United Methodist Church, Lacota, MI

United Methodist Church, Lacota, MI Methodist Church in Lacota,MI. Pastor Michael Pinto. Bible study/Sunday School 10:00am-11:00am. Serv

08/28/2022

Josiah Did What Was Right In The Sight Of The Lord (Well, Mostly) Part 2
Lacota United Methodist Church
August 28, 2022
2nd Kings 23:4-5 ,10; 2nd Kings 23:21-25; 2nd Chronicles 33: 20-23

As we learned on August 14, Josiah was one of the youngest kings to take the throne in Judah, and grew to be a God-fearing leader. King Josiah fulfilled the prophesy, which included his name from over 250 years earlier, that said he would abolish the idol worship in Bethel and other places. Sadly, just when Josiah was at his peak, he failed to follow a critical warning from God and paid for it with his life at 39 years old.

But, since it has been two weeks since you heard the first part of this message, I want to summarize some of the lessons of Josiah that Scripture lays out for us that were covered in part 1. Then we will get to the description of the “Final Act” of the drama of Josiah’s life and see the additional lessons that the good king’s disobedience illustrates for us. So, recall how learning about King Josiah teaches us that:
1. God’s wisdom is well beyond ours and His timing is not our timing.
a. The Almighty knew the name of the person who would carry out His will 250 years before that person was ever born; and 275 years before the action took place.
2. A faithful family is helpful, but not required, for people to learn about our God.
a. Josiah’s mother got help from the temple priest to raise him and he did not turn out like his father (very bad) or his grandfather (pretty bad).
3. Each person has to make their own choice to seek and accept the Almighty.
a. Josiah was raised to honor God as a child, but at 16 began searching for our Lord on a personal basis.
4. A penitent heart makes up for a lot of mistakes, even the mistakes of others.
a. Josiah’s faithfulness to God’s directions in the Book of the Law gained a reprieve from punishment for the entire nation.
5. A truly repentant heart is expressed in actions.
a. Josiah followed God’s law; rather than just talking about it.

Given that I have had an extra week to think about this Bible account, let me double the important lessons from Josiah’s early years that are so very important for us all.
6. God can use people for His purposes, no matter their age.
a. As a child, a teenager, and a young man in his 20’s, Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
7. No matter how bad things are, God can use even the least likely leader to make a difference.
a. Josiah was just one of many people throughout history that were used to interrupt very dark periods of culture by God-given revival and reformation.
8. Real spiritual renewal is always based on God’s Word as recorded in Scripture.
a. During Josiah’s day (as well as Jesus’) they did not have the good news of the New Testament, yet when young Josiah is read the book of the law, it brings about immediate changes. Even as king, Josiah repents of his sins and the sins of his ancestors. He then leads the people in repenting of their sin, thus beginning his work of renewal and reform.
9. It is critical to build up a cadre of trusted, God-fearing mentors and peers.
a. Remember that in addition to Josiah’s mother he had the high priest, the temple secretary, and the prophetess of the day to offer him council. He used them all to help start a reformation that swept over the entire nation.
10. It is not enough to just be against evil, you have to also put your energies towards doing good.
a. Jesus exorcised demons (fought evil) but also healed many people (did good); and Josiah threw out the idol worship and re-instituted the Passover.

Since it has been two weeks since we first heard about Josiah, let me use two slightly longer Bible passages to again re-emphasize his good beginning. Listen to them and notice how Josiah both worked against evil and also encouraged the good:
The king commanded the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second order, and the guardians of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. He deposed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who made offerings to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the host of the heavens....He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no one would make a son or a daughter pass through fire as an offering to Molech. 2nd Kings 23:4-5 ,10

The king commanded all the people, ‘Keep the Passover to the Lord your God as prescribed in this book of the covenant.’ No such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, even during all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah; but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Moreover, Josiah did away with the mediums, wizards, teraphim, idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he established the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord. Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. 2nd Kings 23:21-25

Fascinating, Josiah started his reign at 8 years old and lead a religious revival at 20. For all that, God offered the country of Judah peace and stability for 31 years. So, what happened?! Why does Josiah get described by many Bible scholars as a king that started off “good” but ultimately ended up “bad”?

