Advent - We Have Found The KingSýnishorn

Throughout the Old Testament, God sent individuals to be His messengers to the people of Israel. He sent judges, prophets, and in this text promised to send John the Baptist. All of these were mortal men or women bringing a message from God to His chosen people. The promise made in this text, however, is not only that God would send John the Baptist to prepare the way; the Lord himself would come to earth!

As exciting as it must have been to hear that the Lord would come, something even more remarkable is demonstrated in the verses that follow. The last verse of the previous chapter showed that the people of Israel were looking for the God of justice to come. The promise could have been made that the God of justice would come in judgment and rain down wrath on the people of Israel, but that is not what is prophesied.

Rather, Malachi states that when the Lord comes it will not be for the immediate judging of the sins of the people, but rather the Lord will come to purify His people for his glorious work of redemption. The Lord will come to restore His people so that they may be found worthy of being in a relationship with Him.

Just as the children of Israel found hope in the Lord coming not to judge but to save, we can find hope this advent season in the Lord’s return to earth being a time of joy rather than torment for those found to be in Christ. Our God is a just God, but even in His justice he looked down on us in our sinful state and sent His only Son to be a perfect sacrifice that we may be placed in the Refiner’s Fire and come out as pure and holy, worthy to approach God the Father in the righteousness of Jesus Christ His Son.

Dr. Robert Pendergraft, Assistant Professor, Department of Music