The Day

About this sermon

Introduction: The book of Malachi ends with an affirmation of God’s faithfulness. Some might not recognize it as an affirmation of the faithfulness of God, but that’s exactly what it is. It is an affirmation of God’s holiness. It is an affirmation of God’s sovereignty. It is an affirmation of the absolute certainty of God’s power, and knowledge, and wisdom. And all of this is affirmed through the promise of justice. You’ll remember that this is one the ways that the people had sinned against God. They had claimed that God’s justice was in doubt. In fact, their claim was even stronger than that. What they implied was that God’s justice was a lie. They said that God actually affirmed evil, and that His claims to be just were not backed up in the world. ESV Malachi 2:17 aYou have wearied the LORD with your words. uBut you say, "How have we wearied him?" hBy saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, b"Where is the God of justice?" Well, now Malachi ends this book of prophecy with the promise that the entire world will see justice. It is the promise of divine judgment. God’s judgment is sometimes delayed, but it’s never in doubt. James Montgomery Boice – “Because God is unchanging in his holiness and justice, it follows that the inevitability of his judgment upon the wicked is unchanging also. The final chapter of Malachi virtually shouts for us to see this, for it begins, “Surely the day is coming …” (v. 1). The judgment of God may be postponed. For the most part it has been postponed for the long years of human history—postponed but not forgotten. Delay is not elimination. Judgment will come.” AND THAT JUDGMENT WILL BE DELIVERED IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS SON. The day that Malachi describes — the great day, the final day, the day of the Lord — is a day when God Himself brings justice. ESV Malachi 3:1 a"Behold, I send bmy messenger, and che will prepare the way before me. And the Lord dwhom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and ethe messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But awho can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For bhe is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit aas a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring bofferings in righteousness to the LORD.1 4 aThen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be aa swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those bwho oppress the hired worker in his wages, cthe widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. 6 "For aI the LORD do not change; btherefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. What we have in chapter 4 is a restatement of those truths. It is a reaffirmation of what God has already promised. It was in fact the final word until the first coming of the Messiah would come to pass. It was the last word until the Elijah who would introduce the messenger of the covenant would come on the scene. Tonight, we look at the Day of the Lord and four relationships that are connected with it.