Malachi 1

Malachi 1:1-14

SERMON #6. A MESSAGE YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR Text: Malachi 1:1-14 Subject: Our Unworthiness of God’s Approval Date: Sunday Evening — June 14, 2009 Introduction: The title of my message today is A MESSAGE YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR. Before I read my text, let me introduce my message with a hymn written by John Newton more than 200 years ago. I asked the Lord, that I might grow In faith, and love, and every grace; Might more of His salvation know; And seek more earnestly His face. Twas He who taught me thus to pray, And He, I trust has answered prayer; But it has been in such a way, As almost drove me to despair! I hoped that in some favored hour, At once He’d answer my request; And by His love’s constraining power, Subdue my sins–and give me rest! Instead of this, He made me feel The hidden evils of my heart; And let the angry powers of hell Assault my soul in every part! Yes more, with His own hand He seemed Intent to aggravate my woe! Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, Blasted my gourds–and laid me low! “Lord, why is this!” I trembling cried, “Will you pursue your worm to death?” “This is the way,” the Lord replied, “I answer prayer for grace and faith.” “These inward trials I employ, From self and pride to set you free; And break your schemes of earthly joy, That you may seek your all in Me!” If the Lord will enable me to do so, I want to blast our gourds, lay us low and break every remnant of pride in our hearts, that we may look to Christ our Savior and find our all in Him. Turn with me to Malachi chapter 1. Malachi. Malachi’s name means — “God’s Messenger.” He was, like Haggai and Zechariah, a prophet sent of God to speak in His name, as His voice, to the children of Israel after they returned from the long years of Babylonian captivity. During the days that Haggai and Zechariah preached in Jerusalem the temple was being rebuilt. When Malachi came on the scene, the rebuilding of the temple was complete, the sacrifices had resumed, and the ordinances of divine worship had, to all outward appearance, been restored. But things were not as they appeared. As we read this chapter together, do not read it as a message God gave to the children of Israel and their priests 2500 years ago. If you do, you may as well not read it at all. If you read Malachi’s message that way, it will be to you nothing but a sad piece of history, telling about people who died long ago. — This is God’s message to you and me, “the Israel of God,” his chosen “royal priesthood.” I say to you, as Malachi said to the priests of his day, — “And now, O ye priests, this message is for you” (Malachi 2:1). Let’s begin at Malachi 1:1. (Malachi 1) The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. (2) I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, (3) And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (4) Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. (5) And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. (6) A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? (7) Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. (8) And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.(9) And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. (10) Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. (11) For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. (13) Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. (14) But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. In the light of this solemn, solemn word from our God to us, I want to make four observations. These four observations are things by which the Lord God has reproved my own heart, broken the gourds of my own joy and laid me low. If the things I have to say do not apply to you, I apologize for wasting your time and hope you will forgive me. — But I suspect that you will not be able to escape without deep wounds that are well deserved, wounds that I pray the Lord will make and heal by His grace, — That you and I might grow In faith, and love, and every grace; Might more of His salvation know; And seek more earnestly His face. No matter what we do or what we fail to do, God’s sovereign, eternal purpose of grace in Christ shall be accomplished, God’s elect shall be saved and the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) shall be glorified in and by all things, especially in the salvation of His people (Malachi 1:5; Malachi 1:11; Isaiah 45:20-25). (Malachi 1:5) And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:11) For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 45:20-25) Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. (21) Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (22) Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (23) I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (24) Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. (25) In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. Our great God and Savior, our Father, our Master is a great King, and deserves the best of all things from us.Sons ought to honor their father. Servants ought to reverence their master. Our God deserves the very best from us: The Best Praise — The Best Service — The Best Devotion — The Best Worship. He deserves the best because of who He is. He deserves the best because of all He has done for us. — Election — Redemption — Adoption — Forgiveness — Preservation He deserves the best because He has done all the wonders of His grace for such things as we are! The Lord God our Savior, our great King deserves the best of everything from us; but He usually gets our leftovers!(John 7:7) The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. (1 John 1:10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. We seek to assure ourselves of our interest in Christ and seek to soothe and pacify our consciences, calling our leftovers sacrifices, worship and service to the Lord! The fact is… The only people who think they are righteous are the unrighteous. Those who are righteous before God know that they have no righteousness of their own. The only people who think they do good works are those self-righteous people who can do nothing good. Those who actually do serve God never imagine that they have done anything good. Here are ten charges laid against you and me in this chapter. How I wish I could escape them; but escape them I cannot. If you can, I’m thankful, very thankful, but I cannot escape even one of these ten charges. In Malachi 1:2-5, the Lord God charges us, His chosen people, with despising His electing love, despising it in that we constantly fail to truly appreciate it. (Malachi 1:2-5) I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, (3) And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (4) Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. (5) And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. You have despised my name, the Lord says, in Malachi 1:6. — How so? You offer polluted bread on my altar (Malachi 1:7). — When? — Where? — How You say the table of the Lord is contemptible (Malachi 1:7). — When did we say that? You offer to me that which is worthless to you: The Blind — The Lame — The Sick (v.8). You would not even shut the doors of my house or kindle a fire on my altar, if you did not get something out of it (Malachi 1:10). You have profaned my name (v.12). — How? You say, with regard to the worship of God’s name — “What a weariness is it!” (Malachi 1:13). You have snuffed at the great privilege of worshipping at my altar (v.13). — How have we snuffed at it? You bring to me, for a sacrifice of gratitude, praise and adoration that which costs you nothing, that which is torn and lame and sick and of no value, sacrificing to me as a vow of reverence and devotion a corrupt thing (Malachi 1:13-14). As I look over these past 43 years, since the Lord God saved me by His grace, these 43 years in which I’ve tried to worship, serve and honor Him, I have to confess to my shame, the whole of it is less than nothing. My best attempts have been horribly corrupted with evil! All is but dung, a pile of filthy rags! God says, “Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?” (v.10). The obvious answer is “No.” But blessed be His name, our God is not a man whose favors men earn! (Malachi 1:9) And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. Yes, He will be gracious to us, though we deserve nothing but His contempt and the fury of His unmitigated wrath. Yes, the Lord our God still accepts us, and even accepts our poor attempts at honoring Him, because He regards our persons in the Person of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10). God will never accept, He will never be honored by, He will never receive the polluted bread of our polluted hands. But, blessed be His holy name forever, our acceptance with our God and the acceptance of our sacrifices and service to Him, His acceptance of our praise and thanksgiving, His acceptance of our devotion to Him is in His Son (1 Peter 2:5). (1 Peter 2:5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. We offer Him His Son; and God accepts us (in the totality of our lives) in His dear Son! (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10) Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. (8) Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. (9) Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (10) Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. He cast off the nation of Israel for far less evil than we have committed; but the Lord has not and will not cast off His chosen. “Your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel” (Malachi 1:5). (Malachi 1:11) For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. Inspired with gratitude, constrained by His love and overwhelmed by humility before His throne of grace, let us, from this day forward, offer our God our best.Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God by Christ Jesus. (Romans 12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. Do what you can for the Savior. Do what you can for the glory of God. Do what you can for your brethren. Do what you can for the cause of Christ. Do what you can for the furtherance of the gospel. Never count the cost. Never offer God that which cost you nothing. No more leftovers! I titled this message A MESSAGE YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR; but I hope the Lord has given you grace to hear and grace to want to, for Christ’s sake. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Amen.

