SESSION 14

A Pure PeopleThe judgment of God purifies His covenant people by refining them like precious metals.

SE S SION 14: A PU R E PEOPL E 141 DAT E OF M Y BI BL E S T U DY: 141

© 2015 LifeWay

HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AHEAD ON THE CALENDAR AND WISHED FOR A SPECIAL DAY, YEAR, OR EVENT TO QUICKLY ARRIVE?

Sure. We all have. When we’re kids we can’t wait until we turn 13 and become teenagers. Or until we turn 16 and get a driver’s license. Then we long for graduation day, and maybe later for our wedding day. Then we look forward to the day we land that perfect job or welcome a first child. Sooner or later we start thinking about a retirement date. Throughout our lives, we’re constantly eyeing some time or event in the future.

But here’s the thing: We have a limited view of what the future holds. Sometimes that wished-for day or event finally arrives, and we discover it’s not all we dreamed it could be. In fact, sometimes it turns out to be quite the opposite of what we imagined.

In Old Testament times, many of God’s people looked forward to an event called the Day of the Lord. They looked forward to it because they believed it would always be a time when God crushed Israel’s enemies and blessed the nation with peace, power, and prosperity. The people who longed for that day usually didn’t want to hear from prophets like Malachi. Malachi warned that for a disobedient people, the Day of the Lord would not bring peace but would bring distress, difficulty, and the discipline of God.

WE HAVE A

LIMITED VIEW

OF WHAT

THE FUTURE

HOLDS. IN FACT,

SOMETIMES

IT TURNS OUT

TO BE QUITE

THE OPPOSITE

OF WHAT WE

IMAGINED.

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MALACHI 3:1-7,16-18; 4:1-23:1 “See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire—see, He is coming,” says the Lord of Hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like cleansing lye. 3 He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by. 5 “I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, and cheat the wage earner; and against those who deny justice to the foreigner. They do not fear Me,” says the Lord of Hosts. 6 “Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. 7 “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. But you ask: “How can we return?” [ … ] 16 At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. 17 “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of Hosts, “a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. 18 So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. 4:1 “For indeed, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Hosts, “not leaving them root or branches. 2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

The phrase “when He appears” (3:2) is a key to understanding these verses.

List actions the Lord will take when He appears. Circle the people who will

welcome His appearance and underline the people who will not.

SE S SION 14: A PU R E PEOPL E 143 © 2015 LifeWay

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

Malachi 3:1–4:6 focuses on the Day of the Lord which would be characterized by three elements: (1) It would be a day when the Lord will separate the wicked from the righteous, for He has a book of remembrance containing the names of all who fear Him (see 3:16), (2) The day would be a time when the Lord cleanses His people, and He will lovingly refine them for their benefit, and (3) The day heralds the Lord’s eternal plan of salvation.

EXPLORE THE TEXT

GOD’S MESSENGER (Malachi 3:1-5)

Malachi fulfilled this role as he confronted the people of God with their sinful ways. Yet he also foreshadowed the appearance of John the Baptist more than 400 years later to prepare the way for Jesus Christ by preaching about repentance and the forgiveness of sins (see Mark 1:1-4). The imagery of a refiner’s fire brought to mind furnaces used to melt precious metals, so that impurities could be removed. Fullers’ soap was a cleansing agent used to wash and whiten clothes; it symbolized the Lord’s cleansing power against sin (see Jeremiah 2:22). The result of purification would be that the priests would present pleasing offerings from the people to the Lord, the kind He could accept. The sinners described in verse 5 were those who stubbornly refused to fear the Lord.

List some ways you’ve seen the Lord work in believers’ lives to refine their faith.

Bible Skill: Research a word or concept using Bible study tools.

In 3:2-3 and 4:1, Malachi referred to the use of fire for refining and purifying. Use a concordance to research biblical uses of the words “refine,” “purify,” and “fire.” Use a Bible dictionary to read about “furnaces” used in refining metals. Take note of your findings.

KEY DOCTRINE: Last Things

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, and He will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

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GOD’S UNCHANGEABLE CHARACTER (Malachi 3:6-7)

The Lord declared through Malachi that He never changes. His unfailing love made the people’s polluted worship that much more unbearable. His unchanging justice exposed sinful hypocrisy. Yet His patience and tender mercy had kept His people from being consumed.

Why do people so often resist being repentant for their sins?

GOD’S RECORD (Malachi 3:16-18)

The idea of a divine book of remembrance was long established in the faith of ancient Israel. At the very least, this book, or scroll, records the names and faithful deeds of the righteous. Those names found in the Lord’s book of remembrance would be recognized as His special possession. Malachi saw a truth of God that will also be true at the final Day of the Lord in the end time: The Lord will separate the believer from the unbeliever, the righteous from the cursed (see Matthew 25:31-34,41).

List ways we can know the difference between the righteous and the wicked.

HOPE FOR THE FAITHFUL (Malachi 4:1-2)

God’s fire that refines His people has a different impact on those who arrogantly practice wickedness. They will be consumed by His judgment. The imagery is that of grain stalks and chaff being burned, a word-picture of everlasting judgment also used by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:12). To the group that God promised to record in His book (see Malachi 3:16), healing and restoration would come. One possible meaning for term Sun of righteousness is in the sense of “the daybreak that reveals your faithfulness.” As the Light of the world, Christ will indeed bring full healing to the creation at His return (see Revelation 21:4).

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OBEY THE TEXT

God’s people are to live holy and pure lives, reflected in the keeping of marriage commitments. We can either fear or rejoice in God’s refining of our lives. We can be confident God is absolutely fair in judgment, because He does not change. God invites sinners to turn to Him, securing a sure salvation.

List some ways you can prepared for the Day of the Lord and why you believe you are or are not.

Describe how God’s unchanging nature should impact how young adults live.

In what ways can your Bible study group communicate the hope of the gospel with lost people?

“Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. But you ask: “How can we return?” —Malachi 3:7b

MEMORIZE

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