I Will Send My Messenger
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
10/7/2012 PM
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Text:
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Malachi 2:17-3:6
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Psalters: |
245, 107, 274, 212 |
- God’s motive for sending His messenger.
- God responds with the gospel of His grace concerning Christ’s coming (“my messenger”).
- It is the coming of God’s Messenger which delivers Israel from their sins and provides redemption and cleansing.
- It is emphasized that this messenger reveals God as the God of judgment.
- It is God’s immutability which assures the believers who see their sins as that which would condemn them.
- Though Judah thought God had changed because they were not enjoying “blessings,” but He would save them.
- He is not slack concerning His promise so the day of the Lord will come for us too.
- The messenger.
- The messenger of the covenant whom God is sending is the Messiah, but also John the Baptist.
- Scripture looks at John, the forerunner, as a real part of the messenger (cf. Mt. 11:10; Mk. 1:2).
- John, like Malachi, bears the same name and office as Christ.
- Further descriptions of God’s messenger.
- The Messenger is identified as the “Lord whom ye seek,” i.e., the God of judgment (2:17).
- He will “come to His temple,” i.e., the church (John 2:19).
- He fulfilled all God’s promises and who would bring God’s people into the full enjoyment of their covenant relationship.
- The messenger’s work.
- Christ’s work is to cleanse and purify His people (2b,3a).
- The objects of this cleansing are “the sons of Levi;” a name for God’s people in the priesthood of all believers.
- Jesus’ suffering and death removes all our guilt and legally purifies us; then He sanctifies us by His Spirit
- Jesus comes near to judgment and as a swift witness (5).
- The sins He judges are sins not previously mentioned in Malachi, but which were widespread.
- The result of the messenger purifying the sons of Levi is that they now bring “an offering in righteousness” (3b).
- All of God’s people are a “holy priesthood” who “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God” (I P.2:5).
- Such is “in righteousness” because it is acceptable to God, for His grace bears such fruit in us.