All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This Month’s Reading: At the conclusion of this month’s reading of Scripture, you will have read through the Old Testament - all 39 books.
September’s reading contains the following books:
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakuk
Zepheniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
As you finish reading the Old Testament and anticipate the start of the New Testament next month, keep this in mind: the only Bible that the apostles and the very early Church had was the Old Testament. The New Testament completes, not replaces, the Old Testament. As Jesus Christ Himself said:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).
The Just Shall Live by Faith
And now to the short prophecy of Habakkuk. This book was written during the demise of the nation of Judah. Judah had been continually called to repentance, but stubbornly refused to turn from her sinful ways. The prophet asked God how long would the intolerable situation of Judah’s sinfulness continue, and God replied that He would use the Babylonians as the instrument of chastisement upon Judah. The scripture which illuminates the tension of the conflict not only for Judah but for all men is:
“Behold the proud His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:4
This scripture comes to full light when John the Baptist declared, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36).
Paul wrote in the epistle to the Romans that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “the just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16,17). Finally, the writer to the Hebrews exhorted the Christian Jews to remember that those whom God had justified by faith in Christ Jesus must live by that faith. (Hebrews 10:38).
So let us encourage ourselves and one another to look to Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), so that we may declare as did Habakkuk (no matter the circumstances), “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18).
Tithes and Offerings
The prophet Malachi challenges the people of God regarding their lack of trust in God as their provider in Malachi 3:8-12. If the Jewish people truly believed that God would provide for them, they would not hesitate to bring the first of their increase to God in the form of tithes and offerings.
In Scripture the first represents the totality; what the first is and does has implications for all. That is why our tithes and offerings are not and cannot be the leftovers. They are not to be paid when we are sure all of our personal needs are met. They are to be the firstfruits.
God is not an object of our charity, to be cared for when all of our needs are met, but He is the Lord, our Creator, our King, absolute owner, our Judge and Redeemer. All the firstborn, we are told in several places in Scripture, are to be redeemed from the Lord. This redemption from the Lord did not buy independence of the redeemed, but simply freed them from the prompt judgment of death. Scripture declares the redeemed, be they man or animals, to belong to the Lord. The redeemed firstborn male must serve the Lord; the animals are to be used to the glory of God.
The tithe is closely related to the firstfruits and is another form of the same principle. Outside of Israel, the tithe was a tenth or tax paid to a human king. At the time that Malachi was written, Israel had rejected the Lord God as King. Israel was then required to pay its tithes to an oppressive human king (could our present tax system be the consequence of a nation who has replaced the Lord God as our Provider/King with the state as its provider/king?).
God’s requirement of the tithe is simply the declaration that He is Lord and King over His people. To deny the tithe is to deny God’s covenant, and to deny that God is our Lord and King. It is simply another way of saying, “We have no king but Caesar (the state).”
If we do not pay our tithes and gifts, we receive His curse (Malachi 3:8-9). God’s work must be supported in God’s way.
As we complete the reading of the Old Testament and look forward to reading the New Testament, we will find that God’s legal requirements remain applicable to His people. Accordingly, the law of tithing still applies today (see Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42, where Jesus confirms that tithing remains a requirement of God).
The Kingdom of God is not a beggar’s agency: it is the realm and majesty of the Most High God. We are required to render our tithes and gifts to the Lord. We receive in return His blessing, government, and care.
“Bring all the tithes . . . and try Me now in this . . . , if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).
Hope for Families
One of the most troubling aspects of today’s society is the breakup of the family. The effects of sin have taken their toll on the family. Yet in the midst of such darkness, the Scriptures give us not only hope but also light: hope to encourage our hearts and light to find our way out of darkness.
Such is the message of the last verse of the Old Testament:
“and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers” (Malachi 4:6).
This verse from Malachi is quoted in Luke 1:17 in reference to the message of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for our Lord. Unity to broken families will be restored and the effects of sin will be undone through Christ.
Mothers and especially fathers need to take seriously the covenant responsi-bilities of parenthood. Christ, through His life and death, has made it possible to enjoy a united family, blessed by God. The way has also been made for healing and restoration of families divided by unforgiveness and bitterness. Whether raising small children or believing for a restored relationship with an older sibling, hope and light can be found in the closing verses of the Old Testament.
Salvation
As we bring the reading of the Old Testament to a close, look at what both the Old and New Testaments say about salvation:
“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved . . . among the remnant whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32 & Romans 9:27)
Some use Sunday to catch up on Bible reading missed during the week. Others prefer to double up on their reading on Saturday in order to set aside the Sabbath for church and fellowship. Either way, if you consistently read Scripture in the 15 or 20 minute increments shown above for an entire year, you will read all of Scripture in just one year.