Malachi 4: 4-6 4Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Can you remember the last conversation you had with someone? Not knowing at the time, that would be the last conversation before they passed. Over this past year, think of things you remember, some good and some not. When we expand that, what are some things from your life that you remember. What are the Top Five most memorable moments in your life? It could be something very painful to remember, or a mountain top siltation that was very joyous, something hard to describe with words because of the Joy it brought into your life. But all of us have memories.
In our passage, God has something very specific He wants us to remember—HIS LAW—HIS WORD.
The Word of God most be very important to us if for no other reason, it was important to Jesus Christ. Many times in the Gospels Jesus referenced people to the Word of God.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
105-time Jesus referenced the Word of God by saying “have ye not read” “it is written” or “search the scriptures” Over and over, Jesus wanted us to come to terms with the ideal that the Word of God is important to us!!!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE
In Malachi 4: “remember ye the Law of Moses” What would God desire for us to remember?
- Remember God’s Past Victories
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;
“Lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen,…”
- God is saying; I have a message I have given you and I want you to remember it, don’t forget it, and teach it to your children and childrens children”
- God has a very specific day in mind when He says this.
Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
- In Malachi we read, God wants us to remember the LAW, that He commanded and gave to Moses….we are to remember the Words of God
- Then in Deuteronomy …”remember the Words of God He has given and especially a very particular day
- IN Horeb…the same place mentioned in Malachi
Moses is nearing the end of his leadership over the people of Israel, and he is pointing people back 40 years earlier to a very specific moment. Now go to Exodus chapter 19 because Moses mentions there was a command given back in Horeb, he is refering back to Exodus chapter 19
Exodus 19:3-6 3And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
- When we connect these verses I believe Moses is telling us to REMEMBER GOD’S VICTORIES FROM THE PAST
- Exodus 19: 4 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians”
- Think about it meditate on it, remember it …you were slaves in Egypt, you were in shackles in Egypt, you were in bondage in Egypt, and I redeemed you out of Egypt and I want you to remember this day…REMEMBER THE VICTORIES
WE SERVE THE SAME GOD; His marvels His Victories His magnitude His magnificoes…He wants us to Remember that.
Another victory; the crucifixion; when Jesus stepped out of eternity, to walk among us, He lived among us, He slept among us with a pillow of rock, He served among us and became tired, he hungered among us as He fasted, He washed feet and ministered to us when we didn’t deserve it, He was accused unjustly and even came to the point to say, Father if there’s any other way than the Cross nevertheless not My will but Thine be done” Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.
Jesus went to the Cross for our sin. So that we could spend forever in Heaven with Him.
The Cross is a picture of God past victory. Because of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:55-56 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
- God wants us to remember there is nothing going on in this world greater than His past victories.
Divine Hymns: I serve A risen Savior, He’s in the world today…He lives… https://youtu.be/AYf5LxUT97k
- Remember God’s promises for the Future
Malachi is saying the Messiah is coming – that’s a promise
We know that after Malachi was written, and there is no more written revelation from God for about 400 years. Those who study their Bible know the next time God spoke to us was in the Book of Luke chapter 1
- Before Luke, God said be looking for the Messiah I promise He will come, and before He comes, I’ll send my messenger Elijah to announce Him; then there is silence for 400 years from God.
- The next time God speaks is when Zacharias is in the Temple offering incense and God said you are going to have a son, born to you and your wife Elizabeth
Luke 1:16-17 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
- What interesting is the last time God spoke in Malachi He gave a promise and fulfilled, the very next time God spoke; recorded for us in scripture. That’s amazing. But the Messiah wasn’t only coming that first time; JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN.
Revelation 22:20“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
- He’s coming exactly the way God said He was because God always keeps His promises.
Remember God’s Past Victories
Remember God’s promises for the Future [God always keeps His promises]
Malachi chapter 3
Malachi 3:17-18 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.
- “THEN SHALL YE RETURN” one day we the redeemed will return with the our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ –That a promise from God about our future
What about right now…in the present…what’s the message
- Remember God’s character in the present
God has given us everything we need, in His Word, to make it through how ever long it takes until His return. WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHO HE IS.
Malachi 3:16 16Then 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.
- When we tie this verse in with Malachi 4:4 Those who will be apart all this, those who will get a blessing out of all this are those who Think about the Name of God and those that Fear the Lord. This speaks about God’s character. Have you spent time thinking about God’s character? His marvelous power, He is a God that does wonders, He is omnipotent, He is omnipresence, we could go on and on thinking about Who God is. THINK ABOUT WHO GOD IS.
- In this verse and previous verses we look at; Do you want to have God’s blessings on your year, reflect on His Word—do you want God’s blessings in your life, reflect on His character.
- Our lack of peace, lack of Faith, is a on how much we have reflected on God’s character.
- If we are struggling with decisions; remember God’s Words
Remember God’s Past Victories
Remember God’s promises for the Future
And right now, “TODAY” God wants us to remember His character and declare it to the world.
IT’s TIME THE WORLD HERE’S FROM THE CHURCH—WE must declare the message to the World—Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world
Malachi 4:1-2 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
- Here we find reference to two different kinds of days: Malachi 4:2 “the day of Salvation” Malachi 4:1 “the day of destruction”
That day in these in these verses is the same day: the difference is some people feared God and occupied in His Name. Some people rejected God and occupied in their own pride, they didn’t care about serving God or His Word, they failed to obey God’s Word, and that same day was a day of destruction for those who rejected God.
- When Jesus returns, will be a day the redeemed long for and welcome with open arms and joy, but for those who rejected God it will be a day of destruction. THE SAME DAY…
Behold the day cometh—will you be ready—have you been born again