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© LifeWay 201470 Explore the Bible | Students

Promise Keeper

This Week’s Focus

God will keep every promise He has made to His people. Have you ever stopped to ponder how amazing that truth is? Perhaps you know people who are trustworthy and true to their word. You might think of your pastor as a person who acts with integrity or that your parents will never let you down. Despite their good intentions, we know that sometimes people will let us down.

The prophet Malachi calls believers to give God their very best. As we actively declare God’s greatness, we will help make His name great among all the nations of the world. He is the promise keeper who we can trust. He keeps all of His promises and He will never let us down.

Malachi 1:1-5,11

© LifeWay 2014 Session 12 71

What does it mean that God k

eeps all His promises?

Who are examples of His fait

hfulness in your life?

Begin by reading through the passage two times.

Malachi 1:1-5,11

1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you

loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet

I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his

hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert

jackals.” 4 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. 5 You will see it with

your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord —even beyond the borders

of Israel!’

11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun

rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will

be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,”

says the Lord Almighty.

© LifeWay 201472 Explore the Bible | Students

The Book of Malachi:

- Malachi means “my messenger” and

he delivers the

last prophetic message from God b

efore the close of

the Old Testament period.

- Like Nahum and Habakkuk, this book is

also an

oracle-a divine pronouncement through G

od’s prophet.

HCSB Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible

publishers), 1588-1589.

Verses 1-2What was the Lord’s declaration to the Israelites?

What were the Israelites response to God’s declaration?

Verses 3-4What other Minor Prophet book have you studied that dealt with the destruction of the Edomites?

Regardless of the Edomites efforts, were they ever going to rebuild their city? Why not?

© LifeWay 2014 Session 12 73

Verse 5What did God want the I

sraelites to see about Himself?

What does it mean that God will be great beyo

nd the borders

of Israel?

Verse 11How has God expanded His fame?

How many times does God use the phrase “My name”? What is the significance of this phrase?

© LifeWay 201474 Explore the Bible | Students

Central TruthGod loves you and will keep His promises because He is faithful.

Now What?List a time when you have been let down by someone you thought you could trust.

How did it make you feel when that person let you down?

Has there ever been a time when Jesus has let you down?

How does it make you feel to know that Jesus will never let you down? How can you trust Him more today?

© LifeWay 2014 Session 12 75

Memorize: Malachi 1:11a

Pray: Thank God that even when we are unfaithful,

He is faithful. Thank Him for loving us and for

proving His love by giving His Son—Jesus. Ask God

to help you live in a way that honors His name.

Personal ChallengeDwell: It is easy to forget that we live in a fallen world. We desperately want to trust people and we desire to believe that people will not let us down. The harsh reality is that we do live in a fallen world and every one of us is capable of letting down family or friends who are close to us. Praise God for the promise that Jesus will never leave or forsake us.

Keep on DiggingRead Malachi 1:6-11 aloud several times. Put yourself in the shoes of one of the priests to whom the prophet is directing the warning. How would you feel? What practices would you have to change to encourage true worship among God’s people?