The Day is Coming!
Malachi 4:1-6
Could I ask you to interact with me a bit? I would like to hear from a couple of you. Briefly, tell us about your best day. Just shout out a date and tell us what happened on that day. Thank you for sharing those wonderful days with us. I won’t ask you to share your worst days but each of you could name several. Some days you wish you could live over and over again and some days you try to forget.
Today we are going to be hearing from God’s Word about a day that is coming that will be unlike any other day ever in the history of the universe. If you have asked Jesus Christ to be the forgiver and leader of your life, that day will be infinitely better
than even your best day. If you don’t have a relationship with God, with Christ, that day will make your worst day seem like a picnic! It will be the most terrible, wonderful, incredible day ever.
We have come to the ending verse of Malachi and to the end of our series on Malachi. For the last nine weeks we have mined the depths of this Old Testament prophet’s words.
We have learned that God loves us and chose us (Chapter 1). That we should give God our best in worship (Chapter 1). That good leadership is essential to Christian growth (Chapter 2). That marriage is a covenant that God designed to be permanent (Chapter 2). That we are to honor God with our finances (Chapter 3). And that we have been called to serve each other and the body of Christ (Chapter 3).
Now we come to the last six verses of the book a Malachi and this morning we will learn about a day that is coming: The Day of the Lord
Turn in your Bibles to the last chapter of Malachi, the last words of the Old Testament...Malachi 4.
In the original Hebrew text, there is no chapter four in the book of Malachi. This division was added later. The last six verses are really a continuation of chapter 3. In the last verses of chapter 3, we have God speaking and He is saying that there will be a distinction between the ones that love God and the ones who only loves themselves (Malachi 3:18).
We find here in Malachi 4:1...
1. A PREDICTION OF JUDGMENT (v. 1)
The term "the day of the Lord" is used 25 times in 23 verses in the Bible. We find this phrase used Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zachariah, our friend Malachi, Luke in Acts, by Paul in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and by Peter in 1 & 2 Peter.
While these biblical writers use the term "day" it is obvious that they are referring to a period of time rather than a 24 hour date on a calendar.
What is this "day" all about? The great day of the LORD refers to the second coming of Christ when the Lord Jesus will come to judge the world and establish a universal reign of righteousness. There’s a day coming when judgment will be imminent and unavoidable. Many of the other prophets saw this day coming and described it in the most graphic of terms.
The day of the Lord will be a....
Day of dread (Joel 2:11)
The prophet Joel describes this time in terms of fear and terror. "The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11)
Day of darkness (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:15)
The absence of light is a sign of judgment. Listen to Isaiah 13:10... "The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light."
and in Joel 2:31 these words......
"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."
Zephaniah 1:15 gives us a further description of this day: "...a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness...."
Day of destruction (Isaiah 13:6; 2 Peter 3:10)
Listen to Isaiah again in Isaiah 13:6:
"Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty."
And Peter in the New Testament writes this in 2 Peter 3:10...
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."
Day of distress (Isaiah 13:7-8; Zephaniah 1:15, 17)
Isaiah continues in Isaiah 13:7-8...
"Because of this, all hands will go limp; every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame."
Zephaniah’s imagery in Zephaniah 1:15, 17 is just as chilling: "That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin...I will bring distress on the people and they will
walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD."
Day of decisive judgment (Isaiah 13:9, 11)
This will be time that the distinction between the godly and unrighteous will be laid bare. Listen to Isaiah 13:9, 11... "See, the day of the LORD is coming...a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger...to make land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless."
A Day of destiny
This day is coming! It is a day of destiny. God has delayed the judgment because of His great mercy and His desire to see all mankind saved and restored. But judgment delayed is not judgment ignored.
William Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
"Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small. Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness He grinds all."
Peter in response to scoffers who were questioning whether Christ would really return says this in 2 Peter 3:9... "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance."
I love the way the Message paraphrases this verse:
"God is not late with His promises as some understand lateness. He is restraining Himself because of you, holding back to the End because he does not want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change."
The day is coming! Really? Is it really coming? Who says so?
Look at the last part of v. 1...
God Himself predicts judgment on this day!
And who is it that He will judge? Notice what v. 1 says...
