The Faithful Remnant

The Queue

Just over two months ago, the queen of England passed away. For the days that followed, our news was plastered with coverage of this moment. But roughly a week or so later, we witnessed something which to my mind was quite odd. A queue formed so people could say their own goodbye to the queen.

Now this was no ordinary queue. In fact, there is a Wikipedia page just called “the queue”, which is all about this queue. According to this Wikipedia page, there were two separate queues, with the main queue stretching for 16km. To put that into perspective, that’s like having an event at Murrook Cultural centre and the queue to get into that event stretched back to here at this church. Some people waited in this queue for over 24 hours. Now I’ve waited in what I’ve felt were very long queues, but this is in a whole new realm.

But I’ve seen many people observe that the British are actually quite well trained in the art of queueing. One person I saw even note that this queue is perhaps the most British thing you will ever see.

So what do you do when you’re in this sort of queue? Well, as far as I can tell, not much. I suspect the extroverts in the line tried to start up a conversation, while I’m sure the introverts tried to keep their heads down. At a snails pace, you then keep inching your way forward, and just wait… and wait.... and then wait some more.

After waiting for what must feel like forever, you then realise that you’ve only waited a fraction of the time you’re meant to wait.

So what would be going through their heads at this point? I’m sure the tolerance levels of each individual would vary, but I’m guessing that many would be questioning - why am I even here? Is it worth it?

I’m sure many would be looking at their social media feeds. Looking at people doing fun and exciting things. Then they would think about their aching legs… their absolutely tired body… and their boredom… is it really worth it?

How many would have dropped out? I actually don’t know the answer to that question, but I’m going to hazard a guess that early in the queue, say those who’ve been waiting just a few hours, that there would have been quite a few drop outs.

Now, I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether waiting to pay tribute to the dead queen is worth it or not, but I wonder if you’ve ever thought of your Christian journey a bit like this queue.

You see, there is a discipline required on the Christian journey. And at times it can be long and hard. We too can watch the world around us with what at times can seem like so much more freedom. Now notice I did say “seems like” because that freedom can be an illusion. But while we try to lead a disciplined life, they can run by other rules. Rules that state that cheating is only bad if you get caught. Or rules that say that it doesn’t matter how things were designed, if they feel good - do it.

We stay in our disciplined life, but ask - is it worth it? Why keep on a narrow path, when there is so much excitement on the broad path?

Link with Malachi

This morning we are concluding our series through the minor prophets, and not only do we come to the end of this series, but we also find ourselves at the end of the entire Old Testament. And it is a fascinating place to end.

You see it ends, but it ends in such a way that you are left anticipating more.

It’s a bit like when you get to the end of a show or movie, but the writers of that show or movie want you to know that while this episode has ended, you should expect more - and so they leave you with the words… “to be continued”

Well, we might not read those words exactly, but they may have well have.

So let’s delve into the world of Malachi and see how we find them in a time of waiting and the level of expectation that Malachi gives them.

Context

So let’s start with the question of when this writing takes place.

I’ll put up my little time line, but the reality is we find ourselves with another book that is hard to date accurately.

That being said, almost every one can agree on roughly the period of time that we are in.

You see, even though the prophecy itself doesn’t give us very direct links to date it, for example, linking it to other historical markers, but it does tell us that the Jews have a governor not a king, therefore we can be confident that we are in that period after the return from exile.

It is also clear that the temple has been rebuilt, which means we are some time after that of Haggai and Zechariah that we looked at over the previous two weeks.

As most people see similarities with the issues being dealt with in this book with the issues being dealt with in the later part of Nehemiah, most people place this fairly confidently somewhere in the order of 100 years or so after the return from exile.

So if you want a date, we’re likely somewhere in the order of 400 to 450 BC.

Now, let’s think about that for a moment. You see, there’s been this growing expectation that God is about to do something. The prophets have spoken about this Day of the Lord, but the reality is, this concept of the day of the Lord is actually something which is quite difficult to fully get your head around.

But while they might not know exactly how to articulate what that day is going to be, it’s clear that they were seeing that God was going to act in such a way that God’s people are going to find the victory they’ve been waiting for. God will deal with the wicked and bring things to the place that God has been pointing them to.

Being the people of God has meant being set aside as different, but on that day of the Lord, it is all going to make sense.

Okay, so keep that in mind and then let’s think about what’s just happened in their history.