Malachi 1:2-5

SERMON #3. “I LOVED JACOB.” Text: Malachi 1:2-5 Subject: The Distinguishing Love of God for His Elect Date: Sunday Evening — April 5, 2009 Introduction: After being delivered from 70 years of captivity in Babylon, you would think the children of Israel would have been humbled, thankful and full of praise, utterly consecrated to God. But that was not the case. In Malachi’s day they were a nation of self-absorbed complainers, griping and whining about everything, and full of unbelief. In this brief prophecy, we hear the chosen people raising question after question, expressing their unbelief. No matter what the Spirit of God inspired his prophet to declare, they raised an objection. It seems that they were determined to have the last word with God. — But, blessed be his name, the Lord God will never allow his chosen to have the last word with him!

Thank God, he never will. — He always has the last word with us; and makes us thankful for it! Here is the Lord’s last word to you tonight. (Malachi 1:2) “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob.” “I LOVED JACOB.” That is my subject tonight. Let’s read the rest of our text, and I will get right to my message. (Malachi 1:2-5) “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, (3) And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (4) Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. (5) And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” Like the children of Israel, we often fall into ill humor, and to appear beaten down, depressed, and full of sullen unbelief. What wretched state of affairs! What a dishonor we cast upon God our Savior by our unbelief! “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved” that God’s people are all the same in every age. In ourselves, we are ignorant, ungrateful and, for the most part, oblivious and insensible to his distinguishing mercies (Romans 3:9). It is this evil of unbelief that I want to combat tonight. May God the Holy Spirit use his Word by Malachi to teach you and me to trust our God! May he graciously make us aware of God’s unalterable, free, sovereign, distinguishing mercy, love and grace in Christ Jesus! LOVE Every word in this paragraph is weighty, and deserves the closest attention. The Lord God begins his message to his chosen people with an unqualified, unconditional declaration of his love for us. — “I have loved you, saith the LORD!” “The love of God is greater farThan tongue or pen can ever tell;It goes beyond the highest star,And reaches to the lowest hell;The guilty pair, bowed down with care,God gave His Son to win;His erring child He reconciled,And pardoned from his sin.When years of time shall pass away,And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,When men, who here refuse to pray,On rocks and hills and mountains call,God’s love so sure, shall still endure,All measureless and strong;Redeeming love and saving grace —The saints’ and angels’ song.Could we with ink the ocean fill,And were the skies of parchment made,Were every stalk on earth a quill,And every man a scribe by trade,To write the love of God above,Would drain the ocean dry.Nor could the scroll contain the whole,Though stretched from sky to sky.O love of God, how rich and pure!How measureless and strong!It shall forevermore endureThe saints’ and angels’ song!”This love, the love of God, is the source, the fountain, and cause of all our mercies. It is a subject that begins in eternity, in the gift of Christ, God’s dear Son, reaches through all the ages of time, and continues through eternity! God himself calls it “an everlasting love!” (Jeremiah 31:1-4) “At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. (2) Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. (3) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (4) Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.” “I have loved you, saith the LORD.” — God’s free, distinguishing love is declared throughout the Scriptures to every believer. It is this special, distinct, distinguishing, free, and sovereign love that is referred to in Malachi 1:2. I repeat, this is special, distinguishing love. It is not a meaningless, general love; but special, distinguishing love. — Read the next words: — “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau.” That is precisely language the blessed Spirit of God inspired Paul to use when speaking about the election of grace (Romans 9:13). (Romans 9:11-18) “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (12) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. (17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” “I have loved you, saith the LORD!” — Multitudes will tell us that he loves us while we are willing and obedient. Indeed, the Scriptures say, “Thou lovest them that love thee” (Proverbs 8:17) — “and showeth mercy to thousands of them that love thee, and keep thy commandments” (Exodus 20:6). Though we might say, as Jeremiah did, “Thou hast utterly rejected us: thou art very wroth against us” (Lamentations 5:22), the Lord God says, “No, I do love you! I am Jehovah, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). Does he not declare, “I will rest in my love, I will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). — “For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel” (Jeremiah 51:5). The Lord had been displeased with their fathers (Zechariah 1:2); and they were no better than their fathers (Zechariah 1:3-4). Yet, the Lord God gives this sweet promise to his chosen: — “Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:17). — John Trapp observed, “There are four “yets” in the text, and all very gracious ones; to show that the fulness of sin in us doth not abate the fulness of love in God towards his people!” It was at about this same time that the Levites held a solemn fast, described in Nehemiah 9, in which they made a catalogue of the many tokens and expressions of God’s love to his people. Besides countless extraordinary favors, he gave them good laws to direct them (Nehemiah 9:13), good Sabbaths of rest to refresh them (Nehemiah 9:14), and his good Spirit to instruct them, (Nehemiah 9:20). He forsook them not when they dealt proudly against him (Nehemiah 9:16-17), but crowned them with outward comforts (Nehemiah 9:21; Nehemiah 9:25), afflicted them when they provoked him (Nehemiah 9:26-27), sent them saviors when they cried to him (Nehemiah 9:27). Though often they revolted, he was often entreated (Nehemiah 9:28) and withheld his judgments that would have destroyed them(Nehemiah 9:30-31). Children of God, ponder this wonderful subject of distinguishing grace and love, here preached to us by the Lord himself. The Lord demands concerning the fact, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Yes! he was, his elder brother. As such, concerning the right of inheritance, Esau was legally entitled, and that by the very law of God, to the birth-right. But he was set aside by the decree of God from it; and Jacob was preferred and chosen. And this choice of the younger, and rejection of the elder, was in the decree of the Lord, before that either was born. Paul, the Apostle, was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to preach the sermon God gave Malachi to teach us the sweet, sweet doctrine of God’s sovereign election of our souls unto salvation in Christ. Mark, O my soul, mark the love tokens of God to his people! — Election in Christ Jesus from of old. Covenant engagements made by Christ on his behalf. Accomplished Redemption by the Lord Jesus. Regeneration and the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Pardon of sin, free justification, adoption and sanctification. Preservation to this hour, and promise for all future time. Presentation in Glory! This is a scanty list of the ways by which the Lord has said to every heaven-born soul, “I have loved you.” Do we not remember times of love when this was personally sealed upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit? Even now the Lord speaks thus to his redeemed by his Word, and by his Spirit. Do you not hear it? Are you not touched with such a gracious and condescending avowal of God’s love to your soul? All these tokens of special love and distinguishing grace personally bestowed upon Jacob, were not limited to Jacob, but included all