Malachi 3:1-6 – The Coming Messenger
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· 23 viewsComing of the Judgment with Christ
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Malachi 3:1-6 – The Coming Messenger
· Malachi means Messenger.
· The messenger tells of 2 other messengers yet to come
Behold, I will send my messenger…
The first messenger is John the Baptist
Jesus testifies to this…
· “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” Matthew 11:10
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
· “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” Matthew 11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
he shall prepare the way before me…
· The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
· He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. (John 1:23)
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
But there is the second messenger that comes.
… and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
The first messenger, John the Baptist bares witness of the importance of the second messenger.
· Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29).
· He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)
The Second Messenger:
· It is he who they have been seeking all along
· He will come suddenly
· He will come to his temple
· He will bring the New Covenant
· He is the one whom they delight in, joy is in his presence
· He is promised by the Lord of Hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
· “To do justice and judgement is more acceptable then sacrifice?” (Proverbs 21:3)
· “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out:he is excellent in power, and in judgment,and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.” (Job 37:3)
· “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
· Paul said, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,… (Romans 8:32a)
This verse is an inditement on those who say they love the Lord
· These Jews were only giving lip service
· They were murmuring in their heart and words
· They were stealing from God
· They were ungrateful
They were not ready … that is why they needed the messengers …
· Malachi to warn them,
· John to prepare their hearts for the Messiah
… for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
· The refiner is precise, hard at work, and attentive to the smallest imperfections in his cleansing
· The refiner purges by fire
· Fullers soap was used to cleanse and whiten cloth. It used a combination of nitre and borith which are strong for the cleansing.
· The messiah they sought would come to purity and cleanse his people
3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
· Refining the ore of precious metals is a long drawn out process
· It takes time.. Here is says he will sit… Patiently he will do the painstaking work.
· Refining breaks down and separates the impurities from the ore and produces the beautiful valuable result
· The purpose of this is to have a people who can make an offering to the Lord
Leviticus 21:16-24 – Priest Requirements
Men
No blemish
Not blind
Not lame
No flat nose
Nothing superfluous
Not broken footed, broken handed
No crookbacks, dwarf
No blemish of the eye, scurvy, scabbed, or has his stones broken
Clearly they were not ready…
Clearly we would not be ready… except for Christ.
Superiority of Christ’s Priesthood
Hebrews 7:23-28 - 23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Because he is the eternal, unspotted, Son of God…
his priesthood is eternalhis salvation is complete to all ages he is not limited on his time to intercede he does not need to offer daily sacrifices because of the superiority of his one-time sacrifice is sufficient to cover all sinhe did not need to first make an offering for his own sins like a man does, because he is sinless, undefiled, spotless he is not a priest bound by the law, he comes from before the law and supersedes the law his word is consecrated forever
Hebrews 9:11-14 - But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
His tabernacle is not built with the hands of menHis tabernacle is not consecrated in the blood of animal sacrificesHe does not need to reenter the holy place to make anymore sacrificesHis sacrifice is superior to animal sacrifices The sprinkling of us in his blood is way more superior than that of animalsHe has purified you and so cleans your conscience of dead works and serve the living God as living beings
Hebrews 10:10-14 - By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus willingly sanctified us through offering his body for the death payment for sinThe sacrifices made by men could not take away sin, they could only cover themChrist’s sacrifice covered and removed the sin – thus there is no more the need of another sacrifice to be made. He is in the presence of the God the Father awaiting the destruction of his enemies who reject him In one offering Jesus completely sanctified those who believe and follow him.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Only after the priest has been purified can he offer acceptable worship to God. God will restore Israel to their former glory and more! He is the redeemer.
5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Coming Judge
God will bring unsparing judgement according to his Word. He has an unchangeable moral standard James 2:13 - For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Proverbs 21:3 - To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Psalms 103:6 - The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Jeremiah 10:24 - O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Isaiah 33:5 - The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. Ecclesiastes 8:6 - Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
God made a promise to Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that the promised seed would come.
The good work that God had begun in Abraham would be completed as promised
The messiah and the judge… justice would come
God’s love and desire for his creation has not changed
His Word is everlasting
Trust in his word….
Conclusion
This is why the psalmist sings, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. (Romans 2:12)
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Revelation 20:12-13)
There is hope:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)