Would you turn with me tonight
to the book of Malachi again as we continue our study of this
great book found in the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi
chapter 1 and tonight I'd like to read the first five verses
and then look particularly at verse 5. It's so good to be here
and we're glad for each one that's here and again Malachi chapter
1 verses 1 through 5. the burden of the word of the
Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, said the Lord,
yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's
brother, saith the Lord? Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated
Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the
dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished,
but we will return and build the desolate places. Thus says
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 forever. The
eyes, excuse me, and your eyes shall see, and ye shall say,
the Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel. One translation puts this verse
in these words. When you see the destruction
for yourselves, you will say, truly, the Lord's greatness reaches
far beyond Israel's borders. The Lord will be magnified by
this kindness to Israel and his judgments beyond. And we'll look
at that in our second part of our lesson tonight. But we notice
in this first part that your eyes shall see. There is much
said in the scripture about sight, or the lack of it. Physical sight
is so wonderful, and we do not have words for it. And those
who have physical sight find it hard to comprehend the experience
of those who do not. Physical sight was not lost in
the garden in the fall. Spiritual sight was lost. And once again, we want to say,
what a curse is upon natural man's heart and mind and senses. Sight is such a blessing, yet
spiritual sight Spiritual seeing the Lord is a blessing grace
alone gives. No human words, works, wisdom,
or worry can produce spiritual sight in ourselves or in anyone
else. Only God can do this. Isaiah,
in the wonderful sixth chapter, is moved upon by the Holy Spirit
to declare and record God and the sight of Him. Would you join
me in the book of Isaiah chapter six? Isaiah chapter six, as we
see this wonderful passage of scripture that God gave us through
this pastor, through this preacher, through this prophet, about having
sight given to us. In Isaiah chapter 6 and verse
1, in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting
upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train fill the temple. Above it stood the seraphims.
Each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face,
and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth
is full of his glory. There is no surpassing that blessing. that Isaiah was blessed with,
and that is to see God. There is no blessing that is
greater than that. Upon seeing, Isaiah heard something
unknown to natural man, and that is holy, holy, holy. Natural man's heart and his mind
and his acts and his deeds, there is nothing holy about him. We are unholy in our acts, in
our words, in our thoughts, our deeds. Our heart is unholy before
God. But we hear these great beings
of God cry, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole
earth is full of his glory. The attribute of attributes is
declared in every direction as we hear it cried, holy, holy,
holy. And the prophet's reaction is
absolutely contrary to what religion teaches about what we should
do when we are quote-unquote saved. The book of Isaiah chapter
1 verse 5 tells us that when Isaiah saw the Lord, something
took place in his heart, in his mind, and he said, Woe is me,
for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my eyes
have seen the Lord, my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. The prophet's reaction is not
taught in religion. The prophet's reaction is given
by the Holy Spirit. To see God allows us, in a microcosm
at least, to see ourself. Woe is me. Christ is the measure. He is the Holy One. We are only
made holy in the holiness of Christ. The Lord gives his commission
to Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 9, and he said, Go
and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and
see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people
fat, and make their eyes heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert and be healed. they will not
see and they will not hear. It's amazing to me to hear the
Lord God Almighty commission Isaiah the prophet to preach
and to preach the gospel and to preach Christ and to preach
the salvation alone is in Christ Jesus the Lord and he asked how
long in verse 11 And he answered, until the cities be wasted, it
will never change. This will never be altered. The
message, the gospel, the message of Christ will never, ever be
altered from God's part. Now, it's being manipulated and
altered, and it always has been in religion. And we see it about
us. We even practiced that before
the Lord saved us. But the Lord says, until the
cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and
the land is utterly desolate. That is how long this gospel
is to be preached. In other words, till the end.
