Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning

Thinking of the LORD - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2006-12-31

Synopsis: In this sermon, John Weaver examines Malachi 3:16-17, focusing on the reaction of the faithful remnant in times of apostasy and judgment. He emphasizes that the godly respond by speaking often to one another for mutual encouragement and counsel, and by thinking upon the Lord's name—meditating on His character and will. In response, God hearkens, remembers, assures them they are His, treasures them as His jewels, and spares them from judgment. The message calls believers to cultivate biblical meditation and fellowship, especially as times grow darker.

[John Weaver] Open your Bibles if you would please today to the book of Malachi. Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 and 17. And let me tell you in advance that this is going to be a two-part message. Not necessarily that I'll be dealing with this same text next week. I will be dealing with a different text. But it is two parts in the sense today the subject is thinking of the Lord. And next Lord's Day it will be the Lord thinking of me. So I want you to look closely now in Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 and 17. Scripture says, And they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

[John Weaver] And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Let me begin today by asking you several questions. The first one is simply this, do you ever think about the Lord? If not, may I ask, why not? And if you do think about him, the question that automatically arises is, how often do you think about him? Another question that could be asked is, what do you think about him? And do you think about him in biblical terms?

[John Weaver] It is true that we have lost the art of meditation. I probably need some time to bring just a study on the doctrine of meditation. And by meditation I am not referring to the unbiblical and ungodly Eastern meditation where one just simply sits cross-legged and concentrates on his navel. That's not what I'm talking about at all. And I heard one person say that he tried that one time and all he found was lint. But that's not meditation. The word meditation in the Bible actually means to roll the Word of God over and over in your mind. The word actually means to choose the good, just like a cow when a cow ruminates and the cow just brings back up what She has eaten earlier and then just chews that cud and tosses it over and over in her mouth. So, likewise, that's what we're to do to the Word of God. So, we're to think and to meditate upon our Heavenly Father. Now, there's another word for meditation.

[John Weaver] It has the force, literally, of musing. You will find the word muse in the Bible. And the word muse literally means to think or to meditate or to contemplate or to analyze and to consider.

[John Weaver] Now, when you put an alpha or an A in front of the word Muse, and in front of most Greek words, by the way, and some Hebrew words, when you put that alpha in the Greek, in front of the Greek word, the alpha then negates the word. So, when you have the word Muse, which means to think or to analyze and to consider, When you put the alpha in front of it, it is amuse, which means not to think, not to consider, and not to analyze.

[John Weaver] Now you understand why TV and the theater and amusement parks or fun parks are referred to as amusement because it requires no intellectual powers to attend them. You are not thinking. You are not musing. You are not considering. You are not analyzing. You are amusing yourself.

[John Weaver] Now, there are numbers of scriptures in the Bible that deal with meditation. Let me just quote some. In Psalm 5 and verse 1, David said this, Give ear, O Lord, and consider my meditation. In other words, Lord, listen to me and consider my meditation. In Psalm 19 and verse 4, David said, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Note what he said, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart or my mind be acceptable in thy sight. Again, in Psalm 104, in verse 34, David said this, my meditation of him, of the Lord, shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord. So David then is thinking of the Lord. He says, my meditation of him shall be sweet.

[John Weaver] Now the questions that I ask at the very beginning of this message are indeed important. In light of these verses on meditations, do you think of the Lord? How often do you think of the Lord? And what do you think of the Lord when you think of the Lord? So very obviously, these are important. And let me show you another reason why they're important. Because when you consider the opposite of that which is true concerning the unconverted. Now watch this.

[John Weaver] In Psalm 119, in verse 97, David said this. He said, O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night. Now, here's David, a child of God. Here's David, a Christian. And what does he say? Oh, how love I thy law. It is my meditation day and night. He's saying, I'm thinking of you. I'm thinking of your word. I'm thinking of your Lord, of your law. But when you come to Psalm 10 and verse four. Where God is condemning the wicked. God says this. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts. So here's David on the one hand. saying, O how I love I thy law, it is my meditation day and night. And on the other hand, here's the wicked through the pride of his countenance, who will not seek God. And then God condemns him and says, God is not in all of his thoughts.

[John Weaver] So there's quite a contrast then between the godly and the ungodly. And one of the attributes of the godly is that he thinks upon the Lord. And one of the attributes of the ungodly is that he refuses to think upon the Lord. You see, in Psalm 14 in verse 1 and Psalm 53 in verse 1, there's a verse that many of you could quote. It says, the fool in his heart says there is no God.

[John Weaver] Now, when you read that verse, you've got to understand, in reality, the verse is not necessarily a statement of atheism. It's not that the fool is just saying there is no God. You could interpret it like that, but that's not the force of those passages. What the wicked or the fool is saying is this, know God for me. I don't want him. I don't recognize him. I don't need him. I won't have him. Know God for me.

[John Weaver] I am my own Lord. Now, it should be duly noted that whatever God condemns in the wicked God is not in all of his thoughts, the opposite is commended for the saints. That is, God should be in all of our thoughts.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop right here because I can hear a multitude of Christians screaming, saying, wait a minute, pastor. I can't think of God 24 hours a day. I've got work to do. I've got things to do. I've got a schedule to keep. I mean, it's just impossible for me to think of God 24 hours a day. By the way, it is impossible. You could not sit down and just concentrate on the Lord 24 hours a day. That is true. It is impossible. But that does not mean that God cannot be in all of your thoughts. And what Scripture is teaching us is not necessarily that we have to sit and think about God 24 hours a day. It just teaches us that God is to be in all of our thoughts. What does that mean?

[John Weaver] Do you remember the passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5? Turn there very quickly. O Malachi, we're coming back there, but I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5 and look at this one verse. I'll show you some other verses. just momentarily. But look what the Bible says, 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 5. God says, casting down imaginations and every high thing or every high thought that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. So every thought is to be brought into obedience to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, you see, what that means is simply this. God is to be in all of our thoughts. You say, Brother Weaver, I don't understand this. How in the world can you say that it's impossible for a man to sit down and concentrate on God 24 hours a day, and yet you're saying God can be in all of our thoughts? Well, it's simple. Whenever you go get a glass of water and you drink the glass of water. Could not you also think of Christ, who is the living water? And thank him for being the true water of life. Whenever you eat and you eat a piece of bread, can you not think that Jesus Christ is indeed the true bread of life, according to John Chapter 6? It was Stonewall Jackson who said, I never put a glass of water to my lips without thanking him who is the living water. And he says, I never send a letter without asking God to bless the one who receives the letter. Isn't that amazing? In other words, all God is saying is he can be in our thoughts.

[John Weaver] It does not require us to sit down and just concentrate upon Him 24 hours a day. You see, there are a multitude of things that you and I have to think about. We have to think about work. We have to think about our mates. We have to think about our children. We have to think about all the things that we have to do. Yet, we can think about those things in terms of the Lord and in terms of scriptural truth. Sickness. Whether it's ourselves or our loved ones who are sick, we can still think about those terms in light of the Lord.

[John Weaver] Alice can tell you that there was a doctor in a neighboring county. I'm not going to say which county. And basically, he was a good doctor. He really was. But he's very arrogant and very lost. And he walked into the room where Prayer was being made for the lady who was about to undergo surgery. And we asked the Lord for protection and blessing upon the woman. And the doctor said, you ought to be praying to me. I'm the one doing the surgery. Just a short while later, that 40-something-year-old doctor dropped dead. Now, all I'm trying to say is You can think about the Lord. You can think about our need of Him.

[John Weaver] Whether it's surgery, whether it's sickness, whether it's finances, whether it's family, it doesn't matter. Now, God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21, I want you to listen to this and think about the impact and the importance of these words. Let me quote it. God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21, I spake unto thee and thy prosperity. But thou saidest, I will not hear. This has been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice." Now listen to what God said. I spoke to you and your prosperity. But you said, I will not hear. Do you realize if we are unwilling to hear God, if we are unwilling to think of Him in times of prosperity, in times of ease and comfort, Let me assure you today that God can arrange circumstances so you have to think about Him in times of persecution, distress, oppression, and tyranny.

[John Weaver] He can really work it out where you will really have to call upon Him. I can assure you He can arrange the adversity that we need just to force us to think upon Him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. turning your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 12. I want you to watch this argument. Jeremiah chapter 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Once again, this is a very powerful verse. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Look what God asks. If thou hast run with the footman, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"

[John Weaver] Now God says, look, if you're trying to run with footmen, that is, you're running with other men who are running, and those footmen weary you, you can't hold up, you can't hold out, you can't keep up. If they weary you, God said, what in the world is going to happen to you when the horses come along? And then he said, if in the land of peace, if in the land of peace, watch it, where thou trusteth they weary thee. In other words, if you get weary when you've got peace and comfort and safety, then he said, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan? And the swelling of the Jordan speaks of the flood time when a lot of things are destroyed. So God says, what are you going to do then? The easy thing is to learn to think about God in times of prosperity, in times of peace and comfort and security, because if we're not used to thinking about him in those times and he brings on persecution and war, what are we going to do?

[John Weaver] And if he has to force us to think about him, he can arrange those things in order to force us to think about him. Now I want you to go back to Malachi chapter 3 because that's our text and I'm going to show you two points from this wonderful text today. But I want you to see the context if you would please. Let's look first of all at verses 16 and 17 and read them again okay. Malachi 3 verse 16.

[John Weaver] Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before them before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, said the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spared his own son, and serve with him."

[John Weaver] Now, remember I taught you that one thing that you have to always consider when you look at a text is the context. You've got to understand the context in which those verses appear. So in order to get the immediate context, let's begin reading in verse 5. Watch this very closely now. In verse 5, here's what God says to Israel. And I will come near to you to judgment. So what is God about to do?

[John Weaver] He's going to judge the people. And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. Now, what is God promising right now? Judgment. And He's promising judgment to those who violate His law. And He says in verse 6, For I am the Lord, I change not.

[John Weaver] Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers, now look at the witness against Israel. Even from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from mine ordinances, and I have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But you said, We will not return. Will a man rob God? Yes, you've robbed me. But you say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you've robbed me, but this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be need in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.

[John Weaver] If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, there shall be not room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time of the field, saith the Lord of Hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed," that is, if you obey Him and turn and repent. And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delights of land, saith the Lord of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] Yet you say, what have we spoken so much against thee? You have said it is vain to serve God. And what prophet is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts, and now we call the proud happy? Yea, and they that work wickedness are set up. Yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then They that feared the Lord spake of one to another.

[John Weaver] I want you to notice this. In the context of verses 16 and 17, you have the context of judgment. You have the context of judgment against the people who basically despise God. They refuse to obey him. They refuse to honor him. They refused to acknowledge Him, and by the way, I'm not preaching on tithes today, but do you realize tithing is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty? It's saying, God, I recognize that you've given me everything I have. But these people were saying, it's useless to serve God. It's vain to get up early to serve Him. God is of no importance to us. And so because of their rebellion, because of their wickedness, because of their sins, God now is bringing judgment against them. Now, I want you to understand, here's the question. In light of the context of apostasy, contempt of God, disregard for His worship, His service, and His ministry.

[John Weaver] What can the faithful do? Now, let me remind you of one verse and don't turn there, but I'll just quote it for you. James chapter 4 in verse 8. The Word of God says draw nigh to God. And he'll draw nigh to you. But you know, the opposite is also true. If you forsake the Lord, the Lord will forsake you. That's what Scripture says over and over.

[John Weaver] In other words, you sin against Him, you rebel against Him, you do wickedly, then God's going to judge you. But when the Scripture says, draw an eye to God and He'll draw an eye to you, that verse is exemplified, James 4 and verse 8, is exemplified in Malachi 3, 16 and 17.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. Two points today I want you to see. The first one is this, the reaction of the saints. the reaction of the saints. When you look at verses 5 through 15, all you see is apostasy, tyranny, oppression, wickedness, and the judgment of God falling upon a disobedient people and a rebellious country. You know, that almost rings true to today, doesn't it?

[John Weaver] Well, let's ask the question. In light of such circumstances that we live in today, what are we to do? What is to be our reaction to what is going on around us? Well, in verse 16, you have the reaction of the Saints. Look at it. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note two things, first of all, in this verse. They that feared the Lord. And in other words, in light of a widespread rebellion and apostasy and tyranny, yet there was a remnant. There was still a group of people who feared the Lord. They saw the rebellion of the land. They concluded that God's vengeance must fall upon the land and fall upon those people. Therefore, as the corruption increased, they cleaved more closely to the Lord.

[John Weaver] They did not forsake Him. They did not join the wicked. They did not grow cold in themselves. No, they just drew closer to the Lord. Now, let me just emphasize something right now. Please listen. In times of persecution, in times of trouble, in times of apostasy, in times of judgment, the safest place to be is as close as you can possibly get to the Lord. You know what a wolf does? A wolf will always go after the weakest, the sickliest, and the stragglers. They're easy pickings. And the world and the flesh and the devil know that. You start straggling, you start becoming anemic, spiritually speaking, and you are wolf bait. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] But when you look at verse 16, these saints did not throw in the towel. They did not quit. They did not give up and they did not give out. They did not lag behind. You see, for the true child of God, persecution and oppression and tyranny and problems will always drive the true Christian closer to the Lord. It won't drive him away, it will drive him closer. Anyone who gets driven away because of persecution has never been a real Christian anyhow, based upon 1 John chapter 2. A real saint of God will always draw closer to the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a statement before I begin to enunciate this point. Are you listening? The message I'm preaching today is not a pietistic message. And by a pietistic message, I mean this. I'm not advocating that in times of persecution, in times of danger, in times of trouble, that all we do is withdraw and meditate. That is not what I am saying. I am saying that there must be meditation. I am saying that there must be careful thought, and those thoughts must be based upon biblical truth. We do have other duties, And we do have other responsibilities, and we must fulfill those duties and those responsibilities, but we cannot fulfill them without meditation and without thought.

[John Weaver] They that fear the Lord speak often one with another. Now, what do I mean by that? Why were they speaking one with another? I'm sure there's a multitude of reasons. They were undoubtedly encouraging each other in the Lord. But they were also undoubtedly giving and receiving counsel. Most of us have never, ever understood the importance of biblical counsel. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 11, verse 14? Listen to what God says. Where there is no counsel, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.

[John Weaver] I don't care how hard I try, I cannot think about everything. I can't. And I don't care if I have one problem, I still cannot think everything about that one problem. I have to have help in my thinking. I have to have someone who's been through that problem or someone who's going through that problem or someone who knows about that problem or someone who knows more than I do about that problem.

[John Weaver] And therefore, he said, in the multitude of counselors there is safety. In Proverbs 15 in verse 22, The Bible says this, without counsel, purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established. So if you want to be disappointed in your plans, just do all your planning yourself without help in thinking. No, he says you must have counsel. And then in Proverbs 20 and verse 18, it hits the nail on the head because the Bible says every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war." Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war.

[John Weaver] You don't run off half-cocked. You don't run off just thinking about what you want to think. No, God says, with good advice or good counsel, you make war. You do what you're supposed to do, but based upon biblical counsel. It is exceedingly unwise in times of danger and persecution to act without thinking and to act without counsel. In fact, it is unwise to act anytime without thinking and without counsel.

[John Weaver] How many of you have backed your car out of the driveway and realized you didn't even look? You weren't thinking. There have been times in my life that I've gone from one point to another point, and I've had something on my mind. I don't remember stopping at red lights, stop signs, or looking at railroad tracks. I did, in all probability, but I don't remember doing it. I was thinking about something else, but I was not thinking about what I was doing.

