I will Send My Messenger: Malachi 2:17-3:5 (Sermon)
WELCOME
Thank you, Worship Team.
TEXT
We are continuing our series on the prophets in the Old Testament. This is our fifth sermon on Malachi. The book’s point is: The LORD’s covenant love preserves those who fear him. God was talking to the spiritual leaders of his people, but the message this morning relates to us all. [PAUSE] Let’s look at the passage. [PAUSE] Turn to Malachi, Chapter 2, verse 17 through Chapter 3, verse 5. I am going to have Z.B. read for us. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word?
You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 2:17–3:5, ESV)
PRAYER
Thank you, let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we need your help to love, follow, and fear you. Guide us as we dive into a text of Scripture. Thank you for it, and this day, in Jesus’s name, we pray, amen. You may be seated.
CONTEXT
Let’s go over the context. Malachi was written 2,400 years ago in the land of Israel. Israel spent seventy years in exile. Invaders destroyed the capital, the walls, and the temple. They captured and enslaved God’s people, removing them from the Promised Land. Years passed, and a new superpower was in charge, Persia. King Cyrus issued a decree for God’s people to return and rebuild. They rebuilt the temple, and the people celebrated, yet not everyone. Israel’s footprint and population had shrunk to the size of a postage stamp. Edom, their southern enemy, and distant relation prospered. Israel had no king (1:8), great land, fantastic commodities, or international fame. All of which God had promised their forefathers. It likely didn’t seem fair.
PASSAGE
In our passage, God heard Israel ask if he was just. They had questioned his love. His response to them began with a history lesson. He loved them, and that affection resulted from his mercy, not their merit. If they connected the dots, their suffering resulted from their leaders’ and ancestors’ choices. God had warned them well in advance. The people of Israel ignored God’s warning. The original recipients of this oracle were at fault as well, worshipping in ways that didn’t adhere to God’s instructions, divorcing their wives for youthful foreign ones, embracing other religions, and playing favorites with the wealthy and powerful to the neglect of the poor. God wanted them to consider his words, change their ways, and fear him.
STRUCTURE
God told his people they wore him. When they first walked into the house, he was exasperated, like a parent at the end of a long work day and being verbally assaulted by a kid. God tells Israel he will send someone to give them an attitude adjustment. When he comes, he will bring refinement and judgment. Here is a formal organization for these six verses if you want to take note of where we are going with this passage.
2:17 God’s accusation
3:1 God’s promise to bring a messenger
3:2–4 God’s messenger ushering in refinement
3:5 God’s judgment against wrong doers
VERSE 17 - HOW HAVE WE WEARIED?
Let’s dive in. Look at verse 17 of Chapter 2. What does it say?
“You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” (Malachi 2:17a, ESV).
Stop right there. What was going on? The people of God were not talking to God but about God. What were they saying? They were questioning if they bothered him. They have already balked at,
God’s love,
How they’ve despised his name,
And how they’ve polluted the altar.
God answered their question in two basic ways. Verse 17 again,
“By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’” (Malachi 2:17, ESV).
The spiritual leaders said that God thinks evil is good and enjoys evil-doers. Can you believe that? Secondly, they called into question God’s justice. The spiritual leaders were walking contradictions. They saw evil in others but not in themselves. They made excuses when it was convenient for them.
THINGS HAVEN’T CHANGED
Things haven’t changed. Most everyone does what they do because they think they are doing “good,” even if it isn’t. The end justifies the means. So, people excuse violence, hateful speech, and sin when God condemns it. People doubt God’s power, love, goodness, justice, and existence because life doesn’t meet their expectations. So, Israel’s accusation was not that far from where people stand today. This takes us to Chapter 3.
CHAPTER 3
What does it say?
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:1, ESV).
Behold. Take note. God was sending a messenger, the same Hebrew word for Malachi. Who was this messenger? Was he the author? I don’t believe so. Why? Well, the text doesn’t say. Was he the same as the Lord and the messenger of the covenant from the rest of the verse? I don’t believe so, either. I don’t think this messenger is Malachi because of when this prediction occurs and how the New Testament uses this particular verse. He will arrive in the future, sometimes near a refinement of God’s people that will return them to bringing a pleasing offering to God and judgment. The only other time the Bible quotes this verse is once in the New Testament, in Matthew.
JOHN THE BAPTIST
Go to the Matthew Chapter 11, verse 9. Jesus was talking to a crowd.
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.” [Malachi 3:1]
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:9–11a, ESV, italics mine)
Jesus believed that this messenger mentioned in Malachi, Chapter 3, verse 1, was none other than John the Baptist.
REINCARNATION
Was Malachi or Jesus teaching reincarnation? No. Let’s read in Luke Chapter 1, verse 17. It tells us that John the Baptist came in the “spirit” and “power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). The Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We don’t die and get reborn and reborn and reborn into higher or lower life forms until we reach nirvana. John was the messenger predicted by Malachi and a type of Elijah, not the same.
