A. Opening illustration: The great Puritan preacher Richard Baxter wrote a pamphlet in which he lumped the Quakers with “drunkards, swearers, whoremongers, and sensual wretches” and other “miserable creatures.” And then—just in case he had not yet insulted them enough—he insisted that Quakers are no better than “Papists.” The Quaker leader James Naylor announced that he was compelled “by the Spirit of Jesus Christ” to respond to these harsh accusations. He proceeded to characterize his Puritan opponent as a “Serpent,” a “Liar,” and “Child of the Devil,” a “Cursed Hypocrite,” and a “Dumb Dog.” This is strong stuff. What makes it especially sad is that the angry talk often makes it difficult to get to the real issues. The debate between the Puritans and the Quakers was actually a rather interesting and helpful one. Both parties engaged in some serious biblical exposition; if the heavy rhetoric were removed, the discussion could easily appear to have been a friendly argument between Christians who had some important things to talk about. But I doubt that either group heard the helpful things the other side was saying. Too much angry rhetoric was in the air.
B. Background to passage: In this passage the people of Judah are confronted with their harsh words and thoughts about the Lord. They give the longest answer that they have given in the book and say what they really have been wanting to say throughout the entire book: “serving God is useless.” So, with the harsh language they used against God, God speaks some harsh words of His own about the coming judgment. All the while there is a remnant (God always has a remnant) awaiting deliverance in faithfulness. Just a note of bible trivia, the Hebrew bible only had 3 chapters of Malachi, 4:1 became 3:19 and so on.
C. Main thought: It seems that God has had just about enough of their blasphemies and announces coming judgment.
A. A Present Weariness (v. 3:13-15)
1. God tells the people that their words have been strong against Him. And again, they dispute the claim of God arrogantly. God says then that the people have grown tired of serving God and they have stated that there is no value or profit in serving God. They used the words that translate “useless” and “unprofitable” to describe serving God. They said that it was pointless, purposeless, unreliable, and deceitful to serve the Lord and expect to be blessed. They cited all the religious things that they did and said, “look here is the proof.” They noted that a posture of repentance, mourning over sin, and humility was no gain, and maybe even cost them happiness. But it was not only the harsh words that displeased the Lord, it was the attitude of the heart. Therefore, they continued, we might as well live as unbelievers—v. 15, because they seemingly practice wickedness and are blessed, and then escape judgment.
2. Psa 119:36, Isa 58:3, Matt 12:34, Job 21:7, 14-15,
3. Illustration: one commentator called it a “commercial style of religion,” Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king and his attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one else was there but the preacher. King Louis demanded, “What does this mean?” Fenelon replied, “I had published that you would not come to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who serves God in truth and who flatters the king.” One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to return thanks. “But I don’t know what to say!” the boy complained. “Oh, just say what you hear me say” his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, “Oh Lord, why did I invite these people over on a hot day like this?” The question itself does not suggest a lack of desire to serve Yahweh; on the contrary, it may suggest a vested interest in the outcome of one’s endeavors. No profit, no service—one will invest only where something can be gained. This may be logical to some, but to others it may be sacrilegious. This perspective would more likely be held by those who do not serve God, either because they have not received gain or because they have received gain without serving God. Clearly, this is not an abstract question about the reward for being righteous but a question specific to life practices—tangible rewards for tangible practices.
4. We might call it American pragmatism, American Christianity, American evangelicalism (his people). If it works for us keep it, if it doesn’t work for us, leave it. The ends justify the means. Even more so in our day, many are ceasing to “try” God at all. Our culture often makes a judgment about the usefulness of serving God without so much as lifting a finger. Only participate if there is something in it for us; and that something is tangible, desirable, and advances our cause. If we serve the Lord, it will bring desirable results in our lives, but we must learn to serve regardless of whether we get what we want, see the answers to prayer, are blessed financially, or some other tangible result. The fact is however, that if we do things in as hollow a fashion as they were doing, it is worthless. God sees our heart, and honors that. This is why no amount of outward righteousness is profitable without proper inward motivation and attitude.
