Malachi prophesied late in the history of God's people. They had been carted off as exiles to Babylon, then after seventy years had come back to rebuild the ruins of their country: broken down city walls and a derelict Temple. Their enemies were constantly looking for trouble. God said he loved them and was in covenant with them – but it didn't always look like it. Life was a struggle and even when they re-opened their temple, there were no signs of God coming down as there had been when the temple was first opened. So the people were not responding to God's love with the respect and submission to him or the care for one another that he expected. They got sloppy and lazy and careless
And in fact, some of them were really angry at God: He says “You have done some tough talking; you have squared up to me...” People have begun to say “What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.” There is anger here. And “Genuine dismay” that doing what God wants doesn't seem to make a difference. There's a sense of futility (NIV) The people were claiming, “It is vain, empty, a deception, to serve the Lord and go about with a long face being sorry for your sins.” And “Vain” is the word that was used of false Gods. The people are in effect suggesting that the Lord is as ineffective as these idols. They are tempted not with paganism but with atheism. For some of them, hope as almost gone.
Then something happens. Malachi 3.16 says “Then those who feared the Lord talked to each other.” So who are the people who have been complaining, and who ones who “feared the Lord”? It's quite possible that some of them at least were the same people! When God challenged them they began to "Talk to each other," to encourage one another to renewed faith. Our words matter. We can either be talking negatively, and undermining one another's faith, or we can be talking positively and building up one another's faith. We need to respond with repentance when God challenges us.
When we speak encouragement to one another, God responds... God hears his people's words and a “book of remembrance” is written. It's He's a record of what we have done; it is a record of who are his people. He never forgets about us! And he never will. He says “On the day when I act, they will be my treasured possession.” (3. 17) That's a phrase that comes from the earliest days of the nation. (Ex 19.5; Dt 7.6; 14.2; Ps 135.4 “For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.”) God promises on that Day to fulfil the promises he has made to his people. As an act of grace, and not because they are anything special, God has chosen his people. And as an act of grace, he will fulfil his promises to his them.
God says “I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.” The Father-Son relationship isn't perfect. As a Dad I know that. Kids make mistakes. Dads make mistakes too. But a loving Dad doesn't write off his son or daughter when they make mistakes. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Not our sin; not the enemy.
In 4.1f The "Day" is surely coming when God's rule shall be established. Three blessings in particular are mentioned:-
1. Healing: On the Day of the Lord, The sun rises: for the wicked it start a bush fire that will “burn like a furnace”. But for “you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing – health – in its rays.” Wholeness and healing are part of the Kingdom that God promises through Malachi.
2. Freedom. God's people “Leaping – or growing – like calves released from the stall.” Jesus says in John 8: 32 Then “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (v. 32) and “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (v. 36). The Hebrew word “leap” is connected with the idea of “growing” (KJV) Some of us need to be set free so that we can grow!
3. Victory over their enemies. “You shall trample down your enemies: squeeze the juice out of them” God is always the one who wins the battles for his people but he calls us to be part of his victory.
Don't you long for the day when God acts? "The Day" in 4:3ff is “The great & terrible day of the Lord...”
Malachi ends the OT on this note that looks forward. John the Baptist is the "Elijah"that Malachi said would come. That’s what the angel said to John's father Zechariah (Lk 1. 17) and how Jesus described John (Mt 11. 14) So the fulfilment of the prophecy, the fulfilment of all prophecy, the fulfilment of the purpose god has for his people, comes through Jesus. Jesus brings the Day of the Lord, the Kingdom of God, God's rule.
From Malachi's perspective the judgement & the release seem to come at the same time. The same sunrise starts the fire that burns the wicked, yet has healing in its wrings. It's a matter of perspective. In this picture it looks like there is something badly wrong with the steamboat on Lake Geneva: it has water spouting from its funnel. But of course the boat is in fact sitting in front of the huge fountain called the“Jet d'eau”.
 |
| Something wrong with this boat? Picture by G Lilly |
The “Last Days” or the “Day of the Lord” is a staged or phased event. Jesus brings God's Kingdom. In that Kingdom, nothing can separate us from the love of God. In that Kingdom, there is healing; there is freedom, there is victory over Satan. In that Kingdom, there will be complete healing and victory; there will be justice for all; there will be an end to all the violence and fear and oppression that is part of our world now. The different stages are all part of one thing. They belong together; but they don't have to happen at the same time. We are living in the midst of it. Jesus has won the victory. And the victory will come.
In the film Force 10 from Navarone, Mallory and Barnsby set charges in the dam, while Weaver and Miller watch from the hillside. Weaver is angry and disappointed when he hears an explosion but the dam still stands. Miller, the explosives genius, is serenely puffing on his pipe, knowing that once the charges have exploded, it is only a matter of time, before the shock waves produce cracks in the dam and the huge pressure of water does the rest. I think that’s a great picture of the Kingdom of God as brought by Jesus. He laid and exploded the charges. It’s only a matter of time before the whole of history collapses to give place to God’s Kingdom.
So lets hope! Let's speak faith & hope to one another. Let's See the Sun rise. Let's leap like calves from the stall, and tread on the enemy. And let's speak hope to our broken world.
© Gilmour Lilly June 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment