Malachi 3:1-4
Behold Me – Sending My Messenger
(Typed 16 September 2024) On the day I typed this sermon, I was both preparing a sermon and also a memorial service for Berk Carico. He was so anxious for the Lord’s return that he would get giddy talking about it. He loved to share the word with others, and he reveled over every nuance.
When listening to sermons or Bible studies, there were times when he would suddenly erupt about something in the word, excitedly calling out a meaningful connection to another passage or a clarification of what a particular verse was saying.
When songs were sung, after ending, he would call out the background information about the author or what the author was thinking when the song was written. There was never a time the word wasn’t running through his mind.
Just a few days before the memorial service, his son Paul called and said he found a piece of paper with instructions concerning the service. Berk said he wanted me to perform it, that he didn’t want any fanfare, and that he wanted his life summed up with a single verse from Romans –
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11
Berk was waiting for the Lord, patiently waiting for the one who would come and raise him to eternal life. That day lies ahead for all of us, but are we as antsy as he was?
Text Verse: “And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.” Job 1:4, 5
Job was performing a priestly function by sacrificing for his family. This was how it was done in ancient days. The head of the house was the one to minister before the Lord. We can infer this began with Adam when reading the story of Cain and Abel.
We can also infer that it continued through Noah’s day as well as those after him. The tradition was not lost at the time of Job. But as with all things, if there is not a set procedure, those things will eventually fall into a state not intended by God.
Societies around the world continued to appoint priests. In Canaan, Melchizedek was a priest to God, mediating on behalf of others. In the Mayan culture, they had priests. But their sacrifices were such an abomination that it is hard to describe the wickedness of what they did.
Human sacrifice was on full display, and the blood of their people and their enemies ran like rivers off of their altars. In the New Testament, as I will explain later, ministering the gospel is a priestly service.
Berk was a great expositor of the word and he loved to tell others about it. He would rejoice with every gospel presentation after each sermon. This was important to him. Now, he rests awaiting the promise for his efforts. Rest well, Berk. The Lord is coming.
Remarkable wonders, such as sharing the gospel, are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. The Lord Whom You Seek (verse 1)
Malachi 2 ended with these words –
Gasped, Yehovah in your words
And said, “In what gasped?”
In your saying, “All doing evil good in eye Yehovah.
And in them He inclined.”
Or, “Where God the verdict?” Malachi 2:17
The Lord will now answer the question of where the God of the verdict is – “Don’t fret, guys, He is coming.”
“Behold, I send My messenger,
hini sholeakh malakhi – “Behold Me – Sending My messenger.” In Malachi 2:7, it said –
“For lips priest guard knowledge,
And law seek from His mouth.
For messenger Yehovah Sabaoth – he.” Malachi 2:7
The priests were the messengers of the Lord to the people. They were to bear the word of God and relay it to the people in a proper manner. Thus, this doesn’t mean a messenger who simply receives prophecies from the Lord. Many non-Levites received a word from the Lord.
Rather, the onus was on the priests to ensure that the word was rightly handled and carefully transmitted to the people. As such one would expect that the person who is being referred to would be of the priestly class. It is a particular messenger sent under the full authority of God to relay a message to the people.
In the words, a pun is set forth based on the name of the prophet Malachi with the words malakhi, My messenger, which is identical in Hebrew. Even though the Lord had been sending His messengers, since Aaron, they had failed to uphold the covenant.
However, the context tells the hearer that a particular messenger of the Lord is promised at some point. This is not a messenger, as in any given priest, but His messenger. A particular individual is singled out as the one who would come.
The verb is a participle, sending. It is a simple action in an active voice. The sending could mean at any given point, but because the priest was the messenger of the Lord, it would be assumed that the One mentioned in this verse would be as well. Keil disputes this, saying –
“It is true that in Malachi 2:7 the priest is also called a messenger of Jehovah; but the expression הנני שׁלח (behold I send) prevents our understanding the term maleâkh as referring to the priests, or even as including them, inasmuch as ‘sending’ would not apply to the priests as the standing mediators between the Lord and His people. Moreover, it was because the priests did not fulfil their duty as the ordinary ambassadors of God that the Lord was about to send an extraordinary messenger.”
