Lesson 3, Part 2
Malachi 3:2-4 NLT. [2] “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. [3] He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. [4] Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.
In this passage Malachi is prophesying about the coming of the eternal judge. This judge will be so powerful and have so much authority that Malachi asks the question, “Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears?”
It is my opinion Malachi was trying to get the people, especially the priests, to understand that the eternal judge will be able to discern any and every sin that was being committed. The priests were guilty of allowing improper worship. But the people themselves were the ones who were bringing the defective sacrifices. Their sins didn’t stop there, though. The whole nation was guilty of everything from hard hearts that caused divorce to questioning God’s justice.
Malachi is letting them know that, when the judge arrives, he doubts anyone will be able to stand before Him in innocence.
Then he gives a couple of analogies to explain what the judge will do upon His arrival. He will purify the people like a refiner of precious metals. Gold and silver are made pure by subjecting the metal to extreme temperatures by fire. The fire heats solid metals to the point of melting. Then anything that is not gold or silver is burned and floats to the top of the pot of molten metal. The temperature is lowered, the floating debris is skimmed off, and then the metal is reheated to separate whatever impurities are left in the metal. The process is repeated until as many impurities as possible are removed from the metal. The judge will put Israel through the fire, so to speak.
He will also come like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. Soap is designed to dissolve oils and break down the surface barriers that cause stains and dirt to cling to clothing. A strong soap, something like lye soap, which was used for many years around the world, will actually remove stains from cloth and take color out of that cloth. The judge will apply His cleansing power to remove anything that can defile the spirit or body, even to the removal of color, or basic characteristics, from those who are cleansed by that power.
His cleansing power and purifying fire will be applied to God’s people until their sins are removed. He will work on the priests especially in order to bring the proper relationship to God back into their setting for worship. When the priests are offering the correct sacrifices again, then God will accept them.
We can find this same process of spiritual cleansing being applied to the New Testament church in order to keep the followers of Jesus living lives that are based on the foundation of the gospel. According to 1 Corinthians 3 and 1 Peter 1, the works and faith of believers will be tried and tested like gold and silver are refined by fire. Allow me to read those two passages for you.
1 Corinthians 3:10-13 KJVS. [10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. [11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1 Peter 1:3-7 KJVS. [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: [7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
The purifying will be done to help the believers to be more like Jesus. It could be argued that this process is part of the “baptism with fire” that John said Jesus would establish.
Whether a person lived in the time of Malachi or is alive today, those who belong to God are expected to live in a holy manner. Failure to do that brings His judgment and purifying fire and a thorough washing by His heavenly cleaner. Just as Malachi predicted the coming of the one who would judge Israel, that same one judges and purifies His people in the modern church. The purpose of both situations is to bring people back into right relationship with God.