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Prophets and Kings
Rich were the rewards, both temporal and spiritual, promised those
who should put into practice these principles of righteousness. “The
seed shall be prosperous,” the Lord declared; “the vine shall give her
fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give
their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all
these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among
the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so I will save you,
and ye shall be a blessing.”
Zechariah 8:12, 13
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By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually cured
of the worship of graven images. After their return, they gave much
attention to religious instruction and to the study of that which had
been written in the book of the law and in the prophets concerning
the worship of the true God. The restoration of the temple enabled
them to carry out fully the ritual services of the sanctuary. Under the
leadership of Zerubbabel, of Ezra, and of Nehemiah they repeatedly
covenanted to keep all the commandments and ordinances of Jehovah.
The seasons of prosperity that followed gave ample evidence of God’s
willingness to accept and forgive, and yet with fatal shortsightedness
they turned again and again from their glorious destiny and selfishly
appropriated to themselves that which would have brought healing and
spiritual life to countless multitudes.
This failure to fulfill the divine purpose was very apparent in
Malachi’s day. Sternly the Lord’s messenger dealt with the evils that
were robbing Israel of temporal prosperity and spiritual power. In
his rebuke against transgressors the prophet spared neither priests nor
people. “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel” through Malachi
was that the lessons of the past be not forgotten and that the covenant
made by Jehovah with the house of Israel be kept with fidelity. Only
by heartfelt repentance could the blessing of God be realized. “I pray
you,” the prophet pleaded, “beseech God that He will be gracious unto
us.”
Malachi 1:1, 9
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Not by any temporary failure of Israel, however, was the plan of
the ages for the redemption of mankind to be frustrated. Those to
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whom the prophet was speaking might not heed the message given, but
the purposes of Jehovah were nevertheless to move steadily forward to
their complete fulfillment. “From the rising of the sun even unto the
going down of the same,” the Lord declared through His messenger,
“My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place