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Text to Read: Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messengerto clear the way before me;
and the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to his temple.
Yes, the messenger of the covenant,
in whom you take such delight —
look! Here he comes,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
2 But who can endure the day when he comes?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire,
like the soapmaker’s lye.
3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver;
he will purify the sons of Levi,
refining them like gold and silver,
so that they can bring offerings to Adonai uprightly.
4 Then the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim
will be pleasing to Adonai,
as it was in the days of old,
as in years gone by.
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
Verse 1
[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.
I — The Messiah.
My messenger — John the Baptist.
The Lord — The Messiah.
Whom ye seek — Whom ye, who truly fear God, long and wait for.
Suddenly come — After the coming of his fore-runner.
To his temple — That which was the second temple at Jerusalem, lately built by Zerubbabel and Joshua.
The messenger — The angel of the covenant, the Messiah, in whose blood the covenant between God and man was confirmed.
Whom ye delight in — You Jews, among whom, few there are, who do not please themselves to think of his coming, tho' from various motives.
Verse 2
[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:
Abide — Who shall be able to stand under the weight of those crosses which in that day, will fall on all sorts of men? The day - This day was from his preaching, 'till the utter destruction of Jerusalem, about seventy years after the birth of Christ.
A refiner's fire — Some are like metals, which nothing but a fierce fire can purge, such fire shall the troubles of these days be.
Fuller's soap — As boiling waters, into which, spotted cloaths are thrown, and as the rubbing of them with soap; so that day will prove to all, a day of great trial, to purge and refine.
Verse 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.
He shall fit — As resolved to attend his work and finish it.
He shall purify — The effect of this fiery trial, shall be the thorough cleansing of the persons that are to pass through it.
Sons of Levi — Either the Jewish Levites, or all Christians, who are made priests unto God.
In righteousness — That they may offer themselves, their souls and bodies to God, in righteousness and true holiness.
Verse 4
[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.
The offerings — The services and duties of the whole Christian church.
Pleasant — Well pleasing to him.
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Daily Devotionals:
Monday, November 30, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- Read the Malachi text.
- What disturbs us about this text?
- Why?
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- How can we see this passage as being hopeful?
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- What about this text has to do with preparing for Christmas?
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- How are you being “purified” right now?
- What is being swept away?
Friday, December 4, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- Is God purifying only that which we know?
- Could God be working beneath our notice?
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- Is the “refiner’s fire” a pleasant experience?
- Why?
- Why not?
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Text to Read: Malachi 3:1-4
- Pray for the arrogant, proud and indifferent.
First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California 92108, United States
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Sermon Story "Great Expectations" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 6 December 2015 with Scripture Text to Read: Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messenger
to clear the way before me;
and the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to his temple.
Yes, the messenger of the covenant,
in whom you take such delight —
look! Here he comes,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
2 But who can endure the day when he comes?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire,
like the soapmaker’s lye.
3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver;
he will purify the sons of Levi,
refining them like gold and silver,
so that they can bring offerings to Adonai uprightly.
4 Then the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim
will be pleasing to Adonai,
as it was in the days of old,
as in years gone by.
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What kind of great extations are you placing upon this advent and Christmas holiday season for this year? We read about the promises of God to send a deliver of Israel for their oppression and sin. They are anticipating a Messiah who has a sent holy man of God to announce His arrival to set up His Temple for God's Glory. We look back on the history of Israel and their oppression by nations and realize that they were looking forward to a Warrior-King to deliver them, but God! God was proimising them a Messiah to deliver them from their sins and to give them the power of Holiness in their lives to bring Heaven on earth as the Messiah comes to set up the earth as He originally intended it to be. We read in the newspapers and magazines as well as listen and watch on the television and internet the violence around the world including ISIS and Al Quaeda killing people who disagree with them as well as our responses to kill and defeat the enemies by violence and warfare, but God! We come to realize that God is calling us to love and respect other people and allow His Spirit to shine thorugh in our words and actions in proclaiming His love and mercy. In our response, we realize that the refugees who are escaping from their countries to escape war, other violence, and poverty are being brought to our doorsteps for us to show His Grace and Love no mater what their faith may be because God is the one to redeem, not us because we are only used by God for His redemption of all of creation. This includes people who are different from us in culture or race or thinking or disability because God has a way to bring others into a loving relationship with Him thorugh our actions of love, not necessarily our words. We come to realize that we need to turn our expectations whether Jesus returns as He left or returns in His spirit to transform us to be more Christlike in our actions of Love. How are you responding to God's to love even people who we consider our enemies? Will you be a conduit of God's Love, Grace, and Redemption? We come to the time now to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood as we participate in the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come to receive from God singing the Hymn "Expecting" by William Mcdowell:
I’m expecting.
Anticipating.
A Move of God.
A Move of God.
(Repeat)
I’m expecting.
Anticipating.
A Move of God.
A Move of God.
We won’t be satisfied (until)
heaven invades our lives
Move oh God.
Move oh God.
Bridge:
And we’ll see
Blind Eyes Opened
Cities and regions changed
I Believe.
We will see a move of God.
Special
Sopranoes: A move of God (repeat)
Altos + Tenors: We’ve been praying for it. We’ve been longing for it.
We believe we’ll see (A Move of God)
Everyone: We’ve been praying for it. We’ve been longing for it.
We believe we’ll see (A Move of God)
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
A Move of God…
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idano Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844, United States
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