The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-12-15
Preparation for
the Messiah
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. IL. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper

LESSON TEXT.-Malachi Bile Mem
orr verses, $40.
GOLDEN TEXT Will send my mes
senger and he shall prepare the way be-
fore e"-Mal. 81.
TlME.-It is commonly agreed that
Malachi prophesied during Nehemiah alb
sence In Persia. between his first and see
ond visit, that is I'm the years after b. G.
433
PLACE.-Jerusalem and the vicinity.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. - The
Forerunner.- in Nal 81: AS. g.
lisa 4O:S-5 Came just before Christs mis-
sion Matt. lib. IA; 1872. 10. q :S2; Mark
s:13; Luke 1:76-79)
How He Prepared the Way.-Mal. 81:
lsa. 4O:3; Matt. 3:5-12; Mark 1:6-S; Luke 3:S-
Is; John 1854.
The Good Times Promised.-Psa 72:2-19:
lisa 22-5; 9;2-7; 11:6-1O; 52:1-7; 54:1l-1S; So %
49, COILS. 10. 20; 62:2, 3; Dan 2:44, As; 7:1S. a.
p, q; Joel 2:2s, 20; Mic "A. 4: Hag 2:7-9:
Nal. I'LL; Rev. 5:10-14; q and %
The Two Conditions.-O Putting away
sin Qev. %:4O-43; l Kings S:46-5O; 2 Chron.
IA; lisa. l:l6, II; 55:6. Z; Jer Ala rs; % IS:
EZek. 1876; 1S:2l-3l 33:10-16; Matt 81, s;
Az; Luke 1873; 1913 ID; Acts 2:Ss; s:22)
C) Religion in heart and life (Psa. ! "a 81
5; lisa. 44:S; 52:1; Jer S2:SS; Eek nl9 20:
Joel 2:12-lS; Matt. 1873; John $3.50 Rom.
81; Eph. 21-6; Tim. 4:S).
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
V. l. 81" God "Will send My
messenger" Revisers omit will.
making the promise very imminent.
This was best fulfilled in the send
ing of John the Baptist to prepare
the way for Christ (See marginal
references). Prepare the way" See
Isa 40:3, 4. "The Lord shall
suddenly come" Not content with
sending messengers, God Himself will
come to visit His people. This was
fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, the
Son of God. ''Ye seek, ye delight"
Some people Of those days were
earnestly longing for the Messiahs
coming. Messenger Of the covenant"
The Lord, who had repeatedly en-
tered into covenant with Israel.
" 2. who may abide . His
coming?' He who comes is the
Holy One In His presence, sin will
Etand revealed "Refiner's fire." Pre-.
cious metals are refined by casting
he oge into the fierce heat Of a fur.
mace. where all dross is burned away,
and only the purified metal remains.
"Fullers soap" A fuller was one
who cleansed cloth.
" 3. sons Of Levi:' The Levites,
being the religious leaders Of the peo-
pie, are first to be purified.
Y. 4. Then pleasant unto the
Lord" Only they whose hearts are
pure can offer acceptable offerings to
our God Matt. 5:S). The Offering
of a humble, contrite heart He Will
never despise.
V >. 81 will come . Judgment"
People had declared (2:7 that it
seemed most profitable TO do evil and
that the just God had departed from
them. To this the prophet replies
that, when God comes to purify His
own people, He will also condemn the
wicked Swift witness He will
come so suddenly that He will catch
them in their very acts of wickedness;
lie Himself will be their witness.
V 6. Il change not . not con-
sumed:" Our God is eternal and un-
changeable As Jehovah, He had en-
tered into covenant with the Jews:
V. Z. From the days ~ your IA
theirs" The ancestors of these
Jews had repeatedly done just as
these had done now. But once more
God says: Return unto Me, and
will return unto you"
V. s. "Will a man rob GOO To
rob God would be a most atrocious
crime. Yet it is the very sin of
which people of all ages have been
guilty (Mal. /: 60. The one thing
His heart yearns for is our sincere
love.
V. 9. Cursed" The troubles that
had come upon them had been sent
as reminders Of their neglect of God.
V. 10. "All the tithes:" The whole
1.-THE. 1t is still very good plan for
us to set apart one-seventh of our
time (the Sabbath, and one-tenth OF
our money for Gods specific use. The
latter may be applied in helping the
churches. sending the Gospel 10 the
heather. "Storehouse:" Around the
temple on three sides were built cham
bers in which the tithes should be
stored At this time they were so
empty that one had been used as a
home for Tobiah (Neh. 10: 40. Meat
in mine house," Sufficient to carry on
the worship and work of God
V. II. THE devourer:" The To-
Gust which was eating the scanty
crops Cast her fruit" The grapes
shall not fall without ripening. IL
we make God and Gods work our
first care, God will care for us and
ours.
V. u. "All nations t.. blessed"
If God were allowed to have His way
in purifying and blessing his people.
all neighboring nations would be
amazed at Israels prosperity and
would recognize it as the gift of Je-
hovah So to-day. those Christians
who allow Jesus to have the right Of
way in their lives, honor their
Saviour and attract others to Him.
Practical Points.
V. I. Each one of us is called TO
no q messenger DreDaring the way for