The Day of the LORD

Scripture Introduction: Please open to the final chapter of Malachi, the very end of your Old Testament, Chapter 4. This is it, Malachi concludes his message.

Sermon Introduction: Here we are at the end of a retreat weekend, the end of a book of the Bible, the end of the Old Testament, the end of an era in Biblical history. Six verses stand between us and the New Testament and we find in them a message that is all about THE end, the end that is still on our horizon, the end that’s yet to come. We look back, so that we would look forward to the Day of the LORD. The theme of this chapter flows from that of chapter 3: God will act. The images here are vivid, and the application is obvious. The question for you today is how will you respond? Twice in these six verses the reader is directed to “Behold,” to take notice and pay attention. May we do so today as we consider what has often been thought of as one of the most provocative topics in the Bible: the Day of the LORD. Though this may prove to be a short finale to the message of Malachi, may we take heed and behold the point the LORD wanted to impress upon the hearts and minds of His people before 4 centuries of prophetic silence.

We’ve been given everything we need for life and godliness in the Word of God

Isn’t that where we live.

Interstellar.. Isn’t that where we live.

IV. The Day of the LORD

The Day of the LORD is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, but not all references under this title are connected to the eschatological event that Malachi speaks of here. It is a day of judgment and destruction for the enemies of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 13

6  Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;

as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

7  Therefore all hands will be feeble,

and every human heart will melt.

8  They will be dismayed:

pangs and agony will seize them;

they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

They will look aghast at one another;

their faces will be aflame.

9  Behold, the day of the LORD comes,

cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

to make the land a desolation

and to destroy its sinners from it.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

English Standard Version Chapter 46

10  That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts,

a day of vengeance,

to avenge himself on his foes.

The sword shall devour and be sated

and drink its fill of their blood.

For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice

in the north country by the river Euphrates.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

14  The great day of the LORD is near,

near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;

the mighty man cries aloud there.

15  A day of wrath is that day,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16  a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities

and against the lofty battlements.

17  I will bring distress on mankind,

so that they shall walk like the blind,

because they have sinned against the LORD;

their blood shall be poured out like dust,

and their flesh like dung.

18  Neither their silver nor their gold

shall be able to deliver them

on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

In the fire of his jealousy,

all the earth shall be consumed;

for a full and sudden end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Judgment on Judah’s Enemies

2 Gather together, yes, gather,

O shameless nation,

2  before the decree takes effect

—before the day passes away like chaff—

before there comes upon you

the burning anger of the LORD,

before there comes upon you

the day of the anger of the LORD.

3  Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,

who do his just commands;

seek righteousness; seek humility;

perhaps you may be hidden

on the day of the anger of the LORD.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

All this to say, and more, that God means business! It is foolish to think that God will not act against the atrocities of His enemies and the faithlessness of His wayward people.

A. There is coming a final end to the waywardness of God’s people (read verses 1-3).

The ruling of that day will be conclusive and final.

A look at what Malachi describes here reveals action agains the wicked that is irrevocable, there is no going back from this, there is no “do over.” There is no return from incineration. There is no hope for the uprooted. The wicked had their day in the sun, and now they have been scorched. They have spurned God’s offer of grace, and they will taste His wrath (verse 1).

Verses 2-3 describe the beginning of a new era, the exaltation of the lowly, of those who live with godly fear. They lived largely marginalized during the day of the wicked, but now the table has turned. God’s patience has come to an end and He will see that the arrogant will be abased and the humble with be exalted.

All the arrogant will be cut down and uprooted.

You may recall Malachi’s reference to the “arrogant” previously in chapter 3. In the arrogant appeared to be blessed and prospering, but now their time has come. Their pleasures have come to an end, and they are reaping the bitter reward of their disregard of God. Their time has passed, a new day has dawned. That’s what we see in verses 2-3. Their deeds will not be remembered, they cannot be found in the book of remembrance of whom God delights (remember from 3:16?). But for those who are found in His book...

All the God-fearers will rise and rejoice.

All the God-fearers will rise and rejoice.

Verses 2-3 describe the beginning of a new era, the lifting up of the lowly, of those who live with godly fear. They dwelt in obscurity and existed largely marginalized during the day of the wicked, but now the table has turned. God’s patience has come to an end and He will see that the arrogant will be abased and the humble with be exalted.

