Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of Malachi. If you are joining us for the first time, we are rounding out our sermon series my pastor titled, ‘Summer Shorts,’ where he preached on Haggai and Malachi. Today we look at the sermon notes from Malachi, chapter 4. We have learned so much from these little books already, so Malachi 4 brings our journey in ‘Summer Shorts’ to a close.
Next time we’re together, I will summarize the notes from both books into one blog and give you a summary of life applications from each book.
Yes, folks, the Bible is relevant today. I would even go on a limb and say even more so today than last year. If you have not been paying attention to current events, you need to get up to speed. A lot is happening and happening quickly. I am looking for the Lord to return at any moment.
Back to Malachi, before I get carried away with thoughts about what is happening today, we will look at chapter four since it’s only six verses.
4 [a] “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Let’s dive into the pastor’s notes.
“The day of the Lord will be the answer to all these questions concerning all that is happening around us between the justice and judgment of God that we rest in and should be resting in.
The fiery furnace will be blazing for those not covered by God’s grace. There will not be a root or branch, so we know this will burn deep and be an all-consuming fire for those who are apart from God.
It will be a separation of the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats, and the unrighteous from the righteous.
The righteous will find healing and unbridled joy on the day of the Lord. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
And when we look at verse 2, and we see well-fed calves, the visual is that of calves that are frolicking around after being well-fed. They are joyful. Scripture says we will be joyful, dancing, and frolicking around like well-fed calves when the Lord comes. We liken it to the visual of giving your teenager too much sugar, the greatest Superbowl celebration, the loudest and longest World Series parade – whatever causes you immense earthly joy will not compare to what is coming on the day of the Lord to those who belong to him.
There is a celebration that is coming in the day of the Lord under the direction of God for those committed to their covenant with him because of the righteousness that we find underneath the wings of Jesus Christ.
We will find healing in the day of the Lord.
We will find unhindered and unbridled joy in the day of the Lord.
Malachi closes the chapter and the Old Testament, and we must consider the following:
These are the last words from God to the nation of Israelites, the remnant that returned to the holy lands, rebuilt the walls, and the temple in Jerusalem, and re-established the nation. They had fallen away from God and had gone on to live separate lives apart from God. And now there is a remnant rededicating their lives to God.
It would be 400 years before they began to see the prophecies fulfilled that they had heard so much about.
The visual of Elijah in verse 5 is fulfilled in John the Baptist and confirmed in Jesus Christ himself.
Four hundred years of waiting, watching, living, and dying, and not knowing when and how the promises of God would all play out in their lives.
Malachi charges them with this:
Remember the words of God, the promises of God, and the covenants of God.
Dig into God’s promises and keep watch for the day of the Lord. Keep an eye on what is to come because our hearts will be judged according to God’s righteousness and man’s unrighteousness. So we better be ready.
The Old Testament’s beauty is always pointing us to Jesus! And Jesus is always fulfilling all those things that happened in the Old Testament, the promises and covenants that came from God.
Jesus, the son of God, with rays of righteousness, came to this earth and died on the cross for our sins to be our perfect, and once and for all sacrifice, a non-blemished lamb. A perfect offering is given to us from God so that we might be able to stand firm on the day of the Lord. We have a chance to walk in righteousness.
Yes, the cross killed Jesus, but the grave couldn’t hold him. His resurrection says that we can be forever under the wings of his grace.
That’s excellent news, my friend!
Thanks, Pastor Joel, for an awesome sermon series and for bringing the word of God to us today.
Join me next time as we sum up our Summer Shorts series.
Blessings,
Sermon Snippets From Malachi Chapter 3
Sermon Snippets From The Book Of Malachi – Chap 2
Sermon Snippets From The Book Of Malachi 1
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