the seed of Jacob (Genesis 28:1-14). Those blessings were not merely temporal, physical blessings. We know that because as soon as the Lord bestowed them, Jacob was compelled to flee for his life. He told Pharaoh that the days of his pilgrimage had been few and evil (Genesis 47:9). Yet, he knew himself to be a man distinctly blessed of God in Christ. Chosen in Christ. Redeemed in Christ. Accepted in Christ. And blessed in Christ! What a vast thought this is! God’s love for our souls in Christ is here set forth as that which is altogether free, and altogether without motives and conditions in us. It was bestowed upon us in Christ before we had any being in ourselves, or even in Adam, before we had done or could have done any good or evil! “How many are there the distinguishing objects of this rich, free mercy in Christ, who through the weakness of their faith, and their inattention to divine things, even after partaking of the sweet effects of it, in regenerating, converting, renewing grace, are frequently without full and clear views of their happy and unspeakably blessed state in Christ, in the enjoyment of it?” — Robert HawkerLOVED “Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?” — Shocking and disgraceful as it is, how often we question our Savior’s love for our souls! How often, how sadly, how dishonoringly we hold the love of God to us in suspicion, as though his love for us depended upon something in us or done by us! “Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?” Such a question is asked— Under great afflictions in which there seems to be no relief. Petulantly, the sorrowing one sometimes questions divine love. The sight of the wicked prospering often causes even a faithful David to vainly imagine that God’s love is suspended (Psalms 73). In horrid pride many a poor despised believer has rashly doubted the special love of God! In times of grievous doubt as to one’s personal salvation, and under heavy temptations of Satan, the same doubt has arisen. LOVE (Romans 5:6-8) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (1 John 4:9-10) “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (Ephesians 3:14-19) “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Illustration: Worm in the FireUpon what grounds dare we call into question the mercy, love, and grace of our God? We have absolutely no reason to entertain the slightest shade of doubt! Did he not promise? Will he not perform it? — “God is not a man that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19). Mr. Spurgeon reasoned like this – “The Scripture says, ‘He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life!’ I believe the Son of God. I have life!” Why should we question that ever? Paul didn’t! (2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” “Who is he that condemneth?” “Who shall separate us from the love of God?” I refuse to doubt God’s love because of something I have thought, or said, or done. His love is free and unconditional! I refuse to question his grace because of my sin. While I acknowledge the abundance of my sin, I will rejoice in the superabundance of God’s free grace in Christ. I am not going to be suspicious of his mercy because I do not deserve his mercy. Mercy is for the undeserving! ESAU HATED The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Hebrews, explains Malachi’s account of Esau in Malachi 1:4. For those who seek to make God’s word in Malachi 1:3, “and I hated Esau” mean something less than God intends, just read the meaning God gives of it in Malachi 1:4. Even the Lord’s hatred of Esau was intended to display his love for Jacob. Even God’s treatment of the reprobate displays his love for his elect! (Malachi 1:4) “Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.” Esau, who was a fornicator, and a profane person (Hebrews 12:16), was left to a reprobate mind, being rejected, or as Malachi in this portion of Holy Scripture speaks, hated of God. So also was all his race, the Edomites. When it is said here that his mountains and heritages were laid waste, it is obvious that the meaning is altogether spiritual. As the mountain of the Lord’s house is used to speak of the elect (Micah 4:1-2), so here the mountain of Esau represents the reprobate. Esau, and the seed of Esau, void of grace in this world, shall have no part in the glory of Christ in the world to come. (Malachi 1:5) “And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” (Ephesians 2:7) “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Jude 1:24-25) “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.” (Revelation 19:1-6) “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. (4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” LOVE ADORED (Malachi 1:2-3) “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, (3) And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” Child of God, before you go to bed tonight, sit down and mediate for a while upon some of the particulars and characteristics of God’s grace, and behold its freeness, fulness, greatness and sovereignty. How undeserving we are! How unexpected grace is! Yet, if possible, more astonishing still are the distinguishing operations of God’s grace for us and upon us! “The Lord himself invites his redeemed people to this blessed study; and when a poor sinner can receive it, and mark his own interest in it, nothing more tends to humble the soul to the dust before God, and compels it to cry out, under a deep sense of its own unworthiness, ‘Lord, how is it that thou hast manifested thyself to me, and not unto the world?’” — Robert HawkerIn this demand of God, the question is decided and answered. — “I have loved you, saith the Lord. But ye say, wherein hast thou loved us?” Those words might be read, “Wherefore hast thou loved us, when we were utterly undeserving of your love? How is it, Lord, that your grace was so personal and distinct?” To that the Lord replies, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? yet I loved Jacob, and hated Esau.” It is as if the Lord had said, “I have been showing my distinguishing love for my elect from the beginning. Was not Esau Jacob’s brother, his elder brother and his stronger brother? Had there been any right of inheritance by birth, or from my covenant with Abraham, was not Esau to be preferred to Jacob? Yet, to shew the freeness and sovereignty of my decrees, before the children were born, before they had done either good or evil, it was said by me, ‘The elder shall serve the younger.’” “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.” — “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” — Trace this grand, glorious theme through the Book of God; and when you have done so, think of your own experience of God’s special love for you, and fall in the dust before him! It is, and ever must be, from the same distinguishing mercy, love and grace, and from this alone, that one man differs from another; for all that we have is what we first received. Where wert you, when the Lord Jesus passed by and bid you live? How were you engaged, when grace first taught your eyes to overflow? What were you, when he who persuades Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem, persuaded you and constrained you by his love? What is it that keeps you now, amid all your coldness, indifference, and wanderings, from falling away, but that same distinguishing love, and mercy, and grace? Who, but God our Savior, could keep the immortal spark of grace from going out, amidst those floods of corruption that arise within? Who but Christ could prevent the incorruptible seed, ever compassed about with weeds of wickedness in our nature? Precious Lord Jesus! Let others say what they may, or think what they will, be it our portion to lie low in the deepest self-abasement, under the fullest conviction that it is your free grace alone, and not creature merit in our poor souls, that makes the difference between us and a reprobate world! Every time pride arises in our hearts, or any thought of personal excellence swells in our vain minds, speak these words to us by your Spirit and graciously make us hear your voice. — “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord; yet! loved Jacob, and Esau have I hated.” (Malachi 1:5) “And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” Amen.

