Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Malachi chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3,
the last book of the Old Testament. Let's ask our Lord's blessing. Our Father, as we call upon You
this evening, Lord, how wonderful it is that we have this blessed
time to be able to assemble ourselves together in the precious and
holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we ask, would you bless
your Word. Lord, bless it, we pray, according
to your everlasting purpose in the salvation of sinners. And
Lord, for the comfort of your people. Have mercy upon us tonight. We pray for Christ's sake. Amen. In this last book, in fact, the
last part of this last book, one thing that I want us to remember
is that this is going to be the last word from Almighty God to
His people and to the national Israel. It's going to be the
last word for 400 years. They didn't know that, but the
Lord knew it. And in knowing that this was
going to be the last word, we would do well for His wisdom
that He set forth in what He was going to say to His people
concerning their state and the state of unbelievers, what was
going to happen the next time that He came. I mean, the next
word is going to be when He comes. That's when He's going to know.
That's when they're going to know the fulfillment of what's
going on right here. So knowing that He's going to
give them instruction, what's going to happen? Words to sustain
them. Words to keep them. So let's
look at this. I'm going to begin in Malachi
3 in verse 13, and I'm going to go through the end of the
book. And the Scripture, after we considered last week this
question, will a man rob God? Well, now we come to the end,
and our Lord now remembers speaking the last time, and He tells The
false professors, false preachers, false priests. He says this in
verse 13, your words have been stout, obstinate. That's what he said. Your words
have been stout against me, saith the Lord. You've murmured at
my providence. You've despised my Word. You've
mocked my name. Your words have been obstinate. What you say, I'm opposed to." And then they
call God's Word into question. And He tells them. Now, whether
they say it out loud or whether they say it in the heart, it
doesn't make any difference. God knows the heart. He knows. He
knows. After the Lord told them, Your words have been stout against
me, saith the Lord, yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against
thee?" Now, you know, for a believer,
when Almighty God reproves them, a believer bows to God's Word. He bows as the Lord. Lord, as
you say, it is. Lord, as you say, I am, I am.
As you say, you are. It's not up for debate. Thus
saith the Lord, but for an unbeliever." There's argument. They argue. The Lord says, your words have
been stout against Me. And then He said, you say, what
have we spoken so much against Me? What have we done? Denying
their guilt. That's man by nature. God says
if there's no good in any man, he's born an Adam. And men will
say, well, there's a little good. There's none good. No, not one. And so they speak as though the
Lord doesn't know the heart. They speak as though He doesn't
know what He's saying. And then verse 14, you know,
you've said, they ask you, so what do we say? He said, Your
words have been obstinate against it. And they said, What? What? He answers them. Verse
14, He said, You've said it is vain to serve God. And what prophet is it that we've
kept His ordinance and that we've walked mournfully before the
Lord of Hosts? The Lord says, This is what you've
said. This is your heart. This is your thoughts. You said
there's no profit in serving God. He said what you said. We're just not profited by it. Actually, there's no gain for
us that we can see walking mournfully before God, trying to have a
a right attitude, trying to have a humble spirit, trying to sustain
suffering with joy like you said. We have been humble worshipers. We have. That's what they said. You know, he said, you've said
it's vain to serve God and what profit is it that we've kept
His ordinance and that we have walked mournfully? before the
Lord of Hosts? We have. We have been humbled,
which is the pure speech of pride. We are broken people. Sure we are, you say. But we haven't gained anything
by it. The Lord of Hosts has not even
taken notice of it. What prophet is it that we've
walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? You have not noticed. Well, Psalm 114 says the Lord
is in His holy temple and the Lord's throne is in heaven. His
