Reality Check (The Day of the Lord (Part 2): Sun of Righteousness)

A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti 2:5-6); Who, being the eternal Son of God, became man (Joh 1:14; Gal 4:4), and so was and continueth to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person forever (Rom 9:5; Luk 1:35; Col 2:9; Heb 7:24-25).

Pastoral Prayer

Health of the Church, Janie, People Exploring god’s will for their lives.

Let us Pray

We are continuing in chapter 4 of Malachi this morning. So go ahead and turn in your bible to Malachi chapter 4. As you turn there we are continuing from last weeks message on the day of the lord. We looked at the different judgments that are in the scriptures and then looked at what was going to happen for the arrogant and those that commit wickedness. For those who have rejected the covenant of God.

But today we will see what the end looks like for those that will be redeemed by Jesus.

Open you bibles to Chapter 4. Stand as we read God’s Word.

Malachi 4 (CSB)

1 “For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

4 “Remember the instruction of Moses my servant, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

When the day of the Lord comes verse 1 tells us what it will be like for the wicked and verses 2-3 tells us what it will be like for the redeemed.

Today we will be looking at verses 2-3

Malachi 4:2–3 (CSB)

2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

In contrast to the arrogant we have a group of people that are described as those that fear the name of the Lord. These were a minority of the people who were so called “followers of God”. Do you notice that there are no title distinguishing between those that will be saved and those that will be destroyed. It does not say republican or democrat, it does not say conservative or contemporary, it does not say elder or child. It simply says those who fear the name of the Lord. Titles are not what will distinguish those that are consumed and those that are saved. Just the heart.

It comes down simply to those who are arrogant or that have decided that they can live with out God and those who sit in reverent fear of his name. Remember from a couple of weeks ago, that when the bible says they feared his name or spoke on his name that the name of God was used to describe his character. I mean those that seek to understand and submit to the character of God, that have decided that they need God, and that they are in need of a savior. This is not those that do religious activities or the people of Israel would have been ok and the Pharisees would not have been rebuked by Jesus. This is the end for the believer.

The Sun of Righteousness

Malachi uses this image that only appears in this book.

Malachi 4:2 (CSB)

...the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, ...

Wings is used in in the bible many different ways. It is used as a metaphor for protection,

Psalm 91:4 (CSB)

4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

A Metaphor for judgement

Jeremiah 48:40 (CSB)

40 For this is what the Lord says: Look! He will swoop down like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab.

Wings can symbolize many other things but this is a picture of the wings of the sun rising at dawn. Of the rays of light that come over the horizon and then cover the land. I love camping. How about you? Who here has ever experienced one of those trips where the night was so cold. That you just did not have enough blankets or sleeping bags to be warm. You are shaking and miserable. Who has been there? Maybe some of you have been in survival training or active duty in the military and have had to sit in the darkness waiting. The longer the night goes, what do you start to long for? You long for the sun. You look out and you start to wonder if it is actually getting lighter as the dawn comes and then all of the sudden the light comes over the horizon or mountain and everything changes. You feel comfort, heat, hope, strength. We take it for granted but think of what this image ment for Isreal. They did not have the same modern convenience that we have. They would have had many cold nights just waiting for the sun to rise.

Does this image resonate with you. How many here have had an experience of the hope that comes with the morning? Malachi is using the rising sun to figuratively describe the coming of the righteous one. So who is the righteous one?

Romans 3:10–12 (CSB)

10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

11 There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.

No one is righteous on their own merit. Yes people have acted in a righteous way when they have obeyed God through faith. But a person does not have the attribute of righteousness. So this verse in Malachi must be pointing to someone else.

Romans 3:21–26 (CSB)

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Jesus is the sun of righteousness and the bible uses light and the coming of dawn to communicate and describe many aspect of God and his work. We see John describe his purity.

1 John 1:5 (CSB)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.

In Zechariah’s speech after he was able to speak he said

Luke 1:76–79 (CSB)

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And Jesus said it himself

John 8:12 (CSB)

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

For those who fear the name of the Lord, when Jesus comes to redeem those that have faith in him, three things will happen. The first that is listed is that he will bring healing.

Healing

Disease and illness have been in the world for a long time. It is one of the universal experiences of man. Some are rich or poor, some are from one country or another. Some go to college and some do not, some had great homes and some do not but I would be hard pressed to say that a person has lived without seeing the impact of sickness and disease either personally or in a family member or friend. And post covid we are still dealing with the effects of it. Those who are still in grief because of the loss of a loved one, or the loss of trust in leaders and society, to fear, to many other things. I was talking with some friend who work in the HR field they are starting to see a difference in the younger workforce that spent most of their high school years away from school. Some of the effects are good and some are not but the point is that we have all been effected in some way or another.

