Jewels Among Stout Thorns
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
1/20/2013 PM
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Text:
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Malachi 3:13-18
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Psalters: |
171, 402, 209, 91 |
- The thorns.
- The people, in general, are still unchanged spiritually.
- This book speaks of an on-going exchange between the prophet of God and the people.
- Our text contains the last of seven questions the church raises to challenge God’s charges of sin.
- The words of church as a whole were “stout,” i.e., strong, hard, resolute.
- They had spoken strongly against God before, but now it comes out even more forcefully.
- They bring two charges against God and His just ways of working.
- They assumed (wrongly) that grace is in things.
- This was the highest insult (“stout words”) they could speak against God, resulting in God’s severe judgment on them.
- In reality they presented spiritual empty acts of service which were without the needed ingredient of humility.
- But God’s words through Malachi do bear positive fruit (16,17).
- There is always a remnant, as Noah, the judges, the 7,000 of Elijah’s day.
- “A book of remembrance was written.”
- It records names and deeds so they can be remembered.
- “Written before him,” i.e, before God: by His direction so that He will remember them and their deeds.
- This was to keep an accurate account of their repentance and of their real observance of God’s commandments.
- That they “spake often one to another” was the remarkable achievements which were recorded.
- And recorded what they spoke about: that “they feared Jehovah” and “thought upon His name.”
- This shows how remarkable in God’s eyes is such reverent talking about Jehovah.
- God keeps a record, for His will give a response in the judgment day of both the righteous and the wicked.
- Then God will reveal what He always knows, viz, the difference between the righteous (serving) and the wicked.
- In that day God will punish the wicked who did not serve Him.
- Positively, His book was written before Him “for them,” i.e., it shall be shown that they are His jewels.