Malachi 3:1-3 English Standard Version

¹ “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; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² 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 fullers’ soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

Before we explore the fire and the fuller’s soap, let us point to those being purified. Who are the sons of Levi? Levi was the son of Jacob, then named Israel, that was assigned no portion in the inheritance of land but their portion was God Himself. They became the priest of Israel. What does that mean to us?

1 Peter 2:4-5 English Standard Version

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The priesthood by the law has been surrendered to Jesus our high priest (Hebrews 7:17) and as such He dwells in our hearts by faith, we are His temple and we offer up spiritual sacrifices that are required to be burnt by fire.

Now we can explore the fire and the soap.

Psalm 5:5 English Standard Version (ESV) The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

At the end of yesterday’s devotional could we hear a song from our youth? “Stand up, stand up for Jesus.” In our youth it meant one thing and now it means more.

Since we were talking about righteousness as being a right standing before God then perhaps it is right to speak to the issues of why we stand in His presence.

Isaiah 45:23 English Standard Version (ESV) By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

On the surface of this passage it seems that standing is the wrong position but in actuality what we are doing or about to do determines whether we kneel or stand. We kneel to make a vow of allegiance, we stand to take orders. Standing is a posture of readiness to move, to walk, to march, and to be in the Way.

Psalm 1:1 English Standard Version (ESV) Blessed is the manwho walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

The wicked will give counsel, but we should obey God and not heed those counsels. Taking a seat and sitting is an indication that the scoffers have something worthy of hearing and that we allow those thoughts to fester in our minds.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus while her sister Martha toiled in the kitchen. Jesus declared that Mary was doing the only thing that was needed, to hang on every Word of Jesus.

Needful is a personal issue as it indicates what is good for our souls. The Master does not give orders to servants that are not equipped properly to serve His needs. Standing in His presence is an indication that we are prepared to obey His commands.