But that is an unnecessary stretch. That would be like saying, “Because all men failed to fully observe the law, God was going to send a non-human to fulfill the law.” Rather, he sent a human male of the priestly class. Changing categories mid-stream would change the entire dynamic of what God had set up in the institution of the Levitical priesthood.
This is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done with Jesus by saying He is the Archangel Michael. He may have come as a man, but His manhood would be a mode of existence, not his very nature. Rather, His messenger would be one of the messengers of Malachi 2:7, a priest –
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Luke 1:5
John the Baptist was of the priestly line. As such, in this aspect, which is clearly defined in Scripture, he perfectly fit the qualifications set forth by Malachi based on his words to the priests. John was an appointed messenger of the Lord because of his ancestry.
Therefore, there was no change in the dynamics of what was presented. God ensured that His word over four hundred years later would be exactingly fulfilled as expected.
1 (con’t) And he will prepare the way before Me.
u-pinah derekh l’phanai – “And turned way to My faces.” The words are a reference to Isaiah 40:3: panu derekh Yehovah – “Prepare way Yehovah.” The context is –
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3
This is considered a messianic verse by pretty much everyone. As such, there was the expectation that this one was a person who would herald the coming of the Messiah. Looking back on the words, we have a full sense of what was going on, but at the time, it was somewhat of a mystery.
The words “turned way” or “prepare the way” are borrowed from Isaiah, such as –
“And one shall say,
‘Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare [panah] the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.’” Isaiah 57:14
“Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare [panah] the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.” Isaiah 62:10, 11
The preparation of the way signifies the removal of stumbling blocks, idolatry, immorality, etc. The sin of the people would be addressed in order to prepare a people for the coming of Yehovah.
And yet, the way was to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah, even though this one was coming to prepare the way for Yehovah. Now we know what was unclear to the people then, that the Messiah is Yehovah, God incarnate, in the Person of Jesus…
1 (con’t) And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
The NKJV reverses the clauses, destroying the emphatic nature of the proclamation: uphithom yavo el hekhalo ha’adon asher atem m’baqshim –
“And instantly comes unto His temple,
The Lord, whom you seek.”
The words have gone from the first person, before Me, to the third person, the Lord whom you seek. It is an emphatic way of ensuring that all are to understand the coming One is, in fact, Yehovah. This is fully supported by the word hekhalo, His temple.
Solomon may have made a temple, Zerubbabel may have built a temple, and Herod may have expanded Zerubbabel’s greatly, but the temple is the House of Yehovah.
As for the words, “And instantly comes unto His temple,” some scholars claim that this is not in His first coming but in His second. That is incorrect. His second coming will be for the rescue of Israel and the establishment of His kingdom.
It was in His first coming that judgment upon Israel was highlighted. The words are referring to the narrative of Luke 2 –
“Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.’” Luke 2:22-32
Jesus, on the day of Mary’s purification, was taken immediately to the temple, His temple, to be presented before Yehovah. The One they were seeking, the “God of the verdict” whom the priests mockingly inquired about in Malachi 2:17, was brought before the priests in the humbled state of a helpless babe. Nothing could be more ironic than that to answer their arrogant question.
In the words, another confirmation of the deity of Christ is found. The word ha’adon, the Lord, is one only used in reference to Yehovah. This is consistent in all of its uses where the name Yehovah is affixed to it. For example –
“For behold, the Lord [ha’adon], the Lord of hosts,
Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah
The stock and the store,
The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water.” Isaiah 3:1
There are no exceptions to this. Thus, the One who will come, from a proper scriptural perspective, must be Yehovah incarnate. Taken together with the thought that it is His temple and He is the God of the verdict whom they seek, the words cry out that this will be their God, Yehovah…
1 (con’t) Even the Messenger of the covenant,
The words are set in parallel to the words, “The Lord, whom you seek.”: u-malakh ha’berith – “And Messenger the covenant.” This is a title found nowhere else in Scripture and it therefore begs the question, “Which covenant?” Abraham was given one. Others such as David (even if it his not explicitly called a covenant at the time) were given covenants. Lange does a great job explaining this –
“From a very early period we find mention of an extraordinary Messenger, or Angel, who is sometimes called the Angel of God, at others, the Angel of Jehovah. He is represented as the Mediator between the invisible God and men in all God’s communications and dealings with men. To this Angel divine names, attributes, purposes, and acts are ascribed. He occasionally assumed a human form, as in his interviews with Hagar, Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon, Manoah, and his wife. He went before the camp of Israel on the night of the Exodus. In Exodus 23:20, Jehovah said, “Behold, I send an angel before thee to bring thee into the place, which I have prepared. My name is in him.” In Isaiah 63:9 he is called the Angel of his Presence, or face, where there is a reference to Ex. 33:14, 15, where Jehovah said to Moses, ‘My presence (or Hebrew, My face) shall go with thee, and Moses said, If thy face go not with us, carry us not up hence.’ He is called the face of God, because though no man can see his face and live, yet the Angel of his face is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. In him Jehovah’s presence is manifested, and his glory reflected, for the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ. There is thus a gradual development in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the incarnation, of the distinction of persons in the Godhead, not brought to light fully, lest it should interfere with the doctrine of the unity of God.”
