"But you ask, 'How can we return?'

8 "Can a person cheat Elohim? Yet, you are cheating me!

"But you ask, 'How are we cheating you?'

"When you don't bring a tenth of your income and other contributions. 9 So a curse is on you because the whole nation is cheating me!

10 "Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way," says Yahweh Tsebaoth . "See if I won't open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings. 11 Then, for your sake, I will stop insects from eating your crops. They will not destroy the produce of your land. The vines in your fields will not lose their unripened grapes," says Yahweh Tsebaoth . 12 "All nations will call you blessed because you will be a delightful land," says Yahweh Tsebaoth .

13 "You have used harsh words against me," says Yahweh.

"You ask, 'How have we spoken against you?'

14 "You have said, 'It's pointless to serve Elohim. What do we gain if we meet his standards or if we walk around feeling sorry for what we've done? 15 So now we call arrogant people blessed. Not only are evildoers encouraged, they even test Elohim and get away with it.'"

16 Then those who feared Yahweh spoke to one another, and Yahweh paid attention and listened. A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared Yahweh and respected his name.

17 "They will be mine," says Yahweh Tsebaoth . "On that day I will make them my special possession. I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18 Then you will again see the difference between righteous people and wicked people, between the one who serves Elohim and the one who doesn't serve him.

The Day of the LORD Brings Judgment 4 a1 "Certainly the day is coming! It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all evildoers will be like straw. The day that is coming will burn them up completely," says Yahweh Tsebaoth . "It won't leave a single root or branch.

2 "The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings for you people who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves let out of a stall. 3 You will trample on wicked people, because on the day I act they will be ashes under the soles of your feet," says Yahweh Tsebaoth.

Remember What God Has Done and Will Do 4 "Remember the teachings of my servant Moses, the rules and regulations that I gave to him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 "I'm going to send you the prophet Elijah before that very terrifying day of Yahweh comes. 6 He will change parents' attitudes toward their children and children's attitudes toward their parents. If not, I will come and reclaim my land by destroying you."

a 2:4 Or "covenant."

b 2:15 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.

a 3:1 Or "covenant."

a 4:1 Malachi 4:1-6 in English Bibles is Malachi 3:19-24 in the Hebrew Bible.

New Testament Introduction to MATTHEW.

The first four books of the New Testament are called "Gospels," or books of good news. At first glance, Matthew, Mark, and Luke seem very much alike: Matthew and Luke quote or refer to all but 31 verses in Mark, and they share another 250 verses that aren't in Mark. Yet each of these three Gospels tells Jesus' story-his life, his teachings, his death and resurrection-in its own way, highlighting different features; while the fourth Gospel, John, has an entirely different perspective. It's important to read all four Gospels to gain a well-rounded picture of Jesus.

Where to start? If this is your first time reading the Gospels, Mark is a great introduction: short, direct, and action packed. If you are Jewish, however, Matthew is your book. Writing for Christian converts who were born and raised in the Jewish faith, Matthew often quotes the Hebrew Scriptures. "Don't ever think that I came to set aside Moses' Teachings or the Prophets," Jesus says (5:17). "I didn't come to set them aside but to make them come true."

The Gospel of Matthew is not a biography. It begins with Jesus' birth and ends with his ascension into heaven, but in between it arranges his teachings and actions in topical, not chronological, order. Of the Gospels, only Matthew tells about Joseph's dream (1:19-25), the wise men's visit (2:1-12), the escape to Egypt (2:13-14), and the massacre of the innocents (2:16-18). As you read these stories, notice how each one is related to an Old Testament prophecy. That is typical of Matthew, who presents Jesus as a second lawgiver, greater than Moses, and as the promised Messiah-King, greater than David. Matthew also portrays Jesus as a teacher, perhaps a rabbi, recording more of Jesus' sayings than any other Gospel. We usually turn to Matthew to read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which includes the Lord's Prayer (6:9-13).

Most important, Matthew shows that in Jesus, God fulfills his promise to Abraham: "Through you every family on earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Matthew begins by tracing Jesus' family back to Abraham (Matthew 1:2) and ends with Jesus' last words to his followers: "Wherever you go, make disciples of all nations" (28:19). Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the King and Savior of the whole world.

Key Names of God in Matthew Spirit Son of David Servant of the Lord Son of Man Immanuel Son of God Savior Rabbi, Teacher Child Father Shepherd Messiah, Christ Lord Bridegroom MATTHEW.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28.

The Family Line of Jesus Christ 1 1 This is the list of ancestors of Yeshua Christ, descendant of David and Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

3 Judah and Tamar were the father and mother of Perez and Zerah. Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon.

5 Salmon and Rahab were the father and mother of Boaz.

Boaz and Ruth were the father and mother of Obed.

Obed was the father of Jesse, 6 Jesse the father of King David.

David and Uriah's wife Bathsheba were the father and mother of Solomon.

7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah.

11 Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

They lived at the time when the people were exiled to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel.

Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob.

16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, who was the husband of Mary.

Mary was the mother of Yeshua, who is called Christ.

17 So there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David until the exile to Babylon, 14 generations from the exile until the Messiah.

The Virgin Birth of Jesus 18 The birth of Yeshua Christ took place in this way. His mother Mary had been promised to Joseph in marriage. But before they were married, Mary realized that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.

20 Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Yeshua [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: 23 "The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means "God is with us."

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. He took Mary to be his wife. 25 He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Yeshua.

