Opening Prayer
Lord, cleanse our hearts by the Word and by faith. Amen.
Text: Malachi 3:1-6
“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like fuller’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years. And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and the fatherless, and against those who turn away an alien – because they do not fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts. “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
Devotion
The Messenger of the covenant, whom Israel in the Old Testament waited for, is the Lord Jesus Christ. He established the covenant between God and us. This is a new covenant in holiness and righteousness, a covenant that unites the holy God and a holy people of God. But just like the unbelieving Jews, unfortunately we too are reluctant to hear this, and many completely close their ears to this truth. They want to be saved by Christ, but not to be cleansed from sin. They want to rule with the Lord, but not suffer with Him, not crucify the flesh and deny the lusts of sin. They don’t want to go through the pains of repentance and sanctification. But the Lord comes to sanctify us. He saves us from sin and cleanses for Himself His own people who are zealous for good works (Eph 2:10). He refines them like silver and purifies them like gold. If you are a true Israelite, then you will enter the fire of Christ’s sufferings. Jesus Himself is like a refining fire, and from Him comes our purification. His humiliation was relentless suffering. For the whole time He bore our sins, and through His whole life on earth He was the sacrificial Lamb under God’s wrath. In obedience to the Father’s will He was always victorious. But never did the fire go out on the altar of burnt offering, before He could cry out: “It is finished!” This atoning suffering is over, but the fire of purification still burns. Christ’s sufferings continue in His Body, the Church (Col 1:24), until the last Christian is perfected in holiness. This refining fire consists especially of many kinds of internal tribulations: fear and terror of death, dark and difficult thoughts, the devil’s arrows and blows, bitter pains from evil desires in the flesh, cares and sorrows, remorse and sadness over old and new sins, so that “hope despairs and despair hopes.” And only the inexpressible groanings with which the Holy Spirit intercedes for us sustain the soul (Rom 8:26). If you have not yet particularly felt this, dear believing friend, don’t let that worry you: God sees what each one can bear. Keep walking in the light and confess the Lord, and at the right time He shall purify you in the furnace of suffering. – For this metaphor of the purifying of gold and silver in the fire fits beautifully with another picture: “He is like fuller’s soap.” Life comes from the heart: “clean heart, clean hands.” The offering of a clean heart and clean hands pleases the Lord.
Let the messenger who goes before with his call to repentance prepare the way for Him for many hearts! Blessed are they who enter into the covenant of the people of sorrows with the Man of sorrows, for they shall also share the joy of holiness with the fully purified Church, if they remain faithful to the end.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You know it is against our flesh to suffer. Teach us to see the blessing in bearing Your cross. We feel there is still so much impurity in us. Cleanse us, faithful Savior, refine us and purify us and make us like You. Amen.
Hymn
The way You walked in cross and pain,
In pray’r and strife and sorrow,
My Jesus, grant me to attain,
And ever You to follow!
And though my flesh and blood
E’er strive against my God,
Help me still boldly hasten on
And reach at last the heavn’ly home.
Let me, a vessel of Your grace,
With grace be overflowing!
This wretched world still has no place
Where joy I may be knowing.
My life, my heav’n anew,
O lead me unto You
That I may follow faithfully
And not content with this world be!
Your light shall ever show the way
That I shall next be taking,
That I may never turn astray
From hearing Your good speaking,
But always follow You
With courage ever new,
Remembering Your burden sore
When all my sins with pains You bore!
Bonin: Den Vei, du gik i Kors og Trang L 424:1-3 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Der lieben Sonne Licht (ELH 252); alternate hymn: I walk in danger all the way ELH 252:1.2.5