MALACHI LESSON 3
We will begin in 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."
Certainly we know that John the Baptist was a messenger sent to
proclaim the coming of the Lord. Luke 7:26 "But what went ye out for
to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a
prophet." Luke 7:27 "This is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before
thee." Luke 7:28 "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of
women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he
that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Jesus was
brought to the temple on the 40th day to dedicate Him. Simeon and
Anna, both old in years, recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah,
when He was brought to the temple. Jesus was Emmanuel {God with us}.
He is the Mediator of the New Testament. John is the messenger to
proclaim Jesus, and Jesus is the messenger to proclaim God.
Malachi 3:2 "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:"
The coming of Jesus {Messiah} at His physical birth did not bring
peace. Families were separated, because some believed He was Messiah,
and others did not believe. This will have a greater fulfillment, when
He comes as King and Lord. The sheep will be separated from the goats
at that time. The refiners fire and the fullers soap both get rid of
the dross. The Christians are tried as by fire, to see what they are
made of. They are washed and made white as snow, when they receive the
righteousness of Christ. The judgement is spoken of here. It is the
judgement separating the sheep {Christians} from the goats
{unbelievers}.
Malachi 3:3 "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."
This is the fire that burns up all the dross, and leaves the pure
silver {redeemed}. I Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made
manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed
by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."
II Timothy 2:20 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour,
and some to dishonour." II Timothy 2:21 "If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work." The
fire of God takes out all of the evil, so the vessel will be pure.
Malachi 3:4 "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be
pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former
years."
After the sin is purged away, then God will accept their
offerings from a pure heart.
Malachi 3:5 "And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will
be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers,
and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the
hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn
aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD
of hosts."
They had asked, "where is the judgement?". Now, He tells them, it
will extend to all of the people, as well as to the priests. God
judges His own family first. Then, He judges the sinful of this world.
The sins, listed above, are those He really hates. Notice, He starts
with sorcerers. These were pertaining to magic and witchcraft. Many of
these sins, they had learned from their heathen neighbors. The sins,
listed here, are sins against God and their neighbors. I Corinthians
6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,"
I Corinthians 6:10 "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." There
is no need to explain each sin. It is enough to know, that these sins
will keep us out of heaven.
Malachi 3:6 "For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed."
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes.
The things that were a sin in the sight of God 2000 years ago, are a
sin now. The sons of Jacob are not consumed, because of God's
covenant. God not only is the same in judgement, He stays the same in
the calling we have on our lives. When God calls you, He never changes
His mind about wanting you for that purpose.
Malachi 3:7 "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away
from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I
will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein
shall we return?"
If you study the wilderness wanderings, you will discover how
unfaithful they really have been. God has forgiven them over and over.
The Ten Commandments that God spoke from the mountain to the people
before Moses went to the mountain to get them engraved on stone, was
spoken aloud to them all. They broke the very first commandment, when
they built the golden calf. God forgave them, and started them out
again. It was their lack of faith that caused them to wander 40 years.
They were disobedient, and God let the faithless die off, before He
allowed their descendents to go into the promised land. I could give
many more examples. Even in this lesson, God wants them to repent, and
turn to Him. They are so calloused with sin, they are not even aware
they have sinned.
Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye
say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."
The tithe {one tenth} belongs to God. We have not given anything
really, until we have paid our tithe. Offerings are over and above
tithes. We see from this, that they had failed to pay their tithes.
That is like robbing God.
Malachi 3:9 "Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me,
[even] this whole nation."
You cannot multiply something, until there is something to start
with. It seems the whole nation had stopped giving to God.
Malachi 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the
LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to
receive it]."
God has challenged them. God will multiply all that they give Him
so abundantly, that they will not have enough containers to hold it
all. I have seen this work in my own life. It is not just money that
we should tithe. If we give God His tithe of our time, we will find we
get much more done in the time left, than we could have with all the
time. Christians believe in firstfruits giving. We give in
anticipation, not one tenth of what we have already made.
Malachi 3:11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and
he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your
vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of
hosts."
The blessings God bestows on the one who gives abundantly to
God's work are not just money. God blesses everything they put their
hand to. God sends the rain at the proper time and the sun. Their
crops grow abundantly.
Malachi 3:12 "And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye
shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts."
All nations will realize that they are blessed of God.
Malachi 3:13 "Your words have been stout against me, saith the
LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?"
Again, they have committed so much sin, that they are not aware
they have sinned against God. Romans 9:20 "Nay but, O man, who art
thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that
formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?" Jude 1:15 "To execute
judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of
all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all
their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Malachi 3:14 "Ye have said, It [is] vain to serve God: and what
profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have
walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?"
Now, we see the statement they have made against God. They are
looking for a reward for the things they have done for God. This, in
itself, is a bad attitude. They were doing good to get something in
return, not to please God.
Malachi 3:15 "And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that
work wickedness are set up; yea, [they that] tempt God are even
delivered."
God had spoken over and over about His dislike for those who
murmured. This is almost as if, they are jealous of the sinners. This
reminds me of Jonah, who thought God should not save Nineveh.
Malachi 3:16 "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to
another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of
remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and
that thought upon his name."
There was a group who feared and reverenced God. This did not go
unnoticed. Those who remembered God will be remembered on judgement
day, when they stand before the Lord. When He opens the books, He will
say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant".
Malachi 3:17 "And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in
that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him."
We, Christians, have been bought and paid for by the precious
blood of Jesus. We belong to Jesus. We have taken on the name of
Christ {Christian}. Matthew 25:34 " Then shall the King say unto them
on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" John 10:27 "My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" John 10:28
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand." John 10:29 "My
Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is
able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand."
Malachi 3:18 "Then shall ye return, and discern between the
righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not."
Romans 6:16 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin
unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" The following
Scripture tells what happens to the righteous {wheat}, and what
happens to the chaff {wicked}. Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan [is] in his
hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into
the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Malachi 3 Questions
1. Who was the messenger in verse 1?
2. Quote Luke chapter 7 verses 26 through 28.
3. Jesus was brought to the temple on the ______ day to dedicate.
4. Who were the two, in the temple, that recognized Jesus as Messiah?
5. What does "Emmanuel" mean?
6. He is the ___________ of the New Testament.
7. Why were families separated over Jesus?
8. The Christians are tried as of by ________.
9. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 13.
10. What are the vessels of honor in the house?
11. When shall Jerusalem's and Judah's offerings be pleasant unto the
LORD?
12. What evil people are mentioned, in verse 5, that God will judge
swiftly?
13. What question had they asked God?
14. Who does God judge first?
15. Where did they learn this evil?
16. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10.
17. God is the same yesterday, _________, and __________.
18. Why are the sons of Jacob not consumed?
19. What do you find about the sons of Jacob, if you study the
wilderness wanderings?
20. What caused them to have to wander 40 years?
21. Who did God allow to go into the promised land?
22. Why do they not realize they have sinned?
23. How can you rob God?
24. Why are they cursed with a curse?
25. Quote Malachi chapter 3 verse 10.
26. How does the Christian's giving differ from tithing?
27. What blessings do they receive, other than multiplying their gift
from God?
28. All nations shall call you __________.
29. Quote Romans chapter 9 verse 20.
30. They had said it was _______ to serve God.
31. How did God feel about murmuring?
32. What will God say to those who work for Him?
33. Quote John chapter 10 verses 27, 28, and 29.
34. What happens to the righteous at judgement?
35. What happens to the chaff.
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