Message Series: Malachi 4:1-6
It is about time . . . to finish a short message series.
For the past couple of months, I have uploaded short messages based on the book of Malachi. It has been basically based on the section divisions in the English Standard Version of the Bible.
No special titles. Just taking a quick look at what was said.
So read along with me, and let us study what Malachi said to his people about 2,400 years ago.
Remember that Malachi literally means “my messenger”, so he is God’s messenger, as all the Prophets were.
Chapter 1 was about God’s love for His covenant people – those who obey and love Him – versus those who refuse to listen to Him. The priests offered lame, sick, and injured animals as sacrifices, basically taking the Lord’s name in vain by calling it acceptable even though they were worthless gifts.
Chapter 2 can be called the passage about “bovine scatology”, because priests then (and many now) led people astray with false teachings. So God rebuked them and showed they are outside of the covenant.
Chapter 2 finishes with God rebuking not only the priests but any who practice what God said not to, and leads into chapter 3 in which God calls out those who call evil good and vice versa (which leads to His eventual judgment!)
Chapter 3 is largely about stealing from God, which was equated to not sharing the Gospel or giving the Church (and thus God) a bad name so that others want nothing to do with Jesus. It is like robbing God of souls. And this leads to God’s wrath on the ungodly while separating out the godly. Again, He defends those who listen to Him and obey His commands, and He defends His glory.
Now, on to discuss the Great Day of the Lord:
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules[b] that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome 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, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
- God’s Law is:
- Love the Lord your God
- Love your neighbor (others)
- Love each other (the Church)
- Elijah:
- John the Baptist
- Possibly one of the two witnesses in Revelation?
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
- Those who refuse to turn to Christ will be burned by and in fire as eternal punishment for disbelieving and persecuting those who do believe.
- Separation from God.
- The Great and Awesome Day of the Lord:
- 2 Peter 3:1-13
- All of the heavens and the earth will be dissolved in fire
- We must share the gospel
- How close are we to the end?
- Most deny a global flood
- Most claim millions/billions of years
- Most turn from God’s Law and do whatever they want
- Anything is acceptable and should be celebrated
- 2 Peter 3:1-13
- When Christ returns, He will obliterate all sinfulness from Creation and make a perfect Kingdom on a renewed Earth.
a simple man of God 