Malachi: Hope in Being Refined and Not Consumed

Malachi 2.17-3.6: The beginning of Malachi revealed to us that the words we would read and hear would be heavy and weighty throughout this book. They no doubt have been. But the purpose of God’s words through His prophet is not to leave us in shame or despair, but instead hopeful. We see in today’s text as we close out chapter 2 and begin chapter 3 that Israel did not respond to God’s words rightly, which we have seen over and over again in this book. God’s desire is that we would respond to His word by returning to Him with fear. He wants us to turn to Him and trust Him. We are to fear dishonoring God with unbelief and having irreverence of distrust. But Israel would not, so God responds to their pride and their questioning of Him with pointing them to the future, namely to Jesus Christ, who is like a refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap. He is our only hope for our greatest need and today we see why.