Danger!!

Written by cycleguy on November 7th, 2011

First, a confession.  I am NOT an Old Testament aficionado.   I love history so I really like reading Genesis through part of Exodus.  Then I like moving from Joshua to Esther.  I tire of Job’s friends so most generally skip to Psalms and love reading Song of Solomon.  From there on it gets dicey.  I have a love/hate relationship with the prophets.  I like reading parts of them, while other parts just…well…yawning is a good word.  I know, I know, a pastor shouldn’t say that!  🙂  But I say that because I want you to get a proper perspective on why it would take a pretty good book on one of the prophetic books to keep me reading.  I am happy to say that this book by Pastor Jerry Marshall (aka “the author” from here on) did just that.

The author’s main premise can be seen in two statements:

One, “the book of Malachi has taught me that there is another mindset that can greatly diminish my devotion to the Lord.  It occurs when I find myself disappointed with God.”  (p.ii).  The other is found in the statement, “the most important thing you think is what you think about God, and that your thinking must be a reflection of God’s self-disclosure found in His Word.”  (p.iii)   The author spend the rest of his book showing how those two statements hold true.

I like what Pastor Jerry does.  This is not a scholarly book, so if you are looking for a verse-by-verse commentary, you will not find that here. What you will find is practical, everyday application of God’s Words through Malachi to life situations.  An oracle is a prophetic speech, an utterance or a declaration.  The Hebrew word that is translated oracle is Massa‘ which literally refers to a burden.  Knowing that helps the author develop Malachi’s 4 short chapters into understanding the danger of being disappointed with God.    I really like how the author makes the truths applicable in every day life.  One of the valuable attributes is his proficient use of Scripture in relating Malachi to other parts of the Bible.  The author shows how Malachi’s message is a contemporary one for us today.

My love/hate relationship with OT prophets continued, because at times I felt my mind not “staying with” what he was writing.  That probably stays more about my state of mind when reading, than it does the content.

All in all, I would recommend this book to the pastor looking for a contemporary rendering of the book of Malachi, and also to the student of the Bible who is looking for a better understanding of this last book of the OT.  For another review check out this link.  This book was offered to me by the publisher and was given with no remuneration or guarantee of a positive review.

 

17 Comments so far ↓

  1. Glynn says:

    I really enjoyed this one as well – and, like you, prefer the NT to the OT.

    • cycleguy says:

      Thanks Glynn. I have been having trouble with Blogger (may have to do with Mozilla) but finally was able to find your review of it and updated my post.

  2. Zee says:

    Sounds like an interesting read.

    I had to smile when I read Glynn’s comment above because just yesterday, a friend of mine and I were discussing the fact that we actually find OT more interesting than NT. I mean, NT is great, but it’s all based on OT 😀 And I like prophets… especially Daniel and Jeremiah (and not only because those are my two top favorite names) 😀

    • cycleguy says:

      i reckon I will have to come over there and knock some sense into you! 😀 I know the OT is preferred by some, but I am not one of them. Like I said, I love parts of it. Thanks Zee for coming by.

      • Zee says:

        LOL. I can only imagine you and Lance in a battle of minds 😀 It would actually be rather cool to observe 😛

        I guess I’m just thankful that we’ve got the OT AND NT. One without the other would be sort of pointless.

  3. Joseph says:

    I like the NT a little more than the OT. It’s just easier to read and you get to read about Jesus. But thanks for the review and recommendation!

  4. Thanks Pastor Bill! We solidly appreciate the review! FYI, it’s available in print and e-book. http://www.malachibook.us for all the links.

  5. Mercy says:

    Most people prefer the NT to the OT, I do too but I think the Bible would not be complete without it.
    I was very eager to read the story of Daniel and Job when I started reading the Bible. I liked Job’s story more. I also loved the part where his friends gave their opinions on the cause of his problem. Like his friends, we all look at our problems from different perspectives. That’s my thought.
    Sorry for not commenting for two days. I was not feeling well. I think I’m better now.

    • cycleguy says:

      You are unusual in that you were eager to read those Mercy, but I applaud your eagerness to learn. Hope you are feeling better. Thanks for coming by.

    • Zee says:

      I am amused by Job’s friends too. They taught me to really think the advice through before giving it to someone else.

      • cycleguy says:

        That is a good lesson to learn Zee, one I am continually learning. 🙂 However, our reaction is different. I tire of them. Thanks for the comment.

  6. Sounds like a good read. I get a little depressed reading the Prophets because they kept preaching and proclaiming, yet most of the time the people didn’t listen. So sad.

  7. Jim F says:

    It sounds like a good read to me also. I am a guy who loves both sides of the Bible (NT and OT) pretty equally.

    Thanks for sharing the review.