[John Weaver] You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 21 in verse 2, listen, every way of man is right in his own eyes. Nick could determine to do something, he says, that's right. It is in his own eyes, he thought about it, it has to be right. That's the way we think. Then someone comes along and says, whoa, what are you doing? That's not right. Have you considered this, have you thought about that? No. See, the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 15, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.

[John Weaver] But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. So God is saying, look, they stake one to another. What in the world were they doing? They were seeking counsel. They were trying to encourage each other. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 10. I want you to see what God says in verse 24. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24. I want you to look at this. In light of apostasy, in light of persecution, in light of danger, in light of oppression, Look what the Bible says, Hebrews 10 verse 24, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. But exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the approaching.

[John Weaver] So what are we to do? We're to exhort each other. And we're to do it more frequently. As times are more dangerous than the day draws near the judgment or or the coming of the Lord, whatever. God says we're to exhort each other in the Lord. And He goes on to say that we're to exhort each other. Let me turn back there. Look a little further. Look in Hebrews chapter 10. Once again, verse 24. He says it like this.

[John Weaver] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the matter of some is, but exhorting one another in so much more as you say that they approach you. Let us consider one another to do what? To provoke unto love and good works. You know what most of us do as Christians? We just only do half of verse 24. We just provoke each other. We don't provoke their love and good works, we just provoke each other. And God says we're to do that, provoking each other's love and good works, and so much more as we see the day approaching. So what are they doing when they're speaking together?

[John Weaver] They're looking at Doc and saying, don't give up, don't give out, hang in there, God's going to grant us victory, God's going to deliver us, do right! That's encouragement. That's provoking into loving good works. Yes, I would do this based upon what you've told me, based upon what I know from the Bible. It's scriptural. Let's do it. Let's do it. That's counsel. That's good advice. And that's provoking into loving good works. You know. It's interesting, as you read through the New Testament, and I can give you several examples, but Acts 4 and Acts 12 are just two of them. But you read through the book of Acts. And whenever the apostles were captured, brought before the Sanhedrin, sometimes they were beaten, told not anymore to speak in his name, read your Bibles and find the first thing that they did when they were released. You know what they did?

[John Weaver] They went to the other brethren and reported all that was done. What were they doing? They were saying, here's what has happened. Let me encourage you. God brought us through it. He's going to bring you through it. Over and over, they did that. God is able to deliver. That's what they were saying. So they spank one to another. So I believe this speaking together then not only was mutual exhortation. And mutual biblical provocation.

[John Weaver] They were strengthening each other's hands. and they were receiving help and direction and guidance. So he says in times of persecution, in times of apostasy, we need to speak together more frequently. Notice if you would back in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16, and I'm going to deal with the second point under the reaction of the saints. The Bible said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it. and a book of remembrance written before them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name." So they not only spoke to each other, the second thing they did is they thought upon His name.

[John Weaver] Now, doubtless, thinking upon the Lord's name is a rare virtue. Because each of us can testify how easily forgetfulness creeps over us. We forget to pray. We forget to thank the Lord for what he's done for us. We forget to thank him for life and breath and health and happiness. And you know, one of the things that's really been impressed upon me through the years is this. And I am thankful. I really am. For the life that God has given me and the life that God has given my wife. But you know, it is amazing you let someone who's been married maybe 50 or 60 years lose their mate.

[John Weaver] And I have seen people just so distraught and so disturbed and so distressed. And I understand that. I mean, you've been together so long, it's like dying yourself. I understand that. But on the other hand, we've forgotten to thank the Lord that, God, you let me have my mate for 56 years. What a blessing. Most people don't get to have a late that long. While we're grieving, we forget to be thankful. We forget all about the good things of the good times. And we just concentrate on what's going on right now.

[John Weaver] They thought upon His name. You see, forgetfulness easily creeps over us, and sometimes when we forget God, we begin to think, or we tend to think, that we can sin with impunity. Go back and read Psalm 10. What do the wicked say? God does not see, or God will never know. The forgetting of God always leads to sin, rebellion, and wickedness. Once we learn to remember the Lord and we think about Him in everything that we do, we will find that that is a bridle sufficient to restrain most of our lusts. They thought upon His name.

[John Weaver] Now, what in the world does that mean? The word for name is the word Shem. It occurs 864 times in the Bible. Adam named the animals. You know what Adam was doing when he named the animals? He was not saying, well, there's that old cow. Look at there. She's taking food from all the other cows. I'll call her old bossy. No, that's not what Adam was doing. When Adam named the animals, he was scientifically classifying those animals, and he was reading in those animals the very nature that God had given them and created them with. When he named them, he saw their nature. He saw their attributes.

[John Weaver] He knew why they had been made. And when the Bible says they think upon the name of the Lord, it doesn't mean that we just think that his name may be Yahweh or Jehovah. It means that we think upon his name, yes, but his reputation, his fame, his glory, his attributes. In other words, he is a memorial to us. When we think of the name of the Lord, we're thinking of his character, his attributes, his will, his way, his word. When we think upon the name of the Lord, we're thinking that He is the Creator. He's the Sustainer, the Preserver, the Provider, the Redeemer, the Lord of Glory. We think about His will for our lives. We think about His law, His word, His direction that He gives us. When we think about His name, we're saying that His name is sacred to us in the sense that We recognize Him as the only true and living God. He is the sovereign God and He has the authority to tell us what to think and how to act.

[John Weaver] That's remembering God. The name of God is God Himself. It's thinking who God is. So thinking upon His name is vitally important to us because the more we think about Him and the more we think upon Him, the more we perceive His character, His attributes, and His will for our lives. You know, I just find that absolutely astounding. In the time of apostasy and corruption and tyranny, how did the saints react?

[John Weaver] They spake more frequently one with another. And they thought upon His name. We want to make sure that we have His will, His Word, His way in our lives and whatever we do. They weren't pietists. They weren't withdrawing to a cave somewhere and just sitting down meditating, doing nothing. No, they were fulfilling their responsibilities, but they were making sure they fulfilled them biblically and scripturally. There's another thought that I want to give you here.

[John Weaver] You've seen the reaction of the Saints. Now I want you to look at the response of the Sovereign. Verse 16, Then they that feared the Lord spake off on one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

[John Weaver] And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Now there are several responses and I want to enumerate these for you that God gives to the reaction of the saints. The first is a response of encouragement. I want you to see how the Lord treats such people who speak often one to each other as saints. and that think upon his name. The Bible says the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him. So he hearkened to their conversations. He heard the meditation of their hearts and he approved to the extent that a book of remembrance was kept before him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you that this allusion is to the books that earthly kings used to keep. For instance, you will find one mentioned in Ezra chapter 4, Esther chapter 2, and Esther chapter 6. You remember it was King Ahasuerus who could not sleep and he called for the book to be read before him and that's when he found out that Mordecai had reported the conspiracy of the two men who were going to kill him. And he said, has anything been done for Mordecai? No, we're doing the book of remembrance. Kings kept them.

[John Weaver] And so here's an illusion of that. And what the Lord is doing is condescending in this verse to give us an illusion after the manner of men so that we will understand that the Lord does indeed hearken. He does hear and he does remember.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible says he heard it. He heard when we spoke of him and we thought of him. He fully understood it, he observed it, and he understood, and therefore there was a registry kept before him.

[John Weaver] Now, what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord is not going to forget, but he shall remember every good man, every good work, every good word, every good thought of him and for him They are entered under his eye. He knows them. And he's going to be. And we should be assured that there will be a comfortable blessing and reward for those who so think about him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask this question, and I'm sure it's already entered into your mind. Why is the scripture so specific here when the Bible said the Lord hearkened and heard and a Book of Remembrance was written. Why does God say the same thing three times? He could just say, the Lord hearkened, or the Lord heard, or a Book of Remembrance was written, but God says each one of them three times. You must understand there is no forgetfulness in God. He bears in His own eternal mind a remembrance of all persons, thoughts, words, and actions of His people. And according to Romans 2 and verse 16, even the secret thoughts of man will be revealed in that day. God is omniscient. God sees all. God knows all. God does not forget.

[John Weaver] He does not have the afflictions of mankind. He does not come down with Alzheimer's. Why then does the Scripture say three times that the Lord hearkened, the Lord heard, and a book of remembrance was written? The answer is, for our encouragement.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to note verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Look what the Bible says. Hebrews 6 verse 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you minister to the saints and do minister. Now look at that a little more closely. For God is not unrighteous to forget what? your work and labor of love, which you showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. So God is not unrighteous to forget our work and our labor of love. Now, if God is not going to forget our work and our labor of love. Very obviously, God is not going to forget our thoughts. Because it is our thoughts that motivate us to do the work and do the labor.

[John Weaver] You have to think of those things before you do them. So God is not unrighteous to forget the work. And God is certainly not unrighteous to forget the thoughts. Do you not remember all of these verses in the Bible? I'm not going to quote them all. But do you not remember those verses in the Bible, in the New Testament particularly, that speak of our Lord? For instance, in Matthew 9 and verse 4 and Matthew 12 and verse 24, the Bible says, Jesus, knowing their thoughts, And in Luke 6 and verse 8, the Bible says he knew their thoughts. He's not going to forget those thoughts. Do you realize that some well, not just sometimes, but many times in the Bible.

[John Weaver] The thought is accepted for the deed. You say, what in the world are you thinking about? The thought is accepted for the deed. Well, turn in your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. You should watch this. 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. And look in verse 12. Now, in the context of 2nd Corinthians chapter 8, they're taking up a collection for the poor brethren. OK?

[John Weaver] Have you ever wanted to give to some great need, but you didn't have the money to give. It's been my lot in life. Many times. But look what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 12. The Apostle writes, for if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. What's that mean? If I see a need, and I say, Lord, I'd like to give $200 for this, but Lord, all I've got is $20. I don't have $200, but I'll give the $20.

[John Weaver] You know what God does? He marks me down for giving $200. If there's first a willing mind, then the thought is accepted for the deed. So God knows our thoughts. And He hearkens and He hears. And therefore we are encouraged to know that not even our thoughts are going to be forgotten before Him. Those that think upon His name. He hearkened. He heard. And a book of remembrance was there.

[John Weaver] Then if you look in verse 17 back in Malachi chapter 3, there is not only a response of encouragement, there is also a response of assurance. He says in verse 17, and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. I like that. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. What is he declaring? He is declaring, I'm going to acknowledge them. I'm going to assure them that they are my people, they're my subjects, they're my followers, and I'm going to acknowledge them specifically in the day when I judge the wicked.

[John Weaver] Now hang on, because it gets a little better in just a few moments. You know what he said in Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 5? For he had said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. You know something, folks? I don't care how bad of a judgment falls on this country, or any country, God is not going to forget or forsake His people. Period. He said, I want to acknowledge you. You are going to be mine. You know what our Lord said? I want you to see it. Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10, just a few pages over. Matthew chapter 10.

[John Weaver] Look at what he said in verses 32 and 33. Matthew 10, verse 32. This is similar to what God is saying in Malachi 3 in verse 17, when he said, they shall be mine, saith the Lord. Matthew chapter 10. Notice if you would, verse 32. Matthew 10, verse 32. Our Lord says, whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoso shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. What's our Lord saying?

[John Weaver] In the day of judgment, you know what I'm going to say of you? You're mine. You're mine. I'm going to acknowledge you. What assurance? God is not going to forget His people. We are His. We belong to Him. If you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, let me show you why. Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verses 7 and 8. Do you know why God loved us? Here's why.

[John Weaver] Because He chose to love us. There's nothing good in us. And here's what He says in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people. For you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you. Why did the Lord love you? Because the Lord loved you. He just loved you because he chose to love you. And what's he saying?

[John Weaver] He is not going to forget us. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. You remember what he said in 2 Corinthians 6, verse 18, and I will be a father unto them, and they shall be my children. So God responds, not only with a response of encouragement, but a response of assurance. And then go back to Malachi 3, verse 17. Here also is a response of affection. Notice what he said in verse 17, and they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and think about this. My wife has some jewelry and she keeps it separate from anything else. Why would she do that? Because she values it. It's counted her peculiar treasure. All of you women have jewelry. You do the same thing. You have your jewelry box or you have your drawer. You have some place where you keep that jewelry. And if you men ever happen to have anything fashionable, you keep it somewhere else too. You keep it somewhere special. I want to show you what the Lord's treasure is. Look in your Bibles.

[John Weaver] to the book of Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. You've got to remember that God created the world and everything therein. All the cattle on a thousand hills belong to him, the gold, the silver, everything else belongs to him. But in Exodus chapter 19, if you look at verses 5 and 6, you'll find out what his peculiar treasure really is. Exodus 19, verse 5. Our Lord tells His people, Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people.

[John Weaver] For all the earth is Mine, and you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel." What does God say? You shall be My peculiar people. God said, and they shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels. Now, folks. Please think about this. Think about. How unworthy. We are. Think about how before our conversion and unhappily, sometimes after our conversion, We've sinned grievously against the Lord. Think about how prayerless we are. How praiseless we are. How unthankful we are. Think about how impatient we are. Think about how easily we give up. How easily we give out. Think how many times we fail. Yet God said, They shall be mine in that day when I make up my jewels. God still values us. He treasures us. He acknowledges us.

[John Weaver] And we have to confess, folks, it is only Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone who makes us worthy. to be our father's jewels. A response of affection. You'll be my peculiar treasure when I make up my jewels. Oh, but look at this. Here's the fourth one. A response of protection. He says in verse 17. And I will spare them as a man spared his own son that serveth him. And I will spare them.

[John Weaver] Now, please, may I remind you of the context? What's the context of these verses? Judgment. God is judging a sinning, rebelling, wicked, corrupt nation. But God said in all that corruption, I have some that fear me. that speak frequently to each other that think upon my name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. And I will make them my jewels in that day when I gather my peculiar and particular treasure.

[John Weaver] And then he said, And I will spare them. This is that which many saints have waited to hear and wanted to hear. Let me just give you a practical application. You look at the corruption of our government. The corruption of our country. The corruption of our money. The corruption of our people. And we know that abortion and socialism and sodomy and fornication, we know that all of that trash is wicked and wrong and ungodly and we don't want any part of it. And we know the judgment of God is going to fall. But God says to His people, I'll spare you.

[John Weaver] Oh, that doesn't mean that we won't ever have to suffer any. But it does mean that we're going to be spared. I want to show you. I want to show you how important this is. I want you to turn in your Bible to 2 Peter 2, 9, let me show you one verse and then I'm going to quote some verses for you. 2 Peter 2 and look at verse 9.

[John Weaver] And I am thankful that God knows this truth, I can assure you. 2 Peter 2 and verse 9. Please look at what the scripture says. 2 Peter 2 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment to be punished. Isn't that amazing? God knows how to deliver us out of temptations. and at the same time reserve the unjust to punishment and chastisement." What's he saying?

[John Weaver] I want to spare my people. I know how to do that. I know how to deliver you and judge them at the same time.

[John Weaver] Now, what did God say? Think. God said, and I will spare them. As a man spares his only son who serves him. I want to impress upon you how great this honor really is. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 4, God did not spare the angels that sinned against Him. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 5, God did not spare the old world. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 6, He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. In Matthew 24, He did not spare the Jews nor Jerusalem, but He destroyed them. And in Romans 8 and verse 32, the Bible says, For He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things? God did not spare the old world. He did not spare the angels. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not spare Jerusalem. He did not even spare His own Son. But He will spare His people. I might add, it's only because He spared not His own Son that He will spare us.

[John Weaver] What is the Scripture doing? It is vouchsafing us as His special people. Our lives are spared. We are called by His grace. And though sometimes we are afflicted and chastised, it is always done gently and in love and for our good and for His glory. Our services are accepted. Even the imperfections of our services are overlooked. Our sins are pardoned. And we'll find mercy on the Day of Judgment. And we'll hear our Lord say, Father, I confess Him before You.