Don't change it, don't alter it. Now those alone that have
seen the Lord, those alone who have seen God, those are the
ones that receive this commission that the gospel is the only thing
that will ever save anybody, and I'm gonna send you out among
a people that will not hear it. They will not see me. It is God's
purpose that they will not see him in anything except in revelation. They will not see him in man's
works, they will not see him in man's holiness, man's doings,
man's interest, man's anything, but they will see the Lord only
as the Lord reveals himself to them. Now this particular verse
here in Isaiah chapter 6 verses 9 and 10, these two verses, this
passage is quoted at least six times in the New Testament. Once
in Matthew chapter 13, once in Mark chapter 4, once in Luke
chapter 8, once in John chapter 12, once in Acts chapter 28,
but I would like us to turn to the last one found in the book
of Romans chapter 11. And there in verse 8, Romans
11. and verse eight we have this passage of scripture quoted in
the New Testament no less than six times and here in Romans
chapter eleven and verse eight we have the last one and it says
according as it is written God hath given them the spirit of
slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should
not hear unto this day The eyes of Israel shall see, the eyes
of Esau never. The eyes of the sheep shall see,
the eyes of the goats never. And the Lord brings this up multiple
times in the New Testament, but one that really speaks to this
point is found in the book of Luke. The book of Luke chapter
10. Luke chapter 10 and there in
verse 23. Luke chapter 10 and verse 23 And he turned him unto his disciples,
and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things
that you see. Isaiah could say that. The Lord
could be speaking to Isaiah in this passage of scripture. The
Lord could be speaking unto Abel in this passage of scripture.
The Lord could be speaking unto Moses, Noah. The Lord could be
speaking unto David. The Lord could be speaking unto
Samuel. The Lord could be speaking unto
Peter, James, or John. The Lord could be speaking unto
you if you have heard this message. Blessed are the eyes which see
the things that ye see. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord. What a spiritual blessing that
God would grant to anyone, and that is to see God Almighty. For I tell you, verse 24 of Luke
chapter 10, for I tell you that many prophets and kings have
desired to see those things which you see. and have not seen them,
and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Insinuating, these have seen, and they have seen, and they
have heard, and they have heard. The scriptures are filled with
this thought of spiritual sight. Once again, in the book of John
chapter 8. John chapter 8. John chapter 8 and verse 56.
We have these words about Abraham. John chapter 8 and verse 56,
your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and
was glad. There in the book of Malachi
it talks about sight. They're going to see something. As it says, your eyes shall see
and ye shall say. Now, your eyes shall see spiritual
Israel, the church, the sheep shall see. They'll see that all
things work together for the good of them that love God to
those who are the called according to his purpose. They'll see that.
They shall see the Lord. They shall see the Lord and be
as our brother over there that said, I saw the Lord and I am
not dead. My goodness, to see the Lord
and be in the land of the living, to be with Christ. A brother
in the scriptures, in the book of Luke chapter two, I just think
about this sometimes, just meditate upon it, ruminate upon it. And here is a man by the name
of Simeon. And Simeon had been revealed
by the Holy Spirit that he would not die. Until he had seen the
Lord's Christ now. It's there We recognize and we
understand that Simeon had seen the Lord spiritually Before he
came and saw him this day He is a believer the Holy Spirit's
revealed unto him these things but he's also revealed unto him
that he'd see the Lord as we read here in the book of Luke
chapter 10 and Excuse me, Luke chapter 2. I'll get this right
here pretty soon. Luke chapter 2 and verse 28.
He said that Simeon came in where the Lord was, where he had been
brought by Mary and Joseph into the temple. They brought him
in to do after the custom of the law, verse 27. And Simeon
then took him, the Lord, up in his arms and blessed God
and said, Lord, now let us, thou thy servant, depart in peace
according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Not long ago we had a brother
speak for us here in the Dalles and he brought up the fact and
restated and reassured and whatever as we hear the scriptures taught
about God's people and said that the church here is the Lord's
church. It's not our church, it's the
Lord's church. Well, we see that come through the words of Simeon
as it's written in the scriptures. And here he says, I've seen thy
salvation. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.