"..All the arrogant and every evildoer..."
These people are described as "arrogant and evildoers."
Ultimately, pride will be their downfall.
J. Oswald Chambers writes this: "Nothing is more distasteful to God than self-conceit. This first and fundamental sin in essence aims at enthroning self at the expense of God."
There is a day coming that these wicked people will be judged and there will be no escape for them.
Before we leave this verse, it’s important to look at the words of Jesus concerning the nature of these "wicked" people. Matthew records these sobering words in Matthew 7:21-23..."Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord’, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"
When we think of arrogant and evil doers, we think of the criminals and "bad" people that cause havoc in our society. Right? Jesus says that many of those who will be judged will look like us!
They were prophesying, driving our demons, and even performing miracles in the name of Jesus! And He calls them evil doers!
He makes a profound statement, "I never knew you." This doesn’t mean Christ doesn’t know who they are...
It means they didn’t have a relationship with Him.
There’s a huge difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. Right? I know about President Bush, but if I went and knocked on the White House gate and ask to see him, how far do you think I’d get?
Will it be that way for you on the day of the Lord?
You may know all about Jesus, but do not know Him as the forgiver and leader of your life? Do you?
Listen to the advice of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 13: 5-6... "Examine yourselves to whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?"
While there is a day coming of predicted judgment, there is also a day coming where there is...
2. A PROMISE OF BLESSING (vv. 2-3)
This blessing is seen first of all in verse 2 where we see a description of people...
Worshipping God (v. 2)
Notice this blessing comes to those who: "...revere my name..." What does it mean to "revere my name?"
It means to hold it in high honor. It means to live your life in such a way that would bring only glory to God’s name.
Listen to Psalm 86:11-13... "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of
the grave."
And Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:7 that....
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..."
Look how this blessing comes in v. 2...
For those who revere God’s name, who stand in awe of Him, and have placed their trust in Him completely for the forgiveness of their sins, God says that the "...sun of righteousness will rise with
healing in his wings."
See it there in the middle of v. 2?
Isn’t that a beautiful word picture? Some of your translations have the word "sun" capitalized.
Some commentators, like Martin Luther, see this is a Messianic prophecy describing the coming of Jesus Christ when He will "...wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)
Look further in v. 2 of a beautiful description of worshipping God: "and you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."
Isn’t that great? What a great description of worshipping God! With leaping and dancing we will celebrate and worship our King!
Are you excited enough about who God is and all that He is done in your life that you can’t help but leap and dance for joy?
Are you so excited and in love with your Savior that you act like a new calf just released from the stall?
What have you been released from? The chains of sin!
The penalty of death! How can you not want to leap and dance for joy? Thank you Jesus! Amen? What a blessing!
Another form of blessing comes in v. 3...
Witnessing God’s revenge (v. 3)
Throughout the Bible, God tells us that it’s His job to avenge injustice, not ours. Paul cautions us in Romans 12:19 with these words: "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written; ’It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord."
Aren’t you glad we serve and worship a Righteous Judge? Some day, all the injustices will be dealt with.
For the righteous, this will be a time of unequaled joy and celebration. The righteous will not be judged according to their sins, because their sins have already been dealt with on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20... "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Colossians 2:13-14 "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our
sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to
the cross."
As we near the end of the book, and the end of the Old Testament, God points His people back to the basics. In verse 4 He offers...
3. A PLEA FOR OBEDIENCE (v. 4)
Here we have the last command of the Old Testament. For the next 400 years, God would be going "offline."
There’s going to be 400 years of deafening silence from heaven. No prophets to speak God’s words.
And before God goes offline, He offers a call to remember. Remember!
What does this involve? This is more than just an intellectual pursuit. This involves so much more than remembering Bible verses. Implicit in this word "remember" is the word "obey." This word means: "put it into practice." Or, as we’d say in our day: "walk the talk."
D.L. Moody once said, "The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."
Now, during these 400 years "offline" (called the Intertestimental Time) there was a group of people that took this call from Malachi very seriously. They tried to keep the commandments and the decrees of God. These were sincere men who truly wanted to bring God glory by obeying Him to the best of their ability.