A sad but true fact is that we can turn into another lesson of Josiah, is that frequently it is more difficult for people to remain true to God in the blessings times of their life rather than in the times of hardship. This is clearly illustrated by Josiah in this next phase of his life.

Things had gone well for Judah, but not so much for the breakaway northern kingdom of Israel. They had turned to idols and not repented. As a result, Assyria had conquered it and taken most of the people into exile and exchanged the Jewish population with foreigners from other conquered areas. But, after several decades Assyria was now in decline. King Josiah had hopes of a reunification of Judah and Israel, reuniting the northern kingdom with his own realm under the protection of the rising power in that region of the world, Babylonia. We move again to the book of 2nd Chronicles to get a more detailed description of what happened to Josiah than what is recorded in 2nd Kings:
After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, King Neco of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him. But Neco sent envoys to him, saying, ‘What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, so that he will not destroy you.’ But Josiah would 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 joined battle in the plain of Megiddo. The archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, ‘Take me away, for I am badly wounded.’ 2nd Chronicles 33: 20-23

Amazing! Just three verses; and, so many lessons for us to learn. The first one is that God’s direction for us can come from unexpected people or experiences. A foreign king warned Josiah about interfering. The king of Egypt told Josiah that he ought not to interfere with Egypt’s march to war because he was on a mission from God.

Even today, lots of people believe that they are on a mission from God; but the reality is that many of them are not. So, how is someone to know the truth of the matter; whether king or commoner? Actually, it is quite simple. If God reveals a mission to a person, He also provides the support that is needed. Often, that support is in the form of wise counsel. Notice how the Bible account does not mention anything about Josiah talking to his Godly advisors about whether the Egyptian pharaoh was really telling the truth about God’s intentions. Why did Josiah not ask the temple priest or the prophetess for advice/guidance?

It sounds like he thought of himself as king; and was not going to let anyone dissuade him from fighting. The fact that Josiah decided that he had to disguise himself also tells me that he may have known that his decision was less than a solid one. Clearly, God was not fooled by any disguise.

Another lesson from that passage is a corollary to lesson number one which says that God’s wisdom is well beyond ours and His timing is not our timing. It is that the ways of the Almighty are not our ways. Perhaps, God was going to use pharaoh and the end of the Assyrians to defeat Babylon. He could have wanted Judah to survive more than the 23 years it did after Josiah’s death by weakening Babylon. Instead, just a generation after Josiah thought that he could curry favor with the Babylonians, they marched captives like Daniel and his friends off to their capital city.

A final, and very sobering, lesson to learn from the end of Josiah’s life is that God’s mercy can, and does, come to an end. The Almighty will not put up with our disobedience forever. While our Savior will always forgive us when we repent of our sins, He will not always protect us from the effects of those sins while we reside on earth. Our Father in heaven is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice and righteousness. At some point, He will judge all of us individually, and societies collectively. A modern theologian I enjoyed following, R. C. Sproul*, had some great wisdom about this final lesson from Josiah:
We hear all the time about God’s infinite grace and mercy. I cringe when I hear it. God’s mercy is infinite insofar as it is mercy bestowed upon us by a Being who is infinite. But, when the term infinite is used to describe his mercy rather than his person, I have problems with it. The Bible makes very clear that there is a limit to God’s mercy. There is a limit to his grace, and He is determined not to pour out his mercy on impenitent people forever. There is a time, as the Old Testament repeatedly reports, particularly in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, that God stops being gracious with people, and he gives them over to their sin.