Malachi 1:5

SERMON #4. “THE LORD WILL BE !” Text: Malachi 1:5 Subject: The Coming Display of the Glory of God Date: Sunday Evening — May 17, 2009 Introduction: Malachi 1:1-5 is a proclamation of God’s distinguishing mercy, love and grace toward and upon his elect. Here the Lord God shows us, in language that cannot be misunderstood that he loves Jacob, his elect, and he hates Esau, the reprobate. In our text tonight, Malachi 1:5, the Lord our God assures his chosen that, when he is done, when he has fulfilled all his purpose and performed all things after the counsel of his own will, then our eyes shall see his glory in all things. (Malachi 1:5) “And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” You, sons of Jacob, be assured of this, — When Edom is destroyed forever, “your eyes shall see” the glory of the Triune Jehovah in all his mighty works. — “And ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.” He will be magnified in the border of Israel — in Zion, among his redeemed in heaven. He will be magnified upon the border of Israel — because of the complete salvation of his Israel (Romans 11:27). He will be magnified from the border of Israel — from his elect in heaven’s glory. It often appears that Edom builds and Esau prevails. It often seems that the gates of hell prevail against God’s church. It often look like the beast of hell will destroy the Christ of God, the church of God and the Gospel of God. — But things are not as they commonly appear. — “THE LORD WILL BE !” That is my subject tonight. I want you to see it, rejoice in the prospect of it and anxiously anticipate it. — “THE LORD WILL BE !”This is the desire of God’s elect in every age (Psalms 35:27; Psalms 40:16; Psalms 70:4; Psalms 83:1-18). (Psalms 35:27) “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” (Psalms 40:16) “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” (Psalms 70:4) “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.” (Psalms 83) “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. (2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. (3) They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. (4) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (5) For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: (6) The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; (7) Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; (8) Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (9) Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: (10) Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. (11) Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: (12) Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. (13) O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. (14) As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; (15) So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. (16) Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. (17) Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (18) That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Malachi 1:5) “And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” I spent a good bit of time studying this statement by God’s prophet, cross-referencing it with other portions of Holy Scripture. Then, when I got to Ephesians 1:10, I thought to myself, “That’s the very best explanation that could ever be given of Malachi’s promise.” So I want you to turn to Ephesians 1:10 and hear the Word of the Lord. (Ephesians 1:3-10) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” (Ephesians 1:10) “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Commenting on this verse, Robert Hawker wrote… “There is not perhaps the fellow to it, in relation to the vast subject it treats of in all the Bible. It opens to us the very heart of God, as it respects his whole designs of grace, toward the Church. It shows us, how, from all eternity, the mind of Jehovah hath been occupied on this grand concern. And…it most plainly and decidedly shows that the whole designs of Jehovah, are to glorify the Lord Jesus. All is said to be decreed for him. All things are to center in him.

The dispensation of (all) events, and the fulness of times, are all directing their several pursuits to this one termination. And, like the numberless rays of light, converging to one center, all are to meet in him. I admire the repetition, even in him. There is a blessed emphasis in it, and so designed to be, in order to intimate the importance of the thing: even in him. We have another beautiful example of the same kind (Colossians 1:20). By him I say, saith Paul.

