The Book Of Malachi Chapter 3 Part 1 John The Baptist's Ministry Foretold

It helps to remember that the chapter and verse divisions were established by godly men who wanted a tool to help us study the scriptures.

As such, although they are indeed very helpful, they are not inspired like the scripture is.

This is one of those rare situations where the end of chapter two fits into chapter three.

We can deceive with words but false professions of faith weary our God.

Malachi 2:17  Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? 

You will see why I suggested that the last verse of chapter two belongs in chapter three.  

A corrupt tree can only produce corrupt fruit (See Matthew 7:15-20).

Jehovah's priests corrupted themselves and polluted the Lord's house with their sinful ways.

Their bad example led the people further astray into intermarriage, idolatry and immorality.

Thus, God is wearied of hearing professions of faith and service to Him from their lips, when their depraved actions revealed the corruption within their hearts. 

Furthermore, their hearts were so calloused by sin that some boldly said "Where is the God who will judge us?"

They expressed no fear of being under God's judgment. 

They did not think that God would judge their sins nor did they think that God cared about it.

Take note of this heretical view of God. Many professing Christians say the same thing today. 

They believe that because they claim to be born again, that they can live as they please. 

Again, every person will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give Him an account of how we lived as Christians (See Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Did we walk worthily for our Lord? (See Ephesians 4:1).

Did we seek to glorify God with our body and spirit? (See 1 Corinthians 6:20).

Did we redeem our time wisely with Great Commission living? (See Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5).

God will judge those who say evil is good and God's holy standard is bad.

Isaiah 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

First, the priests called that which is evil good and that which was good they saw as evil. 

They permitted and even encouraged Jewish men to divorce the wives of their youth in order to marry younger pagan women.

They polluted all of the Lord's service because of wicked hearts and their own evil intentions.

Therefore, that which God condemned they called good and that which He blessed they called evil.

This is particularly relevant today where certain religious groups sanction gay marriages, ordain gay ministers both male and female.

Many denominations have gone off the deep end with regard to dismissing God's holy, moral standards which are eternal.

They repudiate God's moral standard by rejecting the plain and clear truth of God's Word.

They establish their own false moral standard by saying "All people are children of God." or "God does not care if you are gay because He loves you."

This is a gross perversion of the gospel. 

Mark it down that God will hold each individual accountable for their sins and those who reject Christ as their Savior will suffer the consequences. 

God's law is the spiritual metric by which all people will be judged. If you are born again and in Christ, then you rest because Christ fulfilled the law for you.

However, those who are not in Christ will receive the full weight and fury of God's wrath for their sins.

The good news is that God provided a way for sinners to be fully forgiven, to be the adopted children of God and to receive eternal life.

Claiming to be a Christian but living unholy lives is wearisome to God.

Isaiah 1:13-14  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14)  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 

Several hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah also spoke about a corrupt people wearing God out with offerings for sin that were insincerely given.

God said they were vain offerings and were iniquitous because they did not truly repent and cease from sinning.

God is omnipotent and obviously cannot become weary like humans can. 

Rather, He used words and expressions we are familiar with, so that we can understand God's viewpoint.

Thus, the Lord said "I am weary to bear them." (See also Isaiah 7:13; 43:24).

Pointing to Christ the Messiah's arrival and ministry among men.

Malachi 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 

The connection between this verse and the last verse of chapter two, is that because God is wearied by false professions of faith, He will send a messenger, the forerunner of Messiah.

We must remember to distinguish between the first advent of Christ and His second advent.

Jesus came first, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecies (Isaiah 7:14-15; Isaiah 9:6-7).

However, the prophets saw two distinct comings of Messiah: the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 and the all conquering King of Malachi and others. 

Malachi speaks of Christ's first coming and the ministry of John the Baptist.

In between Christ's two comings is the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ followed by the birth of His church.

The prophets did not see the age of the church because this was a great mystery hid by God in Christ (See Ephesians 3:1-11).

The age of the church will end at the day of the rapture and the resurrection of life (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 5:24-29).

This is why Malachi prophesied of Messiah coming to judge the nations.

Jehovah is speaking and we must recall that Jesus' name means "Jehovah Saves."

These are the words of Christ in answer to the question put in the last verse of the preceding chapter, "Where is the God of judgment?" 

God will raise up His righteous King, to set things in order, even the king Messiah. 

Christ implied that He would quickly appear, and previous to His coming He will send a messenger.

A prophecy of the appearing of his forerunner John the Baptist, which the prophet Isaiah foretold as the preparing of the way of the Lord (See Isaiah 40:3). 

The messenger of Malachi is a prophecy about John the Baptist.

Mark 1:1-2  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2)  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

And the beginning of the gospel of Christ is expressly said to be the accomplishment of this promise, with which the Old Testament concludes. 

So that by this prophetic announcement both Testaments are joined together, and made to answer one another. 

He is God's messenger, that is his office. John the Baptist had his commission from heaven, and not of men. 

All held John the Baptist for a prophet, for he was God's messenger to call men to repentance and reformation.

He shall prepare the way as a pioneer before Christ. He will be a corrector of civil abuses and a preacher of righteousness.

He is Christ's forerunner. He shall prepare the way before Jesus Christ by calling men to repentance in preparation of receiving the comforts of the Messiah and His coming. 

He would give notice that the Messiah was now at hand.

He shall prepare the way before Messiah by declaring to the Jews that Christ was born, and was in the midst of them. 

The forerunner would point them to Christ by preaching the doctrine of repentance, and exhorting them to believe in Him. 

Malachi gave a prophecy of the appearing of the Messiah. “The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the God of judgment, who you think has forsaken the earth." 

And the Lord, whom ye seek, The Messiah, whom you expect to appear based upon the account given by the prophet Daniel (See  Daniel 9:24).

Messiah shall suddenly come to His temple. He shall soon be presented before the Lord in His temple. 

He shall cleanse it from its defilement, and fill it with His teaching and his glory.

Christ's second coming will be one of fiery judgment of unbelievers.

Malachi 3:2-3  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3)  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 

But who may abide the day of His coming? Only they who shall believe on His name. 

Those who will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation shall be blinded.

Who shall stand when He appeareth in His kingdom and glory? 

When Christ returns to the earth He will take vengeance on all who reject Him and His Gospel. 

God's Word is a purifying fire that will separate wheat from tares.

Jeremiah 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Malachi says Messiah is like a refiner's fire, partly by the ministry of the Word as compared to purifying fire that separates pure doctrine from dross.

His fiery dispensation and judgments on the wicked will one day be carried out (See Matthew 13:24-50).

Sinners must repent of their sins and trust Christ for salvation now not later.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8)  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9)  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10)  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 

Those of us who know the Lord and are born again as Christ said we must be, must share the gospel with lost people.

We must be Christ's faithful witnesses because sinners cannot repent and believe if they do not hear the gospel.

Thus, our duty is to live according to the Great Commission in our homes, our churches and in every setting.

Let us labor for the Lord while we are able to.

Bob