He is right. The angel of the covenant is not merely speaking of the Mosaic Covenant but of the covenant in a general sense. Any covenant with God is its own covenant and is thus a part of “the covenant.” This is the reason why Jesus was not blaspheming when He said these words in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31 –
“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” Luke 22:20
Because this coming One is called My Messenger, the Messenger of the Covenant, and yet He is called “the Lord whom you seek,” Keil rightly says, “This identity does not indeed exclude a distinction of person; but it does exclude a difference between the two.” It is a subtle but marvelous hint at the doctrine of the Trinity.
Understanding these things, the Lord, seemingly mockingly, says…
1 (con’t) In whom you delight.
asher atem khaphetsim – “Whom you – delighted.” The word khaphets is an adjective, even though almost all translations incorrectly render it a verb. One can almost hear the taunting tone. If you are so delighted in the God of the verdict, get ready.
The Lord is going to totally upend their way of life, their faulty traditions, their mockery of His name, and their shunning of the responsibilities laid upon them. This will become perfectly evident in the gospels where the priests will be some of the primary ones to speak a word of condemnation against Him. They ask for the God of the verdict, and guess what?…
1 (con’t) Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
hineh va amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –
“‘Behold! Coming!’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
The words should not be taken as “Great and wonderful things lie ahead,” but more as, “Beware! You don’t realize what you are asking for because your hearts are wicked and your ways are an abomination.”
Instead of learning their lesson, the priests continued to reject the glory of the Lord as well as their responsibilities to the people. This is perfectly evidenced in the life of Caiaphas the high priest at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. If he was representative of most priests, woe to those of the priesthood.
Thus, when it says, “Said Yehovah Sabaoth,” these priests should quickly turn from their ways and humble themselves. He is coming…
The Lord whom you seek
Do you really seek Him?
He is coming, humble and meek
But for you, His coming may be grim
Before He comes, one will be sent first
To prepare the way for the Lord’s coming
In My word, he will be well-versed
And at his words, anticipation is drumming
And then, My Chosen One
Unto His temple, He shall come
The time for something new will have begun
He will refine the priests, even removing some
In Him do you really delight?
Are you sure you are ready for His coming?
He will do His work, making all things right
Can’t you already hear the drummers drumming?
II. Refined According to Gold (verses 2-4)
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?
The question is rhetorical, demanding a negative response: u-mi m’khakel eth yom bo’o – “And who contains day His coming?”
The word kul means to keep in and thus, contain. When a basin holds twenty gallons, it contains that much. Beyond that, it will overflow. Solomon asked –
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain [kul] You. How much less this temple which I have built!” 1 Kings 8:27
Thus, when the Lord, through Malachi, says, “And who contains day His coming?” it means, “Who can stop it from coming.” You asked for the God of the verdict, but you don’t really want Him to come. You want to keep living in your aberrant ways. But you cannot stop His arrival. At that time, all things will change…
2 (con’t) And who can stand when He appears?
umi ha’omed b’heraotho – “And who the standing in His appearing?” Though some think the answer also demands a negative response, this is not necessarily so. It is, however, a question that demands one’s consideration before attempting to stand.
