Malachi 4:1,2

DISCOURSE: 1276
THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ARISING

Malachi 4:1. Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and 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 Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

THE thought of many is, that “God will do neither good nor evil,” and that it is therefore unnecessary and vain to make him an object either of our hope or fear. This was the state of mind in which the greater part of the Jews were in the time of Malachi: and God sent his prophet to warn them, that a time was coming when they should clearly discern between the righteous and the wicked by the awful judgments he would inflict on the one, and the unspeakable benefits he would confer on the other [Note: Zephaniah 1:12.].

In the words before us are contained,

I. A warning to the wicked—

The following context leads us immediately to the times of the Messiah; and to them we must look for the accomplishment of this tremendous threatening—
[Temporal judgments are often predicted in similar language. The enemies of the Jews [Note: Isaiah 10:16.], and the Jews themselves [Note: Zephaniah 1:14.], yea, and all the enemies of God [Note: Psalms 21:8.], are menaced in this manner. But never were they fulfilled so fearfully as in the destruction of Jerusalem. Thither almost all the whole Jewish nation were assembled; and, being shut up in the city, as in an oven, they were made astonishing monuments of God’s fiery indignation.]

But doubtless this warning refers also to the day of judgment—
[In that day the Judge himself will come in flames of fire [Note: 2 Thessalonians 1:7.]: and the earth, the theatre on which so much wickedness has teen acted, shall be burnt up [Note: 2 Peter 3:10.]: and the objects of God’s displeasure shall be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone [Note: Revelation 21:8.].

It is asked, Who they are that shall then suffer the vengeance of eternal fire? We answer, The proud contemners of God’s law, and they who “go about to establish their own righteousness” instead of submitting to the righteousness of God; and they who think religion vain and unprofitable [Note: Malachi 3:13.]; yea, moreover, all who commit any kind of wickedness knowingly, deliberately, and habitually, all, I say, without exception, shall be as stubble to the consuming fire [Note: Romans 1:18. The four distinct characters here enumerated, should be separately and distinctly addressed, and in very pointed terms, as very especially warned by God himself.] — — —

And shall we not take warning, when we know that the day is coming, and that every hour brings it nearer and nearer? O “let it not overtake us as a thief!” Our forbearing to reflect upon it cannot delay its approach, or mitigate its terrors. Be persuaded to prepare for it, that, instead of dreading, you may welcome, its arrival.]
We turn with pleasure from this awful subject to contemplate the latter part of the text, wherein we have,

II.

A promise to the righteous—

Whatever distant reference there may be in these words to the deliverance of the Christians from Jerusalem, when, according to our Lord’s instructions, they took advantage of the retreat of the Roman army, to flee out of it to Pella, we must certainly look for the accomplishment of the promise principally in the spiritual blessings conveyed by the Messiah.

The Christian character is briefly delineated in contrast with God’s enemies—
[The fear of God is often represented as comprising the whole of religion: and indeed, wherever that obtains, pride will be humbled, wickedness banished, and every holy affection cultivated to the utmost [Note: These also, with some distinctness of delineation, should here, in very encouraging terms, be called upon to consider themselves as especially addressed by God.] — — — Let those who have reason to think themselves under its genuine influence, listen with gratitude to the promise, which God himself addresses to them.]

To those who answer to this character, shall Christ be a source of the richest blessings—
[Christ is “the Sun” of the spiritual world, and the one fountain of light and life to all that believe in him. He is also the Sun of Righteousness, not only as being pure and spotless in himself, but as being the Author of all righteousness, whether of that which is imputed to us for justification, or that which is imparted to us by sanctification. And how delightful was the sight of him to those who beheld him rising on this benighted world, to those, into whose hearts he shined with his refreshing beams! On them he shone, not with burning rays, that dry up and wither the earth and all its fruits, but with genial warmth, “healing” the desolations of winter, and causing every herb to spring forth into life and vigour. How did the first Christians “go forth” out of a dead and carnal state, and “grow up” with astonishing rapidity and strength “as the calves of the stall!” — — — Thus also, in this day, does the light of his countenance convey healing to our souls. A sight of him removes both the guilt we have contracted, and the pollutions whereby we have been defiled; thus “healing” at once the deadly wounds of sin, and restoring health and beauty to those who have been debased by more than leprous deformity. Who would not wish to bask in his beams, and to experience the full effects of his renovating power?]

Improvement—
1.

How different even in this life are the states of God’s friends, and of his enemies!

[The “proud are called happy [Note: Malachi 3:15.]:” but are they so? the heart-searching God declares that they have no solid peace. Nor is it possible that they can look forward to the day of judgment without much disquietude of mind. Their joys, such as they are, are “like the crackling of thorns under a pot,” of short duration, and succeeded by smoke and darkness, by spleen and melancholy — — — But, is this the state of God’s people? Let the text declare, and let the experience of all the saints attest — — — The more they enjoy of the light of this Sun of Righteousness, the more they anticipate the blessedness of heaven.]

2. How different will be the states of God’s friends and enemies in the eternal world!

[The day of judgment is called “the day of wrath,” and, “the day of the perdition of ungodly men [Note: Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 3:7.].” Alas! alas! whither shall the objects of God’s vengeance flee? How shall they “dwell with everlasting burnings?” Who can conceive the anguish with which they will “weep and wail and gnash their teeth?” View, on the contrary, the godly healed of every malady, grown to the full measure of the stature of Christ, and enjoying continually the meridian glories of the Sun of Righteousness. Who can conceive the happiness of such a state? But though “we know not yet what we shall be,” so far as respects the degrees of our happiness or misery, we know that the distance between the righteous and the wicked will be immeasurably great. Would to God that, in the contemplation of it, we might all fear the Lord, and walk in his fear to the latest period of our lives!]