OUR FATHER SENT THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO RISE WITH HEALING IN HIS WINGS

The book of Malachi chapter 4 contains the astonishing finale of the whole book of Malachi and it reads this way;

1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.

2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.

4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

This final passge of the book of Malachi foretells of a day burning like an oven will arrive and all those who are arrogant and hypocritatically wicked in the land will be scorched by the fire.

However, those who retain their fear of God will encounter the ˋSun of Righteousnessˋ  who will appear among them doing miraculou healings and they shall grow fat off the words that He teaches them. And these shall trample the wicked under their feet.

In preparation for this day, the Lord will send Elijah the prophet to remind the people of the laws that Moses received at Mout Horeb. In response to Elijahˋs minstry, the hearst of the fathers will turn towards the children and hearts of the children  towards their fathers.  And if this response does not occur, the whole earth will be written-off and struck with a curse to which no saviour shall be sent.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS THE SECRET WORDS AND HEARTHS OF MEN

The book of Malachi chapter 3 verses 13 - 18 says this;

13 “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ”

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

In this passage, the prophet Malachi  recorded the Lordˋs response to the attitude that His people had where they had concluded that serving God and heeding His word was not different from disregarding the things of God. Those who were righteous were not blessed while those who did wickedness went unpunished and the people concluded from this that they could do whatever they wanted.

But the Lord revealed through His prophet Malachi that in such times, He listens to conversations between people and when He heard them speaking of their fear of the Lord and their meditation on His name, He records their names and considers these people to be His gems and He spares them even as a man spares his own son who serves him. This differential between the people He treats as His jewels and those who disregarded the Lord results in the return of clarity between righteousness and wickedness.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES FOR HIS PEOPLE

The book of Malachi chapter 3 verses 8 - 12 says this;

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;

12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts. 

The Lord sets a principle in place where those who live surrendered to him in such a way that they are used to support the kingdom of God, the Lord will open a channel of blessing on them that they wonˋt be able to contain it.

 Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD

The book of Malachi chapter 3 verses 1 -  7 says this;

1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap.

3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be [b]pleasant to the Lord, As in the days of old, As in former years.

5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien—Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.

6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

In this passage, the prophet Malachi foretells the advent of John the Baptist who would be sent to prepare the way of the Lord Himself and during that time, the Lord, for whom all the ages had waited and yearned for would suddenly appear in His temple. 

Malachi described the Lordˋs arrival as a time of purging and refining and that an offer would be made to the children of Israel to return to the Lord and if they did, He would return to them.  The question that would arise would be how to return to the Lord for whom they had offended by neglecting and even exploiting the weaker people.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR CREATOR AND TO WHOM THE LOYALTY OF LOVE IS OWED

The book of Malachi chapter 2 verses 10 -  17 says this;

10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers?

11 Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.

15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”

Through the prophet Malachi, the Lord God rebukes Judah for attending to another god whicle at the same time paying to the God of Israel.

In this rebuke, the institution of marriage is brought up as a model for the fealty that the spouses should have for one another. The commitment is permanent such that a man is not permitted to deal treacherously with his wife.  Similarly, the covenant between the Lord and Israel does not allow for Israel to pursue other gods.

This passage contains the famous phrase in verse 16 that is rendered, ˋThe Lord God of Israel say that He hates divorceˋ which has very different translations in different versions for example in one case it is was translated to say;  “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHOSE PRIESTS MUST BE SINCERE AND HOLY

The book of Malachi chapter 2 verse 1 -  says this;

1 “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,”Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.

3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces,The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it.

4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” Says the Lord of hosts.

5 “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity.

7 “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

8 But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of hosts.

9 “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.”

The priests were to represent God to man and man to God but they had failed to glorify the name of the Lord and had earned the Lord's rebuke. They did not attend to the word of God and caused many to stumble 

In contrast, the priest with whom the Lord had covenant was just, peaceful and equitable and reverenced the Lord. 

He also knew the words of the law and people sought Him for He was the messenger of the Lord of Hosts and He rightly guided many people to righteousness.

The priests who neglected their calling would be abased while the priest who fulfilled His calling would be exalted.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS WORTHY OF THE HIGHEST HONOR AND IS TO BE FEARED BY THE NATIONS

The book of Malachi chapter 1 verses 6 - 14 says this;

6 “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

7 “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’

8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.

9 “But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.

10 “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts.

12 “But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’

13 You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.

14 “But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—or I am a great King,” Says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.

Malachi transcribes the list of devolutions that Israel had fallen to that resulted from their forgetting the preeminence of God in their life and so 

• Honor as a Father not offered 
• Reverence not given as a Lord
• Name despised by the priests
• Defiled offerings by the priests 
• Offerings presented to God that would not be accepted by men
• Preparations for ceremonies are not fully staffed
• Ceremonies are attended to with weariness and disdain
• Offerings for the altar are rotten, stolen, damaged, diseased

The Lord underscores that He is a Great King and is to be honored is a manner fitting for an awesome King and that we are not to be deceptive in evading the proper honor of God.

Amen.

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