The Wise Men Visit 2 1 Yeshua was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Yeshua's birth wise mena from the east arrived in Jerusalem. 2 They asked, "Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him."

3 When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard about this, they became disturbed. 4 He called together all the chief priests and the experts in the Scriptures and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.

5 They told him, "In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this: 6 Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah.

A leader will come from you.

He will shepherd my people Israel."

7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8 As he sent them to Bethlehem, he said, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you have found him, report to me so that I may go and worship him too."

9 After they had heard the king, they started out. The star they had seen rising led them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overwhelmed with joy to see the star. 11 When they entered the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary. So they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.a 12 God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they left for their country by another road.

The Escape to Egypt 13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said to him, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him."

14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night.

15 He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: "I have called my son out of Egypt."

16 When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he became furious. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger in or near Bethlehem. This matched the exact time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah came true: 18 "A sound was heard in Ramah, the sound of crying in bitter grief.

Rachel was crying for her children.

She refused to be comforted because they were dead."

From Egypt to Nazareth 19 After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 The angel said to him, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to Israel. Those who tried to kill the child are dead."

21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, Joseph was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he left for Galilee 23 and made his home in a city called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said came true: "He will be called a Nazarene."

John Prepares the Way-Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28 3 1 Later, John the Baptizer appeared in the desert of Judea. His message was, 2 "Turn to God and change the way you think and act, because the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 Isaiah the prophet spoke about this man when he said, "A voice cries out in the desert: 'Prepare the way for the Lord!

Make his paths straight!'"

4 John wore clothes made from camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

5 Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole Jordan Valley went to him. 6 As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, "You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God's coming anger? 8 Do those things that prove you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act. 9 Don't think you can say, 'Abraham is our ancestor.' I can guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire. 11 I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowinga shovel is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing floor.b He will gather his wheat into a barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out."

John Baptizes Jesus-Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22 13 Then Yeshua appeared. He came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to stop him and said, "I need to be baptized by you. Why are you coming to me?"

15 Yeshua answered him, "This is the way it has to be now. This is the proper way to do everything that God requires of us."

Then John gave in to him. 16 After Yeshua was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him. 17 Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love-my Son with whom I am pleased."

IMMANUEL.

The name Immanuel (im-ma-nu-AIL) appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures and once in the New Testament. It first appears in Isaiah 7:14 as part of a prophetic word that Isaiah spoke to King Ahazof Judah (the southern kingdom) at a time when Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) had formed a coalition against Assyria.

The prophet Isaiah counseled Ahaz not to join in Israel's uprising against Assyria, the region's greatest power, assuring him it would not succeed. Instead, he urged Ahaz to trust in the Lord. Then he invited Ahaz to ask the Lord for a sign to confirm the prophetic word, but the unfaithful king refused. In response to Ahaz's refusal to trust God, Isaiah proclaimed: "Listen now, descendants of David. Isn't it enough that you try the patience of mortals? Must you also try the patience of my God? So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel"(7:13-14).

Shortly after that Syria and Israel were soundly defeated, exactly as Isaiah had prophesied.

Matthew's Gospel recalls Isaiah's prophecy, applying it to the child who would be born of Mary, the virgin betrothed to Joseph. The sign given hundreds of years earlier to an apostate king was meant for all God's people. One of the most comforting of all the names and titles of Jesus, it is literally translated "with us is God" or, as Matthew's Gospel puts it, "God with us." In fact, the Bible is nothing if not the story of God's persistent desire to dwell with his people. In Jesus, God would succeed in a unique way, becoming a man in order to save the world not from the outside, but from the inside. Immanuel, God with us, to rescue, redeem, and restore our relationship with him.

Praying to Immanuel Every year Chuck Colson and his wife Patty deliver Christmas gifts to the children of imprisoned men and women. One year, as Chuck and his wife drove into a housing project to deliver the gifts, they saw all the evidence of despair-gang members lounging in doorways, broken windows, neglect. Making their way to one of the a partments, Chuck knocked on the door. He knew that the father of this family was spending Christmas in prison. A young boy opened the door.

"Merry Christmas," Colson said. "These are from your Daddy." Immediately the door swung wide, revealing a scraggly Christmas tree propped against a wall empty of presents.

When Colson asked the boy his name, he replied, "Emmanuel."

"Do you know what your name means?" Colson asked, opening his Bible and reading from Matthew's Gospel: ". . . and they will name him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

Just then the boy's mother returned home from work. Emmanuel threw his arms around her thighs, crying, "Mama, Mama, God is with us!"

At that moment, the message of Christmas hit Colson anew.a He saw a young boy's eyes open a little wider to the wonder of God's presence. Both the man and the boy seemed to sense God's presence in that apartment, in that family, on that day.

Immanuel-God with us. Let us encounter him today as we do his work, for as Matthew's Gospel says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me"(25:40 NIV).

Immanuel, thank you for coming to us when our sins made it impossible for us to come to you. Open my eyes to your presence today, I pray.

Promises Associated with the Name IMMANUEL.

But Moses said to Elohim, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt? "Elohim answered, "I will be with you." (Exodus 3:11-12) I will never neglect you or abandon you. . . I have commanded you, "Be strong and courageous! Don't tremble or be terrified, because Yahweh your Elohim is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:5, 9) When you go through the sea, I am with you.

When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.

When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not harm you. (Isaiah 43:2-3) And remember that I am always with you until the end of time. (Matthew 28:20)