Malachi 3:2 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.

Since this message was given somewhere around 460 B.C. is there any part of this message that is directed at us?

Jesus had not come at the time of Malachi, He did appear later. Is this matter of “His appearance” during His earthly ministry or at His second coming? I understand what a refinery is and does but I had to look up the meaning of fuller. A fuller prepares and installs horseshoes. 

As with all things, context matters.

Malachi 3:3 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.

This comes down to an understanding of what the sons of Levi means.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

This is who Peter was writing to in his opening address.

1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Are we sanctified by the Holy Spirit?

John 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Romans 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

His Word says we are, so the issues of the refiner’s fire and fullers soap can be considered to apply to us all. Do we fully understand the application of His Word? Can we go through the application of the process without understanding?

Since His Word is true and He holds true to His Word and nothing has been stated at this time that our understanding or cooperation is required, I would say understanding is not required. God does what God does and He said it is done. What is done cannot be undone. Faith moves us even when we do not see what is around the next bend.

Malachi 3:1
“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.

Matthew 11:10
This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

Obviously when I sent out Malachi 3 in an earlier post there was no message from me. I was looking for a word that might help explain my issues about trust. When I discovered Malachi 3 in my search I knew that His message was much more important than my issues. That is why I did not add any content in that post. I wanted God’s message to take first place.

Now let us look at God’s message. It should be obvious that Jesus is referring back to Malachi 3:1 when He states His case in Matthew 11:10. While the words are not the same, the context is perfect.

The Lord of hosts sent the message in Malachi. The message in Matthew 11:10 differs only in the timing. “I will send” becomes he is here and you can see his face. His time has come. The one is future tense and the other present tense, same context.

The one who sent the message to Malachi is the same messenger speaking in Matthew. That is not a matter of assumption on my part but rather decades of personal relationship with God, studying His Word and being shown understanding by the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can listen to God yourselves.

I would rather that everyone would seek God for understanding. Even if I have earned your trust, please seek understanding from God and don’t just take my word for it.

Doing a study on all the names that Jesus is identified with is not the issue today.

This is about God’s perfect timing in sending out messages to His children. Sure He talked to Malachi somewhere around 460 B.C. but I read it this week and it spoke to me.

Was my posting His Word from Malachi God’s perfect timing? I don’t know. That is for each person to answer for themselves.

John 5:47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?

John 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

That is not me talking.