Sermon Tone Analysis

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Be Careful What You Ask For — Malachi

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Theme: Malachi prophecies the coming of Elijah before the “great and terrible day of the Lord.”

He will prepare the way for the Lord.

Theme: Malachi prophecies the coming of Elijah before the “great and terrible day of the Lord.”

He will prepare the way for the Lord.

The Gospel of Mark opens with the author referring to Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Lord God into the world, and a messenger who will proceed him.

The Gospel of Mark opens with the author referring to Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Lord God into the world, and a messenger who will proceed him.

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’

” (, NIV84).

Verse 2 quotes and verse 3 quotes .

After quoting these Old Testament prophets Mark continues, “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.

Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”

(, NIV84).

All four gospels tell the story of John son of Zechariah.

He bursts forth on Israel’s populace like the proverbial bolt-out-of-the-blue, and causes almost instant Messianic-fever in the nation.

Within the year Jesus comes on the scene preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God.

John proclaims him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world ().

And with that proclamation Jesus begins to increase, and John begins to decrease.

Why is John so important in the scheme of God’s redemptive work in history?

Why did his appearance cause such a stir in Jewish culture?

John is the first prophetic voice in Israel in 450 years.

When Malachi concludes his prophecy God goes silent.

Therefore when John appears proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” Israel is ready to listen.

The promise of John’s arrival is traced all the way back to this evening’s text.

I. THE COMPLAINT OF THE PEOPLE (2:17)

“You have wearied the LORD with your words.

“How have we wearied him?”

you ask.

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” (, NIV84)

1.the Prophet tells them “You have wearied Yahweh with your words”

a. again the people feigned innocence, and demanded proof, saying “Wherein have we wearied him?”

we wearied him?”

2. Malachi offered as proof the fact that they were alleging, “Everyone who does evil is good in the eyes of Yahweh”

good in the eyes of Yahweh”

a. this is the age-old complaint: the wicked prosper while the righteous don’t

1) the Jews are essentially saying to God, “Lord, we’re the ‘good guys’ ... we’re your covenant people, and we have faithfully served You, yet we’re suffering while our pagan neighbors are prospering ... What gives?

covenant people, and we have faithfully served You, yet we’re suffering while our pagan neighbors are prospering ... What gives?

b. the Jew’s underlying assumption here is that prosperity always results from divine blessing and implies divine approval, while poverty and misfortune always results from divine cursing and implies divine disapproval

blessing and implies divine approval, while poverty and misfortune always results from divine cursing and implies divine disapproval

1) since Israel is struggling and their pagan neighbors are prospering, then ipso facto, God must “delight” in the wicked else they would not be so blessed

facto, God must “delight” in the wicked else they would not be so blessed

c. their conclusion is that Yahweh is not a God of justice

1) either evil is pleasing to God or there is no God of justice

3. their doubts and skepticism reveal a very select memory

a. the Lord had amply demonstrated his immanence and his justice throughout the history of his relationship with Israel

history of his relationship with Israel

1) it was in response to their cries for help that the Lord had delivered them from oppression in Egypt by “a mighty hand” ()

oppression in Egypt by “a mighty hand” ()

2) He had given them the sacrificial system so that he could dwell among them and righteous laws which if Israel followed would bring glory to them and to him before the nations

righteous laws which if Israel followed would bring glory to them and to him before the nations

3) the Lord had guided the people throughout the period of the judges and the monarchy, alternately delivering them or disciplining them as was necessary, climaxing in the exile and restoration

monarchy, alternately delivering them or disciplining them as was necessary, climaxing in the exile and restoration

b.

Nehemiah recognized these things, confessing the Lord’s righteousness, faithfulness, and compassion since the time of Moses ()

faithfulness, and compassion since the time of Moses ()

4. Malachi’s audience had concluded (as we sometimes do), in effect, that God was either unjust or negligent — either way, he was not being faithful to his covenant

either unjust or negligent — either way, he was not being faithful to his covenant

a. no wonder the Lord was weary of them!

b.

I must point out that the same people who are now claiming to be so righteous and deserving were the very ones offering God blemished animals, complaining about how burdensome it was to worship God, marring pagans, and divorcing their wives

deserving were the very ones offering God blemished animals, complaining about how burdensome it was to worship God, marring pagans, and divorcing their wives

c. there were hardly paragons of virtue

1) many of their hardships and problems were self-inflicted

5. the Covenant People of God have wearied God by questioning God’s goodness and His sense of justice

His sense of justice

a. in this passage God warns His people to prepare for the justice they’re demanding

b. for the wicked, including the insolent in Judah, it will be as the Prophet Amos foretold ...

foretold ...

“Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD!

Why do you long for the day of the LORD?

That day will be darkness, not light.”

(, NIV84)

II.

THE PROMISE TO THE PEOPLE (3:1)

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.

Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.”

(, NIV84)

1. here we have a Messianic prophecy that serves as a promise — God responds with, “You want justice?

I’ll you justice”

“You want justice?

I’ll you justice”

a.

The God of judgment was nearer than any of the skeptics imagined

b.

Malachi stressed that the coming of God would be both certain and sudden

1) the word see that begins vs. 1 of chapter three is actually the world behold

2) the term suggests something shocking, and certain to happen

A. THE CERTAINTY OF THE LORD’S COMING

A. THE CERTAINTY OF THE LORD’S COMING

“ ... prepare the way before me ... “

1. the prophet writes, See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me

a. the “me” of , the one who is coming to the people of Israel, is none other then the Lord Almighty — the I Am of the Exodus

then the Lord Almighty — the I Am of the Exodus

1) remember that it this is God speaking the words of

2) this verse is astounding — the Lord, Himself, will come to His people

3) here is a veiled prophecy of the incarnation

2. Jesus, himself, quoted this verse in and distinctly identifies John as the messenger of