As if (and which is in reality the case,) the glory of Christ, (which is the only visible manifestation of Jehovah,) became the one and only object, for which the Lord went forth in acts of creation (2 Corinthians 4:16. John 1:18).” I acknowledge at the outset that I have no hope of entering into the depths of this vast declaration of God’s eternal purpose of grace in Christ. I have studied it with ever-increasing awe, reverence and gratitude for forty-three years. The more I study it, the more I realize that I have not yet begun to enter into the wonders of grace here set before us. All I can do is give you a brief sketch of what I see of our God’s infinite wisdom and prudence along the shore lines of this great ocean of grace. Proposition: Everything that God has done, is doing and shall hereafter do is moving toward the accomplishment of this one great end. — “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” — “And,” wen the end comes, “your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel!” THE First, Paul speaks of a period of time that he describes as “the dispensation of the fulness of times.” What period of time is this talking about? And what is meant by “the dispensation of the fulness of times”? As in all things, we must seek the answers to those questions in the Book of God alone. The word “dispensation” simply means, “stewardship.” It refers to the management of a household, or the management, oversight and administration of another person’s property or business. In Ephesians 3:2, the Apostle speaks of the ministry God had given him as a “dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). (Ephesians 3:1-2) “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (2) If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” That is what is to be called into the ministry. It is to be given a “dispensation of the grace of God.” It is to be given a stewardship of grace in the house of God. Specifically, in Ephesians 1:10, the word “dispensation” refers to the universal dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which he executes the will of God in time (John 17:2; Romans 14:9). (John 17:2) “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” (Romans 14:9) “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” As Paul states it in Ephesians 1:20-22, the Lord God gave his Son, our divine Mediator, the reins of universal monarchy “when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” All power in heaven and in earth has been given to the God-man, our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he might execute his eternal purpose in the salvation of his people, to the everlasting “praise of the glory of his grace.” That is the meaning of the word “dispensation” in our text. THE FULNESS OF TIMESBut what is meant by “the dispensation of the fulness of times”? Again, let’s look into the Word of God for the answer. Our text tells us that God’s eternal purpose of grace is to be accomplished in the fulness of times by the gathering together of all things in heaven and on earth in Christ. The only other place in which we find a similar statement is in Galatians 4. (Galatians 4:4-6) “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The “fulness of times” obviously began with the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Yet, Ephesians 1:10 tells us that it is something not yet fulfilled. So the fulness of times refers to the whole gospel age. It began with our Savior’s first advent and will continue until his glorious second advent, culminating in the fulfillment of God’s everlasting covenant and the full salvation of all his elect in Christ. This is what Paul speaks of in Romans 11:25-29. (Romans 11:25-29) “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (27) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (28) As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. (29) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The contemplation of Christ’s dominion, executing all the will and purpose of God in providence, and that culminating in the complete salvation of all God’s elect, and the final gathering together of all things in Christ was glorious in Paul’s eyes, and ought to be glorious in ours (Romans 11:33-36). (Romans 11:33-36) “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (34) For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (35) Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? (36) For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” A The word translated “gather together” suggests many things. It might be better translated “gather together again,” “reunite,” or “restore.” There was a time when all things were one. In the original creation, the angels of God were one; but they were divided by sin. Adam was one with the heavenly angels; sin divided men from the angels of God. All creation was one with Christ the Creator. How horrible and sad, how far reaching the consequences of sin are in God’s creation! Sin has separated man from God; and sin separates men from men. We were created as one; then sin entered. And since the day sin entered, man has been divided. We are divided by race, by face, and by place! And the more we appear to try to unite the human race, the more we are divided! After the fall of Adam, our parents were expelled from the Garden of Eden and fallen man was scattered as one race over the face of the earth. After the flood, mankind was divided into three races, and scattered through the earth. Since that day, the divisions and scatterings have constantly multiplied. No culture, no society, no civilization has ever stopped, or even slowed the divisions. I grew up in the deeply segregated South during the tumultuous civil rights struggles of the 50’s and 60’s. In the last 50 years we have seen legislation after legislation, “The Voting Rights Act,” “Forced Integration,” “School Busing,” “Affirmative Action,” literally hundreds of laws, by which the courts of our land and the legislative branches of government, both State and Federal, have tried to bring men together; but all have been miserable failures. There is more racial division in the United States today than ever in our life time. The goal is good. How blessed it would be if men and women could live together as one! But such a goal is not attainable by human effort.

I do not mean to suggest that we should not try to attain it. We should. But I do say that it is unattainable. All of human history and experience verifies that fact. But our text speaks of, and assures us of a reuniting of all things in Christ. The word translated “gather together” also conveys the idea of “recapitulation,” or “summarization.” For example, sometimes in preaching I will summarize a message by going over the main points of it. It also suggests a mathematical sum, the total of things added together. Taken in this sense, it refers to the final summing up of all things in Christ. All the Blessings and Promises of the Covenant. All the Types, Shadows and Sacrifices of the Law. All the Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament. All the Revelation of God in Holy Scripture. All the Hosts of God’s Elect. Christ is the Sum Total of all. Again, those words, “gather together in one,” might be translated “reduce to one.” In a word, when all is said and done that must be said and done, “Christ is All, in all!” Everything shall at last be reduced to this, that he might have the pre-eminence, that he might be the Firstborn among many brethren. What is grace, but Christ? What is redemption, but Christ? What is salvation, but Christ? — (1 Corinthians 1:30) What is heaven, but Christ? What is the Church, but Christ? What is the glory of God, but Christ? What is the will of God, but Christ? What is God, but Christ? — (Colossians 2:9-10) (Colossians 2:9-10) “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” TO GATHER (Ephesians 1:10) “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” I have no doubt that the primary thing intended by Paul’s declaration in this verse is the gathering together of all God’s elect in Christ. The fact is, our God according to the abounding wisdom and prudence of his grace has scattered his elect across the face of all the earth in wrath that he might in his great mercy gather them all together in one in Christ, for the everlasting praise and glory of his own great name. We see this fact stated so commonly through the Scriptures that it is astounding that it is so commonly overlooked (Deuteronomy 30:3; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 11:17; Ezekiel 20:34; Ezekiel 20:41; John 11:49-52). (Deuteronomy 30:3) “That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.” (Jeremiah 31:10) “Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” (Ezekiel 11:17) “Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” (Ezekiel 20:34) “And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.” (Ezekiel 20:41) “I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.” (John 11:49-52) “And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, (50) Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (51) And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; (52) And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” In redemption, by the sacrifice and blood atonement of his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord God gathered together all his elect in one in Christ. God was in Christ reconciling the world of his elect unto himself, not imputing our trespasses unto us, but imputing all our sin to his darling Son who was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. (21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” In the redemption of our souls at Calvary all God’s elect were brought together before his holy law and justice in one Head, the Lord Jesus. And all the sins of God’s elect were gathered together in him, made to meet on him, punished in him to the full satisfaction of justice, and put away by him, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace!” In regeneration and effectual calling, by the omnipotent grace and almighty mercy of God the Holy Spirit gathers God’s elect one by one into his garner, by the preaching of the gospel (Matthew 13:24-30; Mark 13:27; Luke 3:17). (Matthew 13:24-30) “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: (25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. (26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? (28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (29) But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Mark 13:27) “And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” The gospel we preach is the fan by which the Son of God purges his threshing floor, separating the chaff from the wheat, the precious from the vile, and gathers his wheat into his garner. (Luke 3:17) “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.” Being gathered out of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue, gathered from all the divided peoples of the earth, in Christ we are made one (Colossians 3:10-13). (Colossians 3:10-13) “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Then, when our blessed Savior comes again in his glory, he will gather all his elect together in resurrection glory. Paul calls this “our gathering together unto him” (2 Thessalonians 2:1). He describes the majesty of it in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” “Our gathering together unto him” — What a blessed prospect! Let those five words echo through our souls. — “Our gathering together unto him” What a gathering that will be! No wonder Paul calls this “the blessed hope” of every believing heart. This gathering will take place at the end of the world, in the day when Christ returns to earth the second time, when “the fulness of times” is finished. Our Savior went away in the clouds of heaven, and in the clouds of heaven he will return. Visibly, in the body, he will return. And the very first thing that Christ will do will be to “gather together” his people (Matthew 24:31). (Matthew 24:31) “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The sleeping saints will be raised first. Then the living saints will all be changed, “in a moment,” “in the twinkling of an eye!” It is written, “The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” When every member of Christ is found, and not one is left behind, when soul and body, those old companions, are once more reunited. That will it be a great “gathering.” — All gathered to gather in one, in Christ, even in him! Adam and Eve Abel and Abraham Abraham and Lot Isaac and Isaiah Noah and Simeon Rahab and Ruth Tamar and Bathsheba Paul and Barnabas Peter and John David and Don! Children of God, we have no reason to fear in the day of gathering, however fearful the signs that may accompany it. Before the final destruction of all things begins, we will be hidden in the secret place of the Most High. What miracles of grace will be revealed in that day! We will see some in heaven whom we never expected would have been saved at all. The confusion of tongues will finally be reversed, and done away. The assembled multitude will cry with one heart and in one language, “See what God has done” (Numbers 23:23). We shall be gathered by Christ, gathered unto Christ, gathered in Christ, and with gathered Christ! All the family will be gathered (2 Peter 3:9). We will all be of one mind in all things. We will all be presented faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy! We will never part! And all sorrow will be gone forever! Then, when all the saints are gathered to glory and all the wicked forever cast into hell, our Lord Jesus Christ will make all things new, and we shall see all things reconciled to God in that glorious day called “restitution of all things!” — “What a day, glorious day that will be!” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (27) For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. (28) And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (Malachi 1:5) “And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” In that blessed day, when the Lord is magnified from the border of Israel, we will see and all the world will be made to see, and made to see clearly, what God has been declaring since the beginning: “I loved Jacob, and hated Esau” (Malachi 1:2-3). Amen.

Malachi 1:6-11

SERMON #5. A LEAD PIPE CINCH Text: Malachi 1:6-11 Subject: The Honor of God Date: Sunday Evening — May 31, 2009 Introduction: Let me begin my message tonight by telling you three things about preachers, three things about all true preachers. There are preachers all over the world today, plenty of them, way too many of them! There are, I suspect, more preachers today, in the United States alone, than there ever has been in the whole world prior to this day. We’ve got preachers everywhere. But there are some true God called, God sent, God anointed preachers, messengers of the Lord. And those men who are sent of God are concerned for three things. Faithful men, men called and sent of God, men who are the servants of God are concerned for the souls of their hearers. They are not interested in your money, but your soul. They seek nothing from you, but seek the grace of God for you. They do not wish to be served by you, but earnestly desire to serve you. I’m not interested in your social status, but your spiritual well-being. (2 Corinthians 4:1-7) “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; (2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. (6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Faithful men are faithful to God, faithful to his Word and faithful to your souls. I prepare my messages and preach with fear and trembling, lest I say something contrary to the Gospel, or lead you contrary to the Revelation of god in his Word. I want, desperately and earnestly, to be true to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for the eternal well-being of your immortal souls. The man God has called and gifted and sent forth to preach the Gospel knows that he must preach the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). The man God has called to preach the Gospel understands that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. He knows that God saves his elect by the foolishness of Gospel preaching, that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So, when he preaches, he preaches the Gospel. Ruin by the Fall Redemption by the Blood Regeneration by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 9:16) “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” There is nothing for me to glory in, if I preach the Gospel. If I preach the gospel, I do so because God taught me the gospel, because God gave me the gift to preach the Gospel and because God gives me some hearers to whom I can preach. I have nothing of which to glory. Necessity is laid upon me. I must preach the Gospel. Woe is unto me if I don’t preach the Gospel! Gospel preachers just must preach the gospel. They just have to do it. They cannot be happy not preaching the Gospel. And they do it constantly, with simplicity. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. (2) For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (3) And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: (5) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” First, God called men are concerned for your souls. Second, they are Gospel preachers. And… Third, faithful, God called men preach the Gospel for the glory of God. That is their main concern in all their labors. The genuine concern is of every man, in every generation, who is called and sent forth of God to preach the Gospel is the glory of the Triune God. Faithful men have no interest in popularity. They are concerned for the glory of God. Faithful men do not seek possessions. They seek the glory of God. Faithful men are not about getting honor to their name, but about getting honor to God’s name. Faithful men do not seek to promote themselves. They seek to promote the glory of God. Now, as I say, amidst all the hoards of self-seeking, self-promoting, self-serving, worthless preachers there are in this world, there are some true preachers. There are not a lot of them, but there are some. And those men will be found proclaiming and seeking to make men and women know the greatness and glory of God. They will be found pressing upon their hearers the claims of the Triune God, pressing upon men the demands of God that men sanctify, honor and hallow his name as God. That is exactly what we find the prophet Malachi doing in Malachi chapter 1, Malachi 1:6-11. Open your Bible to Malachi 1:6 and