Malachi: Jesus Is The Sun Of Righteousness Who Brings Healing
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
Malachi: Jesus Is The Sun Of Righteousness Who Brings Healing
Malachi 4:1-6 (ESV)
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Have you ever received a nasty anonymous letter? How do you deal with it? If you are a pastor like me, once in a while, you get these letters. And out of your curiosity, you are tempted to read them. However, early on in my ministry, I have learned it’s a big mistake to read them. Why? People who often write these letters can be hurtful and hostile simply because they can hide their identity. I have learned by experience that if people don’t have the courage to sign their names and be identified with their concerns, then they are not worth my time.
In the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, you would also find the Lord writing strong letters to His people to correct them for their spiritual failures and shortcomings. When these letters are sent, there would be no second-guessing who authored them because God’s chosen spiritual leaders, such as prophets and apostles, delivered them. Sadly, though, these letters are not always received with enthusiasm. Instead of humbly accepting correction, God’s people turned against the messengers (prophets and apostles) who delivered the letters. Here is a Scripture passage that talks about it:
2 Chronicles 36:15-17 (ESV)
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand.
Isn’t this passage sad! Instead of appreciating the fact that God in His compassion is correcting and guiding them, God’s people rejected God’s letters by resenting His messengers. Let us do our best to avoid making the same mistake. Let’s recognize that God gave us His Word so that He can guide and help us.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
From these verses, allow me to highlight two words that we don’t usually enjoy when they are done to us – reproof and correction. You see, God uses His Word to bring reproof, which means He rebukes our wrong behavior and beliefs. And correction suggests pointing us to the right path. So the question now is: Are you willing to be rebuked and corrected by God’s Word?
Well, as we come to the Book of Malachi, finally the last book of the Old Testament, we would find several strong rebukes coming from the Lord to His people. It is interesting that the name Malachi means “My Messenger.” In a way, God impressed to His people that though they may not like what is being said by the prophet Malachi, they should not ignore and disregard his messages because he came as God’s special messenger.
The historical timeline for the Book of Malachi is placed between 450-430 BC. If you remember, when we tackled the Books of Haggai and Zechariah, we said that they ministered to the Jews who returned from their captivity to Jerusalem in 538 BC. Both prophets focused on rebuilding God’s temple and nation. By the time Malachi started prophesying, the temple had been rebuilt already. How do we know this? The key indication comes from Malachi’s rebuke of the malpractices of the priests in their temple ministries. Since the priesthood had been reestablished, it means the temple has been fully restored.
Although the book has only four chapters, we can appreciate the extensive evaluation that God has done regarding how His people are responding to Him. There’s no doubt that God does the same thing with us today – constantly examining us to see if we are properly honoring Him in our lives. So, as we begin to examine the book, allow me to highlight three central themes found here:
I THE INGRATITUDE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
We don’t enjoy being rebuked most of the time, but we should welcome them, especially when they come from people who care and love us because the Lord can use them to make us better. King Solomon impresses this to us in Proverbs 15:32 (ESV):
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
The second part of the verse is the best, saying, “he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.” We need to remind ourselves about this truth as we begin to look at six major areas that God rebuked about His people:
Their Complain About God’s Love (1:1-5)
Their Complain About Worship (1:6 – 2:9)
Their Complain About Divorce (2:10 -16)
Their Complain About Justice (2:17 - 3:5)
Their Complain About Tithing (3:6 – 12)
Their Complain About God’s Rewards (3:13 – 4:3)
Now, you might be wondering why the heading I chose for these rebukes is the ingratitude of God’s people. Let me explain. When you examine all these rebukes, you will realize quickly why the real problem was the ingratitude of God’s people towards God. Let’s me direct you to Malachi 1:1-2 (ESV):
1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob
If you read these words, it is a shame to see how God’s people have failed to appreciate God’s love to them. Notice when God said, “I have loved you.” Would you expect that God’s declaration of affection to be questioned by His people saying, “How have you loved us?” How insensitive and ungrateful they were, right? Yet, from the time God called Abraham to be the Father of the Hebrew nation until they became a strong and prosperous nation, God never failed to take care of them. Even when they completely despised and rejected Him, He never totally abandoned them. Their restoration to the Promised Land after their captivity is a strong proof of God’s love and faithfulness to them. Yet, they still asked, “How have you loved us.”