A time of healing; the image of a rising sun points to the reign of a righteous administration in which all that have suffered in the world will be restored. (This is not necessarily a Messianic reference in the sense that we should call Jesus the “Sun of Righteousness.) But, indeed, the earth itself will be relieved from the curse. Everything touched by sin will be renewed. The millennia tainted by sin will fade before an eternity of righteousness.

English Standard Version Chapter 8

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Now is the time for faith

A time of liberty; “you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall” (verse 2).

Have you ever seen a video of a cow being released from the stalls after a long time pent up inside? It’s somethin’ else! There’s nothing that will make you smile quite like seeing 1,600 pounds of beef and utters flailing across a field. It’s the pure emotion of full release and unbridled liberty.

For the believer now, it is a hard time, a time of suffering and loss, a time of daily dying, a time of struggling to be free from temptations and snares. Good news, that day is coming!

A time of victory (verse 3); The Great Day of the LORD will be a great day of vindication for His people. The LORD will make way for His people to follow in His wake. He will open the gate for His army to descend upon their enemy, but just as was the case in several notable Old Testament battles, “the victory is the Lord’s,” He will defeat our enemies. ().

English Standard Version Chapter 2

I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;

I will gather the remnant of Israel;

I will set them together

like sheep in a fold,

like a flock in its pasture,

a noisy multitude of men.

13  He who opens the breach goes up before them;

they break through and pass the gate,

going out by it.

Their king passes on before them,

the LORD at their head.

I think sometimes we forget, that this life is a conflict, not against a certain political party or of differing cultures or nations, but a conflict between actual light and dark forces, against righteousness and sin. God is on a campaign for His glory! He has waged war on your sin, and my sin. Malachi says, “Give HIM what HE deserves.” Give HIM what HE desires… and this we see in verse 4.

B. The LORD desires a righteous generation (read verse 4)

True devotion to the LORD cannot merely be defined as assenting to certain truths about Him. This was the great error of Malachi’s day; they were a generation who would get into a question match with God, but they would never act upon revealed truth. Thus this kind directive from the LORD...

Genuine respect for the LORD cannot be separated from obeying His commands.

“Remember.” What does it mean to remember? If I say to you, “Remember, we need to turn the lights off when we exit the room,” and you’re the last one in there, heading out… Is this merely calling to memory instructions? It’s all that and more. This is a call to action. This means that God’s people should devote themselves to the statutes and commands of Him Word.

And do you see why this idea of remember will be so important for Malachi’s generation, as well as for the next generation and the rest? ...We mentioned already the reality for the people of Malachi, that even though they didn’t know it, the truth is that God wasn’t going to send them another Word until over 400-ish years have passed. God goes silent… they would HAVE to remember because their would only be silence.

We mentioned already the reality for the people of Malachi, that even though they didn’t know it, the truth is that God wasn’t going to send them another Word until over 400-ish years have passed. God goes silent...

Isn’t silence one of the most proving factors of our faith; to be held in suspense, waiting in silence for the culmination of everything you’ve believed in? To know what has been promised to you, but to wait for it without another word? Have you ever been caught doubting the integrity of someone or something simply because of the silence? Isn’t that where we live even today.

Isn’t silence one of the most proving factors of our faith; to be held in suspense, waiting in silence for the culmination of everything you’ve believed in? To know what has been promised to you, but to wait for it without another word? Have you ever been caught doubting the integrity of someone or something simply because of the silence? Isn’t that where we live even today.

Isn’t silence one of the most proving factors of our faith; to be held in suspense, waiting in silence for the culmination of everything you’ve believed in? To know what has been promised to you, but to wait for it without another word? Have you ever been caught doubting the integrity of someone or something simply because of the silence? Isn’t that where we live even today.

How do you remember the things of the Lord? DO you remember the things of the Lord? No, the same expectations of the the Mosaic Law do not rest upon us a New Testament Christians, but we must regard them fulfilled in our Great High Priest Jesus Christ! We must remember the Gospel of His grace! We must remember that we were once dead in our trespasses in sins, but that we have been raised in Him to new life and righteousness. We must remember His mercy has no limit and His love toward us is without end. There is much that we must remember! So do you give yourself to this Book? Do you memorize Scripture? Have you read through the Bible? Do you treasure Its statutes? Is ‘what the Bible says,’ your default, your firm foundation?

