The Messenger of the Covenant

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