The Messenger of the Covenant
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
12/2/2018 PM
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Text:
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Malachi 3:1-6
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Psalters: |
245, 233, 257, 212 |
- The messenger.
- The priests were in the office of “the messenger(s) of the LORD of hosts” (2:7), but failed miserably (2:8), so God sends His.
- Note that the messenger of the covenant whom God is sending is both the Messiah and John the Baptist (blended together).
- The text gives further descriptions of God’s messenger.
- The Messenger is identified as the “Lord whom ye seek” (3:1) i.e., the God of judgment (2:17).
- He will “come to His temple,” i.e., the church to whom and for whom He would come to redeem and deliver (John 2:19).
- He is the messenger of the covenant because He is Immanuel, God with us, the covenant personified.
- And the Messenger comes as a swift witness (5).
- The work of the Messenger.
- Christ’s work is to cleanse and purify His people (2b,3a).
- The sins He covers: some already mentioned (1:6,7; 2:9,14) and others.
- It is God’s immutability which assures the believers who see their sins that He would not condemn them (6).
- Judah thought God had changed because they were not enjoying “blessings,” but He has not changed.
- That they were not consumed is only because God is faithful to His promise to send His Messenger of the covenant.
- The result of the Messenger coming is that the purified and cleansed sons of Levi bring “an offering in righteousness” (3b)
- There was some purifying of the priesthood of that day under Ezra and Nehemiah.
- In this dispensation all of God’s people are a “holy priesthood” who “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God” (I P. 2:5).
- These sacrifices are “in righteousness” because they are acceptable to God, for His grace bears such fruit in us.