So, my challenge this week is the same as it was two weeks ago, except more difficult. It is harder because instead of five we have these 14 lessons that we learn from King Josiah to consider. Then, start applying them to your life. Let me know if you need any help putting them in the context of your situation.
1. God’s wisdom is well beyond ours and His timing is not our timing.
a. The Almighty knew the name of the person who would carry out His will 250 years before that person was ever born; and 275 years before the action took place.
2. A faithful family is helpful, but not required, for people to learn about our God.
a. Josiah’s mother got help from the temple priest to raise him and he did not turn out like his father (very bad) or his grandfather (pretty bad).
3. Each person has to make their own choice to seek and accept the Almighty.
a. Josiah was raised to honor God as a child, but at 16 began searching for our Lord on a personal basis.
4. A penitent heart makes up for a lot of mistakes, even mistakes of others.
a. Josiah’s faithfulness to God’s directions in the Book of the Law gained a reprieve from punishment for the entire nation.
5. A truly repentant heart is expressed in actions.
a. Josiah followed God’s law; rather than just talking about it.
6. God can use people for His purposes, no matter their age.
a. As a child, a teenager, and a young man of 20, Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
7. No matter how bad things are, God can use even the least likely leader to make a difference.
a. Josiah was just one of many people throughout history that were used to interrupt very dark periods of culture by God-given revival and reformation.
8. Real spiritual renewal is always based on God’s Word as recorded in Scripture.
a. During Josiah’s day (as well as Jesus’) they did not have the good news of the New Testament, yet when young Josiah is read the book of the law, it brings about immediate changes. Even as King, Josiah repents of his sins and the sins of his ancestors. He then leads the people in repenting of their sin, thus beginning his work of renewal and reform.
9. It is critical to build up a cadre of trusted, God-fearing mentors and peers.
a. Remember that in addition to Josiah’s mother, he had the high priest, the temple secretary, and the prophetess of the day to offer him council. He used them all to help start a reformation that swept over the entire nation.
10. It is not enough to just be against evil, you have to also put your energies towards doing good.
a. Jesus exorcised demons (fought evil) but also healed many people (did good); and Josiah threw out the idol worship and re-instituted the Passover.
11. It is often more difficult for people to remain true to God in the blessings times of their life rather than in the times of hardship.
a. Josiah did not listen to the warning from pharaoh Neco to leave the Egyptians alone which meant that Josiah was disobeying God when he went to fight the Egyptians.
12. God’s direction for us can come from unexpected people or experiences.
a. A foreign king warned Josiah about interfering and was correct in stating that God would destroy him if he challenged the Egyptians.
13. It is wise to seek confirmation about major decisions by discussing those potential actions with your spiritual advisors.
a. There is no mention of Josiah taking council with the temple priest, his mother, or the prophetess that told Him that God would spare Josiah after he read the book of the law and repented.
14. God’s mercy can, and does, come to an end.
Amen
*Pastor Sproul died in 2017, and with that his wonderful radio program: Renewing Your Mind.

08/14/2022

Josiah Did What Was Right In The Sight Of The Lord (Well, Mostly)*
Lacota United Methodist Church
August 14, 2022
1st Kings 13:1-2; 2nd Kings 22:1-2; 2nd Kings 22:8-11; 2nd Kings 21:17-20;
2nd Kings 23:3; 2nd Kings 23:4-5 ,10; 2nd Kings 23:21-25; 2nd Chronicles 33: 20-23

In honor of my wife Susan’s birthday I asked her what she would like to hear about as a message today. Her answer surprised me a bit when she said she wanted a sermon about Hezekiah or Josiah. Since Hezekiah deserves several Sundays worth of exploration, I took her up on an exposition about Josiah (although after I dug into it, I came to the realization that he deserves the multi-week treatment as well).

As I noted last week in my message about Elijah, It is difficult for even regular readers of the Bible to keep all the personalities of the Old Testament sorted out. Some people only merit a few paragraphs, or even just a line or two; and others have chapters and books written about them. This is especially true about the kings who ruled over Israel when it was one larger country and then Israel and Judah when it separated into two nations.

Nor is this situation made any easier by the similar sounding names (i.e: Rehoboam ruled Judah at the same time Jeroboam ruled Israel) and the name changes that are given to some of the king (i.e: Josiah’ son Jehoahaz had his name changed by the Egyptian pharaoh to Shallum). Still, all of these details can be sorted out to get to the critical parts of the life of a Bible figure.