[John Weaver] For He confessed Me before men. And we'll hear our Father say, He's mine. He's my precious treasure. and my precious jewel. Those who are redeemed in Jesus Christ will have all the honor and glory given to them that was purchased and earned by the suffering and work of Jesus Christ. We will be the vessels of pleasure, while the ungodly will be the vessels of wrath. and whom God has no pleasure.

[John Weaver] Do you remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verses 28 and 29? He said, And I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. They shall be mine.

[John Weaver] Now, just two quick applications. Scripture says that these saints spake often one to another and thought upon his name. By nature, we do not know the thoughts of the Lord. We must learn to think as God thinks He said in Isaiah 55 in verse 8, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, saith the Lord. In Micah chapter 4 in verse 12, he says, But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand his counsel. So that means this. If we're going to think right thoughts of him, we must submit our mind to his word and learn to think scripturally and biblically.

[John Weaver] I want to show you the opposite. You say, but I don't have time to study my Bible. I don't have time to research. I don't have time to think. You better take time. You know what God said in Isaiah 65 verse 2, let me quote it. Isaiah 65 verse 2, he said, I've spread out my hands all the day unto rebellious people who walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts. What does God call walking after your own thoughts? Rebellion. What is it walking after his thoughts? Obedience. If we're going to think upon the Lord, we have to learn to think biblically. The second application is this, we have to learn the principle of Proverbs 16 and verse 3 where the Bible said, commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. What's that mean? That means whatever we start to do, we have to say, Lord, I want to do what's right. I want to honor you. And Lord, I may not necessarily know everything that's right in this area right now, but I want you to teach me because I want this to be honoring to your name and I want it to be for your glory.

[John Weaver] And doing so, We'll find that our thoughts are established in the right way. We'll also find comfort and delight. For David said in Psalm 94 and verse 19, in the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. Why could David say that? Because he had learned to think scripturally. God said they shall be mine, said the Lord. And that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son who serveth him." Our responsibility is to speak often one to another, to think upon the Lord. And the rougher the times get, the more frequently we're to fellowship with each other, encourage each other, counsel each other, and the more frequently we should think upon the Lord. And we should also thank Him for having His Word and His Son who gave us eternal life. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You would teach us and help us, Father, to think upon Thee and to think upon Thy name, Thy character, Thy attributes, Thy greatness, Thy mercy, Thy works make us holy and make us godly, we pray.

[John Weaver] Help us to live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Thinking of the LORD - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3707172937
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-12-31
Dictation Name
Book	Book 084: Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	92

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Importance of Thinking About the Lord

Weaver poses questions about whether, how often, and what we think about the Lord, contrasting biblical meditation with Eastern meditation and amusement.

Open your Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Malachi. Malachi chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. And let me tell you in advance that this is going to be a two-part message. Not necessarily that I'll be dealing with this same text next week—I will be dealing with a different text—but it is two parts in the sense today the subject is thinking of the Lord, and next Lord's Day it will be the Lord thinking of me. So I want you to look closely now in Malachi chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:16-17

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Let me begin today by asking you several questions. The first one is simply this: Do you ever think about the Lord? If not, may I ask, why not? And if you do think about him, the question that automatically arises is, how often do you think about him? Another question that could be asked is, what do you think about him? And do you think about him in biblical terms? It is true that we have lost the art of meditation. I probably need some time to bring just a study on the doctrine of meditation. And by meditation I am not referring to the unbiblical and ungodly Eastern meditation where one just simply sits cross-legged and concentrates on his navel. That's not what I'm talking about at all. And I heard one person say that he tried that one time and all he found was lint. But that's not meditation. The word meditation in the Bible actually means to roll the Word of God over and over in your mind. The word actually means to choose the good, just like a cow when a cow ruminates and the cow just brings back up what she has eaten earlier and then just chews that cud and tosses it over and over in her mouth. So, likewise, that's what we're to do to the Word of God. So, we're to think and to meditate upon our Heavenly Father. Now, there's another word for meditation.

It has the force, literally, of musing. You will find the word muse in the Bible. And the word muse literally means to think or to meditate or to contemplate or to analyze and to consider. Now, when you put an alpha or an A in front of the word muse, and in front of most Greek words, by the way, and some Hebrew words, when you put that alpha in the Greek, in front of the Greek word, the alpha then negates the word. So, when you have the word muse, which means to think or to analyze and to consider, when you put the alpha in front of it, it is amuse, which means not to think, not to consider, and not to analyze.

Now you understand why TV and the theater and amusement parks or fun parks are referred to as amusement—because it requires no intellectual powers to attend them. You are not thinking. You are not musing. You are not considering. You are not analyzing. You are amusing yourself.

Biblical Meditation Defined and Contrasted

Meditation is rolling God's Word over in the mind, like a cow chewing cud. The opposite is 'amusement'—not thinking. David's meditations were sweet and acceptable to God.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 5:1

Now, there are numbers of scriptures in the Bible that deal with meditation. Let me just quote some. In Psalm 5 and verse 1, David said this, "Give ear, O Lord, and consider my meditation." In other words, Lord, listen to me and consider my meditation. In Psalm 19 and verse 4, David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Note what he said: let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart or my mind be acceptable in thy sight. Again, in Psalm 104, in verse 34, David said this, "My meditation of him, of the Lord, shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord." So David then is thinking of the Lord. He says, my meditation of him shall be sweet.

Now the questions that I ask at the very beginning of this message are indeed important. In light of these verses on meditations, do you think of the Lord? How often do you think of the Lord? And what do you think of the Lord when you think of the Lord? So very obviously, these are important. And let me show you another reason why they're important. Because when you consider the opposite of that which is true concerning the unconverted. Now watch this.

The Contrast Between the Godly and the Wicked

The godly meditate on God's law day and night (Psalm 119:97), while the wicked have no room for God in their thoughts (Psalm 10:4). The fool says 'No God for me.'

In Psalm 119, in verse 97, David said this. He said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:97

"O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night."

Now, here's David, a child of God. Here's David, a Christian. And what does he say? Oh, how love I thy law. It is my meditation day and night. He's saying, I'm thinking of you. I'm thinking of your word. I'm thinking of your Lord, of your law. But when you come to Psalm 10 and verse 4, where God is condemning the wicked, God says this: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts." So here's David on the one hand, saying, O how I love I thy law, it is my meditation day and night. And on the other hand, here's the wicked through the pride of his countenance, who will not seek God. And then God condemns him and says, God is not in all of his thoughts.

So there's quite a contrast then between the godly and the ungodly. And one of the attributes of the godly is that he thinks upon the Lord. And one of the attributes of the ungodly is that he refuses to think upon the Lord. You see, in Psalm 14 in verse 1 and Psalm 53 in verse 1, there's a verse that many of you could quote. It says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 14:1; 53:1

"The fool in his heart says there is no God."

Now, when you read that verse, you've got to understand, in reality, the verse is not necessarily a statement of atheism. It's not that the fool is just saying there is no God. You could interpret it like that, but that's not the force of those passages. What the wicked or the fool is saying is this: No God for me. I don't want him. I don't recognize him. I don't need him. I won't have him. No God for me.

I am my own Lord. Now, it should be duly noted that whatever God condemns in the wicked—God is not in all of his thoughts—the opposite is commended for the saints. That is, God should be in all of our thoughts.

God in All Our Thoughts: Practical Integration

Though we cannot concentrate on God 24/7, we can bring every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) by relating daily activities to Him, like Stonewall Jackson did.

Now, let me just stop right here because I can hear a multitude of Christians screaming, saying, "Wait a minute, pastor. I can't think of God 24 hours a day. I've got work to do. I've got things to do. I've got a schedule to keep. I mean, it's just impossible for me to think of God 24 hours a day." By the way, it is impossible. You could not sit down and just concentrate on the Lord 24 hours a day. That is true. It is impossible. But that does not mean that God cannot be in all of your thoughts. And what Scripture is teaching us is not necessarily that we have to sit and think about God 24 hours a day. It just teaches us that God is to be in all of our thoughts. What does that mean?

Do you remember the passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5? Turn there very quickly. O Malachi, we're coming back there, but I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5 and look at this one verse. I'll show you some other verses just momentarily. But look what the Bible says, 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 5. God says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations and every high thing or every high thought that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

So every thought is to be brought into obedience to Jesus Christ.

Now, you see, what that means is simply this. God is to be in all of our thoughts. You say, "Brother Weaver, I don't understand this. How in the world can you say that it's impossible for a man to sit down and concentrate on God 24 hours a day, and yet you're saying God can be in all of our thoughts?" Well, it's simple. Whenever you go get a glass of water and you drink the glass of water, could not you also think of Christ, who is the living water? And thank him for being the true water of life. Whenever you eat and you eat a piece of bread, can you not think that Jesus Christ is indeed the true bread of life, according to John chapter 6? It was Stonewall Jackson who said, "I never put a glass of water to my lips without thanking him who is the living water." And he says, "I never send a letter without asking God to bless the one who receives the letter." Isn't that amazing? In other words, all God is saying is he can be in our thoughts.

It does not require us to sit down and just concentrate upon Him 24 hours a day. You see, there are a multitude of things that you and I have to think about. We have to think about work. We have to think about our mates. We have to think about our children. We have to think about all the things that we have to do. Yet, we can think about those things in terms of the Lord and in terms of scriptural truth. Sickness—whether it's ourselves or our loved ones who are sick—we can still think about those terms in light of the Lord.

The Danger of Forgetting God in Prosperity

If we refuse to think of God in times of ease, He may arrange adversity to force us to call on Him (Jeremiah 22:21; 12:5).

Alice can tell you that there was a doctor in a neighboring county—I'm not going to say which county—and basically, he was a good doctor. He really was. But he's very arrogant and very lost. And he walked into the room where prayer was being made for the lady who was about to undergo surgery. And we asked the Lord for protection and blessing upon the woman. And the doctor said, "You ought to be praying to me. I'm the one doing the surgery." Just a short while later, that 40-something-year-old doctor dropped dead. Now, all I'm trying to say is you can think about the Lord. You can think about our need of Him.

Whether it's surgery, whether it's sickness, whether it's finances, whether it's family, it doesn't matter. Now, God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21, I want you to listen to this and think about the impact and the importance of these words. Let me quote it. God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 22:21

"I spake unto thee in thy prosperity. But thou saidest, I will not hear. This has been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice."

Now listen to what God said. I spoke to you in your prosperity. But you said, I will not hear. Do you realize if we are unwilling to hear God, if we are unwilling to think of Him in times of prosperity, in times of ease and comfort, let me assure you today that God can arrange circumstances so you have to think about Him in times of persecution, distress, oppression, and tyranny.

He can really work it out where you will really have to call upon Him. I can assure you He can arrange the adversity that we need just to force us to think upon Him. Now, let me show you. Turn your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 12. I want you to watch this argument. Jeremiah chapter 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Once again, this is a very powerful verse. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Look what God asks:

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 12:5

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"

Now God says, look, if you're trying to run with footmen—that is, you're running with other men who are running—and those footmen weary you, you can't hold up, you can't hold out, you can't keep up. If they weary you, God said, what in the world is going to happen to you when the horses come along? And then he said, if in the land of peace—if in the land of peace, watch it—where thou trusteth they weary thee. In other words, if you get weary when you've got peace and comfort and safety, then he said, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan? And the swelling of the Jordan speaks of the flood time when a lot of things are destroyed. So God says, what are you going to do then? The easy thing is to learn to think about God in times of prosperity, in times of peace and comfort and security, because if we're not used to thinking about him in those times and he brings on persecution and war, what are we going to do?

And if he has to force us to think about him, he can arrange those things in order to force us to think about him. Now I want you to go back to Malachi chapter 3 because that's our text and I'm going to show you two points from this wonderful text today. But I want you to see the context if you would please. Let's look first of all at verses 16 and 17 and read them again, okay. Malachi 3 verse 16. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, said the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."

Context of Malachi 3:16-17: Judgment and Apostasy

The verses sit in a context of God's judgment on a rebellious people who despise His service. The faithful remnant's reaction is highlighted.

Now, remember I taught you that one thing that you have to always consider when you look at a text is the context. You've got to understand the context in which those verses appear. So in order to get the immediate context, let's begin reading in verse 5. Watch this very closely now. In verse 5, here's what God says to Israel: "And I will come near to you to judgment." So what is God about to do? He's going to judge the people. "And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts." Now, what is God promising right now? Judgment. And He's promising judgment to those who violate His law. And He says in verse 6, "For I am the Lord, I change not.

Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers," now look at the witness against Israel, "Even from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But you said, We will not return. Will a man rob God? Yes, you've robbed me. But you say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you've robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.

If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed," that is, if you obey Him and turn and repent. "And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet you say, what have we spoken so much against thee? You have said it is vain to serve God. And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.

I want you to notice this. In the context of verses 16 and 17, you have the context of judgment. You have the context of judgment against the people who basically despise God. They refuse to obey him. They refuse to honor him. They refused to acknowledge Him, and by the way, I'm not preaching on tithes today, but do you realize tithing is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty? It's saying, God, I recognize that you've given me everything I have. But these people were saying, it's useless to serve God. It's vain to get up early to serve Him. God is of no importance to us. And so because of their rebellion, because of their wickedness, because of their sins, God now is bringing judgment against them. Now, I want you to understand, here's the question. In light of the context of apostasy, contempt of God, disregard for His worship, His service, and His ministry.

What can the faithful do? Now, let me remind you of one verse and don't turn there, but I'll just quote it for you. James chapter 4 in verse 8. The Word of God says, "Draw nigh to God, and he'll draw nigh to you." But you know, the opposite is also true. If you forsake the Lord, the Lord will forsake you. That's what Scripture says over and over.

The Reaction of the Saints: Speaking Often and Thinking on His Name

In response to widespread apostasy, the saints drew closer to the Lord, spoke often to encourage and counsel one another, and thought upon His name—His character and will.

In other words, you sin against Him, you rebel against Him, you do wickedly, then God's going to judge you. But when the Scripture says, draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to you, that verse is exemplified—James 4 and verse 8—is exemplified in Malachi 3, 16 and 17. Now, I want you to think about this. Two points today I want you to see. The first one is this: the reaction of the saints. The reaction of the saints. When you look at verses 5 through 15, all you see is apostasy, tyranny, oppression, wickedness, and the judgment of God falling upon a disobedient people and a rebellious country. You know, that almost rings true to today, doesn't it?

Well, let's ask the question. In light of such circumstances that we live in today, what are we to do? What is to be our reaction to what is going on around us? Well, in verse 16, you have the reaction of the saints. Look at it. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."

Now, I want you to note two things, first of all, in this verse. They that feared the Lord. And in other words, in light of a widespread rebellion and apostasy and tyranny, yet there was a remnant. There was still a group of people who feared the Lord. They saw the rebellion of the land. They concluded that God's vengeance must fall upon the land and fall upon those people. Therefore, as the corruption increased, they cleaved more closely to the Lord.

They did not forsake Him. They did not join the wicked. They did not grow cold in themselves. No, they just drew closer to the Lord. Now, let me just emphasize something right now. Please listen. In times of persecution, in times of trouble, in times of apostasy, in times of judgment, the safest place to be is as close as you can possibly get to the Lord. You know what a wolf does? A wolf will always go after the weakest, the sickliest, and the stragglers. They're easy pickings. And the world and the flesh and the devil know that. You start straggling, you start becoming anemic, spiritually speaking, and you are wolf bait. It's just that simple.

But when you look at verse 16, these saints did not throw in the towel. They did not quit. They did not give up and they did not give out. They did not lag behind. You see, for the true child of God, persecution and oppression and tyranny and problems will always drive the true Christian closer to the Lord. It won't drive him away, it will drive him closer. Anyone who gets driven away because of persecution has never been a real Christian anyhow, based upon 1 John chapter 2. A real saint of God will always draw closer to the Lord.

Now, let me make a statement before I begin to enunciate this point. Are you listening? The message I'm preaching today is not a pietistic message. And by a pietistic message, I mean this. I'm not advocating that in times of persecution, in times of danger, in times of trouble, that all we do is withdraw and meditate. That is not what I am saying. I am saying that there must be meditation. I am saying that there must be careful thought, and those thoughts must be based upon biblical truth. We do have other duties, and we do have other responsibilities, and we must fulfill those duties and those responsibilities, but we cannot fulfill them without meditation and without thought.

They that fear the Lord speak often one with another. Now, what do I mean by that? Why were they speaking one with another? I'm sure there's a multitude of reasons. They were undoubtedly encouraging each other in the Lord. But they were also undoubtedly giving and receiving counsel. Most of us have never, ever understood the importance of biblical counsel. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 11, verse 14? Listen to what God says. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety."

I don't care how hard I try, I cannot think about everything. I can't. And I don't care if I have one problem, I still cannot think everything about that one problem. I have to have help in my thinking. I have to have someone who's been through that problem or someone who's going through that problem or someone who knows about that problem or someone who knows more than I do about that problem. And therefore, he said, in the multitude of counselors there is safety. In Proverbs 15 in verse 22, the Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 15:22

"Without counsel, purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established."

So if you want to be disappointed in your plans, just do all your planning yourself without help in thinking. No, he says you must have counsel. And then in Proverbs 20 and verse 18, it hits the nail on the head because the Bible says, "Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war." Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war.

You don't run off half-cocked. You don't run off just thinking about what you want to think. No, God says, with good advice or good counsel, you make war. You do what you're supposed to do, but based upon biblical counsel. It is exceedingly unwise in times of danger and persecution to act without thinking and to act without counsel. In fact, it is unwise to act anytime without thinking and without counsel. How many of you have backed your car out of the driveway and realized you didn't even look? You weren't thinking. There have been times in my life that I've gone from one point to another point, and I've had something on my mind. I don't remember stopping at red lights, stop signs, or looking at railroad tracks. I did, in all probability, but I don't remember doing it. I was thinking about something else, but I was not thinking about what I was doing.

You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 21 in verse 2, listen, "Every way of man is right in his own eyes." Nick could determine to do something, he says, that's right. It is in his own eyes, he thought about it, it has to be right. That's the way we think. Then someone comes along and says, whoa, what are you doing? That's not right. Have you considered this, have you thought about that? No. See, the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 15, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.

But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." So God is saying, look, they spake one to another. What in the world were they doing? They were seeking counsel. They were trying to encourage each other. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 10. I want you to see what God says in verse 24. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24. I want you to look at this. In light of apostasy, in light of persecution, in light of danger, in light of oppression, look what the Bible says, Hebrews 10 verse 24,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:24-25

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. But exhorting one another and so much the more as

you see the day approaching."

So what are we to do? We're to exhort each other. And we're to do it more frequently. As times are more dangerous and the day draws near—the judgment or the coming of the Lord, whatever—God says we're to exhort each other in the Lord. And He goes on to say that we're to exhort each other. Let me turn back there. Look a little further. Look in Hebrews chapter 10. Once again, verse 24. He says it like this.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching." Let us consider one another to do what? To provoke unto love and good works. You know what most of us do as Christians? We just only do half of verse 24. We just provoke each other. We don't provoke unto love and good works, we just provoke each other. And God says we're to do that, provoking each other unto love and good works, and so much more as we see the day approaching. So what are they doing when they're speaking together?

They're looking at Doc and saying, don't give up, don't give out, hang in there, God's going to grant us victory, God's going to deliver us, do right! That's encouragement. That's provoking unto love and good works. Yes, I would do this based upon what you've told me, based upon what I know from the Bible. It's scriptural. Let's do it. Let's do it. That's counsel. That's good advice. And that's provoking unto love and good works. You know, it's interesting, as you read through the New Testament, and I can give you several examples, but Acts 4 and Acts 12 are just two of them. But you read through the book of Acts. And whenever the apostles were captured, brought before the Sanhedrin, sometimes they were beaten, told not anymore to speak in his name, read your Bibles and find the first thing that they did when they were released. You know what they did?

They went to the other brethren and reported all that was done. What were they doing? They were saying, here's what has happened. Let me encourage you. God brought us through it. He's going to bring you through it. Over and over, they did that. God is able to deliver. That's what they were saying. So they spake one to another. So I believe this speaking together then not only was mutual exhortation and mutual biblical provocation.

They were strengthening each other's hands, and they were receiving help and direction and guidance. So he says in times of persecution, in times of apostasy, we need to speak together more frequently. Notice if you would back in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16, and I'm going to deal with the second point under the reaction of the saints. The Bible said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name. So they not only spoke to each other, the second thing they did is they thought upon His name.

Now, doubtless, thinking upon the Lord's name is a rare virtue. Because each of us can testify how easily forgetfulness creeps over us. We forget to pray. We forget to thank the Lord for what he's done for us. We forget to thank him for life and breath and health and happiness. And you know, one of the things that's really been impressed upon me through the years is this. And I am thankful. I really am. For the life that God has given me and the life that God has given my wife. But you know, it is amazing you let someone who's been married maybe 50 or 60 years lose their mate.

And I have seen people just so distraught and so disturbed and so distressed. And I understand that. I mean, you've been together so long, it's like dying yourself. I understand that. But on the other hand, we've forgotten to thank the Lord that, God, you let me have my mate for 56 years. What a blessing. Most people don't get to have a mate that long. While we're grieving, we forget to be thankful. We forget all about the good things of the good times. And we just concentrate on what's going on right now.

They thought upon His name. You see, forgetfulness easily creeps over us, and sometimes when we forget God, we begin to think, or we tend to think, that we can sin with impunity. Go back and read Psalm 10. What do the wicked say? God does not see, or God will never know. The forgetting of God always leads to sin, rebellion, and wickedness. Once we learn to remember the Lord and we think about Him in everything that we do, we will find that that is a bridle sufficient to restrain most of our lusts. They thought upon His name.

Now, what in the world does that mean? The word for name is the word Shem. It occurs 864 times in the Bible. Adam named the animals. You know what Adam was doing when he named the animals? He was not saying, well, there's that old cow. Look at there. She's taking food from all the other cows. I'll call her old bossy. No, that's not what Adam was doing. When Adam named the animals, he was scientifically classifying those animals, and he was reading in those animals the very nature that God had given them and created them with. When he named them, he saw their nature. He saw their attributes.

He knew why they had been made. And when the Bible says they think upon the name of the Lord, it doesn't mean that we just think that his name may be Yahweh or Jehovah. It means that we think upon his name, yes, but his reputation, his fame, his glory, his attributes. In other words, he is a memorial to us. When we think of the name of the Lord, we're thinking of his character, his attributes, his will, his way, his word. When we think upon the name of the Lord, we're thinking that He is the Creator. He's the Sustainer, the Preserver, the Provider, the Redeemer, the Lord of Glory. We think about His will for our lives. We think about His law, His word, His direction that He gives us. When we think about His name, we're saying that His name is sacred to us in the sense that we recognize Him as the only true and living God. He is the sovereign God and He has the authority to tell us what to think and how to act.

That's remembering God. The name of God is God Himself. It's thinking who God is. So thinking upon His name is vitally important to us because the more we think about Him and the more we think upon Him, the more we perceive His character, His attributes, and His will for our lives. You know, I just find that absolutely astounding. In the time of apostasy and corruption and tyranny, how did the saints react? They spake more frequently one with another. And they thought upon His name. We want to make sure that we have His will, His Word, His way in our lives and whatever we do. They weren't pietists. They weren't withdrawing to a cave somewhere and just sitting down meditating, doing nothing. No, they were fulfilling their responsibilities, but they were making sure they fulfilled them biblically and scripturally. There's another thought that I want to give you here.

The Response of the Sovereign: Encouragement, Assurance, Affection, Protection

God hearkens, remembers, assures them they are His, treasures them as jewels, and spares them from judgment, because He spared not His own Son.

You've seen the reaction of the saints. Now I want you to look at the response of the Sovereign. Verse 16, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Now there are several responses and I want to enumerate these for you that God gives to the reaction of the saints. The first is a response of encouragement. I want you to see how the Lord treats such people who speak often one to each other as saints and that think upon his name. The Bible says the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him. So he hearkened to their conversations. He heard the meditation of their hearts and he approved to the extent that a book of remembrance was kept before him.

Now, let me just tell you that this allusion is to the books that earthly kings used to keep. For instance, you will find one mentioned in Ezra chapter 4, Esther chapter 2, and Esther chapter 6. You remember it was King Ahasuerus who could not sleep and he called for the book to be read before him and that's when he found out that Mordecai had reported the conspiracy of the two men who were going to kill him. And he said, has anything been done for Mordecai? No, we're doing the book of remembrance. Kings kept them. And so here's an allusion of that. And what the Lord is doing is condescending in this verse to give us an allusion after the manner of men so that we will understand that the Lord does indeed hearken. He does hear and he does remember.

Now, the Bible says he heard it. He heard when we spoke of him and we thought of him. He fully understood it, he observed it, and he understood, and therefore there was a registry kept before him. Now, what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord is not going to forget, but he shall remember every good man, every good work, every good word, every good thought of him and for him. They are entered under his eye. He knows them. And he's going to be. And we should be assured that there will be a comfortable blessing and reward for those who so think about him.

Now, let me ask this question, and I'm sure it's already entered into your mind. Why is the scripture so specific here when the Bible said the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written? Why does God say the same thing three times? He could just say, the Lord hearkened, or the Lord heard, or a book of remembrance was written, but God says each one of them three times. You must understand there is no forgetfulness in God. He bears in His own eternal mind a remembrance of all persons, thoughts, words, and actions of His people. And according to Romans 2 and verse 16, even the secret thoughts of man will be revealed in that day. God is omniscient. God sees all. God knows all. God does not forget.

He does not have the afflictions of mankind. He does not come down with Alzheimer's. Why then does the Scripture say three times that the Lord hearkened, the Lord heard, and a book of remembrance was written? The answer is, for our encouragement.

Now let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to note verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Look what the Bible says. Hebrews 6 verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you minister to the saints and do minister."

Now look at that a little more closely. For God is not unrighteous to forget what? Your work and labor of love, which you showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. So God is not unrighteous to forget our work and our labor of love. Now, if God is not going to forget our work and our labor of love, very obviously, God is not going to forget our thoughts. Because it is our thoughts that motivate us to do the work and do the labor.

You have to think of those things before you do them. So God is not unrighteous to forget the work. And God is certainly not unrighteous to forget the thoughts. Do you not remember all of these verses in the Bible? I'm not going to quote them all. But do you not remember those verses in the Bible, in the New Testament particularly, that speak of our Lord? For instance, in Matthew 9 and verse 4 and Matthew 12 and verse 24, the Bible says, Jesus, knowing their thoughts. And in Luke 6 and verse 8, the Bible says he knew their thoughts. He's not going to forget those thoughts. Do you realize that some—well, not just sometimes, but many times in the Bible.

The thought is accepted for the deed. You say, what in the world are you thinking about? The thought is accepted for the deed. Well, turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. You should watch this. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And look in verse 12. Now, in the context of 2 Corinthians chapter 8, they're taking up a collection for the poor brethren. OK?

Have you ever wanted to give to some great need, but you didn't have the money to give? It's been my lot in life. Many times. But look what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 12. The Apostle writes,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 8:12

"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."

What's that mean? If I see a need, and I say, Lord, I'd like to give $200 for this, but Lord, all I've got is $20. I don't have $200, but I'll give the $20.

You know what God does? He marks me down for giving $200. If there's first a willing mind, then the thought is accepted for the deed. So God knows our thoughts. And He hearkens and He hears. And therefore we are encouraged to know that not even our thoughts are going to be forgotten before Him. Those that think upon His name. He hearkened. He heard. And a book of remembrance was there.

Then if you look in verse 17 back in Malachi chapter 3, there is not only a response of encouragement, there is also a response of assurance. He says in verse 17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts." I like that. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. What is he declaring? He is declaring, I'm going to acknowledge them. I'm going to assure them that they are my people, they're my subjects, they're my followers, and I'm going to acknowledge them specifically in the day when I judge the wicked.

Now hang on, because it gets a little better in just a few moments. You know what he said in Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 5? For he had said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You know something, folks? I don't care how bad of a judgment falls on this country, or any country, God is not going to forget or forsake His people. Period. He said, I want to acknowledge you. You are going to be mine. You know what our Lord said? I want you to see it. Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10, just a few pages over. Matthew chapter 10.

Look at what he said in verses 32 and 33. Matthew 10, verse 32. This is similar to what God is saying in Malachi 3 in verse 17, when he said, they shall be mine, saith the Lord. Matthew chapter 10. Notice if you would, verse 32. Matthew 10, verse 32. Our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 10:32-33

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoso shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven."

What's our Lord saying?

In the day of judgment, you know what I'm going to say of you? You're mine. You're mine. I'm going to acknowledge you. What assurance? God is not going to forget His people. We are His. We belong to Him. If you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, let me show you why. Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verses 7 and 8. Do you know why God loved us? Here's why.

Because He chose to love us. There's nothing good in us. And here's what He says in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 7:7-8

"The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people. For you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you."

Why did the Lord love you? Because the Lord loved you. He just loved you because he chose to love you. And what's he saying?

He is not going to forget us. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. You remember what he said in 2 Corinthians 6, verse 18, "And I will be a father unto them, and they shall be my children." So God responds, not only with a response of encouragement, but a response of assurance. And then go back to Malachi 3, verse 17. Here also is a response of affection. Notice what he said in verse 17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels."

Now, I want you to stop and think about this. My wife has some jewelry and she keeps it separate from anything else. Why would she do that? Because she values it. It's counted her peculiar treasure. All of you women have jewelry. You do the same thing. You have your jewelry box or you have your drawer. You have some place where you keep that jewelry. And if you men ever happen to have anything fashionable, you keep it somewhere else too. You keep it somewhere special. I want to show you what the Lord's treasure is. Look in your Bibles.

to the book of Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. You've got to remember that God created the world and everything therein. All the cattle on a thousand hills belong to him, the gold, the silver, everything else belongs to him. But in Exodus chapter 19, if you look at verses 5 and 6, you'll find out what his peculiar treasure really is. Exodus 19, verse 5. Our Lord tells His people, "Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people.

For all the earth is Mine, and you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel." What does God say? You shall be My peculiar people. God said, and they shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels. Now, folks. Please think about this. Think about how unworthy we are. Think about how before our conversion and unhappily, sometimes after our conversion, we've sinned grievously against the Lord. Think about how prayerless we are. How praiseless we are. How unthankful we are. Think about how impatient we are. Think about how easily we give up. How easily we give out. Think how many times we fail. Yet God said, They shall be mine in that day when I make up my jewels. God still values us. He treasures us. He acknowledges us.

And we have to confess, folks, it is only Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone who makes us worthy to be our Father's jewels. A response of affection. You'll be my peculiar treasure when I make up my jewels. Oh, but look at this. Here's the fourth one. A response of protection. He says in verse 17, "And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." And I will spare them.

Now, please, may I remind you of the context? What's the context of these verses? Judgment. God is judging a sinning, rebelling, wicked, corrupt nation. But God said in all that corruption, I have some that fear me, that speak frequently to each other, that think upon my name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. And I will make them my jewels in that day when I gather my peculiar and particular treasure.