This is the Lord appearing among the priests of Israel to answer their question, “Where is the God of the verdict?” If they think He is coming to pat them on the back and exalt them for their ways, they should reconsider well. At first, it appeared that few or none of them did. However, in Acts, we read –
“Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7
God was not looking to applaud them, He was looking for the same thing He has always looked for in men: faith. These priests believed, meaning they were obedient to the faith. They are those who could stand at His appearing. This is good for them, because Malachi next proclaims in parallel clauses…
2 (con’t) For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
ki hu k’esh m’tsareph ukvorith m’khabsim –
“For He according to fire – smelting.
And according to alkali – washing.”
The picture of fire melting imperfect metals is used quite often in Scripture. The metal is heated until it melts. It continues to be heated until the impurities either burn off or rise to the top and are removed as slag. The process thus purifies the metals, perfecting their purity –
“The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6
As for the word borith, alkali, it is found only here and in Jeremiah 2:22. It is derived from bor, vegetable lye, such as potash. This bor is used for cleansing hands (Job 22:30). It is also used figuratively as a flux for purifying metals (Isaiah 1:25). In Jeremiah 2:22, borith is used on the whole body. In this verse, the words are referring to the cleansing and purifying of the priests from the defilement of sin. As it next says…
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
The first verb is in the perfect aspect: v’yashav m’tsaraph umtaher keseph – “And sat, smelting and purifying silver.” In the previous verse, the Messenger was equated to the fire, “according to fire – smelting.” Now He is the One who is the smelter and purifier.
The image is of the Messenger having sat upon a throne. He is equated to a Judge or, more likely, a King. His subjects come before Him for judgment. There, He will sit and burn out their impurities. It is similar to what we are told concerning Christ and those in His church –
“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
In this capacity…
3 (con’t) He will purify the sons of Levi,
v’tihar eth b’ne levi – Again, the verb is in the perfect aspect: “And purified sons Levi.” In His sitting, He has accomplished His purification of the priests. This speaks not only of removing those who are unacceptable but purifying those who believe, such as those in Acts 6 noted previously.
This brings back the haunting memory of what occurred at the Babylonian exile –
“Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.” Ezekiel 9:6
Judgment begins at the house of the Lord. This was the case when Jesus came, presented Himself, and then departed. In their rejection of Him, the sons of Levi, meaning the priests first and then all the Levites, would be marked for termination (as a means of purification) or for purification of the person. There will be dross, and there will be those who are purified from the process…
3 (con’t) And purge them as gold and silver,
The translation is lacking and so the intent comes out wrong. And, once again, the perfect aspect is used. It is done in the mind of the Lord: v’ziqaq otham kazahav v’khakasef –
“And refined them according to the gold,
And according to the silver.”
The NKJV focuses on the process, “purge them as.” But the words focus on the result, “according to the gold… the silver.” When gold and silver are refined, the result is purity. This is what is highlighted. No more bad priests, and no more good priests who will occasionally stray. The result will be only priests of perfect righteousness…
3 (con’t) That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
And again, the first verb is in the perfect aspect: v’hayu laY’hovah magishe minkhah bitsdaqah –
“And became to Yehovah –
Approaching present in righteousness.”
With the purifying process complete, these purified sons of Levi are then acceptable to appropriately perform their duties (and became). With that, their state will be “Approaching present (minkhah: an offering (present) to the Lord) in righteousness.”
This is a total rebuke to the intended audience. Chapter 1 spoke of the unacceptable offerings to the Lord – blind and lame, etc. Chapter 2 spoke of the conduct of the priests – mistreating the law, mistreating their wives, etc.
He is directly telling the Levites that they, and those who will later follow after them, will be purged from His sight. What they are offering is an abomination because it lacks faith. Once the purification is complete what the remaining priests will offer will be acceptable because it is done in faith. As such, it will be offered in righteousness. Again, it takes us right back to Genesis 4, as is explained in Hebrews 11 –
“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” Genesis 4:3-5
“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” Hebrews 11:4
Innumerable commentaries have been written by Jews, arrogantly claiming that they were a part of the good line descending from Adam, while the line of Cain was despicable. And yet, if they simply considered the words of the Lord to their conduct, they would see the divine finger pointing right at them, “O you sons of Cain.”