If you go way back in their history, they had entered the promised land with such high hopes. They were going to find rest from all of the hardships that they had had to endure.

Only they didn’t… More hardships came. And while you can argue that it was mostly self-inflicted, it was still clear that God was with them and he hadn’t given up on them.

Except, they then find themselves in exile - again, something which God made very clear was due to their disobedience. And so when the return happened, it was like - right, this day of the Lord must be about to happen. All that we’ve hoped for is about to come true.

They rebuild the temple which is what we looked at the last two weeks - and so right… God, do your thing!

These people of God have waited a very long time for God to bring this to a culmination, and so what happens??? They wait… that’s what happens.

About a hundred years in fact, and they’re still waiting.

Is it worth it? Is it worth doing all this ‘being set aside’ business… to maintain the marks of being the people of God… for what? For more waiting?

They look around them, those not counted as the people of God don’t have to walk down such a narrow path. For them, cheating is only a problem if you get caught. Morality is what you make it. Vows are only important until they’re no longer convenient.

So this is where we find ourselves this morning.

A group of returned exiles, who have waited and waited - but not noticed much.

Malachi

And along comes the last of the written prophets to speak into this situation.

And his name is Malachi.

So, who is Malachi?

Well, we’ve had this answer a few times throughout this series. The answer is - we don’t really know.

We’re not given any details of who his father was or where he came from. Chapter 1 verse 1 simply says: “A prophecy: the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi”.

What we do know however, is that Malachi means ‘messenger’. And that is what he is doing. He is given the message of God to the people who are waiting on this day of the Lord.

The prophecy

Now, what we find as we go through the prophecy, it’s almost as if we’re eavesdropping on a conversation between God and the Jewish people.

God keeps speaking words that they need to hear during this period of waiting, but most of the time what we find is the people respond in a way that essentially challenges God.

So, let’s go through these quickly now, and see where God takes us, as he speaks to these people waiting on the day of the Lord.

God loves you

God starts with perhaps one of the most fundamental truths that we find in the Bible.

God says to them: “I have loved you”

The chosen people of God have the most special relationship with the creator of this universe.

Now in one regard, we can say that God actually loves all people - and that is actually a true statement. But in the context here, God is actually speaking to his special chosen people, the children of Abraham, and there is a love that separates them.

But you know, despite the fact that God’s love never left them, sometimes the love is not always felt. Just like a child can sometimes fail to recognise the love their parent is showing them.

And so the people ask: but “how have you loved us?”

In some ways, God doesn’t really answer their question. What he does is actually reminds them of how God has carried them in comparison with how he’s carried other people.

And in particular, he raises reminds them of the Edomites. Now time won’t allow a full exploration of the Edomites, though for those with a good memory, you might remember in this series when we looked at Obadiah and saw the pride of Edom before they came crashing down.

Now this little discussion may of course raise a big question, because shouldn’t God love everyone equally? That’s a big question, but let me just give a very brief response. God does love everyone, but it is the remnant, those who remain faithful, that God will bestow a special blessing.

So for now, when you wonder, is it worth continuing - know that there is a God that loves you very much and wants to treat you very specially.

You have strayed

The second part of the prophecy is essentially God telling the people - while you’ve been waiting, you’ve been straying.

Of course, remember Malachi is a little like eavesdropping a conversation between God and his people, and so with this accusation the people want to defend themselves.

What do you mean we’ve strayed? We’ve been good Jews. We’ve even kept up all of the prescribed sacrifices at our lovely new temple.

It’s almost as if God’s saying - oh yeah, on that matter of the sacrifices… I’ll grant that you do go to the altar and offer sacrifices, but let’s back up a second. Have you seen what the offerings are? You’re giving me blind animals and lame or diseased animals. You’re not sacrificing anything… you’re just disposing of your waste.

You get this general idea in chapter 1, but if you continue into the second chapter, God continues speaking against the priests.

The point that we get in all of this is that sometimes we think we are waiting nice a patiently… we think we’ve been keeping on that narrow path while we watch how loosely those on the broad path live, not realising that the loose ways of the broad path people has actually influenced us.

There’s a warning here for us. While you wait for God to accomplish what he has in store for us… do not become complacent. You need to stay on that narrow path.

The second half of chapter 2 continues this idea of pointing out where they have strayed. This time looking at the loose way they’ve treated marriage. They marry people who love foreign gods. They become unfaithful to the wife of their youth.