The thing is though, that remember doesn’t merely mean “to not forget some information.” Remember means to bear these things out in your living. We’ve been given everything we need for life and godliness in the Word of God

You see, we get to experience our conformity to the Law of Christ in an entirely different light than those of Malachi’s day. Malachi’s generation had yet to hear the good news that there is freedom from their vain attempts in perfectly keeping the law. We find this freedom in Christ (the point that the LORD made in chapter 3).

Righteousness apart from the Law ().

Righteousness apart from the Law ().

English Standard Version Chapter 2

we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

This news, guards us from the ditch of legalism and from the sin of arrogance, the very poison that Malachi’s generation succumbed to.

The LORD desires a righteous generation. One that delights in the Law of Christ, the law of love ().

English Standard Version Chapter 6

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Now, a final word from the LORD (read verses 5-6). A kind final gesture of hope...

C. The LORD will not leave His people without a word from Him (verses 5-6)

What a testimony of God’s grace and patience...

God is committed to His covenant people and will send them a prophet (verse 5)

God is committed to His covenant people. He’s not done with them. Even though for millennia they have violated the covenant of His love toward them, His mercy and grace still rest upon them. It doesn’t give them a free pass to sin, but it does give them hope for a future. God would send another prophet, the one He mentioned in 3:1, referred to here as “Elijah.”

Everything depends on the ministry of this great prophet.

Everything depends on the ministry of this great prophet.

The Word of the LORD by the prophet will change everything, otherwise: destruction (verse 6)

The reality is that the intervention that Malachi’s message was supposed to unfold wouldn’t be the last. Israel would yet again, need another intervention. Jesus, in , specifically reveals that this “Elijah” is a reference to John the Baptist.

This is a final nod to the reality that despite the faithlessness of God’s covenant people, He will not leave them alone. He WILL send another prophet, an Elijah caliber prophet. He will, as all good prophets do, turn over the hard soil of the people’s hearts for another season of sowing and reaping… but this time, it would be the final harvest.

If God doesn’t show grace towards us, His holiness will destroy us (read verse 6).

If God doesn’t show grace towards us, His holiness will destroy us.

This final verse bears a bit of an edge to it. ‘The ministry of John will cause people to prepare their hearts for Jesus, but if they will not turn back their hearts, they will perish.’

This reference to the family is a nob back to the LORD’s address concerning the family issues mentioned in chapter 2 that were plaguing Israel. The family was the building block of human society and the LORD is saying that repentance must begin here. We understand this principle today, right? Those whose private lives are in shambles have undermined their public reputation. The LORD goes to the heart of the issues in Malachi’s day and He leaves no wiggle room. ‘If they don’t repent, they will be struck down.’

Conclusion: What a double edged sword the message of Malachi is. On one side the terror of God’s impending judgement to those who love their sin and who continue in it, yet the edge of His merciful grace on those who turn from their wicked way. Paul describes this theme very well in

English Standard Version Chapter 11

22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Let us not walk away from the Old Testament disillusioned by a god who unjustifiably just wants humans to play by his rules. No, this is a message from the Holy, good, and just God. The God of all the ages, Creator of Heaven and earth. All-powerful, all-wise. Sovereign and kind! This God is all worthy of praise and glory and honor. Give HIM what HE deserves! Israel had lost sight of that, they had failed to remember. They failed to treasure Him for Who He is., and ultimately, when the GREAT PROPHET and PRIEST came.. they crucified Him.

How about you? What will you do with God’s messenger? What will you do with Jesus? Israel’s rejection of Christ proves to be to our benefit for by His resurrection He offers pardon and life to all who place their faith in Him.

Have you ever thought that we live in the most boring time in biblical history? You know… we’re just kinda waiting… in silence, right? Wrong. We have a living WORD from God (the Bible), we get to remember what these people (Malachi’s generation) could only have dreamed of. We stand ever closer to the dawn of the sun of righteousness and the breaking of the Day of the LORD! This is only a matter of time… What will you do with the message from Malachi? Will you give HIM what HE deserves in your life?