He never says, I've seen my salvation. He says, I've seen thy salvation. Salvation's of the Lord. He gives
it to whomsoever He will, wherever He will, however He will, but
it's still His salvation. We don't get saved. God saves His people from their
sins. Simeon tells all, mine eyes have
seen thy salvation. This one in his arms, was all
salvation, from beginning to end. This is the one that Jonah
spoke of. This is the one that David spoke
of in his last words. This is all my salvation, this
is all my hope. This is the Lord. But Simeon
gives us an insight, mine eyes have seen him. Now, we don't
have to see, the things that took place in the Bible to believe
them. The Holy Spirit reveals. If we
read about the Lord Jesus there by the sea, calming the sea,
we don't have to go out somewhere and see that happen. We, by faith,
believe it just as if we were standing right beside Him when
He calmed the sea. We don't have to see someone
physically turn water to wine. When we read the scriptures,
the Holy Spirit gives us faith to believe just as if we had
been there with the disciples when it happened. We are just
as gladdened, we are just as rejoicing to read these things
as those people were when they saw them. We didn't have to be
there when he was crucified and hear him say, it's finished.
When we read the scriptures and those words are brought to our
attention as we read, we rejoice in them just as if we were standing
there and got to hear them with our own ears. We don't have to
be there when the tomb was opened. My, the immigration or migration
of folks to go over there. And boy, they got to see the
place where he lay, they got to go to Golgotha, they got to
go to the Jordan River. If they had faith, they could
read it and believe it, and that would be just sufficient. My
goodness, the Lord has allowed His people to see Him from afar
just as clear, as crystal, as if we were standing right there
hearing His blessed words. If they will not believe Moses
and the prophets, they would not believe though one rose from
the dead. So the Holy Spirit reveals the
truths that are there, and when He allows us to see the Lord
Jesus in a spiritual context, a spiritual blessing, it's just
as absolutely as sure as when it happened at that very moment. As we look again into the Scriptures,
we look here into the Scriptures we find that these thoughts are
brought about so often that they are part of the scripture, to
be able to see the Lord. Now, as we're looking at this
passage of scripture here in the book of Malachi, we find
that there's a second thing that we would like to examine in this
passage we're looking at tonight, and that is found there again
in Malachi chapter 1 and verse 5, And it shares with us in that
passage of scripture, just as it has all the way down through
this first chapter, these first few verses that we've looked
at, that the Lord has made such a difference. He puts such a
difference between Jacob and Esau. God has truly made a difference. between Jacob and Esau, Israel
and Edom. He's made a difference before
the two sons ever did, before the one was upset with the other. The Lord had made a difference.
He made a difference before the foundation of the world. He made
a difference in that he had Jacob's name written down in the Lamb's
Book of Life, but he did not have Esau's name written down. He made a difference in coming
with grace to Jacob, but never saving grace to Esau. Esau got
to have rain and Esau got to have the sunshine, just as he
does to all the world. but Jacob got to know the Son
of God. Jacob got to have the rain from
heaven and Esau did not. God made the difference. Now,
last Sunday we read in our study of Ezra, a verse of scripture
in the book of Exodus chapter 11. I'd like to read that tonight.
Exodus chapter 11, the Lord made a difference. It's the Lord that
does make a difference. In the book of Exodus, chapter
11, and there in verse 7, we read this, but I'd like to read
it tonight. But against any of the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast,
that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel. Did you notice that with me?
That ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel. Now he was going to demonstrate
this with the dog and his voice would not speak against a man
or beast that was of Israel, that God would show the difference.
Now God has shown the difference between Jacob's and Esau's. God
has shown the difference between Israel and Edom. God has shown
the difference here between Israel and Egypt. All words, synonymous
words that we find recorded in the scriptures Now someone might
say right here, and we find that the Apostle Paul was led by the
Spirit to head that thought off. If we have this thought that
that's not fair, the Apostle Paul was used by the Holy Spirit
to head that off. If you know Christ, that's not
going to be an issue. Because the scripture says in
Romans chapter 9 and verse 14, is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. Don't make God what we feel from
a human standpoint. Leave Him in His exalted position,
able to do all that He has purpose to do. And He's the one that
has made a difference. Now, there's a word in that verse
of scripture, a Hebrew word that's been translated, doth put a difference. This word is used six times in
the Old Testament, and this is one of them, but there's been
one used already earlier in the book of Exodus. In the book of
Exodus chapter 9, if we back up there just a little bit, we
find the same word is used there. Exodus chapter 9, and it shares
with us again that God makes a difference. He made a difference
between Israel and the Egyptians. He made a difference between
Jacob and Esau. Jacob would be preserved, Esau
will be done away. Jacob will be preserved not for
his own works, or not because of his own actions, or not because
of his own goodness, for we find before they had done any good
or evil. God, according to election, that it might stand, said, Jacob
have I loved, and Esau have I hated. Is there unrighteousness with
God? I pray that in your mind you're not thinking. That's unfair
because God does things far above our realm of thinking. My thoughts
are not your thoughts, He said, and my ways are not your ways.