And then he said, And I will spare them. This is that which many saints have waited to hear and wanted to hear. Let me just give you a practical application. You look at the corruption of our government. The corruption of our country. The corruption of our money. The corruption of our people. And we know that abortion and socialism and sodomy and fornication, we know that all of that trash is wicked and wrong and ungodly and we don't want any part of it. And we know the judgment of God is going to fall. But God says to His people, I'll spare you.

Oh, that doesn't mean that we won't ever have to suffer any. But it does mean that we're going to be spared. I want to show you. I want to show you how important this is. I want you to turn in your Bible to 2 Peter 2, 9, let me show you one verse and then I'm going to quote some verses for you. 2 Peter 2 and look at verse 9. And I am thankful that God knows this truth, I can assure you. 2 Peter 2 and verse 9. Please look at what the scripture says. 2 Peter 2 9. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment to be punished." Isn't that amazing? God knows how to deliver us out of temptations, and at the same time reserve the unjust to punishment and chastisement. What's he saying?

I want to spare my people. I know how to do that. I know how to deliver you and judge them at the same time. Now, what did God say? Think. God said, "And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." I want to impress upon you how great this honor really is. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 4, God did not spare the angels that sinned against Him. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 5, God did not spare the old world. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 6, He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. In Matthew 24, He did not spare the Jews nor Jerusalem, but He destroyed them. And in Romans 8 and verse 32, the Bible says, "For He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" God did not spare the old world. He did not spare the angels. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not spare Jerusalem. He did not even spare His own Son. But He will spare His people. I might add, it's only because He spared not His own Son that He will spare us.

What is the Scripture doing? It is vouchsafing us as His special people. Our lives are spared. We are called by His grace. And though sometimes we are afflicted and chastised, it is always done gently and in love and for our good and for His glory. Our services are accepted. Even the imperfections of our services are overlooked. Our sins are pardoned. And we'll find mercy on the Day of Judgment. And we'll hear our Lord say, Father, I confess Him before You.

Applications: Learning to Think Biblically and Commit Works to the Lord

We must submit our minds to Scripture to think God's thoughts, and commit our works to Him so our thoughts are established. This brings comfort and delight.

For He confessed Me before men. And we'll hear our Father say, He's mine. He's my precious treasure and my precious jewel. Those who are redeemed in Jesus Christ will have all the honor and glory given to them that was purchased and earned by the suffering and work of Jesus Christ. We will be the vessels of pleasure, while the ungodly will be the vessels of wrath, in whom God has no pleasure. Do you remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verses 28 and 29? He said, "And I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." They shall be mine.

Now, just two quick applications. Scripture says that these saints spake often one to another and thought upon his name. By nature, we do not know the thoughts of the Lord. We must learn to think as God thinks. He said in Isaiah 55 in verse 8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, saith the Lord." In Micah chapter 4 in verse 12, he says, "But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand his counsel." So that means this. If we're going to think right thoughts of him, we must submit our mind to his word and learn to think scripturally and biblically. I want to show you the opposite. You say, but I don't have time to study my Bible. I don't have time to research. I don't have time to think. You better take time. You know what God said in Isaiah 65 verse 2, let me quote it. Isaiah 65 verse 2, he said, "I've spread out my hands all the day unto rebellious people who walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts." What does God call walking after your own thoughts? Rebellion. What is it walking after his thoughts? Obedience. If we're going to think upon the Lord, we have to learn to think biblically. The second application is this, we have to learn the principle of Proverbs 16 and verse 3 where the Bible said, "Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." What's that mean? That means whatever we start to do, we have to say, Lord, I want to do what's right. I want to honor you. And Lord, I may not necessarily know everything that's right in this area right now, but I want you to teach me because I want this to be honoring to your name and I want it to be for your glory.

And doing so, we'll find that our thoughts are established in the right way. We'll also find comfort and delight. For David said in Psalm 94 and verse 19, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul." Why could David say that? Because he had learned to think scripturally. God said they shall be mine, said the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son who serveth him. Our responsibility is to speak often one to another, to think upon the Lord. And the rougher the times get, the more frequently we're to fellowship with each other, encourage each other, counsel each other, and the more frequently we should think upon the Lord. And we should also thank Him for having His Word and His Son who gave us eternal life. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You would teach us and help us, Father, to think upon Thee and to think upon Thy name, Thy character, Thy attributes, Thy greatness, Thy mercy, Thy works. Make us holy and make us godly, we pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Biblical Meditation vs. Amusement

Summary: True meditation is ruminating on God's Word, not Eastern mysticism or mindless entertainment. The world's 'amusement' requires no thought, while godly meditation engages the mind with God.

Evidence: Weaver defines meditation as rolling the Word over in the mind like a cow chewing cud, and contrasts it with 'amuse' meaning not to think. He cites Psalm 19:14 and 104:34.

The Mark of the Godly: Thinking on the Lord

Summary: A defining characteristic of the righteous is that God is in their thoughts, while the wicked push Him out. The fool says 'No God for me,' not necessarily denying His existence but rejecting His authority.

Integrating God into Every Thought

Summary: Christians are called to bring every thought captive to Christ, relating daily activities (eating, drinking, working) to spiritual truths, so that God is in all our thoughts without constant concentration.

The Necessity of Counsel and Fellowship in Dark Times

Summary: In times of apostasy and judgment, the faithful must speak often to one another for encouragement, counsel, and provocation to love and good works, as commanded in Hebrews 10:24-25.

Thinking on God's Name: His Character and Will

Summary: To think on the Lord's name means to meditate on His reputation, attributes, and revealed will, not merely a title. It involves recognizing His sovereignty and aligning our thoughts with His Word.

God's Faithful Response to His People

Summary: God hearkens to the conversations and meditations of His people, records them in a book of remembrance, assures them they are His, treasures them as jewels, and spares them from judgment.

The Security of the Believer in Judgment

Summary: Though God did not spare angels, the old world, Sodom, or even His own Son, He will spare His people because Christ bore their judgment. They are His peculiar treasure.

Learning to Think Scripturally

Summary: Since God's thoughts are not ours naturally, we must submit our minds to Scripture to think biblically. Walking after our own thoughts is rebellion; committing our works to God establishes our thoughts.

Key Arguments

Meditation is essential, not optional, for the godly life.

Summary: Weaver argues that biblical meditation—rolling God's Word over in the mind—is a lost art that must be recovered, as it distinguishes the righteous from the wicked who refuse to think on God.

Evidence: He cites Psalm 1:2, 119:97, and contrasts David's meditation with the wicked in Psalm 10:4.

God can be in all our thoughts without constant concentration.

Summary: While it is impossible to focus on God every second, believers can relate every activity to Christ (e.g., drinking water reminds us of living water), thus bringing every thought into obedience to Him.

Evidence: He references 2 Corinthians 10:5 and the example of Stonewall Jackson.

Refusing to think on God in prosperity invites forced adversity.

Summary: If we will not hear God in times of ease, He can arrange circumstances (persecution, distress) to compel us to call on Him, as seen in Jeremiah 22:21 and 12:5.

Evidence: He quotes Jeremiah 22:21 and expounds Jeremiah 12:5 about running with footmen versus horses.

In times of apostasy, the faithful must increase fellowship and counsel.

Summary: The remnant in Malachi spoke often to one another for mutual encouragement and biblical counsel, fulfilling Proverbs 11:14 and Hebrews 10:24-25, which command exhortation especially as the day approaches.

Evidence: He cites Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 20:18, and Hebrews 10:24-25.

Thinking on God's name means meditating on His revealed character.

Summary: The Hebrew word 'Shem' implies reputation and attributes. To think on the Lord's name is to consider His nature as Creator, Redeemer, and Sovereign, and to align our lives with His will.

Evidence: He explains the meaning of 'name' from Adam naming animals and applies it to God's attributes.

God's remembrance of His people is for their encouragement.

Summary: Though God is omniscient and cannot forget, the triple statement 'hearkened, heard, book of remembrance' is given to assure believers that their thoughts and words are noted and will be rewarded.

Evidence: He references Hebrews 6:10 and 2 Corinthians 8:12 (the thought accepted for the deed).

Believers are God's peculiar treasure and will be spared in judgment.

Summary: God calls His people His 'jewels' (peculiar treasure) and promises to spare them as a man spares his serving son, because Christ was not spared for them (Romans 8:32).

Evidence: He cites Exodus 19:5-6, Malachi 3:17, and contrasts with 2 Peter 2:4-9.

We must learn to think biblically by submitting to Scripture.

Summary: Since our natural thoughts are not God's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), we must study the Word to think rightly. Walking after our own thoughts is rebellion; committing our works to God establishes our thoughts.

Evidence: He quotes Isaiah 65:2 and Proverbs 16:3.

Scripture References

Malachi 3:16-17

Context: Primary text: the faithful speak often, think on God's name, and are promised to be His jewels and spared.

Psalm 5:1

Context: David asks God to consider his meditation.

Psalm 19:14

Context: David prays that his words and meditation be acceptable to God.

Psalm 104:34

Context: David says his meditation of the Lord shall be sweet.

Psalm 119:97

Context: David loves God's law and meditates on it day and night.

Psalm 10:4

Context: The wicked, through pride, do not seek God; God is not in all their thoughts.

Psalm 14:1; 53:1

Context: The fool says in his heart there is no God, meaning 'No God for me.'

2 Corinthians 10:5

Context: Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Jeremiah 22:21

Context: God spoke in prosperity, but they would not hear; this has been their manner.

Jeremiah 12:5

Context: If footmen weary you, how will you contend with horses? If in peace you are wearied, how in the swelling of Jordan?

Malachi 3:5-15

Context: Context of judgment: God will witness against sorcerers, adulterers, oppressors; they have robbed God and said it is vain to serve Him.

James 4:8

Context: Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you; exemplified in Malachi 3:16-17.

Proverbs 11:14

Context: Where no counsel is, the people fall; in multitude of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 15:22

Context: Without counsel purposes are disappointed; in multitude of counselors they are established.

Proverbs 20:18

Context: Every purpose is established by counsel; with good advice make war.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Context: Consider one another to provoke to love and good works, not forsaking assembling, exhorting one another as the day approaches.

Hebrews 6:10

Context: God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love shown toward His name.

2 Corinthians 8:12

Context: If there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, not what he does not have.

Matthew 10:32-33

Context: Whoever confesses Christ before men, He will confess before the Father; whoever denies Him, He will deny.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Context: God loved Israel not because they were numerous but because He loved them.

Historical References

Stonewall Jackson

Context: Jackson said he never drank water without thanking Christ the living water, and never sent a letter without asking God to bless the recipient.

King Ahasuerus and Mordecai (Esther 6)

Context: The book of remembrance allusion: Ahasuerus had the chronicles read and found Mordecai's unrewarded deed, similar to God's book of remembrance.

Important Quotes

The word meditation in the Bible actually means to roll the Word of God over and over in your mind.

Significance: Defines biblical meditation as active mental engagement with Scripture, contrasting it with Eastern practices.

When you put the alpha in front of it, it is amuse, which means not to think, not to consider, and not to analyze.

Significance: Explains the etymology of 'amusement' to show that worldly entertainment discourages godly thinking.

It was Stonewall Jackson who said, 'I never put a glass of water to my lips without thanking him who is the living water.'

Significance: Illustrates how a believer can integrate God into everyday actions, fulfilling the command to have God in all thoughts.

If we are unwilling to hear God, if we are unwilling to think of Him in times of prosperity, in times of ease and comfort, let me assure you today that God can arrange circumstances so you have to think about Him in times of persecution, distress, oppression, and tyranny.

Significance: Warns that neglecting God in good times may lead to forced dependence through hardship.

In times of persecution, in times of trouble, in times of apostasy, in times of judgment, the safest place to be is as close as you can possibly get to the Lord.

Significance: Encourages drawing near to God as protection when surrounded by spiritual danger.

They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

Significance: Highlights God's affectionate ownership and treasuring of His people as His peculiar possession.

God did not spare the old world. He did not spare the angels. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not spare Jerusalem. He did not even spare His own Son. But He will spare His people.

Significance: Emphasizes the magnitude of God's sparing mercy toward believers, grounded in Christ's sacrifice.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean practically to 'roll the Word of God over and over in your mind'? How can we cultivate this discipline?

Context: Weaver defines meditation as ruminating on Scripture like a cow chews cud.

How does the concept of 'amusement' as 'not thinking' challenge our entertainment choices?

Context: Weaver explains that amusement parks and media require no intellectual engagement, contrasting with godly meditation.

In what ways can we bring every thought captive to Christ in our daily routines?

Context: Weaver uses Stonewall Jackson's example of relating water to Christ and letters to prayer.

Why is it dangerous to forget God in times of prosperity? Have you experienced God using adversity to draw you back?

Context: Weaver warns from Jeremiah 22:21 and 12:5 that ease can lead to spiritual neglect, prompting God's discipline.

How can we 'speak often one to another' in a way that provides biblical counsel and encouragement, especially in dark times?

Context: Weaver emphasizes the need for mutual exhortation and counsel based on Proverbs and Hebrews 10.

What does it mean to 'think upon the name of the Lord'? How does this go beyond merely saying His name?

Context: Weaver explains that 'name' refers to God's character, attributes, and reputation.

How does the truth that God keeps a 'book of remembrance' encourage you in your private thoughts and conversations?

Context: Weaver says God's triple statement is for our encouragement, assuring us He notes our thoughts and words.

What does it mean to be God's 'jewel' or peculiar treasure? How should this identity affect our daily lives?

Context: Weaver cites Exodus 19:5-6 and Malachi 3:17 to show God's affectionate valuation of His people.

Applications

Cultivate biblical meditation daily.

Summary: Believers should regularly roll Scripture over in their minds, not just read it, to think God's thoughts and delight in Him.

Evidence: Weaver defines meditation and cites Psalm 1:2, 119:97, and David's example.

Relate everyday activities to Christ.

Summary: Practice bringing every thought captive by connecting mundane tasks (eating, drinking, working) to spiritual truths, like Stonewall Jackson.

Evidence: Weaver references 2 Corinthians 10:5 and Jackson's habit.

Seek godly counsel and fellowship.

Summary: In times of moral decline, increase fellowship with other believers for mutual encouragement, exhortation, and biblical advice.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 20:18, and Hebrews 10:24-25.

Meditate on God's character and will.

Summary: Think deeply on who God is—His attributes, works, and commands—so that your life aligns with His name and reputation.

Evidence: Weaver explains 'thinking on His name' as considering His nature and will.

Trust in God's remembrance and reward.

Summary: Be encouraged that God notes every thought and word spoken for Him, and will reward openly, even when unseen by others.

Evidence: Weaver points to the book of remembrance and Hebrews 6:10.

Rest in your identity as God's treasured possession.

Summary: Despite unworthiness, believers are God's jewels, spared from judgment because Christ was not spared. Live in the security of His affection.

Evidence: Weaver cites Malachi 3:17, Exodus 19:5-6, and Romans 8:32.

Submit your mind to Scripture.

