College And Career: Malachi 2:17-3:6

The People Weary God (17a)

How can the all powerful God grow weary?

This is the Prophet anthropomorphically describing God’s frustration.

Their Response (17b)

Their response to Him is one of disbelief or refusal to accept that out of all the problems going on, that they could even remotely be considered an issue.

Our tendency is to consider the real problems to be an “out there” kind of thing rather than an “in here” reality.

Their Complaint (17c)

Their complaint was that God wasn’t dealing with the evil in the world. As a matter of fact, to them it seemed that God didn’t just allow wickedness, but He blessed them for being that way. And in the midst of this, they ask, “Where is the God of Justice?” or today we might say, “How could a good and sovereign God allow this?” which is what we look at together on Sunday.

We must not allow the frustrations of life’s difficulties to cause us to question the character of God.

Psalm 37

God’s Response (3:1-6)

The Coming Messenger (1)

The Messenger of Preparation

Isaiah 40:3 NKJV

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

Matthew 3:3 NKJV

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”

John 1:29 NKJV

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The Messenger of the Covenant

John 10:30–33 NKJV

30 I and My Father are one.” 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

John 8:16 NKJV

16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

The Cleansing (3:2-4)

(2) The beauty of this picture of a refiner working is that he focuses all of his attention of the amble, this depicts the care of Christ for the holiness of His people. And the refiner can look into the furnace and he knows when the process of purification is complete, and all the dross is melted away, when he can see his face clearly reflected in it.

(3) He is coming to purify His priests that they may be transformed and truly present righteous offerings and only then (4) would the rest of the people be purified and come to truly rely on God and give honorable sacrifices to Him.

The Condemnation (3:5)

Sorcerers

Adulterers

Liars

Not paying employees, oppressing widows, orphans, and immigrants.

All who do not fear God

The Comfort

The Lord does not change. He is the same faithful, just and loving God toward them as He makes clear in Malachi 1:1-5

Malachi 1:1–5 NKJV

1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. 5 Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

Application

We must be careful not to think all of the problems of the world are out there while overlooking the problems we ourselves have.

We must not allow difficulties to cause us to doubt the character of God.

We must be patient and rest in the providence of God. Yes, there will be difficulties and times where we have questions, but we rest knowing that He knows best

We must remember that we are going to be held responsible for our actions.