I will talk to you for a little while about A LEAD PIPE CINCH. You will see why I chose that for the title of my message very shortly. HONOR GOD First, in Malachi 1:6, the Prophet Malachi speaks for God to his people and tells us that we ought to honor God as our Father and fear (reverence) him as our Master. (Malachi 1:6) “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4). — If the Lord God has made even the wicked to honor him in the Day of Judgment, how he ought to be honored by us, whom he has adopted as his own children! “If then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name.” — What strong words of reproof! Here, the Lord God appeals to the most common principles and laws of nature. Children honor their fathers and servants reverence their masters. How much more we ought to honor the Lord God as our Father and reverence the Triune Jehovah as our Master! “If then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name.” — May God the Holy Spirit brand this upon our hearts and minds, and by it separate us from the other herds of this world. OUR FATHER AND OUR MASTER The Lord God asks, “If I be a Father, Where is mine honor?” — Is he a Father? Of course he is, a Father like no other father. He is… The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, — His Eternal Son — and our Everlasting Surety. The Father of All Creation: — Angels, — Men, — the Father of All as Our Creator. The Father of Mercies. The Lord God was a Father to Israel, as a nation, as he was to no other nation. In that typical relationship, by which he shadowed forth his relationship to his elect in Christ, the Lord God stood as a Father to Israel, whom he adopted as his own. O what honor he deserves as our Father! Lord God, give me grace to honor You as my Father! Forgive my shameful dishonor; and give me grace to honor You… With a Heart of Love. A Life of Devotion. A Confident Faith. A Spirit of Meekness. And Implicit Obedience. Read on. Next, he asks, “And if I be a Master, Where is my fear?” — The word “Master” is really a plural word. The Triune Jehovah is asking, — “If I (God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit) am your Masters, Where is my Reverence?” Is He a master? Indeed, he is! — The Master of All Things! — The Master of All Men! — And Distinctly Our Master! If he is our Master, distinctly and personally, savingly and everlastingly our Master, how we ought to reverence him! These questions are specifically asked of those men whom God took as his firstborn, the priests. — “If then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name.” Oh, how aggravating the sins of God’s priests are! Certainly, the Prophet is addressing the priests of the Old Testament who were responsible to lead the people of God in the honor and reverence, worship and service of the Triune Jehovah, but who rather led them to despise him name. But we who are made of God in Christ “a royal priesthood,” must apply these reproofs to ourselves. Let each priest in the house of God apply them, where needed and as needed, to himself. When God reveals himself to us as Father, when he calls us to himself and adopts us into his family, giving us the Spirit of adoption, creating in us the blessed gift of faith in Christ, it is that we might honor him as our Father (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3; Galatians 4:4-6). (Exodus 20:12) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Ephesians 6:1-3) “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Galatians 4:4-6) “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” To honor God as our Father is to have a childlike reverence for Him. It is to confidently depend upon him, minute by minute. It is to flee to Him at the first hint of danger. It is to take every need to Him. It is to be secure with Him as our Father. To honor God as my Father is to obey Him without question. GOD’S NAME Instead of honoring God as our Father and reverencing Him as our Master, we (His chosen people, His chosen priests) have terribly despised his name! God forgive us; but it is so! Perhaps you think I am being harsh and severe. Perhaps you immediately respond to that charge as Israel of old responded to it when Malachi made it. — “And ye say, Wherein have we despised Thy name?” God’s prophet answers in no uncertain terms. — The priests had turned what they called worshipping and serving God into a profitable business, and by example taught the people that God deserves no honor and no reverence. They did not refuse his worship altogether. They kept the name and kept up the practice; but instead of offering God that which was without spot and blemish, they offered him that which was worthless (Malachi 1:7-8). (Malachi 1:7-8) “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. (8) And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.” The priests were offering polluted bread and maimed and diseased animals on God’s altar! The people who came to worship the Lord would bring the best of their beasts, and the priests, for their own profit, slipped in a worthless animal, and kept the valuable one for themselves. They had become so habituated to this piece of economical religion, that they saw no harm in it, and when they offered the lame and the sick and the blind for sacrifice they said to themselves, “That is not evil.” So Malachi thrust these words into their ears, hoping to rouse their seared consciences. He says, “Take that diseased creature, with its mange and broken legs, that filthy thing you are not ashamed to lay on God’s altar, to your governor. See what he thinks of it.” But you think such worthless service is honoring to God!” — We ought never offer to God that which costs us nothing! To do so is to despise His name and make the table of the Lord contemptible. But the prophet’s words are yet more piercing. It seems obvious to me that his spiritual eye is looking beyond the polluted sacrifices offered upon a material altar to another kind of polluted sacrifice, that which God calls “filthy rags.” The polluted bread and the blind and lamb sacrifices by which men most pollute God’s altar and show how they despise his name is that Pharisaical self-righteousness by which proud man attempts to supplant and overturn the righteousness of Christ. Everything offered without an eye to Christ is polluted. It is, in the language of the Prophet, lame and sick and blind. And as under the law, whatever was blemished was rejected, so in the Gospel, every offering except the one perfect offering of the Lord Jesus Christ is blemished and rejected. — “It must be perfect to be accepted!” A CALL Though man is so vile, though we pollute his altar, God is gracious still. Listen to this gracious call of the Lord’s Prophet to his erring people (Malachi 1:9). (Malachi 1:9) “And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.” He may be gracious, though we are guilty. He may receive us, though we have sinned so horribly. “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Numbers 14:18). — “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy” (Psalms 145:8). — “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18). (Psalms 130) “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. (2) Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. (3) If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (4) But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. (5) I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. (6) My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. (7) Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. (8) And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” HELPS TO Malachi’s object here is not merely to scold, but to correct. He wants us to honor God, to honor Him as our Father and reverence Him as our Master. He does so by calling our attention to the great majesty of our God in three distinct ways. Malachi begins this short paragraph in Malachi 1:6 by showing us that God is our Father and our Master, and then devotes the rest of the paragraph to showing us that the Lord our God is so majestic in authority and self-sufficiency and universality as God our Father that it is only reasonable for us to honor Him as our Father and reverence Him as our Master. First, the Prophet repeatedly calls him “the LORD of Hosts” (Malachi 1:6; Malachi 1:8-11). Malachi 1:6 — “And if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 1:8 — “Will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 1:9 — “Will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 1:10 — “I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 1:11, “My name is great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.” “Hosts” means multitudes of armies or angels or stars. So what Malachi wants us to see and feel is that our Father in heaven has infinite authority in all the universe. He can order any and every army on the earth and in heaven above to accomplish his purposes among the nations, whether they know it or not. He has myriads of unstoppable angels who do his bidding perfectly and never fail in their errands. And he has appointed every star in the universe its position. He holds them in place — all of them — and calls them all by name. And on the altar of this Father the priests are offering animals with mange and broken legs! — On the altar of this