Tag: Malachi 4:1-3
The Refiner’s Fire
Scripture reading for October 3: Malachi 1-4
Malachi was the last voice of a prophet in the era of the Old Covenant. After him, God was silent for 400 years until John the Baptist came on the scene. Malachi was like a street preacher of his day. He would go out where the people were and ask questions of them. He loved to pose questions and then answer them. With this style he sought to provoke God’s people to repent and do what God had commanded.
There were several issues that Malachi hit hard in his preaching. One concerned the priests who were sacrificing blind, crippled and diseased animals. God is holy and demands pure sacrifices but His priests were dishonoring Him. (Malachi 1:6-14) God is a great King Who is worthy of our best!
The priests were breaking their covenant vows with their wives and also with God. They were sacrificing to God on the Sabbath, but then going up to idol temples, sacrificing to idol gods and having sex with the temple prostitutes. God was watching and angry! He warned them through Malachi that this practice would defile them and sow violence and divorce into their homes. (Malachi 2: 11-16) This dishonored God and broke their vows, hindering the development of godly offspring through covenant marriage.
The law of God strictly forbids stealing but His people were stealing from God. They were not giving God their tithes, bringing them under a curse. The devourer was eating their crops and taking away their sustenance. (Malachi 3:8-12) The remedy was simple–return to God by bringing Him His tithe! God told them that they could test Him in this, the only place in Scripture where testing God was allowed! God promised to open the windows of heaven for those who honor Him with the tithe!
God warned that He would send His messenger of the covenant to His temple like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap, purifying the Levites. This process would bring about righteous obedience in the offerings and personal behavior. God was going to be quick to testify against those involved in sins of adultery, perjury, sorcery, and oppression of orphans and widows! (Malachi 3:1-8) This fire would reduce those who opposed the Lord to ashes but the righteous would go free! (Malachi 4:1-3)
Malachi had a message that still rings true today for us. Jesus is coming with fire this next time. Those who believe in Him will have their works tested by fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Those who oppose Him will be defeated by fire and eternally judged by fire! Let us return to the Lord before time runs out!
Judgment fails to bring repentance!
Scripture reading for December 13: Malachi, Psalm 2, Revelation 9
Revelation 9: 18-21 “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or thei sexual immorality or their thefts.”
It is a terrifying thing just to read John’s account of these angels blowing their trumpets and the judgments released on the earth that caused the death and destruction of a third of mankind. But is it even more terrifying to be told that those still alive after these plagues and judgments refused to repent. They still clung to their evil and rebellious way of life and chose to follow demons and gods of their own making that allowed them to do as they wanted. It has been said that sin is a form of insanity that takes us further than we want to go and exacts a price higher than we want to pay and keeps us longer than we want to stay. This is amplified during the great tribulation.
Psalm 2:10-12 “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for warning us by Your unchanging Word of the dangers awaiting those who are proud and arrogant and refuse to repent. No one will have an excuse on the day of judgment for You have shown us all mercy by warning us through the prophets and Your disciples. Use me today to share the warning and call all to ‘kiss the Son’ before the day of His holy wrath.
Malachi 4:1-3 “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. 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. 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.”
The Invitation: “Come!”
Scripture reading for December 31st: Malachi 1-4 and Revelation 22
Key Scriptures: Revelation 22:17-20 “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come Lord Jesus!”
Jesus Christ ends the Revelation given to John with three “I am coming soon!” declarations. The Holy Spirit and the Bride(Christ’s Church) all are calling out to all men to “Come!” The message is simple. It must not be added to or taken away from! Old and New Testaments agree!
Malachi 4:1-3 “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. But for you who fear My Name, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 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.”
Prayer: Lord, I long for Your coming. Thank You that it will be soon! Help me to offer the invitation to all You send me to. Amen.