Who were these people? They were called the Pharisees. Surprise you? In the Gospels, the Pharisees are given a bad rap, and rightly so. They’d become more interested in the Law than in the Law-Giver. Jesus calls them hypocrites because they followed all the rules but they didn’t understand God’s mercy and love for lost souls. Listen to Christ’s words to them from Luke 11:46 "Jesus replied, ’And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you lead people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.’"
Though the Pharisees took it too far, we can’t fault them for their desire to be obedient. God wants our obedience! He wants us to say "yes" to Him!
He calls us to obey Him and promises to bless us if we do.
To a scared and insecure Joshua, God says this in Joshua 1:6-8... "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
Our obedience is an outward expression of our love for God. "This is love for God: to obey his commands." (1 John 5:3)
Listen to the words of Jesus in John 14:23-24 "Jesus replied, ’If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’"
God’s last challenge in the Old Testament is a plea for obedience. The same challenge holds true for us today.
The last two verses of Malachi (and the Old Testament) end with...
4. A PROMISE OF RECONCILIATION (vv. 5-6)
What a strange way to end this book! What a strange way to end the Old Testament! When Jewish rabbis read Malachi they repeat verse 5 after verse 6.
Maybe it’s because we all like happy endings and the threat of a curse doesn’t exactly make for a cheerful conclusion to this book.
Let’s unpack these verses a bit...
The prophet Elijah (v. 5)
God promises that before the "day of the Lord" He will send the prophet Elijah. You might not remember this, but according to 2 Kings 2:11-12, Elijah never died. Elijah is often used in Scripture to represent the prophets as a whole. 400 years after Malachi was written, an angel appeared to a priest named Zachariah and told him he would have a son: "....and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous...to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord." (Luke 1:14-17)
And who is this? John the Baptist! It is important to understand that John the Baptist only partially fulfilled this prophesy. In Matthew 17, Jesus said that John was Elijah. In John 1:21, John the Baptist specifically denied he was Elijah. What’s going on here?
John the Baptist was not Elijah but, in a figurative sense, represents Elijah. According to this verse here in Malachi 3:5, Elijah’s coming will be right before the great day of the Lord. Revelation 11:6 tells of two witnesses who will prophesy for 1,260 days and have the power to "shut up the sky so that it will not rain." Elijah is the prophet that told Ahab "There will be neither dew or rain in the next several years except at my word..." (1 Kings 17:1)
The Jews are still waiting for Elijah to usher in the Messiah’s coming. At every Passover meal, there is an empty chair and an
empty glass for Elijah and a door is left open in waiting for his arrival.
John the Baptist came in the "spirit and power of Elijah." John the Baptist announced that the Messiah had come!
And the Messiah’s name is Jesus!
And only Jesus can reconcile ruptured relationships.
Unfortunately, some ruptured relationships exist between a father and his children.
That’s why the promise of reconciliation comes
from...
The perfect Father (v. 6)
Maybe your father is no longer living and you miss him. There may be some in here whose father is still alive but you don’t have a relationship with him.
There’s something inside of every child who desperately wants to be known, accepted and loved by their father. When that love is not given, the child can struggle for years with feelings of what psychologists call "father-hunger."
How do you overcome these feelings? Here’s how: Realize that only God is your perfect Father.
You may never hear or maybe never have heard the words "I love you" come from the lips of your earthly father. But God demonstrated His love for you as your Heavenly Father. He demonstrated it by sending His one and only Son to show how much He loves you!
Listen to how David describes God’s heart for you:
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me." (Psalm 27:10)
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him." (Psalm 103:13)
Reconciliation can happen between a father and a child! It happens ultimately in God the Father making it possible to have the reconciliation by sending His Son. Now, the ball is in our court to receive that love and reconciliation.
We are going to end our service this morning with a video of a song called "He Knows My Name."
It’s a simple song that recognizes that God is the Father we’ve all been longing for.
While we watch, join in by singing if you want.
Maybe you just need to reflect on where you are with God. Maybe some of you will reflect on your relationship with your earthly father. May I encourage you to focus on the fact that only God can be your perfect Father? And if you haven’t done so, I encourage you to completely surrender your life to Christ. Begin the process of healing and forgiveness and bask in God’s love for you.