So let's just leave God alone with His purpose and let Him
do as He pleases to do and let us sit here and praise Him as
God Almighty, that He has been gracious enough to open our eyes
that we might see His salvation. In the book of Exodus chapter
9 and verse 4 the scriptures tell us here the Lord says, and
the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the
cattle of Egypt and there shall nothing die at all that is of
the children of Israel. God has truly made a difference
even during these plagues. He said not There shall nothing
die of all that is the children's of Israel. I will sever. The word sever is that same word
there. I will make a difference. I will make a difference between
the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt. There's going
to be death among the Egyptian cattle. There will be no death
among the Israeli cattle. What God has made a difference
and that you might know this. This is so important that you
might know this. The Lord shall sever between.
And then once again in the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 33, we find the
same word used, translated a little bit different. Exodus chapter
33 and verse 16, that God makes a difference. He made a difference
there in the book of Malachi. Jacob have I loved and Esau have
I hated. I'll protect you, I will not
protect him. Jacob's do not build their own
building. except the Lord build the house
they that build labor in vain. So it must be the Lord's house.
It must be the Lord's building. We are just his workmanship.
So here in the book of Exodus chapter 33 and verse 16, for
therein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found
grace in thy sight Is it not in that thou goest with us? So
shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people
that are upon the face of the earth. Moses brings this up and
says, these people, thy people, shall be separated from all the
peoples that are on the face of the earth. Truly, these words
are God's word to us. I will make a difference. It
will be different. I will show mercy upon whom I'll
show mercy. I'll show grace upon whom I'll
show grace. I will love whom I choose to
love. And we love Him because He first loved us. So He's going
to make a difference. And He has made a difference.
And it's so evident throughout the scriptures. And it's brought
out here three times in the book of Exodus, I will sever, I will
separate, I will make a difference between Egypt and Israel. I will make a difference between
Egypt's cattle and Israel's cattle. Everybody will know that I've
made a difference. I've separated the people of
God from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Now in type and shadow, this Israel was made different than
all of the other nations of the world, but they, in their heart,
were just like everybody else, most of them for a fact, for
they all died in unbelief. Those who died in the wilderness
died in unbelief. But they are a picture of the
church of the living God, and they are separated. They're made
separated. They're put in their place, just
like during the time when God separated the nations. He separated
his people out of all people. In the book of Matthew, excuse
me, in the book of Psalms, in the Psalms, in the fourth
Psalm, Psalm 4, verse 3, but know that the Lord hath set apart,
hath set apart him that is godly for himself. Now they're not
godly by nature, but he's made them that. They're not holy by
nature, but he's made them that. They're not sanctified by nature,
but he's made them that. They're not born again by nature,
but he's made them that. The Lord has set apart him that
is godly. God has made them godly and he's
set them apart for himself. The Lord will hear when I call
unto him. What a blessing we have been
given to us as we've been called unto Christ. We've been called
out of this world. We've been called from darkness
to light. We've been blessed in such a
way. He said, those separated people, when they cry, I'll hear
them. I'll hear their prayer. I'll
deal with it. What a blessing God has given
us, as He makes it known that He has a separate people. He
has done the separating, it belongs to Him, and He will do with them
as He sees fit and according to His eternal purpose. In the
book of Psalms, Psalm 17, we have another time this particular
word is used, this Hebrew word translated in various ways, and
here in Psalm 17 and verse 7, says, Show thy marvelous loving-kindness,
O thou that savest by the right hand them which put their trust
in thee for those that rise up against them. Show thy marvelous
loving-kindness. Now that word loving-kindness
is the same word and it is insinuated in this word in this passage
of scripture that loving-kindness has been given out not by right,
but by grace. It's not inherited by works. It is given because of grace.