B. A Faithful Remnant (v. 3:16-3:18)
1. There sitting under the preaching of Malachi were a remnant of faithful people who loved God, feared Him, and served Him with integrity in their heart. When they heard God’s indictment of the rest, they were afraid, and began to talk to each other and to God. And it said that God heard their prayer and had a book of remembrance for all their deeds and words. God then promises to spare them as a father does a son from judgment because they will be made a treasured possession, KJV—jewels. Then he indicates the difference between the righteous and the wicked as service from the heart. This does not create a works-based salvation, but simply shows that the works indicate the change of heart. Continuing distinction between those who are serving the Lord and those who are not.
2. 1 Kings 19:10, 2 Cor 5:10, Rom 11:5, Jude 1:24-25, Ps 103:13
3. Illustration: Adoniram Judson sweated out Burma’s heat for 18 years without a furlough, six years without a convert. Enduring torture and imprisonment, he admitted that he never saw a ship sail without wanting to jump on board and go home. When his wife’s health broke and he put her on a homebound vessel in the knowledge he would not see her for two full years, he confided to his diary: “If we could find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace. . .” But he steadied himself with this remarkable postscript: “Life is short. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation. . .”
4. There will always be a remnant. God always preserves for Himself certain people that by grace He has preserved from going the way of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Don’t ever feel like you are the only one. Don’t ever feel self-righteous about the fact that you are one of the few. God has kept you from falling to present you faultless before His throne on the Day of Judgment by His grace. You will be rewarded. What a beautiful foreshadowing of what He would do for us, the redeemed—making us a treasured possession and protecting us as sons from wrath by the blood of Christ who was the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but for those of the whole world. If you are a faithful servant, you will be treated like a son. Are you being faithful to serve, not simply to believe.
C. A Coming Judgment (v. 4:1-4:3)
1. Then God speaks of a great time of judgment for all. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the works of Christians will be tried by fire—1 Cor 3, but this is not talking about that. We see in this picture descriptions of the final judgment of God upon unbelievers, hypocrites, and all other sinners. We see a picture of the lake of fire described in Rev 21. We see God turning them into burnable material, then setting them ablaze in a powerful showing of His holy and just wrath upon sin. That if these people would not give Him glory in life, they would in the punishment through death and hell. We also see the final triumph of the righteous as the Son of Righteousness comes with healing in His wings, riding a white horse with a sword in hand, and brings ultimate victory over death, hell, sin, and Satan. We see a wonderful illustration of the absolute joy that believers will experience in the presence of Christ Himself.
2. Jude 1:14-15, Prov 11:21, 2 Pet 3:10, Joel 2:1-3, Ps 84:11, Luke 1:78
3. Illustration: More than four out of every five Americans agree that “we all will be called before God at judgment day to answer for our sins,” says a poll conducted for the Times Mirror company—1993, In November 1973, Betty Eadie allegedly died after undergoing a hysterectomy, and returned five hours later with the secrets of heaven revealed by Jesus. Eadie says that Jesus “never wanted to do or say anything that would offend me” while she visited heaven.
4. There will come a day when sin will be judged. Don’t be like the Israelites and believe that sinners are getting away with it for good. God is sovereign over the timing of judgment, not you. As a point of theology proper, we must not create a God in our own image that has no wrath. An unjust God is not a God worthy of worship. Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing in a judgment, but since it is so far off, we don’t think much about it. God must be seen as who He really is—a God who mercifully provides a payment for sin in His own Son, but also one who will pour out the fury of His wrath against those who have trampled the blood of Christ and blasphemed the One True God! Finally, absolute victory and ever increasing, unquenchable joy will also be ours. Look forward to death and being with Jesus.
A. Closing illustration: Isa 45:9-13, Job 38 from CEV
