The mystery of God’s Providence

Brothers & Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,
What happens when someone has a burden on his or her heart?
There is almost an overpowering, overwhelming need to express it in some way.
If you have a burden of grief or your heart is filled with sorrow, it shows on your face and in your body language.
It comes out in the way you speak, unless of course, you are very good at putting on a mask.
Malachi was like the prophet Jeremiah – God had put a burden on his heart.
“But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed,
I cannot.” Jeremiah. 20:9
Paul – who lived 400 years after Malachi had a burden –
“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” 1 Cor. 9:16
The first word of Malachi’s book is “Oracle” which is derived from the word meaning – to carry, & has the idea of burden.
God placed a burden/a message on Malachi’s heart.
He had to share this word of the Lord.
For some 400 years after Malachi, there would be no new revelation from the Lord – then the Lord himself would enter into the history of God’s world bringing good news, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17
Malachi was different to the lying prophets of his day.
They also had an ‘oracle’, a burden, but it did not come from the one true living God.

One of the characteristics of Malachi’s book is the number of times God’s Name is mentioned. Yahweh – the covenant Name – mentioned 21 times Yahweh Sabboath – Lord of Hosts or Almighty God – 24 times.
The burden that God place on His ‘Messenger’ – Malachi means “messenger of the Lord” – was the assurance which gives God’s people a living hope manifest in the
‘mystery of the providence of God.’
His message of ‘God’s unfailing covenant love for His people.’
The Lord says to his people, “I have loved you – present tense (God’s love for His people is everlasting!)
This Gospel message John proclaims, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Malachi was sent by God to speak to the remnant of Israel who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.
It is safe to assume that the Temple had already been rebuilt – this occurred in Haggai’s time. In the mystery of God’s providence, God’s covenant love
for his people is everlasting – His love never fails!
Irrespective of their numbers, failures and sins, they still represented the whole nation – including those in exile.
They were still the people of God.
They are the mediators of God’s revelation and the bearers of the covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. The message of Malachi was given precisely because God would fulfil His promise to Abraham.

Hence the statement – “I love you!”
‘The Lord disciplines those whom he loves’
If God did not love His people He would not have sent His messenger to tell them how He felt about what was happening in Jerusalem.
God’s love is sovereign and unconditional!
In the mystery of God’s providence God’s love is synonymous with divine election and redemption. This idea is found in Deut. 7:6-8
The context: God is telling His people how they ought to live as His people.
“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.“
In the days of Malachi Israel’s lament was:
“God, how have you loved us?“
In other words: “prove it that you love us.”
The circumstances of the nation of Israel at that time were not so great.
It was true that they had been set free from exile in Babylon.
The temple had been rebuilt – but it could not be compared with the splendour of Solomon’s temple. The golden age had not returned like the days of David.

Israel was looking around them – as if desiring heaven on earth and the promised Messiah had not yet come. They were experiencing hardship – pests and plagues
(2:17; 3:11,12)
They were politically weak and insignificant, subject to Persian rule. Spiritual life was at a low ebb.

• It wearied the priests to offer sacrifices
• It seemed futile to serve God.

But God condescends by asking them,
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
A loud ‘Yes!’ is the answer expected.
Then the structure of the sentence is such as to show the
powerful contrast, the immense love of God freely given
to Israel.
“I have loved Jacob.
Esau I have hated.”
How can we define the greatness of God’s love?
God’s divine love is sovereign & unconditional.
This is the point Paul makes in Romans 9.
Jacob did not have the right of the first-born of Isaac.
His character was not more noble than Esau.
He robbed his brother of his birthright and was a liar.
His morals were not deserving of God’s love – consider how he treated Leah and favoured Rachael and how he treated his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Yet to Jacob God showed His love.
It is difficult to define or comprehend God’s hate for Esau?

The mystery of divine providence is simply,
‘God has mercy on whom He has mercy.
He has compassion on whom He has compassion’.

We cannot judge God’s actions by our standards.
By faith we exclaim – “O the sovereign mercy and love
of God.”
We cannot say that God elects Esau to doom and destruction.
Esau is punished and justly hated by God for his wickedness and sin.
He receives what he deserves, having despised his birthright.
But Jacob – Israel receives what he does not deserve.
Mercy, grace, compassion and love.
Look at the state of Edom –
Malachi described what the Lord has done to Edom in order that Israel might know that God loves them as a nation.
“I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and
left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will
rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the LORD Almighty
says: “They may build, but I will demolish.
They will be called the Wicked Land, a people
always under the wrath of the LORD.“
The land of Edom was eventually taken over by a people called the Nabateans.
The descendants of Esau wanted to rebuild their cities, but God would thwart their desires because of their wickedness – yes Esau God hated.
This leads us to the final point:

God will accomplish His sovereign purpose.
God’s love for His people is seen as He saves them from sin, Satan and death – his gift is life everlasting, life without end – O the love and mercy of God!

God’s people, those he chooses, will see the gracious dealings of God towards His people. In Christ we see the conclusive answer and proof of God’s love for his people.
Then his people will rejoice confessing with great joy:
“Great is the Lord, above the territory of Israel – beyond the borders of Israel.”
God’s greatness is ultimately displayed in his establishment of the everlasting kingdom of Christ. God has demonstrated His unquestionable love in the
history of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (John. 3:16).
Since Christ’s resurrection and victory over sin, Satan and death, it is our duty and privilege is to proclaim this good news that the free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord. If you hear the voice of the Lord, do not harden your heart.
The fulfilment of this last verse -‘Great is the Lord, beyond the borders of Israel.’ – is fulfilled in the new covenant initiated and fulfilled in Christ.
This is clear in Ch. 9 of Romans.
The stone the builder’s rejected has become the capstone.
The one who trusts in Jesus will not be put to shame.
The one who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

It is for God’s glory that people from every tribe, language & Nation enter into his eternal kingdom. God’s greatness will extend to the 4 corners of the world.
Not only the greatness of his love, but also the greatness of His wrath.

In a very real sense this is also the burden that God has placed on His Church – to declare the greatness of God. To make His great Name known.
God does not desire the death of anyone.
Yet Scripture is plain – “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
God is good to those who love him.
All those whom God has given to Christ will come to him.
As we look back over our lives we can see the mystery of the providential love of God who has kept us and enabled us to ‘keep the faith’.
Yet our prayer each day is a cry to the Lord,
‘Lord help me to keep on walking with you by faith. Help me to trust in your unfailing love. Purify my heart, preserve and protect me from the temptation to give up following you. Protect and deliver me from the evil one who desires my
downfall.’

A helpful illustration of God’s sovereign election is told by Lew Vander Meer – the waterfall.

Humanity is like the water cascading down a waterfall.
Every drop will end up in the pool at the bottom.
All humanity is deserving of eternal condemnation.

Yet God as it were, reaches out his hand to take hold of
the drops of water, rescuing those he chooses to rescue.

There are none who are more deserving an another, yet in the ‘mystery of divine providence’ God redeems those whom he loves.
We can but say with the hymn writer, ‘Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!’

If God has placed a burden on your heart for the eternal well-being of those who are near and dear to you, pray as Paul did pray, Read Romans 10:1,8-21
“My hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved…“
Amen.

Pray for the eternal well being of those people whose names God has placed a burden on our hearts for! May we not be indifferent, have hard hearts or be
unconcerned.