In Josiah’s case, his story starts about 275 years before his birth. When Solomon died the united kingdom of Israel was split in two. Solomon’s son Rehoboam ended up with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin occupying an area around Jerusalem in the kingdom called Judah. The rest of the country, ten tribes to the north and east, rebelled to go with Jeroboam as their king.

After a few years Jeroboam got worried about the longevity of his kingdom if the people still traveled to Jerusalem to worship at Solomon’s temple and honor the God of all of the Jewish people. So, the breakaway king decided to set up two sacrificial altars of his own at each end of the country. But instead of using them to honor God, Jeroboam outfitted them with golden calves as the symbols to worship to (sheesh, what is the deal with golden calves, just like Aaron did in the desert when Moses was on the mountain getting instructions from God). This did not please the Almighty and He sent a prophet to Jeroboam to warn the king, though to no effect. Still, the warning plays a big part in the account of Josiah.
While Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer incense, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel and proclaimed against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, ‘O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: “A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.” 1st Kings 13:1-2

Hard to fathom that almost three centuries before Josiah was born, both his birth and some of his actions in support of the Creator would be predicted. The fact that Josiah would do good is even stranger given his checkered family history. Despite the fact that Josiah’s great grandfather was the good king Hezekiah, his immediate predecessors were not great role models. Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh, and father, Amon, both “did evil” in the sight of the Lord. Blessedly, Josiah had a faithful mother and a good temple priest to guide him when he was young. That is because his dad was so bad he died young after being assassinated by his own palace staff. The book of Kings then describes it like this:
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 2nd Kings 22:1-2

So, we have the first lesson of Josiah right there. If Josiah was king at age eight and walked in the ways of his great ancestor David, he did not do that by himself. His mother clearly helped Josiah be the sort of person that is pleasing to our Lord. Being raised in a God-fearing family is a great start to salvation. Still, Josiah’s life also reminds us that good family, bad family, or no family, is not the determining factor in whether someone chooses to follow the Savior to eternal life. Even with a horrible grandfather, and more horrible father, Josiah had a personal choice to make, like we all do. Even so, action is necessary. Not making a choice to accept Jesus as the Messiah is making a choice. As the evangelist Paul noted:
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Early in his life Josiah’s mother and mentor were calling on the Lord on his behalf. Instead of going through teenage rebellion years Josiah built on his training by seeking God as noted in 2nd Chronicles.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David, 2nd Chronicles 34 1-3

As part of this process of maturing in his faith Josiah realized that the temple needed to be renovated to remove all the idol worship “junk” that had been added by his father and grandfather. Scripture describes how Josiah authorized the temple tax money be used for the process. As is often the case with God, when we take one right step in His direction, He reveals truth that we were not expecting. In this case, it was the law of Moses that had been abandoned for two generations.
The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.’ When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it. Then Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, ‘Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers who have oversight of the house of the Lord.’ Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.’ Shaphan then read it aloud to the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. 2nd Kings 22:8-11

A person tearing their clothes was a sign of distress or grief. Josiah tore his clothes after hearing the Law of Moses, not because he was distressed at having found this lost treasure, but because he knew the implications of not following the One True God. Josiah had the priest enquire of the God-anointed prophetess of the day as to whether he would be held to account for His ancestors actions. Her response was stern, but also encouraging.
Because they have abandoned me and have made offerings to other gods, so that they have provoked me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. But as to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Therefore, I will gather you to your ancestors, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring on this place.’ They took the message back to the king. 2nd Kings 21:17-20

This is another great lesson to learn from Josiah: a penitent heart covers for many sins, even those that may not be yours. The key to a penitent heart is that it must translate into action, or else it is just hypocrisy. At this point, at 20 years old and in his 12th year of being king, Josiah was definitely a man of action.
The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant. 2nd Kings 23:3

So what type of actions did the king command and lead? Scripture is clear and blunt as to what was done.
… and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and the cast images. In his presence they pulled down the altars of the Baals; he demolished the incense altars that stood above them. He broke down the sacred poles and the carved and the cast images; he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 2nd Chronicles 34 3-5

This passage brings us to the final key point of today’s message. Josiah may not have even known that he was fulfilling God’s prophecy from 275 years earlier when he had the bones of the idolatrous priests burned on the altars to the false gods to defile them. Regardless of the time span, God’s promises do not ever go unfulfilled! The God of justice hears our cries and responds. Evil is stopped, evil doers are punished, the righteous are rewarded, God’s truth is revealed, God’s law is enforced. This is done through people; or through miracles when people are not willing or enough.

