Six Things About God That Don’t Change – Week 5 Guide
God’s Mercy: Return Unto Me Malachi 3:6-12
To download the guide for this week, use the link below.
Up to this point in Malachi, God’s people have repeatedly called into question God’s faithfulness, accusing God of abandoning them in their time of need. Remember, by this point in Israel’s history, the people have been conquered multiple times, sold into slavery, exiled from their land, and have seen their nation pillaged. In a sense, it was only natural for them to question where God was in the midst of all their suffering. But through the prophet Malachi, God makes clear to them that the burden of responsibility for the people’s strife is on them for their abandonment and lack of trust in God’s provision. Our passage, this week, is a reminder of God’s unchanging nature, and His willingness to not only receive His people back, but to bless them abundantly upon turning from their sin and submitting to Him. It demonstrates mercy as a foundational attribute of God’s character.
Connecting
What is the greatest gift you’ve ever received? How did you respond, and what made that gift so special?
Malachi 3:6-12
6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
(Optional additional readings: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Luke 6:37-45)
Questions
- Thinking back on last week’s message, how do you see God’s unchanging mercy as being connected to God’s unchanging justice?
- What are two ways you can show appreciation this week? Is it possible to do these on a daily basis? How might it look to do those consistently, beyond this week?
- Verse 6 opens with a reminder about our series: “I the LORD do not change.” In what ways can we see God’s character unchanging from Old Testament to New Testament?
- How do you respond to the voice of the people responding to God in the text (e.g. verses 7 and 8)? Do you see this as combative, confrontational, honest, or maybe something else?
- Verses 10 through 12 are a powerful reminder of what important truth? How does God’s unchanging nature relate to our appreciation and generosity?
Praying for Each Other
Are there any joys to celebrate, any burdens we can share?
Closing Prayer:
Lord, you are a God with an abundance of mercy, with open arms saying “return to me” every time we’ve strayed away. We’re grateful for your love, which is unchanging in our ever-changing world. May we match the abundance of mercy you have shown us, and the blessings you have given us far beyond what we deserve, with generosity in the way we love You, and our neighbors, in return. Amen.