Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture

Introduction/Background

Thank you , messenger.

That’s what his name literally means messenger.

Scholars are not sure if Malachi was a person’s name or a title for Ezra.

Doesn’t make much difference though for a prophet is a prophet by any other name is still the same.

So whether this was his name or a pseudonym makes no difference.

He was a prophet with a prophets call.

He cam along after Jeremiah after the exiles have returned.

The walls and the temple have been rebuilt.

But the exiles that have come back don;t have the best attitude.

The had lost their spiritual identity while in captivity.

Ezra did his best so that the law was honored and followed.

That YHWH was first and foremost in everyones life.

But they just went through the motions.

Their once proud country had become noting but and administrative area of the Persian empire.

They had no King, the had an appointed governor.

I thin the returned exiles were somewhat bitter.

Things were not goin well, those that returned were not well like by those that were left behind.

Remember, Nebu took the cream of Judaite society and left behind the poor.

So when the upper crust returned, those left were use to minding their own matters.

needles to say the didn’t get along.

Plus there was a war between the Egyptians and the Persians that made things worse.

The walls of Jerusalem were still further destroyed, presumably by the Egyptians and Persians, and everywhere conditions were bad.

The exorbitant profits of the rich, together with the compulsory contributions to the Persians for the waging of their wars, caused many to sink into poverty, to mortgage their property, and to give their sons and daughters into slavery.

I said last week that they were struggling to understand why God had allowed this to happen.

they lost their land.

They didn't have a a King.

Along comes Malachi getting on the people and the priests saying judgement is coming!

Malachi the messenger has a message about the messenger.

Let’s take a closer look at this.

Exegesis

Malachi writes that God is sending a messenger before he returns to the temple.

Th people felt that God had abandoned them.

In fact Ezekiel while in Babylon has in Chapter 10 has a vision of God leaving the temple.

Here Malachi see the return, proceeded by a messenger that will call everyone to repentance and then restore their purity thorough fire and water!

The messenger will clear a path, a path through self interest, spiritual lethargy.

and evil behavior.

This is a restorative judgement.

A restorative judgement that will produce a new covenant.

The return of the Divine Presence to the temple reassure this.

God’s return assures a new covenant era.

Seen by Ezekiel and Jeremiah.

The people and the priests will be called to repentance and purification.

they will be ready for God’s arrival.

Matthew, mark, and Luke all saw this prophecy to relate to John the Baptist.

Most scholars think as well that Malachi was drawing from

In fact, Malachi later on in this short book of 55 verses tells us that the messenger is Elijah!

Who did Jesus say John the Baptist was?

So Malachi is the cliff hanger at the end of our Old testament.

After a 400 year intermission John the Baptist appears in the dessert dressed in camel hair and eating weird food.

Truly a prophet in th eline of Elijah.

This is why Malachi ends our New Testament.

You finish and then start with Mark:

The messenger arrives before the incarnation of God does.

Offering a judgement of restoration, preparing the way, clearing the path.

Listen to Luke:

So Malachi is the cliff hanger at the end of our Old testament.

After a 400 year intermission John the Baptist appears in the dessert dressed in camel hair and eating weird food.

Truly a prophet like Elijah.

John proclaimed the first advent.

But in advent we deal with the second advent.

Where is John?

Application

So what does that mean?

We are between advents, Jesus will return.

Who is calling for “restorative repentance”?

restoration or redemption is exactly what Jesus came for.

He said it himself he came not to judge

Salvation is restoration, redemption.

Why is the church not proclaiming this message?

We spend far too much time condemning as a church.

(I mean the church in general terms.

it is always the judgmental, the far out, the extreme that gets all the publicity.

That’s OK, that sells newspapers.

it may be the stereo type, but what we know is God starts with love not judgement.

Jesus said so in 3:17. he came to save to restore not to condemn.

here’s how the Message puts it:

This is what we have to cry.

The church now has to be the one crying in the wilderness making and clearing the paths for the Coming Lord.

Our time is not that much different.

Too often the church is only for Sundays.

Too many Christians have a split personality, One personality for Sunday and another for the rest of the week.

You can’t have a split personality Malachi is all about this.

Remember the 10 commandments are not just for Sunday.

This is what John was saying in Luke when the crowd asked him “what should we do?”

Listen to John again:

Tell EDI Story

Brothers and sisters, he di what we should be doing.

He called us to repentance, we were restored.

This week be the voice in the wilderness be the message about THE MESSENGER Jesus Christ.