Summary: To think rightly about God, reject your own thoughts and learn to think biblically by studying the Word, committing your works to Him.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Isaiah 55:8, 65:2, and Proverbs 16:3.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:19:07Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:49:47Z

Clean Transcript

Thinking of the LORD - Part 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Open your Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Malachi. Malachi chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. And let me tell you in advance that this is going to be a two-part message. Not necessarily that I'll be dealing with this same text next week—I will be dealing with a different text—but it is two parts in the sense today the subject is thinking of the Lord, and next Lord's Day it will be the Lord thinking of me. So I want you to look closely now in Malachi chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. Scripture says, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.
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And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Let me begin today by asking you several questions. The first one is simply this: Do you ever think about the Lord? If not, may I ask, why not? And if you do think about him, the question that automatically arises is, how often do you think about him? Another question that could be asked is, what do you think about him? And do you think about him in biblical terms?
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It is true that we have lost the art of meditation. I probably need some time to bring just a study on the doctrine of meditation. And by meditation I am not referring to the unbiblical and ungodly Eastern meditation where one just simply sits cross-legged and concentrates on his navel. That's not what I'm talking about at all. And I heard one person say that he tried that one time and all he found was lint. But that's not meditation. The word meditation in the Bible actually means to roll the Word of God over and over in your mind. The word actually means to choose the good, just like a cow when a cow ruminates and the cow just brings back up what she has eaten earlier and then just chews that cud and tosses it over and over in her mouth. So, likewise, that's what we're to do to the Word of God. So, we're to think and to meditate upon our Heavenly Father. Now, there's another word for meditation.
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It has the force, literally, of musing. You will find the word muse in the Bible. And the word muse literally means to think or to meditate or to contemplate or to analyze and to consider.
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Now, when you put an alpha or an A in front of the word muse, and in front of most Greek words, by the way, and some Hebrew words, when you put that alpha in the Greek, in front of the Greek word, the alpha then negates the word. So, when you have the word muse, which means to think or to analyze and to consider, when you put the alpha in front of it, it is amuse, which means not to think, not to consider, and not to analyze.
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Now you understand why TV and the theater and amusement parks or fun parks are referred to as amusement—because it requires no intellectual powers to attend them. You are not thinking. You are not musing. You are not considering. You are not analyzing. You are amusing yourself.
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Now, there are numbers of scriptures in the Bible that deal with meditation. Let me just quote some. In Psalm 5 and verse 1, David said this, "Give ear, O Lord, and consider my meditation." In other words, Lord, listen to me and consider my meditation. In Psalm 19 and verse 4, David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Note what he said: let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart or my mind be acceptable in thy sight. Again, in Psalm 104, in verse 34, David said this, "My meditation of him, of the Lord, shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord." So David then is thinking of the Lord. He says, my meditation of him shall be sweet.
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Now the questions that I ask at the very beginning of this message are indeed important. In light of these verses on meditations, do you think of the Lord? How often do you think of the Lord? And what do you think of the Lord when you think of the Lord? So very obviously, these are important. And let me show you another reason why they're important. Because when you consider the opposite of that which is true concerning the unconverted. Now watch this.
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In Psalm 119, in verse 97, David said this. He said, "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night." Now, here's David, a child of God. Here's David, a Christian. And what does he say? Oh, how love I thy law. It is my meditation day and night. He's saying, I'm thinking of you. I'm thinking of your word. I'm thinking of your Lord, of your law. But when you come to Psalm 10 and verse 4, where God is condemning the wicked, God says this: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts." So here's David on the one hand, saying, O how I love I thy law, it is my meditation day and night. And on the other hand, here's the wicked through the pride of his countenance, who will not seek God. And then God condemns him and says, God is not in all of his thoughts.
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So there's quite a contrast then between the godly and the ungodly. And one of the attributes of the godly is that he thinks upon the Lord. And one of the attributes of the ungodly is that he refuses to think upon the Lord. You see, in Psalm 14 in verse 1 and Psalm 53 in verse 1, there's a verse that many of you could quote. It says, "The fool in his heart says there is no God."
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Now, when you read that verse, you've got to understand, in reality, the verse is not necessarily a statement of atheism. It's not that the fool is just saying there is no God. You could interpret it like that, but that's not the force of those passages. What the wicked or the fool is saying is this: No God for me. I don't want him. I don't recognize him. I don't need him. I won't have him. No God for me.
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I am my own Lord. Now, it should be duly noted that whatever God condemns in the wicked—God is not in all of his thoughts—the opposite is commended for the saints. That is, God should be in all of our thoughts.
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Now, let me just stop right here because I can hear a multitude of Christians screaming, saying, "Wait a minute, pastor. I can't think of God 24 hours a day. I've got work to do. I've got things to do. I've got a schedule to keep. I mean, it's just impossible for me to think of God 24 hours a day." By the way, it is impossible. You could not sit down and just concentrate on the Lord 24 hours a day. That is true. It is impossible. But that does not mean that God cannot be in all of your thoughts. And what Scripture is teaching us is not necessarily that we have to sit and think about God 24 hours a day. It just teaches us that God is to be in all of our thoughts. What does that mean?
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Do you remember the passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5? Turn there very quickly. O Malachi, we're coming back there, but I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5 and look at this one verse. I'll show you some other verses just momentarily. But look what the Bible says, 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 5. God says, "Casting down imaginations and every high thing or every high thought that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." So every thought is to be brought into obedience to Jesus Christ.
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Now, you see, what that means is simply this. God is to be in all of our thoughts. You say, "Brother Weaver, I don't understand this. How in the world can you say that it's impossible for a man to sit down and concentrate on God 24 hours a day, and yet you're saying God can be in all of our thoughts?" Well, it's simple. Whenever you go get a glass of water and you drink the glass of water, could not you also think of Christ, who is the living water? And thank him for being the true water of life. Whenever you eat and you eat a piece of bread, can you not think that Jesus Christ is indeed the true bread of life, according to John chapter 6? It was Stonewall Jackson who said, "I never put a glass of water to my lips without thanking him who is the living water." And he says, "I never send a letter without asking God to bless the one who receives the letter." Isn't that amazing? In other words, all God is saying is he can be in our thoughts.
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It does not require us to sit down and just concentrate upon Him 24 hours a day. You see, there are a multitude of things that you and I have to think about. We have to think about work. We have to think about our mates. We have to think about our children. We have to think about all the things that we have to do. Yet, we can think about those things in terms of the Lord and in terms of scriptural truth. Sickness—whether it's ourselves or our loved ones who are sick—we can still think about those terms in light of the Lord.
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Alice can tell you that there was a doctor in a neighboring county—I'm not going to say which county—and basically, he was a good doctor. He really was. But he's very arrogant and very lost. And he walked into the room where prayer was being made for the lady who was about to undergo surgery. And we asked the Lord for protection and blessing upon the woman. And the doctor said, "You ought to be praying to me. I'm the one doing the surgery." Just a short while later, that 40-something-year-old doctor dropped dead. Now, all I'm trying to say is you can think about the Lord. You can think about our need of Him.
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Whether it's surgery, whether it's sickness, whether it's finances, whether it's family, it doesn't matter. Now, God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21, I want you to listen to this and think about the impact and the importance of these words. Let me quote it. God said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 21, "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity. But thou saidest, I will not hear. This has been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice." Now listen to what God said. I spoke to you in your prosperity. But you said, I will not hear. Do you realize if we are unwilling to hear God, if we are unwilling to think of Him in times of prosperity, in times of ease and comfort, let me assure you today that God can arrange circumstances so you have to think about Him in times of persecution, distress, oppression, and tyranny.
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He can really work it out where you will really have to call upon Him. I can assure you He can arrange the adversity that we need just to force us to think upon Him.
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Now, let me show you. Turn your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 12. I want you to watch this argument. Jeremiah chapter 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Once again, this is a very powerful verse. Jeremiah 12 and verse 5. Look what God asks: "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"
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Now God says, look, if you're trying to run with footmen—that is, you're running with other men who are running—and those footmen weary you, you can't hold up, you can't hold out, you can't keep up. If they weary you, God said, what in the world is going to happen to you when the horses come along? And then he said, if in the land of peace—if in the land of peace, watch it—where thou trusteth they weary thee. In other words, if you get weary when you've got peace and comfort and safety, then he said, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan? And the swelling of the Jordan speaks of the flood time when a lot of things are destroyed. So God says, what are you going to do then? The easy thing is to learn to think about God in times of prosperity, in times of peace and comfort and security, because if we're not used to thinking about him in those times and he brings on persecution and war, what are we going to do?
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And if he has to force us to think about him, he can arrange those things in order to force us to think about him. Now I want you to go back to Malachi chapter 3 because that's our text and I'm going to show you two points from this wonderful text today. But I want you to see the context if you would please. Let's look first of all at verses 16 and 17 and read them again, okay. Malachi 3 verse 16.
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"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, said the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."
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Now, remember I taught you that one thing that you have to always consider when you look at a text is the context. You've got to understand the context in which those verses appear. So in order to get the immediate context, let's begin reading in verse 5. Watch this very closely now. In verse 5, here's what God says to Israel: "And I will come near to you to judgment." So what is God about to do?
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He's going to judge the people. "And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts." Now, what is God promising right now? Judgment. And He's promising judgment to those who violate His law. And He says in verse 6, "For I am the Lord, I change not.
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Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers," now look at the witness against Israel, "Even from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But you said, We will not return. Will a man rob God? Yes, you've robbed me. But you say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you've robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.
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If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed," that is, if you obey Him and turn and repent. "And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord.
#27 | 17:54 to 18:23 | cleaned
Yet you say, what have we spoken so much against thee? You have said it is vain to serve God. And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.
#28 | 18:23 to 18:47 | cleaned
I want you to notice this. In the context of verses 16 and 17, you have the context of judgment. You have the context of judgment against the people who basically despise God. They refuse to obey him. They refuse to honor him. They refused to acknowledge Him, and by the way, I'm not preaching on tithes today, but do you realize tithing is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty? It's saying, God, I recognize that you've given me everything I have. But these people were saying, it's useless to serve God. It's vain to get up early to serve Him. God is of no importance to us. And so because of their rebellion, because of their wickedness, because of their sins, God now is bringing judgment against them. Now, I want you to understand, here's the question. In light of the context of apostasy, contempt of God, disregard for His worship, His service, and His ministry.
#29 | 18:48 to 20:02 | cleaned
What can the faithful do? Now, let me remind you of one verse and don't turn there, but I'll just quote it for you. James chapter 4 in verse 8. The Word of God says, "Draw nigh to God, and he'll draw nigh to you." But you know, the opposite is also true. If you forsake the Lord, the Lord will forsake you. That's what Scripture says over and over.
#30 | 20:05 to 20:33 | cleaned
In other words, you sin against Him, you rebel against Him, you do wickedly, then God's going to judge you. But when the Scripture says, draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to you, that verse is exemplified—James 4 and verse 8—is exemplified in Malachi 3, 16 and 17.
#31 | 20:34 to 20:53 | cleaned
Now, I want you to think about this. Two points today I want you to see. The first one is this: the reaction of the saints. The reaction of the saints. When you look at verses 5 through 15, all you see is apostasy, tyranny, oppression, wickedness, and the judgment of God falling upon a disobedient people and a rebellious country. You know, that almost rings true to today, doesn't it?
#32 | 20:53 to 21:31 | cleaned
Well, let's ask the question. In light of such circumstances that we live in today, what are we to do? What is to be our reaction to what is going on around us? Well, in verse 16, you have the reaction of the saints. Look at it. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."
#33 | 21:33 to 22:07 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note two things, first of all, in this verse. They that feared the Lord. And in other words, in light of a widespread rebellion and apostasy and tyranny, yet there was a remnant. There was still a group of people who feared the Lord. They saw the rebellion of the land. They concluded that God's vengeance must fall upon the land and fall upon those people. Therefore, as the corruption increased, they cleaved more closely to the Lord.
#34 | 22:07 to 22:44 | cleaned
They did not forsake Him. They did not join the wicked. They did not grow cold in themselves. No, they just drew closer to the Lord. Now, let me just emphasize something right now. Please listen. In times of persecution, in times of trouble, in times of apostasy, in times of judgment, the safest place to be is as close as you can possibly get to the Lord. You know what a wolf does? A wolf will always go after the weakest, the sickliest, and the stragglers. They're easy pickings. And the world and the flesh and the devil know that. You start straggling, you start becoming anemic, spiritually speaking, and you are wolf bait. It's just that simple.
#35 | 22:44 to 23:49 | cleaned
But when you look at verse 16, these saints did not throw in the towel. They did not quit. They did not give up and they did not give out. They did not lag behind. You see, for the true child of God, persecution and oppression and tyranny and problems will always drive the true Christian closer to the Lord. It won't drive him away, it will drive him closer. Anyone who gets driven away because of persecution has never been a real Christian anyhow, based upon 1 John chapter 2. A real saint of God will always draw closer to the Lord.
#36 | 23:50 to 24:35 | cleaned
Now, let me make a statement before I begin to enunciate this point. Are you listening? The message I'm preaching today is not a pietistic message. And by a pietistic message, I mean this. I'm not advocating that in times of persecution, in times of danger, in times of trouble, that all we do is withdraw and meditate. That is not what I am saying. I am saying that there must be meditation. I am saying that there must be careful thought, and those thoughts must be based upon biblical truth. We do have other duties, and we do have other responsibilities, and we must fulfill those duties and those responsibilities, but we cannot fulfill them without meditation and without thought.
#37 | 24:35 to 25:28 | cleaned
They that fear the Lord speak often one with another. Now, what do I mean by that? Why were they speaking one with another? I'm sure there's a multitude of reasons. They were undoubtedly encouraging each other in the Lord. But they were also undoubtedly giving and receiving counsel. Most of us have never, ever understood the importance of biblical counsel. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 11, verse 14? Listen to what God says. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety."
#38 | 25:29 to 26:13 | cleaned
I don't care how hard I try, I cannot think about everything. I can't. And I don't care if I have one problem, I still cannot think everything about that one problem. I have to have help in my thinking. I have to have someone who's been through that problem or someone who's going through that problem or someone who knows about that problem or someone who knows more than I do about that problem.
#39 | 26:16 to 26:40 | cleaned
And therefore, he said, in the multitude of counselors there is safety. In Proverbs 15 in verse 22, the Bible says this, "Without counsel, purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established." So if you want to be disappointed in your plans, just do all your planning yourself without help in thinking. No, he says you must have counsel. And then in Proverbs 20 and verse 18, it hits the nail on the head because the Bible says, "Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war." Every purpose is established by counsel, and with good advice make war.
#40 | 26:42 to 27:25 | cleaned
You don't run off half-cocked. You don't run off just thinking about what you want to think. No, God says, with good advice or good counsel, you make war. You do what you're supposed to do, but based upon biblical counsel. It is exceedingly unwise in times of danger and persecution to act without thinking and to act without counsel. In fact, it is unwise to act anytime without thinking and without counsel.
#41 | 27:27 to 27:58 | cleaned
How many of you have backed your car out of the driveway and realized you didn't even look? You weren't thinking. There have been times in my life that I've gone from one point to another point, and I've had something on my mind. I don't remember stopping at red lights, stop signs, or looking at railroad tracks. I did, in all probability, but I don't remember doing it. I was thinking about something else, but I was not thinking about what I was doing.
#42 | 28:05 to 28:41 | cleaned
You know what the Bible says in Proverbs 21 in verse 2, listen, "Every way of man is right in his own eyes." Nick could determine to do something, he says, that's right. It is in his own eyes, he thought about it, it has to be right. That's the way we think. Then someone comes along and says, whoa, what are you doing? That's not right. Have you considered this, have you thought about that? No. See, the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 15, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.
#43 | 28:45 to 29:19 | cleaned
But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." So God is saying, look, they spake one to another. What in the world were they doing? They were seeking counsel. They were trying to encourage each other. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 10. I want you to see what God says in verse 24. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24. I want you to look at this. In light of apostasy, in light of persecution, in light of danger, in light of oppression, look what the Bible says, Hebrews 10 verse 24, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. But exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching."
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So what are we to do? We're to exhort each other. And we're to do it more frequently. As times are more dangerous and the day draws near—the judgment or the coming of the Lord, whatever—God says we're to exhort each other in the Lord. And He goes on to say that we're to exhort each other. Let me turn back there. Look a little further. Look in Hebrews chapter 10. Once again, verse 24. He says it like this.
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"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching." Let us consider one another to do what? To provoke unto love and good works. You know what most of us do as Christians? We just only do half of verse 24. We just provoke each other. We don't provoke unto love and good works, we just provoke each other. And God says we're to do that, provoking each other unto love and good works, and so much more as we see the day approaching. So what are they doing when they're speaking together?
