The Subtle Crises of Secularism: Preaching the Burden of Israel

The path from the "then" of biblical exegesis to the "now" of biblical preaching always proceeds between borders. On one side are the times, on the other, timeless principles. The contemporary preacher must negotiate the path so as to bring the truly universal teaching of Scripture to bear on conditions similar in some significant ways to those addressed in Scripture. The path is strewn with debris from earlier (and sometimes careless) travellers. And we must be sure we actually remain on the path, lest we find ourselves digressing along an overgrown trail that leads to a place where nobody lives. Our plan for this article is to point out some of the significant landmarks that lie on the path from the prophet Malachi to a generation approaching the last decade of a phenomenal century. We will work in two ways. First, we will attempt to mark the path in broad outline. We will suggest: (a) parallels between the conditions of Malachi's age and those of our own; and (b) major theological themes addressed to Malachi's audience; and, by application, to us. Second, we will attempt to develop a preaching program from Malachi.