These people who thought they were on the narrow path have continued to stray.

The Refining Fire

Now, if we were to explore these ideas even further, we might stop asking the question, it is worth waiting? And instead start asking the question, is it even possible to keep waiting?

Actually, if I got back to the illustration of the queue for the queen, I might have asked that question as well - how could you possibly stay in the line that long?

Well, as we start to get into chapter 3, I believe God answers this question.

This next line of words from Jesus actually started in verse 17 of chapter 2, where God accuses them of wearing him, to which the people reply: but how have we wearied God?

Now you might think, right, we’re about to get more of the same… More accusations of wrong doing.

But God takes us down a different path.

You see, God is essentially saying, look, I know it’s hard and I know you will stray, but if you keep waiting, I’m going to send someone to help. It might be quite dramatic, but this person is going to be like a refiners fire or a launderer’s soap.

If you stay on this path, you will become like gold and silver.

Waiting is hard, but when you know that you have help, it becomes possible.

God will bless

As we continue through chapter 3, and into verses 6 and 7, God pleads with the people to return to him.

Keep on that path. It’s worth it.

It’s interesting that we get at the end of verse 7 the people asking the question: “How are we to return?”

The answer: by being generous.

Just think how generous God has been to us, and yet we want to be stingy in return.

God even asks them to test him. It’s almost like God’s saying, hey, if you just stop thinking that you’re controlling all of this, and that you some how think you need worldly means to keep going, then challenge yourself. See if you give a little more whether God will just bless you more.

Now just be careful. This is not teaching a prosperity gospel. You sometimes hear teaching today that says that if you give financially, then God will multiply that financial blessing in return. And so you can almost think of putting money in the church offering as some kind of financial investment. This is not what is being taught here.

God is rather challenging his people to not be so tight with their possessions, because he is a God that provides. The blessing you receive may take many forms. It’s possible that you may be materially blessed, but it’s also just as possible that the blessing may be in having a sense of assurance knowing that everything is going to be right.

But let’s bring this back to our main discussion.

These people are waiting and wondering whether they’ve missed something. In their waiting they’ve begun to stray.But God’s saying, look, if you continue in your faithful waiting, there are blessings upon blessings to be found.

The Faithful Remnant

As God continues to have this discourse with these waiting people, he recognises in chapter 3 verse 14 that they’ve been saying how futile it is to serve God.

They ask the question that those who wait often ask: “What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?”

The way God answers this, is by giving a picture of a scroll… a scroll of remembrance.

It’s a scroll that concerns those who feared the Lord and honoured his name.

He’s talking here about what is often called the remnant. The faithful people of God who God will keep as his treasured possession.

It is this idea of the faithful remnant that makes the whole idea of waiting worthwhile.

Because that narrow path is the path taken by the faithful remnant.

Chapter 4 talks about a day that is coming.

At this point in the history when Malachi is giving this prophecy, this day of the Lord still remains a somewhat imprecise day. For us, we can see it partly as the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus.

But the precise details of this day aren’t important at this point. What is important is that the waiting that is happening is worth it, because God is on the move and if you remain part of the faithful remnant, then this day will ultimately be something in which you will find victory.

The final three verses then give what is really a fitting conclusion to the entire Old Testament.

Verse 4 is a call to remember the law.

And verse 5 puts the first of those in the prophetic period into the picture as people wait for this day of the Lord.

The call is clear. Remember the law and the prophets, and you will be able to wait faithfully.

Conclusion

The people of Malachi’s day did not see Jesus come to earth. That was some 400 odd years later. They did not see John the Baptist as a type of Elijah preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah.

But yet there was a faithful remnant amongst them that provided a line of witnesses - a line that did eventually see Jesus.

We are now in the period where Jesus has won the victory but we too wait for the return of Christ.

Will we see it? Well, who knows. I know many people will point to signs that the return will be soon - and maybe it will be. But also maybe it will happen after our life time.

In many ways it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you remain as one of the faithful remnant.

Because the wait is worth it.

It’s worth it because you can know that God loves you.

It’s worth it because even though you stray, a refiner’s fire has been sent and you will be refined.

It’s worth it because God is waiting to bless you.

And it’s worth it because that day is coming, and the faithful remnant will find their name written in the Lamb’s book of life, where you can spend eternity with the father.

So let me pray...