It's been given because of Christ. If God has shown loving kindness,
He has shown it on purpose. He has separated the people out.
Their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. They have
been thought of and purposed of in the everlasting covenant
of grace. And in time, those he has loving
kindness for will hear the gospel and be brought out of this world
unto Christ. And they will see him as Isaiah
saw him. I saw the Lord high and lifted
up. He never reveals a little God. He never reveals a base God. He never reveals an insignificant,
a manipulated God. God always shows a great God. That's who He is. And when He
reveals Himself, He reveals Himself as the great God, high and lifted
up, holy, holy, holy. Oh, what a blessing it is that
God grants to a people that they might know this great God. Psalms again. There is one other
place, and it's very interesting when I read this and saw that
this particular word is used here in a verse that is so often
thought of, and probably rightly so, but let's carry it just a
little bit further. That's Psalm 139 and verse 14.
Psalm 139 and verse 14, I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made. Marvelous are thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well." We often have been shared, and
it's been brought to our attention, and we think about it at times.
Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's a marvel how all of
our system works together, how some electronic, electro impulses
in our brain allow us to see, smell, touch. All of our senses
work off of this material that's in our skull. Our heart pumps
blood. We breathe air, oxygen in and
out. All of those marvelous systems,
we can even walk. What a miracle. We can pick up
a penny with our fingers. What a miracle. Millions of dollars
of research has gone in just to replace an elbow or a shoulder
or a knee. And they don't work near as well
as the original. We are fearfully and wonderfully
made. But if we keep it in the context
that we found that God's going to make a difference, or he's
going to have a separate people out of the world, I am fearfully
and wonderfully made that truly shares with us that we will not
have spiritual life unless God purposes it. will not grow into
it, will not study into it, will not be shown it by some preacher
or some Sunday school teacher, will not hear a message or read
a track and that's going to do it. It has to be done by God. He's the one that makes us. and it is fearfully and wonderfully
made. It's according to His purpose.
He saves us. By His grace, He saves us. By
His mercy, He saves us. So we are fearfully, and it indicates,
it shares with us in this very word that's used there, that
there's a separation. I don't do this for everybody.
I'll do it for my elect. I don't do it for everybody.
I will not do it for Esau's. I will do it for Jacob's. So
we are fearfully and wonderfully made. When God said that we must
be born again, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. When our
eyes get to see God, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And it's
not anything that we have done. He is the creator. We are a new
creation in Christ Jesus. So this wonderful blessing that
God makes between Jacob's and Esau's, not only do we get to
see, but he's made a difference. He's shown us through the scriptures
time and time again. And here in the book of Malachi,
your eye shall see, what a blessing, and ye shall say, the Lord be
magnified from border of Israel, from the border of Israel. The
Lord's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders. He will
show us here, even here, that I make a difference. If you know
Christ, He's made a difference. We didn't make it ourself. If
you've seen Christ, He's made a difference. If you hear Christ,
He's made a difference. If you think of Christ in a way
that you've never thought of before, He's made the difference.
So as we conclude tonight, Physical sight is wonderful, but spiritual
sight is far greater. And then to realize over and
over, it's not according to our works. But according to His mercy,
He saves us. We're His workmanship. We're
His works. We're His doing. And He has revealed
unto us the Son of God, God the Son, the glorious one, the one
that is high and lifted up, the one that the angels say, holy,
holy, holy. And we realize that He is holy. He's the only one that can impute
to us, give to us the rich blessings of grace. We're sinners by nature,
we're sinners by practice, and we're sinners by choice, but
the Lord Jesus Christ has made a difference, and he has taken
away our sin, and he has imputed to us his righteousness, and
we, the church, say amen.