Disease will be around for awhile longer as well but when the sun of righteousness comes, he will bring healing. We saw some of that when he was here on earth. There were many miracles that Jesus performed on earth and depending on how you define them about have of them dealt with healing the sick, blind, and mute. We even see his disciples also healing in the beginning of the NT church. While Jesus and his disciples brought healing to the multitudes this was just a temporary reprieve of the sickness in the world. But when he comes back we will see a different kind of healing.

Isaiah 53:4–5 (CSB)

4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

We will be healed spiritually and physically. The illness and death of this world will be gone.

Revelation 21:4 (CSB)

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Jesus’ healing will be complete. We will be physically healed and more importantly we will see what it feels like to be completely spiritually healed. Today we still have this fleshly, sinful, selfish nature that fights against the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Galatians 5:16–17 (CSB)

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

What will it feel like on that day when the selfishness of man is gone. When out hearts do not seek out our own desires. But will only desire what is good. We have never known a time without sin. I cannot even imagine what that will feel like. What will we do when that driving force is out of the way holding back the work of the spirit in our lives? Will we stand there at dawn on the first day and feel true warmth for the first time? Will our eyes be opened to the darkness we are still in? When the light of Jesus dispels every shred of darkness from our hearts. Jesus started the process for those who believe and it will complete it on this day

Philippians 1:6 (CSB)

6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

What a day that will be for those who have been remembered by God, those that God has given his son, those that have a faith in the savior of Jesus. Oh what will you do on that day?

Malachi says you will be set free and rejoice.

Malachi 4:2 (CSB)

… and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

If you look into cattle ranching you will find that many times cattle are brought into a barn or pen for the winter and feed by the ranchers because there in not enough access for food for them in the winter. If you look it up, cows and especially calves will frolic, jump and bound around when they first exit the confinement of the stall or barn. Look at this video.

Video

This is the image that Malachi was giving to the Israelites. When they are set free for the first time they will jump and bound around like these calves. We will be free for the first time and will rejoice and leap for joy at the gift of redemption by Jesus’ death.

Zephaniah 3:14–15

14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has removed your punishment;

he has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.

This will be a day of victory.

Victory

Malachi 4:3 (CSB)

3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

Going back to the complaints of Israel. They no longer recognised the righteous from the wicked. They have accused God of favoring the wicked over themselves. Even though they were failing to keep the covenant setup between them and God. God promised a day when it would be clear who was God’s and who wasn’t. This is the image of that time. The time when the wicked will be consumed and spiritually cast away from God and the remnant who believes will be saved.

As we look around the world it can be easy to believe that those that do not believe are winning the battle. We may ask ourselves is it worth it? We find ourselves in the same boat as the people of Malachi’s time. We look out and it can be really hard to tell who is with God and who is not. We see churches reaching tens of thousands with a version of the Gospel. One that may or may not teach truth but does not teach the whole truth.

What do we do? Do we feel defeated? The answer is no. Those who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and have been saved by the Son, their victory is assured. Our victory is assured. In the end God’s justice will be revealed. Sometimes we think God’s plan will prevail but it is not possible for it to not succeed. He is sovereign and there is nothing man or satan can do to change the plans of God. We will stand in victory. Will we actually trample on the ashes of the wicked? Probably not but we will know the full reality of God his judgement will be fulfilled. There will never be confusion about the people of God again.

Conclusion

So what does this mean for us? First we must be in constant reminder of the truth we read about in the catechism this morning.

Q. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

The sun of righteousness is our savior. The savior of the people that the father has given the Son to save. The true realization of this should humble us to the core. That we were nothing before Christ and in the end those that do not know Christ will be consumed and will become like ash. We should see the plan of God as special and personal, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fully God and fully man came to save sinners like me and you. That we cannot do anything to make him love us less. That we cannot do anything to earn his salvation. That we are just saved by faith in Jesus by God’s grace and mercy.

This realization should drive us from complacency to action. Who here is guilty of forgetting that there is a lost world out there that God want to reach through his people, through his church? The redemption of our souls along with the grace of God should open us to compassion for each other and for those who do not know Jesus and their lord and savior.

The question today is are we a people who are just sitting and waiting for the blessings that God promises in the end or are we a people that can be used by God to bring his light, Jesus, into the world? This is a real question. Who do we serve each and every day? Ourselves or God. And if we are following God then we need to be on our guard.

Luke 21:34–36 (CSB)

34 “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly 35 like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus will come back one day and we are told to be ready, be prepared, be on guard. Working and watching for the return of the savior. Are you awake? Or are you quitely dozing waiting for the return of the King?

Let us pray.

Communion

Luke 22:19–20 (CSB)

19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Benediction

Jude 24–25 (CSB)

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Romans 15:5–6 (CSB)

5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Related Media

Related Sermons