Master men dare to offer the feces of their own righteousness! Second, Malachi shows us that God our Father, the Almighty Creator and Master of the universe, needs nothing from us (Malachi 1:10). (Malachi 1:10) “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.” Men think they can put God in their debt. Vain man foolishly imagines that God needs him for something! But that is not the case. This 10th verse is really much stronger than our Authorized Version suggests. It might be read: — “Why doesn’t one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. No, I am not pleased. The LORD of hosts is not pleased. And I don’t want any more of this so-called worship!” — “Close the temple. I don’t want the smell of your sacrifices. I don’t need the food of your sacrifices.” He who owns all things needs nothing! He doesn’t need us. We need Him! (Psalms 50:9-12) “I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. (10) For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. (11) I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. (12) If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.” He “is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Our majestic Father owns every square foot of this world. He has Creator rights to everything. This world is His. This land is His land. This land is His land! — From California to the New York Island, — From the Red Wood forests to the Gulf Steam waters, —This land was made for God and for his Name. And on the altar of this majestic Father the priests are offering animals with mange and broken legs! — On the altar of this Master men dare to offer the feces of their own righteousness! A LEAD PIPE CINCH Finally, Malachi helps us get a sense of the majesty of God our Father, the Triune God, our Master, by showing us that some day his authority and his ownership, his dominion and his Lordship will be honored among all people and in every place. That is a lead pipe cinch. You know what a cinch is. — Don’t you? A cinch is the strap that reaches under a horse’s belly, by which you tighten a saddle. The cinch (hopefully) keeps the saddle, and the rider, from falling off the horse, no matter how fast or rough the ride. A cinch is what those bull riders use to tighten around their hands and around the bull, by which they hope to hold on for the ride. Well, in Malachi 1:11, God’s Prophet gives us a lead pipe cinch, a dead sure thing. He is saying, tighten down the saddle and hang on. — The ride may be rough, but God Almighty will be honored everywhere! Here is one of the most amazing and most exciting promises in all the Old Testament. (Malachi 1:11) “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.” Without question, this sweet promise is a prophecy of this blessed Gospel Day, assuring us that in every place in which human beings dwell the Gospel shall be preached and God’s elect shall be called (Psalms 11:3; Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 45:6; Isaiah 56:7; Isaiah 60:3-5; Isaiah 66:19) (Psalms 113:3) “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.” (Isaiah 2:3) “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 45:6) “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 56:7) “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 60:3-5) “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. (5) Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” (Isaiah 66:19) “And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.” But Malachi 1:11 reaches beyond this Gospel Day to that great end of all days, when time shall be no more and all God’s elect, out of every nook and cranny of this world have been saved by his free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus, to the praise of his glory (Isaiah 66:20; Romans 11:26-27). (Isaiah 66:20) “And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.” (Romans 11:26-27) “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (27) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” Turn to Isaiah 45 for just a minute, and I’ll wrap this up, giving you a reason to confidently trust him. We read earlier, “The Lord hath made all things for himself,” that is for the glory of His own great name. And when he gets done, He will have His great name glorified by all His creatures, everywhere. That’s a lead pipe cinch! (Isaiah 45:20-25) “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. (21) Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (22) Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (23) I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (24) Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. (25) In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” When God gets done with this world, everybody is going to know who he is. God almighty raised up Pharaoh and destroyed him for the saving of his people, to make all men know who he is. When God was done, at the end of the day, everybody in Egypt as well as Israel knew who God is. They did not all know him; but they all knew who he is. God raised up Cyrus to deliver Israel out of Babylon. He was a splendid type of Christ. But God raised him up to deliver Israel and to deliver them in a specific way, for the reason stated in Malachi 1:6. — “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” Now, hear me. — God created, rules, and disposes of all things in the universe, for this one great reason, that everyone may know him and glorify him in the salvation of his people (Isaiah 45:7-18). (Isaiah 45:7-18) “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (8) Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. (9) Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (10) Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? (11) Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. (12) I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. (13) I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. (14) Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (15) Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. (16) They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. (17) But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. (18) For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” That which he has purposed, he will do. Nothing in earth or in hell can prevent it, or even hinder it. Our God is the God of purpose. He is accomplishing his purpose. Here the Lord God declares to the assembled angels and men before his august, sovereign and holy throne exactly what he is going to do. You can mark it down. — When God gets done with this world, these five things will be accomplished. God has bound himself with an oath to do them! Every knee shall bow to the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:8-11). The Lord Jesus Christ shall have a people to worship and serve him forever. — There shall be a people called out of this world who shall confess that Christ is all their righteousness and strength. — “Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24).All God’s elect shall come to Christ. — “Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come” (Isaiah 45:24; John 6:37-40). Every rebel in the universe, both men and devils, will lick the dust before the throne of Christ in utter shame and confusion of face. – “Even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.” All will bow to Christ. Some will bow in repentance by the power of his grace, and some in terror before the throne of his holy justice; but all will bow! Every chosen sinner will be saved, and being saved by grace alone, they will all glory in the Lord forever (Romans 11:36; Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). — “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.” (Romans 11:36) “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: (24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:11). — What a blessed verse! What a sweet consolation! This sweet Scripture is like a stream in the desert. It is full of grace from beginning to end. It speaks of that glorious kingdom of grace, in the Lord Jesus Christ, the church of God’s elect, that is so extensive that it includes Jew and Gentile, and more. It includes some from everywhere!

The incense offered in every place is expressly said to be a pure offering, pointing to the Lord Jesus, whose one offering, once offered, perfected forever them that are sanctified. No offering but his could be pure; for even the prayers of the saints can only come up pure before God, in, and through Him, in the censer of his offering. (Revelation 8:4-5; Hebrews 10:14). As if to give the greatest possible confirmation of this great promise, the Lord Jehovah twice affixes to the promise His own great name, assuring us that from east to west, in the great revolution of the sun’s power, through all the variations of the earth and of time, this blessing is absolute and certain. In every place where the people are found, some shall, by God’s free sovereign grace alone, be given everlasting salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed, blessed forever be Jehovah, for Jesus Christ our Savior! Lord! Hasten thy kingdom, and fulfil this promise! Then, and not until then, shall our Lord Jesus Christ stand up in the midst of glory, and say to all his creation, — “Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Revelation 21:5-6). Amen.