Let me show another example. Let’s consider Malachi 1:6-8 (ESV):
6 “A son honors his Father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised.
8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.
When you read these verses, it is pretty evident that they failed to appreciate Him as their Loving Father. It affected their attitude towards their worship of Him. Notice, instead of giving Him their best offerings, they were settling with unacceptable sacrifices. They failed to recognize that God being the greatest and the highest, deserves only their best.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to go through God’s rebukes one by one. But, I challenge you to check out the book of Malachi, and you will see clearly that the pattern of ingratitude became the root of their irresponsible behavior towards Him. For sure, this is the main reason why we are commanded to always give thanks to God in all circumstances - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I know it’s not always easy to be thankful at all times, but this attitude can keep us from falling into greater sins.
II THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD (3:6-7)
Amid all the rebukes against His people, God reminded them of His unchanging character. Listen to His declaration in Malachi 3:6-7 (ESV):
6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
One of the precious attributes that God possesses that we should be familiar with is His immutability. He is a God who never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). For Israel as a nation, this was a fundamental basis of assurance with God’s covenant promise to them.
Will God ever change His mind and abandon His promises to His people because they have failed Him? Since His people had abandoned Him, will He cancel all the benefits of their covenant with Him?
The actual answer to these questions is found in verse 6. Since God does not change, they are not consumed. In other words, they are still being preserved as a nation. Therefore, although they will suffer the consequences of their sins yet, God will continue to preserve the nation of Israel.
Sometimes, Satan can instill doubt into our hearts, and we begin to entertain the idea that perhaps there is no God. Some believers begin to move away from the belief in God’s sovereign existence. Let me give you one of the strongest proofs that the God of the Bible is true – it is found in the existence of Israel as God’s people. History will tell you, so many nations tried their best to destroy Israel and removed them from the map of the world. The anti-Israel sentiment is not new; from ancient times until today (Egypt, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Rome), many nations have tried to obliterate God’s people. But, the nation remains to be powerful. Why? It is because the omnipotent and immutable God is preserving it. What God has promised Joshua leading Israel into the Promised Land is still very applicable until today:
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (ESV)
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.
8 It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Going back to the Book of Malachi, the immutability of God is used as an incentive for them to return to Him. You know, if God has remained steadfast and faithful to His people, then they too should do the same. It is almost like in marriage; it would be ridiculous to leave a spouse who has been good and faithful to you, right? But, often, God’s people still find unreasonable grounds in abandoning the Lord.
III THE INSPIRATION FOR THE GODLY PEOPLE
The last theme in the Book of Malachi is where we find the representation of Jesus Christ.
Malachi 4:1-3 (ESV)
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
With all their rebellious acts against the Lord, He promised to punish them on the “day” of judgment that He has appointed (v.1). However, as He transitions to verse 2 addressing those who “fear” His name, He gave them this promise regarding the “Sun of righteousness” that should inspire them to continue to live for Him. This phrase is a direct reference to the representation of Jesus Christ in the Book of Malachi.
Many Bible scholars agree that this is a direct reference to Jesus Christ. As the Sun of righteousness, He will affect the sinners and righteous separately. For the sinners, on the day of the Lord, the heat of the sun will scourge them into destruction. Sinners will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Malachi 4:3), while the Sun will bring healing and restoration for the righteous. Isaiah talks about the same concept in these verses:
Isaiah 30:26 (ESV)
26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, the world we are in today, have been enormously affected by sin. All the ills and diseases in our society can be traced back to sin. However, when Jesus went to the cross and suffered because of sin, His victory gave Him the privilege to bring healing into our world. So, when He returns, we who belong to Him can experience living in a world where all these ills and diseases will no longer exist. The Lord Jesus Christ will remove them all once and for all. I trust that we will never lose sight of His coming again. While we wait for His return, let’s continue to do our best to live a life that is honoring Him!
-Bishop Jeremiah Lepasana