Malachi 4:1-6 A Day of Deliverance

Please turn to Malachi 4. This is the last chapter in Malachi and our last sermon.

Last week we considered the distinction that God would make between the righteous and the wicked. On the one hand are the righteous who reverently fear the Lord and who demonstrate their fear by serving and honoring him. On the other hand are the wicked, who do not fear nor honor the Lord. That distinction comes down to whether you know and follow Christ.

And also last week, we touched upon the day of the Lord. That phrase is introduced in chapter 3. It’s described as the day of the Lord’s coming. It’s the day, as chapter 3 says, when God will make up his treasured possession.

Well, this morning’s text continues and expands on that day. It answers the question of what that day is like and how we should prepare for it.

As I read, be thinking about Malachi’s audience. They were in a dicey and unsettling situation in Jerusalem. Despite their situation, some of them feared the Lord… but others rejected him. So, as you hear these words, think about how each group would receive this prophecy.

Reading of Malachi 4:1-6

Prayer

In the summer after graduating high school, I worked at a summer camp. One of my responsibilities involved leading a group of teenagers on a long multi-day canoe trip. We were in northern Wisconsin. One day, after a long journey through the various lakes we decided to set up camp on a small island. We thought it would be fun. And it was until the middle of the night when a massive storm rolled in. We woke up to thunder and lightning and then heavy winds followed by a downpour. On top of that, when the front rolled in, the temperatures dropped about 20 degrees. We were cold and wet and since we were on an island, there was no place to go.

Well, the rain stopped just before dawn. As soon as it started to get light out, we scrambled to get a fire going. But that was difficult given all the rain. Some of the kids were literally shaking because they were so cold. The fire helped some, but it was still breezy and we had limited wood.

But then it happened. The clouds parted, the sun came up, the wind died down. We all just stopped and soaked in the rays. It was like instant warmth. Physically and emotionally… and spiritually. We had been praying for help and within minutes the sun warmed us.

In Malachi 4, the people had been enduring a period of life storms in different ways. They had been enduring a period of darkness. They couldn’t see how the future promises of God would be fulfilled. Yet, they are told that when the day of the Lord comes, the sun of righteousness will rise. That’s spelled s-u-n.

He will come. The promised Messiah will come. And his coming will be like the rising of the sun after a long cold night.

As I mentioned, these verses are centered around the day of the Lord. That day is spoken of multiple times here.

· Look at the first sentence there in verse 1. “For behold, the day is coming.”

· Then the very next sentence in the same verse says the same thing: “the day that is coming…” and it goes on.

· Now jump down to the end of verse 3. It says, “on the day when I act, says the Lord of Hosts.”

· And the last one is there in verse 5. “I will send Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” …or as some translations say, the great and awful day of the Lord.

I mentioned last week that the day described is a day of judgement. Well, that same idea is mentioned in chapter 4 verses 1 and 3. That final judgment will happen when Christ returns. So, there’s definitely a sense in which this day will be fulfilled in our future.

However, the returned exiles are told that Elijah the prophet will come before that great day. That prophecy has been fulfilled in John the Baptist. We considered a similar prophecy earlier in chapter 3. In other words, there’s also a sense that Jesus first coming (you know, his first advent) fulfilled this prophecy about the day of the Lord. John Calvin held that view, and it makes sense considering the reference to Elijah.

I think the best understanding is to consider that the “day of the Lord” began at Jesus first advent and will come to completion at his second advent. In other words, for us, there’s both a “now” and “not yet” to this “day of the Lord.”

In the apostle Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he quotes the prophet Joel’s prophecy about the day of the Lord. And he indicates that it is being fulfilled. Other New Testament texts speak of the last days that we are in, which will come to a final completion when Christ returns. So, the day has come, and it will come.

However, from the perspective of the people in the Old Testament, it appeared to them be one event.

Think about it this way. It’s kind of like driving through a mountain range. This last May we were driving through the Rocky Mountains. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know that the mountains are massive. Sometimes, though, you’ll see an especially large mountain, but as you drive past it, you realize that, oh no, that was not one mountain, it was actually two mountains. It just looked like one mountain from a distance.

The “Day of the Lord” prophecy is like that. To God’s people in the Old Testament, it looked like one event. Yet for us, who live after Jesus first coming (and who have the New Testament) we realize that the prophecy both has been fulfilled and it will be fulfilled.

We are living in that day now with all the benefits and blessings of Jesus first coming, but with anticipation of his second coming. And when he comes again, the full judgment and mercy of God will be fulfilled.

But the people in Jerusalem just needed to know that the Messiah was coming. And when he came, it would be the day of the Lord.

And the Lord tells them through Malachi, what that day will be like and how to prepare for it. It’s the same application for us. The difference is that for them it was entirely a future reality that they needed to prepare for. For us it’s both a present and future reality, but with the same call to prepare.

So, let’s dive in answer those two questions. What is the day of the Lord like? And, how should we live in it and prepare for it?

By the way, you’ll see an outline there in the bulletin. 2 points going along with those two questions.

1. The Day of the Lord: Beholding its Light

2. The Day of the Lord: Living in its Light

So, beholding and living in the day of the Lord.

1. The Day of the Lord: Beholding its Light

By the way, I’m using the word “beholding” because twice in this text, they are told to “behold!” Verses 1 and 5. We saw the same word back in chapter 3 verse 1. Behold! The day is coming. Wake up. Be ready! God will fulfill his promise.

It’s like what the angels said to the shepherds in Luke 2. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Behold.

And what will that day be like? Well, we’re given a picture.

By the way, did you notice all the imagery in these verses? Oven, fire, stubble, branch, root, sun, wings, a calf, ashes, and feet. It is a picture of what the day will be like. They needed to know.

And the first thing they needed to know, which is a continuation from chapter 3, is that it will be a day of judgment. It will be like an oven. The wicked will be like stubble burned in a fire. Have you ever taken pine straw or wood shavings and thrown them into a fire? It sparks up and bursts into a flame. The wicked are described as being set ablaze. Their branches AND roots will be burned. And in verse 3, they will be trampled underfoot.

And remember, the Lord had been speaking to Israel. Malachi was prophesying to the people who had returned from Babylon to Judah and Jerusalem. Many of them fell into the category of wickedness. They didn’t fear the Lord. Their words and actions displayed a lack of faith. Even though they were counted among God’s people, they didn’t return to him.

What I am saying is that as much as these verses are an encouragement to the people who feared the Lord, they are also a graphic warning to those who do not know nor fear him.

Return to me or on that day, you shall be ashes trod underfoot by the righteous.

It will be a day when the Lord “acts.” Verse 3. From their perspective, there had been a lot of in-action by the Lord. But that will all change when the day of the Lord comes. But beware, because that action will in part be action against the wicked.

So that’s the warning… but there are also some very encouraging aspects to the coming day. As I already mentioned, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.

For us, that feels like a strange mixing of metaphors. The sun and wings. But the best understanding of this is how the sun would be painted. Picture the sun like a yellow platter with squiggly lines radiating from the platter. Well, those squiggly lines that someone would draw were called the sun’s wings. It’s the rays of the sun beaming down on the people. And those rays heal.

The people back then knew this by experience. And we know this by the sun’s healing properties. We don’t just receive warmth, but our bodies produce vitamin D from the sun light. That boosts our immune system. Being in the sun also lifts our mood. And when we are in the sun for a little bit every day, we even sleep better at night.

What this is saying is that God’s righteousness will be like the sun! God will shine his holiness and his goodness and his truth upon us on the day of the Lord.

And all of that has been and will be fulfi...