We come to the end of Malachi and the end of the Old Testament. These last 3 verses not only summarize the message of Malachi, they are quite literally a bridge from the Old Testament to the New. As God tells the Israelites to both remember what He has done (looking back at the Old Covenant) and what He will do (looking ahead to the New Covenant), we stand on that bridge and see the very nature of God!
Scripture Reference
Malachi 4: 4-6
Sermon Notes
Standing on the Bridge Between Covenants, God’s Nature is Displayed
- Looking back at the Old Covenant, we see God’s Righteousness, Mercy, and Love
- The command to remember the Law (verse 4) highlights God’s Righteousness.
- The fact that God still wants Israel to remember the Law and offers them the chance to repent, after all of Israel’s covenant violations in Malachi and across the preceding 1,000 years highlights God’s Mercy.
- God’s promise to send Elijah (verse 5) to call them to repentance one more time before the fiery judgment (verse 6) highlights God’s Love.
- Israel certainly knew the standard (particularly clearly reinforced in Malachi) – they didn’t deserve another prophet.
- But God loves them and doesn’t want any to be destroyed, so He promises to send Elijah before the fiery judgment described in the previous passage.
- Looking ahead to the New Covenant, we see God’s Faithfulness, Grace, and Power
- That God actually sent one like Elijah (John the Baptist) five centuries later demonstrates God’s Faithfulness.
- Sending His Son after Elijah demonstrates God’s Grace.
- Malachi 3: 1-5 is clear, that after He sends Elijah, God will come Himself.
- Jesus is that fulfillment and the demonstration of God’s grace through the cross.
- God’s Work Before the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord demonstrates God’s Power.
- This phrase only appears in Joel 2, which describes the pouring out of the Spirit.
- Peter is clear, this is Pentecost.
- Only after that is the day of judgment (still TBD), which we have discussed recently.