Reflecting God – Sunday, 1 December 2013 – “The Sun That Never Sets” - Scripture Reading: Malachi 4

Reflecting God – Sunday, 1 December 2013 – “The Sun That Never Sets” - Scripture Reading: Malachi 4: The Great Day of the Lord

1 [a] See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who revere 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 teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.[b]

Footnotes:

Malachi 4:1 Ch 4.1–6 are Ch 3.19–24 in Heb

Malachi 4:6 Or a ban of utter destruction(NRSV)

“The Sun That Never Sets” by Duane C. Brush

Akhenaten, an Egyptian pharaoh during the 14th century B.C., is remembered as a religious reformer who promoted a brand of monotheism. His god was the “Aten” (literally the disk of the sun). He is attributed with “The Great Hymn to the Aten,” an outstanding example of ancient Egyptian literature. Some scholars note parallels between Akhenaten’s hymn and Pslam 104. The object of Akhenaten’s worship was very different from the God of the Bible. In Akhenaten’s belief the sun was the greatest of the other gods. He compared Aten with the sun of the other stars. Akhenaten considered himself the son of the Aten. His self-chosen name was means “living spirit of the Aten.” It was only through him that Aten communicated. The God of the Bible, on the other hand, has no rival (Deuteronomy 4:32-40), and has spoken once and for all through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1).

Jesus is the “sun of righteousness.” The healing in His rays (or “wings”) is for all living under sin’s oppression. He proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” (John 8:12). That sun will never set.

Hymn for Today:

“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King;

1. Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

2. Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;

Christ the everlasting Lord;

Late in time, behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail th’incarnate Deity,

Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

3. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

4. Come, Desire of nations, come,

Fix in us Thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,

Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display Thy saving pow’r,

Ruined nature now restore;

Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

5. Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place:

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

Thee, the Life, the inner man:

Oh, to all Thyself impart,

Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Thought for Today:

“for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

‘Sleeper, awake!

    Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.’”(Ephesians 5:14).

Prayer Needs:

For young people to be involved in ministries to the poor, homeless, and the needy in the United States and Canada.

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Global Church of the Nazarene

Global Ministry Center

17001 Prairie Star Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66220 United States

Phone: (913)577-0500

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