Messenger of the New Covenant

2017 ABC

The Messenger of the New Covenant:

A Christmas Marriage

Malachi 3:1

Prior this, God is talking about breaking covenant with Him and breaking covenant with spouses, divorcing each other, thus breaking covenant with them, just as they were breaking covenant with God Himself. God says “I hate divorce.”

Verse 16 of chapter 2 speaks of this action being like equal with murder, “as a garment covered in violence,” or in blood. (I don’t write the mail, I just deliver it.)

The people of Israel were literally and physically divorcing each other, but this was the picture of their divorcing God. They were being unfaithful to God without repentance.

God made a covenant, a promise, between Himself and the people, and the people committed adultery, played the harlot and ran off with other lovers, abandoning their commitment and giving their hearts away from their Maker and true Husband.

God made agreements, or covenants, with His people to bring them together. The Idea of Covenant: The term "covenant” means “a coming together.”

It presupposes two or more parties who come together to make a contract, agreeing on promises, stipulations, privileges, and responsibilities. It is an oath bound relationship.

God made promises and conditions with Israel. God said “I pledge to be your God, and I will take care of you and bless you; I will be your Husband and you will be My wife; just be faithful to Me; obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be my people forever.”

This was the life agreement that God made with His people.

But what… the people became unfaithful. The people ran around on God and pursued other gods. They became unfaithful to God and rejected the covenant that was made.

What does God do? Jeremiah 3:8-10 - “God puts Israel away and gives her a certificate of divorce...”

God had every right to abandon Israel and to abandon Judah who was acting just like Israel… God’s people broke covenant and God had every right to divorce His people and to leave them alone in their misery and hell.

But, what did God do? He says, “Come back home. Return to Me… and I will take you back. Be faithful to Me and I will be your Husband and you will be my bride.

Then, God makes a new covenant with Israel, and this time with the whole world, with both Jew and Gentile. He said “I am going to do a new thing. I am going to make a new life agreement, making a way for all people to have a personal, meaningful and eternal relationship with Me…”

Isaiah 43:19 – See, I am doing a New Thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Jeremiah 31:31-37 – The time is coming, when I will make a new covenant, it will not be like the old one; I will write my law in their hearts and in their minds, they will know me and will be forgiven…”

And all throughout the O.T. God will speak this way; prophecies will be spoken of this Messiah who will come and restore all things and be a light to the Jew and Gentile, and draw those who were not God’s people to become God’s people, inviting all to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.

And Hebrews 8:13 makes it clear that the Old Covenant would be replaced and be made obsolete.

“These are My promises,” declares the Lord. “This is what I will do.” And My Messenger of the Covenant is coming.

Then suddenly (unexpectedly), the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the Messenger of the Covenant whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty.

We understand the first messenger to be the forerunner, the Elijah who was to come; this would be John the Baptizer. He would preach repentance and be the voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.”

And then… the Messenger of the Covenant came.

When we think about Christmas, we think of a lot of things, and we think a lot about Jesus being born. But, do we see that Christmas is a celebration of a New Covenant being born?

Without Jesus we have no New Covenant. Without Jesus we have law, and need to be Jewish. Without Christ, we have no New Covenant, no new life agreement which would pledge us together with God for all of eternity.

But… behold, the Messenger whom you desire is coming. Behold, the Messenger whom you seek is born this day. Behold, the Messenger has come and is showing us the way.

Merry Christmas!! A new life covenant has been born. A new life is made possible, a life not alone and without family, but a new life with our God, the Lord, and a Church family.

Getting a bike for Christmas is great. Getting some jewels, hunting gear, and gift certificates are wonderful...

Socks and underwear… are necessities but not the greatest gifts...

But, this Child that is wrapped up in a manger… He is the Greatest Gift of all time.

He is redeeming the Bride of God and is restoring all things. This Child is coming to fulfill all things. This Child is going to heal the nations and bring a people to God… and make them the children of God...

Church: God, as the Husband, has made His promises. God has made His vows. God has come to His bride, has purchased His bride from slavery and death, and has laid down His life to present His bride pure and spotless before Him.

Before, you were not married to Christ, you had no relationship, and did not desire a relationship; you have been been cut off and separated from God.

But through this Child, this Messenger, God says… “Come to Me and I will take you in. Come to Me, and I will make you Mine forever.”

To the Church member that has been unfaithful to God… “Return to Me, through Christ… Come home to Me and follow Me whole-heartedly; I will take you back… Just come home.”

Why doesn’t God just erase His Name and throw away the Covenant?

Because God has made His vows and has pledged His commitment in and through the Blood of Christ… and His vow will remain for all eternity...

Christ was born for this purpose. Christ came to this end. Christ was born… to die… to make this Marriage, this Covenant possible between God and men.

And the Bridegroom calls out to all who will come to Him: Come! Come the wedding banquet is prepared, all has been said and done; “I have made all things new; Come! I am bringing us together forever.”

Merry Christmas!!!