eyes behold. His eyelids try, examine the
children of men. Yeah, He's noticed. He knows. And the books of remembrance,
that which he knows, shall be opened in that day." Then their
wicked heart and attitude was exposed and the very thoughts
of their rebellion was written down. And the Scripture says,
verse 15, And now we call the proud happy Yea, they that work
wickedness are set up, built up. Yea, they that tempt God
are even delivered. This is what they're saying. We call the proud happy. That's what the Lord told them
they were doing. We call those rebels against God happy. They said, well, since this is
the case, since you've said that we are as we are, if that's the
case, since there's nothing gained by serving Him, and since we
behold that the proud and the haughty, or really the happy
people in this world, they're the ones that's getting by, these
are the ones that's enjoying the things in this life, Getting
ahead, here we are trying to be obedient. It's come to nothing. Since those that serve God are
always in distress, those that work wickedness are built up,
making it good, held in high esteem. Go on tempting God, that's what
they do, and nothing happens. You know, because God Almighty doesn't quickly
punish, man is just set to just rebel more and more because God's
justice doesn't fall speedily. Men think, there's nothing to
this, or we'll just do the same. But old men think that and they
think it to their own destruction. They think it to their own demise. Why should I give up? Why should
I give up everything? Why should I give up time and
money? There are people out here that
are doing just great. Oh, but on the other hand, boy,
what a reproof. You think about that word that
God Almighty is leaving with those that are in rebellion against
Him. He said, this is the way you
are. But listen by the grace of God to the Lord's word to
His people. Verse 16, But then they that
feared the Lord, those that respected, those that had reverence for
the Lord, spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened
and heard it. And a book of remembrance was
written before them that feared the Lord and that thought upon
His name." Here's the voice of grace. Here's the voice of God's
mercy. Those that feared Almighty God,
those that had the fear of God, the reverence and respect of
God within their heart, those that possessed a new heart made
tender toward Him, a heart of thankfulness, a heart of praise
for the God of all grace. They spoke of the Lord and to
the Lord. They spoke often one to another. I said before, you get two believers
together. And I know that there may be
Conversation, you know, light conversation. Something goes
on for a little while. But you just give it a second.
And I'll tell you where the conversation is going to go. It's going to
go to what is within their heart. The majesty, the love, the grace
of Almighty God. That's what they do. Those that
feared the Lord spake often one to another. And God heard you
too. God hearkened. It means He marked
it as well. He hearkened. He gave heed to
it. Those that were appreciative
for that undeserved kindness and that grace that had been
shown them, the Lord hearkened and He heard it. I looked that
word up. He heard it intelligently. I thought, that's a revelation. He who is the omniscient God,
the He that knows all things, that sees all things, that's
everywhere, at all times He's omnipresent. He heard it intelligently. He knew the heart of it. He knew
what He had done for them. and beheld the fruit of it, and
for the sake of His precious Son, He regarded it, hearkened to
it, gave attention to it, heard what they said. For the sake
of His Son, He blessed them for it. And a book of remembrance,
a memento, that's what it is, a memento. was written. A book of Remembrance was written
before His face or right in His face, right before Him. I just, I mean, these truths
are just more than any of us can comprehend. But this is,
this is what it, so we're saying a book of Remembrance, a memento,
a memorial was written before Him in His face and was written for them. for
them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name, that
regarded, that valued His character, His name, His honor. Now, I began
to think on this. I know that He who knows the
end from the beginning, He who knows all things, I know He doesn't
need the frailty of an actual book. I believe it's an illusion. It's a setting forth of His eternal
remembrance of the fruit of His people's praise and the fruit
of that which He's done for them. He's given them a new heart.
He everlastingly loved them. He's blessed them in Christ,
chose them in Christ, redeemed them by Christ, He called Him
by the Spirit of God. He kept Him by the power of God
through faith ready to be revealed in that last day, in that day
of redemption. And He's given Him a heart because
He loved Him. He chose Him. And seeing the
fruit of what He's done, He listens. with intelligence. He listens intelligently. Those
that thought upon his character and all his attributes and glory
and power and his son for the redemption and salvation wrought
by the precious blood. Now how is all this done? I don't know. Scripture says
a book of remembrance is written. Scripture says that the books
are going to be open. I know that Christ is the Word. I know all is going to be revealed
according to Him. All is going to be known in that
great day, but suffice it to say, the Lord knows. And everything is going to be
brought to light in that day. All things are going to be set
forth. And here's the end. Here is the end of those that
Almighty God has shown mercy to. Verse 17, And they shall
be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. In that day when I make up my
jewels, I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that
serveth him. How does a man treat his son? How does a man treat his daughter?
How does a man treat his child? How? Mercy. Love. Forgiveness. Joyfully. Think about that father
when that prodigal, that boy said, give me what's coming to
me. He spent an old riotous living. And he was faint of eating the
husk. Eating that hog food. And he
came to himself. He said, I'm going to go back
to my father's house and I'm going to tell him, I've sinned.
I've sinned against heaven. I've done it before you. I'm not worthy to be called your
son anymore. Make me as one of the hired hands
and I'll just be glad. I think about that. Not only thinking back on my
life, but just the lives of any son, any daughter. Maybe they've
been estranged, separated, hard feelings. We're separated from God. And
when it pleased God, and He called us by His grace, and we come,
made willing in the day of His power. How do you think? How do you think He's going to
receive them? He says, "...they shall be Mine, saith the Lord
of hosts. And that day when I make up My jewel, I'll spare them,
as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Here we are
called by grace, given a heart, knowing what we are. Servants. You go back and read what those
apostles, when they wrote. A servant of God called to be an apostle. A servant. Peter, a servant. Jude, a servant. A servant bowing to Him, loving
Him, seeking His honor. It is going to be manifested
in glory what Almighty God has eternally purposed and eternally
known. that have been with Him in His
heart. I've always loved you. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. In that day they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts.
In that day, that day of their death, in that day of reckoning,
in that day of judgment, in that day when we leave this earth,
in that day I make up my jewels. I'm going to spare you. I'm going
to show mercy. I'm going to show compassion.
You that I've chosen to show mercy and compassion to, that's
my glory. That's my choice. That's how
I think. That's what I'm going to do.
I will have mercy. You that have been redeemed by
the precious blood with no guilt, There's no guilt. The guilt of
God's elect, Christ-born, made sin, paid the debt. There is no payment due. That's why there's no condemnation
to them that be in Christ Jesus. There's no guilt. The presence
of sin is there. The hurt is there. The pain of
it is there. The resentment of the new man
against the sin that's there is there. But there's no guilt. There's no payment due. There's
no condemnation. Sin cast as far as east and west,
I'll spare you. Debt's been paid. Kept. You'll be my jewels. Spared from
the destruction reserved for the wicked. He shall make up
His jewels. He's going to advance and bestow
that which they've always wanted. Well, not always. I've heard
someone say one time, somebody told Brother Henry Mahan one
time, he said, I've always believed. He said, it's just a little bit
too long. No. Since the Lord called him out
of darkness, He's going to bestow. He said, I'm going to spare them
as a man spares. In that day when I make up my
jewels, I'll spare them as a man spares his own son. And give
them what they have longed for since he's called out of darkness.
He's going to give them the one thing that they've wanted. One thing. They want one thing. Do you know what it is? Psalm
27. Look at it. This is what every believer wants.
This is one thing that every believer wants. Psalm 27.4. David says, Psalm 27.4. One thing have I desired of the
Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life. to behold the beauty, the
delight of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. One thing I desire,
Lord, to be with You. Be with Him as life. Be with Him as light. Be with
Him as health. The sin has been put away by
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cast as far as the east is from
the west. And God's going to remember them
no more. And then our Lord says in verse 18, and this is actually
for both believers and unbelievers. It's both of them. He talked
to the obstinate first. He said, your words are stout
against me. And he talked to his people.
Remember, you're not going to say anything for 400 years. This
is what they're going to remember right here. This is what's going
to be taught. But then in verse 18, Then shall you return and
discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that
serveth God and him that serveth Him not. I said, Then shall you
return and discern. There's going to be a discernment.
Those that know the Lord. This is what they discern. They
know that they've been saved by the grace of God. They know
that Almighty God has shown mercy to me and that outside of Him
I am what I am by the grace of God. Without Christ, I'm nothing. I know that. That's why I know
that. Believers know that. And this is what the Lord says
that unbelievers are going to know. Then shall you return. Now that word, return, there
is a word actually, best example I can think of. It's whenever Judas betrayed
the Lord. Betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces
of silver. Covenanted with those priests
and he said, I'll point him out to you. I'll show you his 30
pieces of silver. And they gave him the 30 pieces
of silver. And then after he got the money,
the Scripture says he came back to them and he told them, he
said, I have betrayed the innocent blood. They said, what's that
to us? That's blood money now. We don't
want it. He threw it down. They took it
and brought it to Potter's Field to bury those who couldn't afford
a decent burial. Potter's Field blood. That word, return, it means they're
going to see. In that day, they're going to
see. They're going to know. It doesn't mean to return in
repentance. It's too late now. Appointed
unto man who wants to die, then the judgment. This return here
is, now I see. Now I know. Now I understand. What Almighty God has said is
now made real to me, but too late for the wicked. Then shall
you return, and you'll discern between the righteous and the
wicked. between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him
not. There will be those that are standing that day and they'll
say, Lord, we've done all these mighty works. You know that out
of Matthew 7. Cast out demons. And those that
are going to plead their own works, then they're going to
know. They're going to know then the
difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him
not. Those that plead their own works don't serve Him. Those
that serve Him, what do they do? They believe Christ. They
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the will of God. That
of all that the Father has given me, I should lose nothing. That
He should come to me. Believe. Believe. Believe. I
serve Him. I serve the Lord. I'm not saying
that believers don't do things, works, good works. Save good works. But they don't
trust in them. They don't trust Him. They put no confidence in
their flesh. Then shall you see. Then shall you know. You're going
to know in that day. And then, in these last six verses,
I'm going to read these six verses and I'm going to sum this up.
Chapter 4, For behold, the day cometh. And here again, remember,
our Lord is telling them, This is the last word. Behold, the
day cometh that shall burn as an oven. And all the proud, yea,
all that do wickedly shall be stubble. And the day that cometh
shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall
leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear My name
shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings,
And you shall go forth, grow up as calves in the stall, and
you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under
the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith
the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses,
My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel
with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day
of the Lord, and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the
children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse." For all those that
know Him, know Him in righteousness, know Him in Christ, they're going
to understand, they're going to know in that day, Almighty
God has shown mercy to me. God has been merciful to me.
And in that day, I'm going to see Him as He is. And I'm going to know Him as
I'm known. And the ungodly, as I said a
moment ago, they're going to know too. But too late. When they understand, it will
be too late. But for those that know Him,
they shall see the glory of God in their salvation. And they're
going to see Him no more by faith. But they're going to see Him
in perfect sight. I'll hold your place right there.
Just turn to Psalm 58. If you want to turn there, Psalm
58.10. I'll read it. Psalm 58.10. The righteous shall rejoice when
he seeth the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the
blood of the wicked. so that a man will say, Verily,
there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judges
in the earth. In that day, back in Malachi
4, verse 1, Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and
all the proud, yea, all that do wickedly shall be stubble.
They are going to know God is just. And the just are going
to know God is just and show grace. The day shall come it
shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, and not leave
them neither root nor branch." They're gone. Souls are going to live forever.
They're going to be changed. They're going to live where the
worm dies not. They're going to know. And our
Lord says that in that day of judgment, God's going to deal
with all rebellion. He's going to put it down. But
the Lord is going to keep His people under you that fear My
name. Shall the Son of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus, the only source,
the only fountain of light, the Son of Righteousness, shall rise
with healing in His wings. Messiah is coming. That's what
He's telling us. Four hundred years before, He's
going to rise with healing in His wings, in His birth, in His
resurrection, He's going to rise. He won't come. You shall go forth
and shall grow up as calves in a stall, fattened is what it
is. You're going to be like calves,
cared for, done for, taken care of. Jared, you know something
about that. You ought to know about it. Animals
cared for. You're going to be like calves
in a stall. They'll bring their food. Watch over them. Take care of them. The Lord said,
I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you.
The Lord will keep His own. Grow up. Grow up into maturity. Calves. You shall tread down
the wicked. For they shall be ashes under
the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this. You
notice how I said that? Let's read that again. Let me
tell you what I'm going to say. As an answer to this, and I'll
read it again, you'll understand it, we're more than conquerors
through Him that loved us. We're more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. He is the great conqueror and
we in Him. Now, knowing that He's the great
conqueror and we're more than conquerors through Him, and ye
shall tread down the wicked, For they shall be ashes under
the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith
the Lord of hosts." All things are going to be put
under His feet. All things are going to be put
down. Remember ye, verse 4, the law of Moses my servant, which
I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes
and judgments Remember the law of Moses. What do we remember? I'll tell you what we remember.
Number one, we remember we can't keep it. I tell you, that's the
first thing I remember. By the deeds of the law, no man
is going to be justified before God. Why? Because no man can
keep it perfectly. No man can keep it in pure holiness
before God. The law of God is holy, holy. When Almighty God said, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your
mind, all your soul. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Now let me ask you something. What person would even think
that they could admit. Now, I do know when that young
fellow came to the Lord and said, what shall I do, you know, to
inherit eternal life? And the Lord says, well, what
does Scripture say? And he started naming off ten commandments.
You know what he said? He said, all of these I kept
from my youth up. No, you haven't. Do you mean
to tell me that you have absolutely Obeyed God, loved God with all
your heart, never deviated, never thought about deviating. Remember, the Law of Moses, my
servant. God's Law is good. God's Law
is just. God's Law is right. God's Law
is right. The problem is right here. I
can't keep... But I'll tell you another thing
I remember about the Law of God. That was God's schoolmaster. Bring us to Christ. Lead us to
the Lord. The law showed us. You've got
one hope. You've got one hope. He who has
kept the law. He who has honored the law. Who has given honor unto it in
His obedience to it on this earth, walking before Almighty God,
and He who honored it by placing himself under its penalty with
the sins of his people. He honored the law's justice. The soul that sinned is going
to die. We remember the law of Moses, God's servant, and we
say this, Lord, you're right. Lord, we're needy and our hope
is Christ. Behold, I will send you Elijah. And you know from the revelation
of Scripture that John the Baptist, the prophet before the coming
of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. John the Baptist
came on that great and dreadful day when Almighty God is going
to purge the dross of His people. He is going to judge the sins
and the rebellion of all those that oppose Him. The day of His
first coming when He is going to put down and judge unbelief
in those that will not bow to His Son or judge their unbelief
in Himself. A great and dreadful day. And He shall turn the heart of
the fathers to the children. The heart of the children to
their fathers. Thus I come to smite the earth
with a curse. Almighty God is going to bring
His people to Himself, one in Himself. Those that are opposed
to one another, He's going to bring His people. It's going
to be one body, one faith, one baptism, one Lord, one Christ,
one Gospel. Oh, the precious words. that
our Lord left to those that opposed Him, great warning, to those
that fear Him, great joy, great comfort. Lord, as we come to
the end of this book, this blessed book, these blessed prophets
that You have taught us, teach us afresh, help us, I pray the
Lord bless these words to our heart for the precious sake of
His Son and for the good of His people. Let's stand together.