16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
4 “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.”
- INTRODUCTION
Important days…Waiting for a wedding…
In a few weeks, Allison and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It’s an amazing feet that she hasn’t given up on me yet.
When we were getting married Allison made a three ring binder with all things wedding in it, With ideas for different things and things she didn’t want to forget.
From a guys perspective, we don’t share the same burden, or privilege, or joy, or responsibility as planning. It’s a bunch of excitement at the beginning, then it turns into a long wait.
And then, out of the blue, it seems like the wedding day is here.
And on that day, you begin the day as one thing, a Batchelor , but end it as something else, a husband.
- A BOOK WAS WRITTEN
- “Then” literally, “then, at that time…”, meaning God already knows those who fear him.
- The use of the word “then” emphasizes that the conditions of this verse and the following verses is contingent on one’s previous interaction with God.
- APP: We live this life for the next. Once we have passed away (or Jesus returns) it is too late for one to choose to follow the Lord.
- ”spoke with one another” – one of the best things you can do for a Christian friend is remind them that their name is written in a book.
- This section is meant to be motivational in tone, it uses the future tense often.
- “Feared the Lord” – What does it mean to fear God? It is to stand in awe of his person, to submit to his authority and to dread his displeasure. Christians are not casual or nonchalant about God!
- “book of remembrance” – means that a permanent remembrance of their faithful and reverent response is kept in heaven. This provides assurance that when God deals with these individuals He will not forget their submission to Him. The metaphor is one of a king instructing a scribe to record this information in official records. The word remember, most often occurs along side an action, God remembers, then acts on behalf of His people. God not only knows but also remembers and acts to reward the past actions of those who fear and honor him.
- ILL: My daughter has written a list of all the things she wants to eat at Disney world. She doesn’t want to forget.
- The book of Life is mentioned in scripture…
- 5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: (Revelation 13:5–9, ESV) – WHAT YOU WORSHIP
- 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12–15, ESV) – WHERE YOU SPEND ETERNITY
A DAY IS COMING
- We see this mentioned in verse 17 and 4.1
- It will be a day of judgment for the wicked and a day of deliverance for those made righteous.
- On this day the wisdom of serving and loving God will become crystal clear.
- 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11, ESV)
- A DISTINCTION WILL BE MADE – Unbelievers
- “evildoers will be stubble” –
- “set them ablaze” – These images are not just in Malachi, Jesus used the same imagery.
- MATT 3.12 – “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff will burn with unquenchable fire.”
- “Neither root nor branch” – complete destruction. Nothing will be left of them. No hope for them.
- In Luke 12, Jesus calls this place Gehenna. We call it hell. We don’t know everything about it, but here’s what we do know.
- It is a real place
- It is a place of separation from God, goodness, and grace
- It is a place of just punishment
- It is a place where there is memory
- It is a place of hopelessness
- It is a place you do not have to go
- “tread down the wicked” –
- APP: We get in deep trouble when we expect this life to yield the things that only eternity can yield.
- APP: Instead of envying the wicked, we should look on them with compassion and pity, Their happiness will one day end. Ours will just be beginning.
- A DISTINCTION WILL BE MADE – Believers
- The difference between believers and unbelievers may not be apparent in this life, but they will be.
- We may not be able to detect much difference between the righteous and the wicked here. They may appear to be equally blessed and in some instances the wicked may appear to be even more blessed. But when the eternal day dawns, the difference will be plain for all to see.
- The coming of the Lord will be a day of joy for believers. Great joy.
- ”They shall be mine” – God will come to claim his own.
- “my treasured possession” –
- A fulfillment of Exodus 19 – 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
- ILL: like jewels scattered in the mud of a ruby mine.
- In a fire chaff is burned, gold is refined.
- APP: You may not appear to be much right now, but you will be.
- “I will spare them” – A Father would never issue discipline on a son, who has honored him. An ironic illustration to say the least. We are told that we will be spared as a son who serves, but the Son who served the best was not spared for our benefit.
- 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–39, ESV)
- “Sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” – God will be clearly seen, He is coming, and you will be completely healed.
- literally, “Then the sun of righteousness will rise/shine [zāraḥ] for you, fearers of my name, and healing in its wings.” This confusing metaphor pictures the divine bearer of justice appearing like the dawn to those “living in the land of the shadow of death”
- 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly. – Pslam 84:11 - ”healing in its wings” – may also be understood as completely protected from the wrath of judgment.
- “leaping like calves from the stall” – excited, emotional response to God’s healing. Baptists are pretty good at sitting still, but one day you won’t.
- ”The fact that man can be made right with God and escape judgement is the best news the world could ever hear.” – John MacArthur
- APP: You may be in the valley of the shadow of death right now (Psalm 23), you may feel that the world is full of darkness, you may feel hopeless…but God is coming. Just as the sun does every morning.
- Be ready for that day
- Remember the Law of Moses (v. 4)
- Look for Jesus more than you look for judgment (v. 5-6)