Psalms 78 to 89 concludes the reading of Book 3. These are also mostly psalms of Asaph. Psalms 84, 85, 87, and 88 are psalms of the sons of Korah, who were among the singers of Israel, Psalm 86 is a psalm of David, and 89 of Ethan the Ezrahite. These are a part of the great treasure-house of comfort and consolation to God's children. Psalm 89 is emphatically a prophecy of Christ and His glorious reign.
The word "Malachi" means "My Messenger," and the little book of Malachi closes the canon of the Old Testament. It was the latest book, written about the year 400 B.C., or perhaps a little later. Some, however, place it as early as 450 B.C., making Malachi contemporary with Nehemiah. But if he was, it was probably the very last of Nehemiah's sojourn at Jerusalem. His message was a condemnation of the degeneracy of the priesthood, and of the shortcomings of God's people, using those illustrations to point forward to the closing days of the Christian dispensation, when the Lord is about to come the second time, and the judgments of the great day of God will separate between the righteous and the wicked.
Before taking up the New Testament readings, we return once more to the prophecies of Isaiah, our week closing with chapters 40 to 45. These are a fitting introduction to the New Testament, for they are almost wholly confined to prophecies of our Lord Jesus Christ, His work and reign. Wherever they refer to local events, or events in the times of the prophecy, these are used as prophecies and illustrations of the work of Christ. Chapter 40 is one of the truly great chapters of the Bible. The wonderful majesty of God is presented before us most clearly and vividly; and yet we are assured that He who is so great that all the nations are as nothing before Him, is the one who uses His great power to comfort His people, to strengthen the weak, to give rest to the weary. Very full of promise and precious indeed are all these chapters of the Gospel prophet. Very vivid indeed are his pictures of the foolishness of idolatry, and mighty indeed are his appeals for the worship of the true God.
