Sermon Tone Analysis

*Malachi 4.*

Can we turn, once again, to the book of Malachi? *[P]* Those of you who were here last time I spoke, if you are astute, may have noticed that I skipped over a verse.

You may recall that Malachi was delivering a heavy message from יהוה to the priests.

He was giving them a right royal telling off: He loved them but they despised His name.

יהוה rebuked them for slapdash meaningless carrying on of religious ritual.

They were offering blemished sacrifices – stolen, lame, blind.

Now we do not sacrifice animal sacrifices – why? – because the perfect sacrifice has already been slain.

All these previous animal sacrifices, be it burnt offering, sin offering, fellowship offering – they all pictured and pointed to Jesus.

As Jesus said: [*John 5:39*/ //“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me!/] By offering these blemished sacrifices they were dishonouring the perfect sacrifice, the Messiah, the Son of God.

That was their attitude to Jesus!

They were in fact despising and dishonouring His Name, the GREAT NAME of *יהוה*!

יהוה was not pleased with them.

Yet there in the midst of this telling-off is a glorious declaration.

One brilliant verse shines out!

And that is the verse I glossed over!

The one good verse, I leave out!

Not because I want to avoid it, but because I want to give it more attention.

So let’s read: [*Malachi 1:6-14*/ //“A son honours his father, and a servant his master.

If then I am a Father, where is My honour?

And if I am a Master, where is My fear? says /יהוה/ of armies// to you, O priests, who despise My Name.

But you say, ‘How have we despised Your Name?’

By offering polluted food upon My altar.

But you say, ‘How have we polluted You?’

By saying that the /יהוה/’s table may be despised.

When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?

And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil?

Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favour? says /יהוה/ of armies.//

And now entreat the favour of God, that He may be gracious to us.

With such a gift from your hand, will He show favour to any of you? says /יהוה/ of armies.//

Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!

I have no pleasure in you, says /יהוה/ of armies//, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

*For from the rising of the sun to its setting My Name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My Name, and a pure offering.

For My Name will be great among the nations*, says /יהוה/ of armies//.

But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised.

But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says /יהוה/ of armies//.

You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering!

Shall I accept that from your hand? says /יהוה/.//

Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.

*For I am a great King*, *says */*יהוה**/ of armies/*/, *and My Name will be feared among the nations*//./]

Did you pick it?

Verse 11: *[P]* [*Malachi 1:11*/ /*/From the rising of the sun to its setting, My Name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is being presented to My Name, and a pure offering.

For My Name is great among the nations,” says /**יהוה**/ of armies/*/./]

As we saw last time this is a stern rebuke.

It comes with full force of יהוה of armies behind it – in 9 verses 7 times it says: “says יהוה of armies” and a further time “says יהוה”.

יהוה is speaking.

We are to tremble at His Word! יהוה is central – the whole issue is *HIS NAME*!

The priests should be honouring that Name, respecting that Name, fearing that Name but instead they are despising it – their heart is seen in their actions – their slack attitude in service and worship.

But no matter the failure of the priests, it makes not an iota of difference to יהוה’s purpose.

*HIS NAME WILL BE GREAT!* Hallelujah!

That is /the/ issue!

יהוה’s “Name” is referred to 7 times in these 9 verses and occurs We see it in verse 5: *[P]* [*Malachi 1:5*/ //Your eyes will see this, and you will say, “/*יהוה**/ is great beyond the borders of Israel.”/*] and again in verse 14: *[P]* [*Malachi 1:14*/ *F*/*/or I am a great King,” says /**יהוה**/ or armies, “and My Name is feared among the nations/*/.”/]

The Name of יהוה is of supreme importance!

*[P]* Names are important to us: my wife is called Rhoda, and she is particular about her name.

Let me give you a clue on how to get her annoyed: call her “Rhonda”!

But that is what she gets all the time, people ask her her name, she tells them, and they write Rhonda”!

I have spent considerable effort in having official records corrected.

But it is important, her name is special to her – she isn’t Rhonda and justly feels aggrieved when her name is mishandled.

Now we spend considerable thought in naming things – the name has to be appropriate.

Sometime we name a baby after someone in the family, or after someone we admire, sometimes because we just like the sound of it.

Sometimes a name is given because it has a certain meaning – my name is “Paul”, probably my parents admired the great apostle; but “Paul” means small and stubborn – so perhaps that is the reason.

But whatever the name given, all that person is, is encapsulated in that name.

I say “John Smith” – to many people the association is just any bloke in general – but to us who know John, immediately there comes to mind a specific person, his character and nature, his interests, his personality, sense of humour – a whole complex combination that makes John who he is, is encapsulated in that name.

A name has connotations – why does absolutely no one call his son: “Adolf”?

Name also means reputation, we talk of someone “making a /name/ for himself”, of a business having a “good /name/”.

Now if someone said, “Rhoda is a lying gossip.”

– I would be highly offended.

Someone had denigrated the name of the one I love!

So when יהוה speaks of His NAME – it is His reputation, His character, His very being – all that makes Him who He is, is encapsulated in that Name.

So when these priests despise His Name – it is blasphemy, an assault on the very character of God Himself!

When we make Him small, less than He is, we are denigrating His Name.

For His Name is GREAT!*[P]*

Consider the greatness of יהוה!

Now this is an absolutely VAST topic - I am just going to plant a few seeds this morning.

But after you have had your Sunday lunch and you are sitting down comfortably in your arm chair – you may care to consider the GREATNESS OF GOD! *[P]* It is a most wonderful and vast meditation – this is just a starter, I make no claim to be exhaustive but consider יהוה’s greatness in:

In creation – everything came into being by Him, He designed it.

Consider the greatness of His design in flowers, birds, insects.

He made it all, the vastness of the mountains, the stars, the galaxies.

Creation proclaims His greatness.

In power – he has *all* power – consider the greatness of the power in the sun, the galaxy, the cosmos.

Spiritual powers

In Sovereignty – He is in control over all, absolute dominion.

The greatness in directing every single event.

In knowledge – He knows all things [*Psalm 139:6*/ //Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it./

]

In understanding – [*Isaiah 40:28*/ /יהוה/ is the everlasting God, ….

His understanding is unsearchable./]

not only what is happening but the why, the motives of all, the situation of all – He understands what you are going through

In glory – He is* *enthroned in glory* [Psalm 138:5*/ //and they shall sing of the ways of /יהוה/, for great is the glory of /יהוה/./]

In majesty – consider the King upon His throne in glory – the angels falling in worship before His majesty

In splendour – dwelling in unapproachable light, clothes Himself with light as a garment – none can see Him and live

In righteousness – [*Psalm 36:6*/ //Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,/] vast, unassailable, perfect.

In justice – absolute justice.

[*Psalm 36:6*/ //Your judgments like the great deep/.]

immense!

In Goodness – His goodness is vast.

An absolute goodness, all that יהוה does is done in goodness.

[*Psalm 31:19*/ //How great is Your goodness//, which You have stored up for those who fear You,/]

In holiness – utterly transcendent, set apart and other.

Holiness that had men fall before him as dead

In wisdom – perfect wisdom that we cannot plumb, it is beyond finding out* [Romans 11:33*/ //Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how incomprehensible are His ways!/]

In Compassion – [*Nehemiah 9:31*/ //But in your great compassions you did not put an end to them, and you did not abandon them.