On that Day, I will Make Them My Jewels!

 

  “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire Malachi 3:1-2

 

The book of Malachi is the Final book of the Old Testament, the Final prophecy given to Israel before there were 400 years of silence from God. 400 years before Jesus appeared on the scene. It is a short book, filled with warnings to people who are lukewarm in their faith, to people who cheat God out of His due by giving Him offerings that cost them nothing. These are people who complain about serving God, who think it is a waste of time and effort, who cause others to stumble, and who are unfaithful to the God they vowed to serve. Sounds rather familiar to many today.

 

You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts? Malachi 3:14

 

It is in this book, as well as Isaiah, that John the Baptist is prophesied to come upon the scene. 

 

“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me." Malachi 3:1 

 

It is in the last 2 chapters of this book  that Jesus, the Messiah is prophesied to come, not as a lamb (as He did the first time) but as a lion on that Great and terrible day of His 2nd coming. As we see in the first Scripture above, He comes as a refiner's fire, which is a fire that separates the good silver from the dross, the wheat from the chaff, the true believers from the false. Jesus, Himself, spoke of this often, but we see it most clearly in His parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13

 

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. Matthew 13:30 

 

Tares look just like wheat. These are not people who are atheist or buddists, etc. These are people who claim to be Christians and even act like Christians, but inside they don't know Jesus at all. It is my personal opinion that Jesus has already begun to separate the wheat from the tares. It is only when hard times hit that we see someone's true colors, and many people during our present world crisis are either turning away from the Lord or running to Him! 

 

I don't know about you, but doesn't it seem like the wicked are wining? That evil people are prospering? Malachi said the same thing in verse 15

 

So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free.’ ” 

 

David opined the same thing in Psalm 73

 

It may seem like the wicked are winning, but listen to what Malachi says toward the end of Chapter 3

 

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

 

Do you reverently fear the Lord? Do you think about Him often? Do you speak to others about Him? THEN, your name and your reverence is written in a book called the Book Of Remembrance up in Heaven, and the Lord God is keeping track!  That should put a huge smile on your face!  The Lord knows your name. He sees how you love Him! 

 
“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

Here, the Lord promises to spare us! From what? From the wrath He will pour out on an unrepentant world. And He will make us jewels. I looked up Jewels in the Hebrew

It means Valued Property, Special and Peculiar Treasure. 

And this reminded me of a verse in Titus 2

...looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14

You are special. You are a priceless treasure to God. You are the reason God sent His only Son to Earth to suffer and die and rise again, for YOU! 

And one day soon He is coming back to rescue you, to spare you, and gather up His Jewels. 

As far as the wicked go, Malachi concludes with their fate

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts, Malachi 4:1

And with our joy!

 

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4:2-3 

So, be encouraged!  You are a precious Jewel to the Lord and He is coming soon to rescue you. Keep looking up!