Malachi Lesson 10 - Fairhaven Baptist Church

Minor Prophets

Malachi

Lesson 10

Malachi 4:1-4

Intro: This is the last chapter of the Old Testament, the last of the minor prophets. However the theme of it is a theme we have seen many times through the Minor Prophets, The Day of the Lord. The day of judgment to all sin.

The Great Day of God, 4:1-4
1. The Day of Judgment,
  1. For the Sinners,
    1. there is a twofold purpose for fire, we have discussed both of them throughout this study,
      - first is the consuming fire, it is will burn up all dross, chaff, Stubble,or other impurities
        
        the stubble was the part of wheat that was the throwaway.
      - the second is the refining fire,
        
        I learned the other day, as I was watching Roy Underhill, the woodwright. He was at the blacksmiths shop to make some bench dogs. And the blacksmith explained how he had to be careful because the fire was hotter than the melting point of the metal, and it would burn up if he didn’t watch it.
        
        So the refining wasn’t to destroy, but to make pure, strong, able to preform the task.
        
        And isn’t this exactly what the writer of Hebrews said?
        
        Hebrews 12:6-11 “ For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
        
        John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:11&12 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
        
        The fan was used to remove the chaff, the harvest of wheat was throne into the air, and the fanners would fan it and the lighter chaff would be blown away, leaving only the wheat. This is essentially how a combine works today.
    2. Judgment is coming,
      - it may not seem like it here and now, but it is coming.
        
        We see wicked prosper here on earth, but on that day, the Lord will judge
    3. think about the finality of it, Verse one says that neither branch or root will be left,
      - if we look at pictures of a forest fire, we will see a portion of the trees, they may be scourched, but there are often still a branch or a trunk still standing. And often the burnt tree can even survive,new shoots will come out.
      - But this is not the case for the day of judgment, the trunk or branch will be totally destroyed, not only it, but the root as well. Have you ever tried to burn a root out? In is nearly impossible, but the Lord will.
    4. Revelation 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
      - notice vs.15. The one piece of evidence that determines if a person goes to the lake of fire or not, the book of life.
        
        Is the name found in the book of life or not?
      - The book of life contains the names of those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus.
        
        The Great white throne judgment is not the only judgment in the bible tho,
  2. Judgment for the saints,
    1. Now I want to make it clear that the sins of saints were paid for on the cross of Calvary by the blood of Jesus,
    2. and we are not talking about salvation during this judgment, it is speaking of rewards.
    3. Romans 14:10-12 “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
      - notice a couple things about this passage: is speaks of both “brothers” and “we”
        
        this is the judgment of Christ to the saved, not of sin, but of our works, giving account for our lives.
        
        II Corinthians 5:10 tells us we will all stand to give account for the good or evil we have done. And we will receive our just reward.
        
        See Also I Corinthians 9:4-27
      - We will receive or loose rewards for what we have done, and how we have lived.
    4. But Malachi, goes on to say, those who “Fear” reverence His name,
      - the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings,
        
        the Messiah was often described as a rising sun, Isaiah 60:1; II Samuel 23:4; Habakkuk 3:4; Luke 1:78&79.
  3. A Promise of Restoration,
    1. rising with healing in His wings,
      - the Nation was under great distress, they have been captive for 70 years.
      - They had seen their family separated, their land taken, their temple destroyed, and their Walled cities broken down.
      - They were in the process of rebuilding, but that didn’t mean all was well.
        
        There was small battles to take place, political red tape to wade through, and a confused and apathetic people to deal with.
    2. But God is promising that there would be a day of Restoration, and when it happens:
      - they will grow like calves in a stall, protected and nurtured, growing fat and strong.
      - They will overpower the enemy, tread them down.
        
        They will be as ashes beneath your feet. Ashes were like a fine powder, not rocks, not debris, but a powder, easy treading.
    3. And who is responsible for this? “I Shall DO This” Vs.3
      - as always, it is God, not the power or ability of the people.
  4. Remember the Law,
    1. what was the purpose of the law?
      - Galatians 3: 22-26 “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
      - if they had remembered the law, they would have known Jesus when He came.