So, our challenge this week, is to ponder some of the lessons of Josiah;
1. That a faithful family is helpful, but not required, for people to learn about our God.
2. Each person has to make their own choice to seek and accept the Almighty.
3. God’s wisdom is well beyond ours, even knowing the name of the person who would carry out His will 250 years before that person was born and, 275 years before the action took place.
4. A penitent heart makes up for a lot of mistakes, even mistakes of others.
5. A truly repentant heart is expressed in actions.
6. God’s timing is not our timing.

As we think about these lessons, look to see how God can use you. Young or old, God has plans for you and all you need to do is say “YES”. Amen.
*We will get to the “Mostly” part on August 28.

08/07/2022

Elijah’s Seat At The Passover Table And Our Communion Celebration
Lacota United Methodist Church
August 7, 2022
2nd king 2:9-12; Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:11-14; Matthew 17:1-6; Mathew 26:26-28; John 6:53-58; Luke 22:19-20; 1st Corinthians 11:23-25

This week’s message reflects a worship service that is bit different than other Sundays. Since I have mentioned it on multiple communion Sundays; I was asked to explain the comment about Jesus taking the cup left for Elijah at the Passover table at the end of the meal and using it to share with His disciples when He announced: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Let us start with understanding why the faithful Jews left a place setting at their Passover Supper for the prophet Elijah. Then we can ask: “Why did Jesus likely use those special memorial items that were supposed to be left untouched for His communion elements?” With that background we can look at some key things about Elijah and see how Jesus embodied all of the prophecies of the Coming Jewish Messiah, including the expected return of Elijah as the one who would announce the coming of the Savior. Therefore, bits of the message are woven throughout all the parts of today’s worship service.

LEARNING ABOUT ELIJAH: While many of us are somewhat familiar with Elijah, for many casual Bible readers or cultural Christians who rarely read or study Scripture, the prophets of the Old Testaments can all seem to blur together. Therefore, I want to offer this outline style summary of the major actions and pronouncements of Elijah. I have included Bible references for each item and reprinted this list in the bulletin for you to use as part of your challenge to grow your faith that I explain at the end of the message.
1. Prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel
2. Called for a 3 year drought to convince the king and people to turn back to Yahweh from Baal (1st Kings 17:1)
3. Fed by ravens in the wilderness (1st Kings 17:2-7)
4. Multiplied a widow’s grain and oil (1st Kings 17:1)
5. Raised the widow’s son from the dead (1st Kings 17:17-24)
6. Calling fire from heaven to the altar with wet sacrifices atop Mount Carmel to show that God is more powerful than Baal (1st Kings 18:20-40)
7. Causing it to rain again after three and a half years of drought (1st Kings 18:44-46)
8. Fasting from food for 40 days while trekking to Mount Horeb (1st Kings 19:8)
9. Experienced the glory of God in wind, an earthquake, fire, and silence (1st Kings 19:11-13)
10. Heard God speaking directly to him (1st Kings 19:13)
11. Prophesies that Ahab’s sons would all be destroyed (1st Kings 21:22)
12. Prophesying that Jezebel would be eaten by dogs (1st Kings 21:23)
13. Prophesying that Ahaziah would die of his illness (2nd Kings 1:4-17)
14. Calling fire from heaven to destroy 51 soldiers (2nd Kings 1:10)
15. Calling fire from heaven on another 51 soldiers (2nd Kings 1:12)
16. Parting of the Jordan River while accompanied by Elisha (2nd Kings 2:8)
17. Promising that Elisha would receive a double portion of his spirit (2nd Kings 2:10)
18. Prophesying that Jehoram would die a horrible death (2 Chronicles 21:12-15).
19. Being caught up to heaven with a chariot of fire (2nd Kings 2:11)
20. Appearing with Moses and Jesus (Matthew 17:3-13)

