malachi is the theme of Bible-The love of God.
• The invisible, eternal and sovereign God loves us.
• His love is unmerited, unchanging, and universal love.
• Never doubt the love of God for you. God gave His only begotten son for us.
• God’s love is uncaused and unceasing, today rests in the certainty of His love. Everyone is looking for love and acceptance-find it in Christ.