God's Love - Part 3

In this chapter we have, a promise of the coming of the Messiah and His forerunner.

Verse one - “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear 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.”

The first words of this chapter seem to be a direct answer to the demand of the scoffers of those days which closed the foregoing chapter, "Where is the God of justice?” To which it is answered, "Here He is; He is just at the door; the long-expected Messiah is ready to appear. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the Prophet; ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way” (Mark 1:1-2) is the

accomplishment of this promise. So that by this the two Testaments are, as it were, tacked together, and made to answer one another.

The appearing of John the Baptist is the fulfillment of the predication of Isaiah 40:3. John the Baptist is the Lord’s messenger, the Lord’s ambassador. His commission was from heaven and not of men and His mission was the same as all the prophets, to call men to repentance. He prepares the way for the coming of Christ by calling men to repent so they will be qualified to receive the Messiah and enter His kingdom. He calls them from the confidence in their

relationship to Abraham as their father, which, they thought guaranteed them a place in the kingdom of heaven.

The Lord observes a method in His work, and, before He comes He prepares the way for His coming. Israel was promised the Messiah would come and were told before He appears, there shall be a sign given, a great prophet shall arise, and shall announce He is near at hand. The fulfillment of the coming of the forerunner is proof that Jesus of Nazareth, is He that is to come and we are to look for no other.

Malachi told the Israelites, who you think, has forsaken the earth you may be assured that shortly

He will come. He is the Lord, Adonia, the basis and foundation on which the world is founded, the ruler, and governor of all that has been created. He is Lord over all (Acts 10:36), and all power has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). He will reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:33). He is the Messenger of the covenant that was sent to earth to negotiate a peace

between God and man. He is the Lord of hosts who received a commission from the Father to bring man home to the Father by a covenant of grace. He is to be the desire of all nations. But He was the desire of the Jewish nation because they had the promise made to them.

Malachi told the Israelites the Lord they seek shall come immediately after the appearing of the fore-runner. He shall come suddenly, that is He shall come when many are not looking for His coming, just as His second coming will be. He shall come to His temple at Jerusalem for it is His Father’s house (John 2:16). At forty days old, Jesus was presented in the temple. At twelve years old he was in the temple, “about His Father’s business (Luke 21:12), When he rode in triumph

into Jerusalem, it should seem that he went directly to the temple (Matthew 21:12). Jesus went to the temple that was rebuilt by the returning captives.

Following His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven the temple was totally destroyed. Therefore we do not look for another.

Verse two - “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 fuller’s soap.”

Malachi told the people of his day the coming of the Lord is something that should be considered with great seriousness, and with awe and reverence. Though He does not come to condemn the world, but that the world through him might have life the days of his flesh there will be revelations of his glory and power and no one will be able to stand before Him. His power and glory was revealed at His transfiguration and it is written many trembled before Him (Mark 5:33). This

could also refer to the great afflictions that shall come upon Israel at the time of his coming. Jesus

spoke of a great tribulation “such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor shall ever be (Matthew 24:21). The Lord will be like the refiner’s fire that separates the gold and the dross or the soap that was used to remove spots from cloth.