I want to end this introductory section by reading the passage from the Bible that made the faithful of Jesus’ day think that Elijah would return; the fact that the prophet was taken bodily into heaven.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 2nd Kings 2:9-12

PREDICTING ELIJAH’S RETURN: The fact that the prophet Elijah and Enoch were the only two people that the Bible states were taken bodily into heaven before they died makes that a very small group of people honored by God in a special way. Interestingly, Scripture says no more about Enoch after his miraculous departure from the physical world.

As we just read, the other person taken bodily into heaven prior to the ascension of Christ in physical form following His resurrection was Elijah. For nearly 500 years after Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot, there is no other word of Him in the Bible. Then the Holy Spirit prompted the prophet Malachi to speak these words:
Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse. Malachi 4:5-6

It is interesting to note that the prophecy of Malachi mentions the prophet Elijah. In the books of 1st and 2nd Kings Elijah is described by his city of origin. The only time the term “prophet” is used to describe Elijah is when he uses it to describe himself as selected by God to carry forward a message. As such, this raises the question about whether Malachi was predicting the actual return of Elijah in bodily form, or a return of the spirit of Elijah in the form of another great prophet. We will look at those options in detail in a few moments.

JESUS EXPLAINS ELIJAH’S RETURN: It is clear why pious Jews started adding a place setting for Elijah after they heard Malachi’s prediction. Elijah would precede the coming of the Messiah. But, as I noted before, would it be Elijah in body because he had been whisked into heaven, or the spirit of Elijah the prophet? Jesus made it clear to His disciples that John the Baptist possessed the spirit of Elijah and had become the greatest prophet.
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Matthew 11:11-14

SEEING ELIJAH’S RETURN: It is fascinating to me that Jesus validated His most important teachings with displays of miraculous power. Of course, we have to remember that God is not bound by time like we are. Jesus, by studying Scripture and communing with His Father had a sense of future events. Despite the best research indicating that it was a year to a year and a half after Jesus told His disciples that John was the prophet with the spirit of Elijah foretold by Malachi before He miraculously demonstrated that point. Three gospels record this event, as related here in Matthew’s:
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’ And the disciples asked him, ‘Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ He replied, ‘Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. Matthew 17:1-6

It is fascinating that Malachi said that Elijah would come before the Savior and here were Moses and Elijah standing beside a spiritually enhanced Jesus. This combination is a clear signal to those who study the Old and New Testaments that Jesus was here on earth to claim control over both the law (Moses as the lawgiver) and the prophets (Elijah as the greatest of prophets). This miracle both confirms Jesus’ connection to, and authority from, the Father. It further illustrates that Jesus is bringing a new covenant from God for all people.

The truth of Jesus’ teachings about how to interpret the Scripture is confirmed when God's voice is heard during the vision. The Almighty is reassuring the disciples that Jesus is the predicted and anticipated Messiah. Our Heavenly Father granted this miracle and spoke verbally to reassure Jesus’ followers that even though their Master must soon suffer they must listen to him. Listening and believing is what leads to obedience.

ELIJAH’S SEAT AT THE PASSOVER TABLE AND OUR COMMUNION CELEBRATION: With all this symbolism it should not be surprising that Jesus would use the symbols of Elijah at the Passover meal in the Upper Room to introduce his greatest miracle; the physical manifestation of Himself to all faithful for all time through the act of communion.

Listen carefully to Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew, who was present on the night that Jesus became the sacrifice to save us from our sins.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Mathew 26:26-28

The apostle Paul later recounted that momentous event this way:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1st Corinthians 11:23-25

With the thought of Jesus fulfilling all of the Old Testament laws and prophecies, step forward to receive communion and let Jesus fill you physically and spiritually.
Then, leave here with a determination to read the Scripture verses about Elijah laid out in the first section of this message. Let the Spirit of Elijah fall on you like it did on his servant Elisha so that you can be the best follower of Jesus possible. Amen.

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