#46 | 30:54 to 31:37 | cleaned
They're looking at Doc and saying, don't give up, don't give out, hang in there, God's going to grant us victory, God's going to deliver us, do right! That's encouragement. That's provoking unto love and good works. Yes, I would do this based upon what you've told me, based upon what I know from the Bible. It's scriptural. Let's do it. Let's do it. That's counsel. That's good advice. And that's provoking unto love and good works. You know, it's interesting, as you read through the New Testament, and I can give you several examples, but Acts 4 and Acts 12 are just two of them. But you read through the book of Acts. And whenever the apostles were captured, brought before the Sanhedrin, sometimes they were beaten, told not anymore to speak in his name, read your Bibles and find the first thing that they did when they were released. You know what they did?
#47 | 31:37 to 32:37 | cleaned
They went to the other brethren and reported all that was done. What were they doing? They were saying, here's what has happened. Let me encourage you. God brought us through it. He's going to bring you through it. Over and over, they did that. God is able to deliver. That's what they were saying. So they spake one to another. So I believe this speaking together then not only was mutual exhortation and mutual biblical provocation.
#48 | 32:39 to 33:11 | cleaned
They were strengthening each other's hands, and they were receiving help and direction and guidance. So he says in times of persecution, in times of apostasy, we need to speak together more frequently. Notice if you would back in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16, and I'm going to deal with the second point under the reaction of the saints. The Bible said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name. So they not only spoke to each other, the second thing they did is they thought upon His name.
#49 | 33:12 to 33:51 | cleaned
Now, doubtless, thinking upon the Lord's name is a rare virtue. Because each of us can testify how easily forgetfulness creeps over us. We forget to pray. We forget to thank the Lord for what he's done for us. We forget to thank him for life and breath and health and happiness. And you know, one of the things that's really been impressed upon me through the years is this. And I am thankful. I really am. For the life that God has given me and the life that God has given my wife. But you know, it is amazing you let someone who's been married maybe 50 or 60 years lose their mate.
#50 | 33:53 to 34:47 | cleaned
And I have seen people just so distraught and so disturbed and so distressed. And I understand that. I mean, you've been together so long, it's like dying yourself. I understand that. But on the other hand, we've forgotten to thank the Lord that, God, you let me have my mate for 56 years. What a blessing. Most people don't get to have a mate that long. While we're grieving, we forget to be thankful. We forget all about the good things of the good times. And we just concentrate on what's going on right now.
#51 | 34:48 to 35:30 | cleaned
They thought upon His name. You see, forgetfulness easily creeps over us, and sometimes when we forget God, we begin to think, or we tend to think, that we can sin with impunity. Go back and read Psalm 10. What do the wicked say? God does not see, or God will never know. The forgetting of God always leads to sin, rebellion, and wickedness. Once we learn to remember the Lord and we think about Him in everything that we do, we will find that that is a bridle sufficient to restrain most of our lusts. They thought upon His name.
#52 | 35:33 to 36:17 | cleaned
Now, what in the world does that mean? The word for name is the word Shem. It occurs 864 times in the Bible. Adam named the animals. You know what Adam was doing when he named the animals? He was not saying, well, there's that old cow. Look at there. She's taking food from all the other cows. I'll call her old bossy. No, that's not what Adam was doing. When Adam named the animals, he was scientifically classifying those animals, and he was reading in those animals the very nature that God had given them and created them with. When he named them, he saw their nature. He saw their attributes.
#53 | 36:17 to 37:13 | cleaned
He knew why they had been made. And when the Bible says they think upon the name of the Lord, it doesn't mean that we just think that his name may be Yahweh or Jehovah. It means that we think upon his name, yes, but his reputation, his fame, his glory, his attributes. In other words, he is a memorial to us. When we think of the name of the Lord, we're thinking of his character, his attributes, his will, his way, his word. When we think upon the name of the Lord, we're thinking that He is the Creator. He's the Sustainer, the Preserver, the Provider, the Redeemer, the Lord of Glory. We think about His will for our lives. We think about His law, His word, His direction that He gives us. When we think about His name, we're saying that His name is sacred to us in the sense that we recognize Him as the only true and living God. He is the sovereign God and He has the authority to tell us what to think and how to act.
#54 | 37:14 to 38:27 | cleaned
That's remembering God. The name of God is God Himself. It's thinking who God is. So thinking upon His name is vitally important to us because the more we think about Him and the more we think upon Him, the more we perceive His character, His attributes, and His will for our lives. You know, I just find that absolutely astounding. In the time of apostasy and corruption and tyranny, how did the saints react?
#55 | 38:30 to 39:09 | cleaned
They spake more frequently one with another. And they thought upon His name. We want to make sure that we have His will, His Word, His way in our lives and whatever we do. They weren't pietists. They weren't withdrawing to a cave somewhere and just sitting down meditating, doing nothing. No, they were fulfilling their responsibilities, but they were making sure they fulfilled them biblically and scripturally. There's another thought that I want to give you here.
#56 | 39:11 to 39:42 | cleaned
You've seen the reaction of the saints. Now I want you to look at the response of the Sovereign. Verse 16, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.
#57 | 39:43 to 40:07 | cleaned
And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Now there are several responses and I want to enumerate these for you that God gives to the reaction of the saints. The first is a response of encouragement. I want you to see how the Lord treats such people who speak often one to each other as saints and that think upon his name. The Bible says the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him. So he hearkened to their conversations. He heard the meditation of their hearts and he approved to the extent that a book of remembrance was kept before him.
#58 | 40:08 to 41:00 | cleaned
Now, let me just tell you that this allusion is to the books that earthly kings used to keep. For instance, you will find one mentioned in Ezra chapter 4, Esther chapter 2, and Esther chapter 6. You remember it was King Ahasuerus who could not sleep and he called for the book to be read before him and that's when he found out that Mordecai had reported the conspiracy of the two men who were going to kill him. And he said, has anything been done for Mordecai? No, we're doing the book of remembrance. Kings kept them.
#59 | 41:00 to 41:39 | cleaned
And so here's an allusion of that. And what the Lord is doing is condescending in this verse to give us an allusion after the manner of men so that we will understand that the Lord does indeed hearken. He does hear and he does remember.
#60 | 41:40 to 41:56 | cleaned
Now, the Bible says he heard it. He heard when we spoke of him and we thought of him. He fully understood it, he observed it, and he understood, and therefore there was a registry kept before him.
#61 | 41:56 to 42:10 | cleaned
Now, what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord is not going to forget, but he shall remember every good man, every good work, every good word, every good thought of him and for him. They are entered under his eye. He knows them. And he's going to be. And we should be assured that there will be a comfortable blessing and reward for those who so think about him.
#62 | 42:10 to 42:46 | cleaned
Now, let me ask this question, and I'm sure it's already entered into your mind. Why is the scripture so specific here when the Bible said the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written? Why does God say the same thing three times? He could just say, the Lord hearkened, or the Lord heard, or a book of remembrance was written, but God says each one of them three times. You must understand there is no forgetfulness in God. He bears in His own eternal mind a remembrance of all persons, thoughts, words, and actions of His people. And according to Romans 2 and verse 16, even the secret thoughts of man will be revealed in that day. God is omniscient. God sees all. God knows all. God does not forget.
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He does not have the afflictions of mankind. He does not come down with Alzheimer's. Why then does the Scripture say three times that the Lord hearkened, the Lord heard, and a book of remembrance was written? The answer is, for our encouragement.
#64 | 43:54 to 44:11 | cleaned
Now let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. And I want you to note verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Hebrews 6 verse 10. Look what the Bible says. Hebrews 6 verse 10. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you minister to the saints and do minister." Now look at that a little more closely. For God is not unrighteous to forget what? Your work and labor of love, which you showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. So God is not unrighteous to forget our work and our labor of love. Now, if God is not going to forget our work and our labor of love, very obviously, God is not going to forget our thoughts. Because it is our thoughts that motivate us to do the work and do the labor.
#65 | 44:12 to 45:27 | cleaned
You have to think of those things before you do them. So God is not unrighteous to forget the work. And God is certainly not unrighteous to forget the thoughts. Do you not remember all of these verses in the Bible? I'm not going to quote them all. But do you not remember those verses in the Bible, in the New Testament particularly, that speak of our Lord? For instance, in Matthew 9 and verse 4 and Matthew 12 and verse 24, the Bible says, Jesus, knowing their thoughts. And in Luke 6 and verse 8, the Bible says he knew their thoughts. He's not going to forget those thoughts. Do you realize that some—well, not just sometimes, but many times in the Bible.
#66 | 45:28 to 46:09 | cleaned
The thought is accepted for the deed. You say, what in the world are you thinking about? The thought is accepted for the deed. Well, turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. You should watch this. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And look in verse 12. Now, in the context of 2 Corinthians chapter 8, they're taking up a collection for the poor brethren. OK?
#67 | 46:10 to 46:47 | cleaned
Have you ever wanted to give to some great need, but you didn't have the money to give? It's been my lot in life. Many times. But look what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 12. The Apostle writes, "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." What's that mean? If I see a need, and I say, Lord, I'd like to give $200 for this, but Lord, all I've got is $20. I don't have $200, but I'll give the $20.
#68 | 46:50 to 47:29 | cleaned
You know what God does? He marks me down for giving $200. If there's first a willing mind, then the thought is accepted for the deed. So God knows our thoughts. And He hearkens and He hears. And therefore we are encouraged to know that not even our thoughts are going to be forgotten before Him. Those that think upon His name. He hearkened. He heard. And a book of remembrance was there.
#69 | 47:29 to 48:08 | cleaned
Then if you look in verse 17 back in Malachi chapter 3, there is not only a response of encouragement, there is also a response of assurance. He says in verse 17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts." I like that. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. What is he declaring? He is declaring, I'm going to acknowledge them. I'm going to assure them that they are my people, they're my subjects, they're my followers, and I'm going to acknowledge them specifically in the day when I judge the wicked.
#70 | 48:08 to 48:51 | cleaned
Now hang on, because it gets a little better in just a few moments. You know what he said in Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 5? For he had said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You know something, folks? I don't care how bad of a judgment falls on this country, or any country, God is not going to forget or forsake His people. Period. He said, I want to acknowledge you. You are going to be mine. You know what our Lord said? I want you to see it. Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10, just a few pages over. Matthew chapter 10.
#71 | 48:54 to 49:32 | cleaned
Look at what he said in verses 32 and 33. Matthew 10, verse 32. This is similar to what God is saying in Malachi 3 in verse 17, when he said, they shall be mine, saith the Lord. Matthew chapter 10. Notice if you would, verse 32. Matthew 10, verse 32. Our Lord says, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoso shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven." What's our Lord saying?
#72 | 49:32 to 50:03 | cleaned
In the day of judgment, you know what I'm going to say of you? You're mine. You're mine. I'm going to acknowledge you. What assurance? God is not going to forget His people. We are His. We belong to Him. If you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, let me show you why. Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verses 7 and 8. Do you know why God loved us? Here's why.
#73 | 50:03 to 50:38 | cleaned
Because He chose to love us. There's nothing good in us. And here's what He says in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7. "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people. For you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you." Why did the Lord love you? Because the Lord loved you. He just loved you because he chose to love you. And what's he saying?
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He is not going to forget us. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. You remember what he said in 2 Corinthians 6, verse 18, "And I will be a father unto them, and they shall be my children." So God responds, not only with a response of encouragement, but a response of assurance. And then go back to Malachi 3, verse 17. Here also is a response of affection. Notice what he said in verse 17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels."
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Now, I want you to stop and think about this. My wife has some jewelry and she keeps it separate from anything else. Why would she do that? Because she values it. It's counted her peculiar treasure. All of you women have jewelry. You do the same thing. You have your jewelry box or you have your drawer. You have some place where you keep that jewelry. And if you men ever happen to have anything fashionable, you keep it somewhere else too. You keep it somewhere special. I want to show you what the Lord's treasure is. Look in your Bibles.
#76 | 51:56 to 52:39 | cleaned
to the book of Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. You've got to remember that God created the world and everything therein. All the cattle on a thousand hills belong to him, the gold, the silver, everything else belongs to him. But in Exodus chapter 19, if you look at verses 5 and 6, you'll find out what his peculiar treasure really is. Exodus 19, verse 5. Our Lord tells His people, "Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people.
#77 | 52:40 to 53:18 | cleaned
For all the earth is Mine, and you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel." What does God say? You shall be My peculiar people. God said, and they shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels. Now, folks. Please think about this. Think about how unworthy we are. Think about how before our conversion and unhappily, sometimes after our conversion, we've sinned grievously against the Lord. Think about how prayerless we are. How praiseless we are. How unthankful we are. Think about how impatient we are. Think about how easily we give up. How easily we give out. Think how many times we fail. Yet God said, They shall be mine in that day when I make up my jewels. God still values us. He treasures us. He acknowledges us.
#78 | 53:19 to 54:52 | cleaned
And we have to confess, folks, it is only Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone who makes us worthy to be our Father's jewels. A response of affection. You'll be my peculiar treasure when I make up my jewels. Oh, but look at this. Here's the fourth one. A response of protection. He says in verse 17, "And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." And I will spare them.
#79 | 54:55 to 55:37 | cleaned
Now, please, may I remind you of the context? What's the context of these verses? Judgment. God is judging a sinning, rebelling, wicked, corrupt nation. But God said in all that corruption, I have some that fear me, that speak frequently to each other, that think upon my name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. And I will make them my jewels in that day when I gather my peculiar and particular treasure.
#80 | 55:37 to 56:20 | cleaned
And then he said, And I will spare them. This is that which many saints have waited to hear and wanted to hear. Let me just give you a practical application. You look at the corruption of our government. The corruption of our country. The corruption of our money. The corruption of our people. And we know that abortion and socialism and sodomy and fornication, we know that all of that trash is wicked and wrong and ungodly and we don't want any part of it. And we know the judgment of God is going to fall. But God says to His people, I'll spare you.
#81 | 56:23 to 57:28 | cleaned
Oh, that doesn't mean that we won't ever have to suffer any. But it does mean that we're going to be spared. I want to show you. I want to show you how important this is. I want you to turn in your Bible to 2 Peter 2, 9, let me show you one verse and then I'm going to quote some verses for you. 2 Peter 2 and look at verse 9.
#82 | 57:32 to 57:56 | cleaned
And I am thankful that God knows this truth, I can assure you. 2 Peter 2 and verse 9. Please look at what the scripture says. 2 Peter 2 9. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment to be punished." Isn't that amazing? God knows how to deliver us out of temptations, and at the same time reserve the unjust to punishment and chastisement. What's he saying?
#83 | 57:59 to 58:34 | cleaned
I want to spare my people. I know how to do that. I know how to deliver you and judge them at the same time.
#84 | 58:34 to 58:42 | cleaned
Now, what did God say? Think. God said, "And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." I want to impress upon you how great this honor really is. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 4, God did not spare the angels that sinned against Him. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 5, God did not spare the old world. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 6, He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. In Matthew 24, He did not spare the Jews nor Jerusalem, but He destroyed them. And in Romans 8 and verse 32, the Bible says, "For He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" God did not spare the old world. He did not spare the angels. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not spare Jerusalem. He did not even spare His own Son. But He will spare His people. I might add, it's only because He spared not His own Son that He will spare us.
#85 | 58:43 to 1:00:19 | cleaned
What is the Scripture doing? It is vouchsafing us as His special people. Our lives are spared. We are called by His grace. And though sometimes we are afflicted and chastised, it is always done gently and in love and for our good and for His glory. Our services are accepted. Even the imperfections of our services are overlooked. Our sins are pardoned. And we'll find mercy on the Day of Judgment. And we'll hear our Lord say, Father, I confess Him before You.
#86 | 1:00:22 to 1:01:04 | cleaned
For He confessed Me before men. And we'll hear our Father say, He's mine. He's my precious treasure and my precious jewel. Those who are redeemed in Jesus Christ will have all the honor and glory given to them that was purchased and earned by the suffering and work of Jesus Christ. We will be the vessels of pleasure, while the ungodly will be the vessels of wrath, in whom God has no pleasure.
#87 | 1:01:07 to 1:01:52 | cleaned
Do you remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verses 28 and 29? He said, "And I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." They shall be mine.
#88 | 1:01:54 to 1:02:17 | cleaned
Now, just two quick applications. Scripture says that these saints spake often one to another and thought upon his name. By nature, we do not know the thoughts of the Lord. We must learn to think as God thinks. He said in Isaiah 55 in verse 8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, saith the Lord." In Micah chapter 4 in verse 12, he says, "But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither do they understand his counsel." So that means this. If we're going to think right thoughts of him, we must submit our mind to his word and learn to think scripturally and biblically.
#89 | 1:02:18 to 1:03:09 | cleaned
I want to show you the opposite. You say, but I don't have time to study my Bible. I don't have time to research. I don't have time to think. You better take time. You know what God said in Isaiah 65 verse 2, let me quote it. Isaiah 65 verse 2, he said, "I've spread out my hands all the day unto rebellious people who walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts." What does God call walking after your own thoughts? Rebellion. What is it walking after his thoughts? Obedience. If we're going to think upon the Lord, we have to learn to think biblically. The second application is this, we have to learn the principle of Proverbs 16 and verse 3 where the Bible said, "Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." What's that mean? That means whatever we start to do, we have to say, Lord, I want to do what's right. I want to honor you. And Lord, I may not necessarily know everything that's right in this area right now, but I want you to teach me because I want this to be honoring to your name and I want it to be for your glory.
#90 | 1:03:10 to 1:04:32 | cleaned
And doing so, we'll find that our thoughts are established in the right way. We'll also find comfort and delight. For David said in Psalm 94 and verse 19, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul." Why could David say that? Because he had learned to think scripturally. God said they shall be mine, said the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son who serveth him. Our responsibility is to speak often one to another, to think upon the Lord. And the rougher the times get, the more frequently we're to fellowship with each other, encourage each other, counsel each other, and the more frequently we should think upon the Lord. And we should also thank Him for having His Word and His Son who gave us eternal life. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You would teach us and help us, Father, to think upon Thee and to think upon Thy name, Thy character, Thy attributes, Thy greatness, Thy mercy, Thy works. Make us holy and make us godly, we pray.
#91 | 1:04:33 to 1:06:14 | cleaned
Help us to live for Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:19:07Z

