Pastor Jasmine Brady | Bible Reading Podcast Episode
This reading recap covers Week 42 of 2025, marking the closing of the Old Testament and the start of the second reading of the New Testament. The focus highlights key theological concepts across the books of Psalms, Malachi, and Job, emphasizing themes of divine transplantation, covenant faithfulness, and loving God for Himself.
The reading materials for the week include the ending of Nehemiah (chapters 9–13), the beginning of Job (chapters 1–5), select Psalms (1, 108, 148), the entire book of Malachi (chapters 1–4), and Acts (chapters 2–11).
1. Psalm 1: The Power of Divine Transplantation
Psalm 1 and 2 serve as a foundational introduction to the entire collection of the book of Psalms. A crucial insight comes from the description of the righteous person in Psalm 1: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season”.
The Hebrew word used for “planted” actually means “transplanted”. This signifies that in God’s tender mercies and loving care, He literally uproots you from wherever you were—which might have been a barren, dry, or poorly tended place, or a place you have outgrown—and carefully plants you at a new location. This new place is supplied with living water.
This imagery should evoke the Garden of Eden (the tree of life) and the promise of living water mentioned in John chapter 4. When believers are “transplanted” by the Holy Spirit, their purpose and calling begin to flourish and come to fruition. In every season, they are fed and completely sustained by the living water of the Holy Spirit and His presence.
2. Malachi: A Call to Renewed Covenant Faithfulness
The entire book of Malachi (chapters 1–4) provides a critical prophetic message set after the Babylonian exile and the completion of the second temple, likely in the mid-to-late 5th century BC.
The Danger of Obligation
The main concern of Malachi’s prophetic voice was that the people of Israel’s hearts had not been regenerated. They were serving the Lord out of obligation or because they felt they should do so, rather than out of covenant faithfulness to Yahweh. The people were called back to serving the Lord with a pure heart because they love Him, not because they are obligated due to social pressure or tradition.
The previous exile to Babylon occurred precisely because the people disobeyed God’s law and worshipped other gods and idols. The message now is: ensure that this time, having been brought back from exile, you are serving the Lord faithfully.
The Six Disputations (A Courtroom Scene)
Malachi is structured around six disputations, resembling a courtroom scene where the people make an accusation against God, and God responds.
- Accusation 1: “How have you loved us?” God’s Answer: He kept His covenant love to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Accusation 2: “How have we despised your name?” God’s Answer: They offered sacrifices that were blemished and not what He required.
- Accusation 3: “Why doesn’t God accept our offerings?” God’s Answer: They had been unfaithful to the covenant.
- Accusation 4: “Where is the God of justice?” God’s Answer: He sends His messengers to purify and judge. God holds all nations accountable, not just Israel (as seen in the downfall of Babylon and the oracle against Edom in Obadiah).
- Accusation 5: “God, how have we robbed you?” God’s Answer: They were withholding tithes and offerings (referencing the famous verse: “Will a man rob God?”).
- Accusation 6: “What profit is it to serve God?” God’s Answer: The day of the Lord is coming to distinguish the righteous from the wicked, and God will be faithful to those who are faithful to Him. An example of this protection is God hiding Israel in Goshen during the 10 plagues.
The Cliffhanger and the 400 Years of Silence
The book of Malachi ends on an unresolved warning or cliffhanger: “lest I come and strike the land with a curse”. This ending creates anticipation for what will happen next and sets the scene for the New Testament.
Malachi is the last book written before the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments. This 400-year period was a time of waiting before God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sins, restore humanity back to God, and set everything right. The next book in the reading sequence, Matthew, introduces John the Baptist (the prophetic Elijah figure) and Jesus Christ (the Messiah).