YOU SEEK
Jesus didn’t quote the rest of the passage. Why? Why was that? I believe it is another indication that verse 1 talks about two different people: John the Baptist and someone else. Look back at Chapter 3, verse 1.
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:1, ESV).
Who was this Lord? Whoever he was, he came to his temple. So, he owns the temple. Wasn’t that God’s? It was. It was where the holy of holies existed. God’s glory rested on that special place. It was so sacred that it had a special room in the heart; only one priest could come in and out of it once a year. The other priests tied a cord around that man just in case he died going in so that they could drag him out in an emergency. So, who was this Lord whom they sought? I believe he was the coming king promised to David in 2 Samuel 7 and mentioned in Psalm 2. Which states,
The LORD says to my Lord: [Do you see the two Lords here? One is all capitalized, Yahweh, and the other is some other authority. What did the LORD say?]
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” [So, the one Lord sits at the right hand of the other. The verse goes on to describe the role of this Lord.]
The LORD sends forth from Zion [Which is Jerusalem.]
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
Your people [Israel] will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:1–4, ESV)
Thus, David wrote about the Lord, who would reign like a king and bring order over Israel’s enemies. I can envision the priests and God’s people seeking and delighting in that prediction. Psalm 2 ends by depicting this kingly Lord as an eternal priest. Here are two questions for you: “Who is the Lord, King, and priest who lives forever? Who sits at God’s right hand?” It sounds to me like Jesus. So Malachi Chapter 3 speaks of John the Baptist and Jesus.
SEEKING
Back to Malachi 3. God said that the religious leaders also delighted in the messenger of the covenant. Who was he? I believe it was Jesus. Hebrews tells us that Jesus ushered in a new covenant and is of the priesthood of Melchizedek by his blood. Were these priests in Israel genuinely seeking and delighting in the messenger, the Lord, and his ministry? It didn’t seem like it. Was God being sarcastic? Possibly. Perhaps the priests did sincerely think they were seeking the Lord and delighting in the future. They could have been blind to their rebellion. The book tells us that they made sacrifices. They were worshipping. They worked at the temple. We have all been blind before. Jesus called the Pharisees “Blind guides” (Matthew 15:14, ESV). God wants hearts to follow him, not a behavioral modification or ritual sacrifice. Their allegiance was elsewhere. Their lives were not okay. They made up their own rules and spiritual benchmarks while throwing out the Bible.
VERSES 2 and 3
Let’s keep reading. Go to verse 2.
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. (Malachi 3:2–3, ESV)
God turned the table on these priests. He asked them two questions:
[First,] “Who can endure the day of his coming
and [Second,] who can stand when he appears.”
These questions sound awfully like Joel Chapter 2, verse 11:
The LORD utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome;
who can endure it? (Joel 2:11, ESV)
The Lord was approaching. You can hear the footsteps of God behind you. Who can endure it? The answer, in a sense, is no one and anyone. Joel goes on to say that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32). What would the messenger do when he appeared? He would smith and launder. He would burn and wash.
ROCK
The other day, I found this cool red rock on the beach. I picked it up; it was incredibly light. It felt like nothing. My father-in-law easily scratched it. My sixteen-year-old picked it up and said it was plastic. I burned it to see if it would melt. And sure enough, it started to get wet and sticky. If I kept burning it, it would be a pile of red goo. There is a way that fire refines a thing. When working with precious metals, fire can help distinguish a substance from its dross. Fuller’s soap or lye was a detergent and purifier like fire. It cleans up like Lysol and Clorox.
CLEAN IT UP
The ministers in the day needed to get right with God. They were dirty and filthy from their moral failures and spiritual sins. They could not endure or stand on their merit. Isaiah the prophet, when he saw God, fell on his face. An angel gave him a coal in his vision to purify him (Isaiah 6). John the Baptist’s prophet said Jesus would baptize with fire, water, and Spirit. God does what the priests can’t. He cleansed people from their sins. Just as an artisan, craftsman, or metal worker must purify things, God will purify and refine his people. And consequently, his people will bring the right offerings. That was not the end.
VERSE 4
Look at verse 4.
“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:4, ESV).
Thus, after this purification and refinement, things are back to the good old days—it was like the eighties or nineties (for me)—and God found pleasure in those offerings: When this messenger comes into his temple and purifies the spiritual leaders, they will bring joy to God. But God was not pleased with everyone and everything.
VERSE 5
Verse 5 ends in God’s displeasure. The priests judged God’s justice insufficient, and God will come near to judge the priests and all who do wrong.
Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:5, ESV)
As God drew near to his people. It would not be pretty for those not purified from their sin. Contrary to what the priests asserted. God was against evil or the evil-doer. Let’s look at the list in verse 5:
Sorcerers
Adulterers
Liars
Oppressive employers
Oppressing the widow and fatherless
Those who thrust aside the sojourners
Those who don’t fear God
SORCERERS
Who were the sorcerers? Think witchdoctors. Some people were embracing other religious ideas and seeking power apart from God. Today, some call themselves wizards, warlocks, spiritualists, and likely other names. They read tarot cards, horoscopes, palms, and chakras. Stay away from such false, empty, religious hocus pocus. God was (and is) against those.
ADULTERERS
The next group was the adulterers. The PG explanation is that people acted like husband and wife with people other than their husband and wife. God was against that. Friends, he still is. Be faithful to your spouse. Recall Pastor Mike’s message last week. If we follow Jesus’s teaching on adultery, don’t be looking at pornography. Don’t stare at people at the beach or on the phone. Jesus said playing make-believe in your mind with someone else’s wife, daughter, sister, or mother is like committing adultery. God is against that, whether you are a guy or a gal. Lust is not good. Many of us need that reminder. Treat those of the opposite sex not as objects to the conqueror, possess, or use but as brothers and sisters, fellow image bearers of God.
LIARS
The next thing God was against was liars. We know what a lie is. It is misrepresenting the truth in words written or spoken with an intent to deceive. Let us speak the truth to one another in love.
OPPRESSIVE EMPLOYEMENT
Then God said he was against those who oppress employees. I worked at a place where managers took on animal names. One of my bosses called himself the wolf, another was the raging bull, and the worst one was the “Dragon.” When he was furious, he would get on top of the warehouse’s catwalk and yell at employees with a blowhorn to move faster. But I am sure there are worse examples. Some people use their employees as slaves. Be respectful of those who serve. Give people an honest wage. Treat the waitress and customer service rep with respect. Tip well when you can afford to.
UNKIND TO THE HURTING
Some take advantage of the widow and fatherless. God doesn’t want us to be mean. Be kind, especially to those who are in challenging circumstances. He wants us to love our neighbors and care for the hurting. Let us show compassion for the sick, dying, and vulnerable in society.
SHUT OUT
God was against those who thrust aside the sojourner. This was not a political statement but a spiritual one. Friends, [PAUSE] how we treat other people reflects our hearts. God wants our hearts. Who was the sojourner? According to the Old Testament, this was not a temporary resident from another nation; they called that person a foreigner. The sojourner was a refugee or immigrant. If they were to live in the state of Israel, they had to follow some of the laws, but not all of them, unless they converted, like Ruth. God doesn’t want people to thrust them out.
NOW
Is it wrong to have a wall, a border, law, or order? No. God supported the building of the wall around Jerusalem. He is a God of order. At the same time, he instructed the farmers not to squeeze everything out of their land so that those who had nothing could go around the edges of their fields and feed themselves and make a living. If we were to flee some horrible reality, we would go to great lengths to procure help for our families. I don’t fault people for that. God has given us the power to govern according to reason and conscience as citizens of a representative republic. And the principle in this passage is relevant to us. I think it calls us to consider,
Do we treat all people with dignity as fellow image-bearers?
Are we generous with the wealth that God has given us?
And are we practicing hospitality?
Let us love our neighbors and even those of other nations. How we treat one another reflects how we treat God. We have control over our prayers, our words, and our homes. Let us be hospitable.
FEAR GOD
The priests might have gone through this list and thought they were doing fine. And you may have as well. But the last one would have been the kicker. What was that? God wanted his people to fear him. He was against those who didn’t. After reading much of Malachi, do you think the priests feared God? I am not talking of the fear one has for an abusive jerk, but the kind of respect you want from a child to a parent or a citizen to law enforcement. Were they respectful and giving proper honor to God? NO WAY! They were disrespectful. Do we fear God? Do we come to God, church, or the Holy in reverence or a nonchalant attitude of indifference, boredom, and obligation?
SUMMARY
This was a damning list for the priests in Malachi’s day and ours. How do we work through guilt and a sense of condemnation? God doesn’t want us to leave here feeling shame. The Holy Spirit’s job is to take that pricked conscience and drive us back to Jesus. He came to do what we could not. He came to give us mercy. Who can endure his coming? All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Jesus is the refiner and purifier. How? Well, he called out our sins and died to shed the blood necessary to purify us from all ungodliness.
If you are doing anything God said he was against, stop. Run to the Lord, Jesus. He is God’s servant who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. He came to purify us through his blood shed on the cross. We can be clean; our deeds can be righteous through his sacrifice on the cross. He turns our impure good works into notable works of art. He transforms us from death to life. And then God will look at our lives with delight and love. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Let us rejoice and move towards that this week.
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