Thinking of the LORD - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, John Weaver examines Malachi 3:16-17, focusing on the reaction of the faithful remnant in times of apostasy and judgment. He emphasizes that the godly respond by speaking often to one another for mutual encouragement and counsel, and by thinking upon the Lord's name—meditating on His character and will. In response, God hearkens, remembers, assures them they are His, treasures them as His jewels, and spares them from judgment. The message calls believers to cultivate biblical meditation and fellowship, especially as times grow darker.

Introduction: The Importance of Thinking About the Lord

Weaver poses questions about whether, how often, and what we think about the Lord, contrasting biblical meditation with Eastern meditation and amusement.

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:16-17

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

Biblical Meditation Defined and Contrasted

Meditation is rolling God's Word over in the mind, like a cow chewing cud. The opposite is 'amusement'—not thinking. David's meditations were sweet and acceptable to God.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 5:1

Now, there are numbers of scriptures in the Bible that deal with meditation. Let me just quote some. In Psalm 5 and verse 1, David said this, "Give ear, O Lord, and consider my meditation." In other words, Lord, listen to me and consider my meditation. In Psalm 19 and verse 4, David said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Note what he said: let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart or my mind be acceptable in thy sight. Again, in Psalm 104, in verse 34, David said this, "My meditation of him, of the Lord, shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord." So David then is thinking of the Lord. He says, my meditation of him shall be sweet.

The Contrast Between the Godly and the Wicked

The godly meditate on God's law day and night (Psalm 119:97), while the wicked have no room for God in their thoughts (Psalm 10:4). The fool says 'No God for me.'

In Psalm 119, in verse 97, David said this. He said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:97

"O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 14:1; 53:1

"The fool in his heart says there is no God."

God in All Our Thoughts: Practical Integration

Though we cannot concentrate on God 24/7, we can bring every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) by relating daily activities to Him, like Stonewall Jackson did.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations and every high thing or every high thought that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

So every thought is to be brought into obedience to Jesus Christ.

The Danger of Forgetting God in Prosperity

If we refuse to think of God in times of ease, He may arrange adversity to force us to call on Him (Jeremiah 22:21; 12:5).

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 22:21

"I spake unto thee in thy prosperity. But thou saidest, I will not hear. This has been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 12:5

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"

Context of Malachi 3:16-17: Judgment and Apostasy

The verses sit in a context of God's judgment on a rebellious people who despise His service. The faithful remnant's reaction is highlighted.

The Reaction of the Saints: Speaking Often and Thinking on His Name

In response to widespread apostasy, the saints drew closer to the Lord, spoke often to encourage and counsel one another, and thought upon His name—His character and will.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 15:22

"Without counsel, purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established."

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:24-25

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. But exhorting one another and so much the more as

you see the day approaching."

The Response of the Sovereign: Encouragement, Assurance, Affection, Protection

God hearkens, remembers, assures them they are His, treasures them as jewels, and spares them from judgment, because He spared not His own Son.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 6:10

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you minister to the saints and do minister."

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 8:12

"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."

What's that mean? If I see a need, and I say, Lord, I'd like to give $200 for this, but Lord, all I've got is $20. I don't have $200, but I'll give the $20.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 10:32-33

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whoso shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven."

What's our Lord saying?

Because He chose to love us. There's nothing good in us. And here's what He says in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 7:7-8

"The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people. For you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you."

Why did the Lord love you? Because the Lord loved you. He just loved you because he chose to love you. And what's he saying?

Applications: Learning to Think Biblically and Commit Works to the Lord

We must submit our minds to Scripture to think God's thoughts, and commit our works to Him so our thoughts are established. This brings comfort and delight.

Thinking of the LORD - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3707172937
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-12-31
Dictation Name
Book	Book 084: Proverbs: Kingship, Household Wisdom, and Warning — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	92

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Importance of Thinking About the Lord: Weaver poses questions about whether, how often, and what we think about the Lord, contrasting biblical meditation with Eastern meditation and amusement.
Biblical Meditation Defined and Contrasted: Meditation is rolling God's Word over in the mind, like a cow chewing cud. The opposite is 'amusement'—not thinking. David's meditations were sweet and acceptable to God.
The Contrast Between the Godly and the Wicked: The godly meditate on God's law day and night (Psalm 119:97), while the wicked have no room for God in their thoughts (Psalm 10:4). The fool says 'No God for me.'
God in All Our Thoughts: Practical Integration: Though we cannot concentrate on God 24/7, we can bring every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) by relating daily activities to Him, like Stonewall Jackson did.
The Danger of Forgetting God in Prosperity: If we refuse to think of God in times of ease, He may arrange adversity to force us to call on Him (Jeremiah 22:21; 12:5).
Context of Malachi 3:16-17: Judgment and Apostasy: The verses sit in a context of God's judgment on a rebellious people who despise His service. The faithful remnant's reaction is highlighted.
The Reaction of the Saints: Speaking Often and Thinking on His Name: In response to widespread apostasy, the saints drew closer to the Lord, spoke often to encourage and counsel one another, and thought upon His name—His character and will.
The Response of the Sovereign: Encouragement, Assurance, Affection, Protection: God hearkens, remembers, assures them they are His, treasures them as jewels, and spares them from judgment, because He spared not His own Son.
Applications: Learning to Think Biblically and Commit Works to the Lord: We must submit our minds to Scripture to think God's thoughts, and commit our works to Him so our thoughts are established. This brings comfort and delight.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Meditation is essential, not optional, for the godly life.

Weaver argues that biblical meditation—rolling God's Word over in the mind—is a lost art that must be recovered, as it distinguishes the righteous from the wicked who refuse to think on God.

He cites Psalm 1:2, 119:97, and contrasts David's meditation with the wicked in Psalm 10:4.

God can be in all our thoughts without constant concentration.

While it is impossible to focus on God every second, believers can relate every activity to Christ (e.g., drinking water reminds us of living water), thus bringing every thought into obedience to Him.

He references 2 Corinthians 10:5 and the example of Stonewall Jackson.

Refusing to think on God in prosperity invites forced adversity.

If we will not hear God in times of ease, He can arrange circumstances (persecution, distress) to compel us to call on Him, as seen in Jeremiah 22:21 and 12:5.

He quotes Jeremiah 22:21 and expounds Jeremiah 12:5 about running with footmen versus horses.

In times of apostasy, the faithful must increase fellowship and counsel.

The remnant in Malachi spoke often to one another for mutual encouragement and biblical counsel, fulfilling Proverbs 11:14 and Hebrews 10:24-25, which command exhortation especially as the day approaches.

He cites Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 20:18, and Hebrews 10:24-25.

Thinking on God's name means meditating on His revealed character.

The Hebrew word 'Shem' implies reputation and attributes. To think on the Lord's name is to consider His nature as Creator, Redeemer, and Sovereign, and to align our lives with His will.

He explains the meaning of 'name' from Adam naming animals and applies it to God's attributes.

God's remembrance of His people is for their encouragement.

Though God is omniscient and cannot forget, the triple statement 'hearkened, heard, book of remembrance' is given to assure believers that their thoughts and words are noted and will be rewarded.

He references Hebrews 6:10 and 2 Corinthians 8:12 (the thought accepted for the deed).

Believers are God's peculiar treasure and will be spared in judgment.

God calls His people His 'jewels' (peculiar treasure) and promises to spare them as a man spares his serving son, because Christ was not spared for them (Romans 8:32).

He cites Exodus 19:5-6, Malachi 3:17, and contrasts with 2 Peter 2:4-9.

We must learn to think biblically by submitting to Scripture.

Since our natural thoughts are not God's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), we must study the Word to think rightly. Walking after our own thoughts is rebellion; committing our works to God establishes our thoughts.

He quotes Isaiah 65:2 and Proverbs 16:3.

Scripture References

Malachi 3:16-17: Primary text: the faithful speak often, think on God's name, and are promised to be His jewels and spared.
Psalm 5:1: David asks God to consider his meditation.
Psalm 19:14: David prays that his words and meditation be acceptable to God.
Psalm 104:34: David says his meditation of the Lord shall be sweet.
Psalm 119:97: David loves God's law and meditates on it day and night.
Psalm 10:4: The wicked, through pride, do not seek God; God is not in all their thoughts.
Psalm 14:1; 53:1: The fool says in his heart there is no God, meaning 'No God for me.'
2 Corinthians 10:5: Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Jeremiah 22:21: God spoke in prosperity, but they would not hear; this has been their manner.
Jeremiah 12:5: If footmen weary you, how will you contend with horses? If in peace you are wearied, how in the swelling of Jordan?
Malachi 3:5-15: Context of judgment: God will witness against sorcerers, adulterers, oppressors; they have robbed God and said it is vain to serve Him.
James 4:8: Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you; exemplified in Malachi 3:16-17.
Proverbs 11:14: Where no counsel is, the people fall; in multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 15:22: Without counsel purposes are disappointed; in multitude of counselors they are established.
Proverbs 20:18: Every purpose is established by counsel; with good advice make war.
Hebrews 10:24-25: Consider one another to provoke to love and good works, not forsaking assembling, exhorting one another as the day approaches.
Hebrews 6:10: God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love shown toward His name.
2 Corinthians 8:12: If there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, not what he does not have.
Matthew 10:32-33: Whoever confesses Christ before men, He will confess before the Father; whoever denies Him, He will deny.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8: God loved Israel not because they were numerous but because He loved them.

Historical References

Stonewall Jackson: Jackson said he never drank water without thanking Christ the living water, and never sent a letter without asking God to bless the recipient.
King Ahasuerus and Mordecai (Esther 6): The book of remembrance allusion: Ahasuerus had the chronicles read and found Mordecai's unrewarded deed, similar to God's book of remembrance.

Important Quotes

The word meditation in the Bible actually means to roll the Word of God over and over in your mind.

Defines biblical meditation as active mental engagement with Scripture, contrasting it with Eastern practices.

When you put the alpha in front of it, it is amuse, which means not to think, not to consider, and not to analyze.

Explains the etymology of 'amusement' to show that worldly entertainment discourages godly thinking.

It was Stonewall Jackson who said, 'I never put a glass of water to my lips without thanking him who is the living water.'

Illustrates how a believer can integrate God into everyday actions, fulfilling the command to have God in all thoughts.

If we are unwilling to hear God, if we are unwilling to think of Him in times of prosperity, in times of ease and comfort, let me assure you today that God can arrange circumstances so you have to think about Him in times of persecution, distress, oppression, and tyranny.

Warns that neglecting God in good times may lead to forced dependence through hardship.

In times of persecution, in times of trouble, in times of apostasy, in times of judgment, the safest place to be is as close as you can possibly get to the Lord.

Encourages drawing near to God as protection when surrounded by spiritual danger.

They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.

Highlights God's affectionate ownership and treasuring of His people as His peculiar possession.

God did not spare the old world. He did not spare the angels. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not spare Jerusalem. He did not even spare His own Son. But He will spare His people.

Emphasizes the magnitude of God's sparing mercy toward believers, grounded in Christ's sacrifice.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean practically to 'roll the Word of God over and over in your mind'? How can we cultivate this discipline?

[Context]

Weaver defines meditation as ruminating on Scripture like a cow chews cud.

[Question]

How does the concept of 'amusement' as 'not thinking' challenge our entertainment choices?

[Context]

Weaver explains that amusement parks and media require no intellectual engagement, contrasting with godly meditation.

[Question]

In what ways can we bring every thought captive to Christ in our daily routines?

[Context]

Weaver uses Stonewall Jackson's example of relating water to Christ and letters to prayer.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to forget God in times of prosperity? Have you experienced God using adversity to draw you back?

[Context]

Weaver warns from Jeremiah 22:21 and 12:5 that ease can lead to spiritual neglect, prompting God's discipline.

[Question]

How can we 'speak often one to another' in a way that provides biblical counsel and encouragement, especially in dark times?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes the need for mutual exhortation and counsel based on Proverbs and Hebrews 10.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'think upon the name of the Lord'? How does this go beyond merely saying His name?

[Context]

Weaver explains that 'name' refers to God's character, attributes, and reputation.

[Question]

How does the truth that God keeps a 'book of remembrance' encourage you in your private thoughts and conversations?

[Context]

Weaver says God's triple statement is for our encouragement, assuring us He notes our thoughts and words.

[Question]

What does it mean to be God's 'jewel' or peculiar treasure? How should this identity affect our daily lives?

[Context]

Weaver cites Exodus 19:5-6 and Malachi 3:17 to show God's affectionate valuation of His people.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:49:47Z