The genealogy of a person is not what makes them acceptable to God. Nor is the culture, society, or status. Rather, it is faithfulness to the Lord by accepting His word that pleases Him. When the purification of Levi is accomplished…
4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,
The perfect aspect continues: v’arvah la’Y’hovah minkhath y’hudah virushalim – “And sweetened, to Yehovah, present Judah and Jerusalem.” What this is saying is that until the priests are made acceptable, the offerings (minkhah: present) of the inhabitants are not acceptable.
However, once they are made acceptable, the offerings of the nation will also be acceptable. The tricky part about this, however, is to understand that this will only occur through the acceptance of the New Covenant. This is set forth in Jeremiah and is fully treated in Hebrews –
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.” Hebrews 7:11-13
As such, the words of Isaiah 66 find their full sense –
“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.’” Isaiah 66:18-21
Those who enter the new covenant will not need to be in the line of Levi to perform the priestly functions before the altar. But more, the words find a greater fulfillment than just Jews from other tribes. Paul says this in Romans 15 –
“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering [hierourgeó] the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:14-16
The word hierourgeó comes from hieron, temple, and ergon, work. As such, it is a worker at the temple and thus, a priest. Paul was of Benjamin, and yet he says that he is performing a priestly service. As the service is temple work concerning the gospel of God, then it seems to logically follow that anyone who comes after him in the same work of sharing the gospel would be doing the same thing.
Paul’s work set the baseline for the Gentiles to serve, but those who follow after him, Jew or Gentile are performing the same service when they take what Paul says and convey it to others. Though the term is not used in this sense beyond Paul, it is hard to see how this could not be the case.
Thus, it appears this is exactly what Isaiah is referring to, even though he is speaking of a later dispensation when Christ will reign in Jerusalem.
*4 (fin) As in the days of old,
As in former years.
kime olam ukhshanim qadmoniyoth –
“According to days concealed,
And according to years anterior.”
This probably is not specifically referring to the earlier priests under the law of Moses. It would be hard to find a handful who were faithful to the law. There are some, but for the most part, the history of the priesthood was one of apostasy from its inception.
The wording probably actually refers to the priestly class within families, such as Job, as well as known priests of righteousness, such as Melchizedek. They, along with those like Samuel and Jehoiada (2 Kings 12) who served under the Law of Moses, form a select number of priests who faithfully followed the Lord.
These extended back to ancient times and a few in more recent times, but besides them, the priesthood was constantly stained with nothing but apostasy and turning from the Lord.
The verses are complete for today, but they have been filled with details that show the minute attention by God to His word, showing that events distanced by the span of time meld together into a harmonious whole which tell of a great plan set forth all along.
God is in control of time because He created it. Within that stream, our existence is realized for a breath of a moment. Berk Carico was a little child just a heartbeat ago. And yet, he had a full life, filled with honor and care for the word of God.
He ministered to us and to so many others faithfully. He performed a priestly duty in sharing the gospel of God with others. Are we doing likewise? Our day for expiration is set. God already knows it. In this church, we have had heart problems (galore).
Were it not for modern medicine, the seats would be far emptier than they are now. We have had accidents, traumas, near-death experiences, etc. Apparently, God has kept us alive for a reason. Will we seize the grace we have been bestowed and do what is right? Each of us has to decide.
Let us be responsible and determine that our lives will be dedicated, henceforth, to serving this wonderful God who sent His Messenger to purify a people unto Himself. Jesus! All hail the name of Jesus.
Closing Verse: “And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.” … “‘But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,’ says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 44:10 & 15
Next Week: Matthew 4:12-16 What an absolutely heavenly sight… (A Great Light) (2024 Christmas sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.
Malachi 3:1-4
“‘Behold Me – Sending My messenger,
And turned way to My faces
And instantly comes unto His temple,
The Lord, whom you seek,
And Messenger the covenant,
Whom you – delighted.
Behold! Coming!’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
2 “‘And who contains day His coming?
And who the standing in His appearing?
For He according to fire – smelting.
And according to alkali – washing.
3 And sat, smelting and purifying silver,
And purified sons Levi.
And refined them according to the gold,
And according to the silver.
And became to Yehovah –
Approaching present in righteousness.
4 And sweetened, to Yehovah, present Judah and Jerusalem,
According to days concealed,
And according to years anterior.
“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,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
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 launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
