THE JEWELS OF THE LORD

MALACHI 3:1

A. "THEN THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD SPAKE OFTEN ONE TO ANOTHER; AND THE LORD HARKENED, AND HEARD IT, AND A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THEM...AND THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IN THAT DAY WHEN I MAKE UP MY JEWELS"
  1. The context of our opening text points to a contrast between the wicked and them that fear the Lord:
    1. The wicked speak stout words against the most high - "Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord" - Mal. 3:13; say they, when speaking of serving God, "vanity and vexation of spirit" - Eccl. 1:14
    2. But not so those that fear the Lord - they magnify the goodness of the Lord
  2. The conversation is most impressive:
    1. The Lord harkens to it; and He is pleased with it
    2. To a point to have a book written for them that thought about His name B. NOTE, PRAYERFULLY
  3. Christians converse:
    1. When ungodliness is rampant (v. 13-15); Christians counteract it by dwelling on the goodness of the Lord - Examples - Jonathan and David - I Sam. 23:16-18; Jeremiah and Baruch - Jer. 14:1-5; Paul in prison and his friends who comforted him - Col. 4:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:24-25
    2. What a challenge the testimony of God has on the attitude of the saints is one to another - to those of us who seem to have nothing to say about the Lord when we meet
    3. The synagogues were intended for a public discussion of the word of God. That is why Paul was given opportunity to speak in the synagogue - Acts 13:15
  4. The Lord harkened and heard it:
    1. It is a solemn truth that God listens to everything we say - Num 12:2; Jer. 8:6; Ps. 139:4
    2. In this instance this truth wears a cheerful face. To illustrate - two Christians talk to one another and the Lord is present - Matt. 18:20; Luke 24:13-31 C. GOD'S JEWELS
  5. Here we have an amazing statement by God:
    1. In this sinful world when the hearts of men seem bent to the pleasures of sin, when the general themes seems to consist of violence and moral corruption - Gen. 6:5; Luke 17:26-30; 2 Tim. 3:1-5
    2. God should find men and women who are in their very life God's jewels or special treasures - Examples - Enoch and Noah were jewels in the sight of God at a time when sinful corruption make it necessary for God to destroy men from the earth; Lot was one of God;s jewels when he had to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah - 2 Pet. 2:7
    3. God will have a remnant in the closing days of earth's history which will constitute the special treasures of the Lord - Rev. 12:17; 14:12
  6. Note some special characteristics of God's chosen jewels:
    1. In their mouth is found no guile - Rev. 14:5; Examples: Job did not sin against the Lord in what he said - Job 1:1-3; 2:10; Isaiah was cleansed from unclean lips - Is. 6:7; the 144,000 were without guile in their mouths - Rev. 14:5
    2. They are loyal to the great principles of the world of God - Examples - Joseph - Gen. 39:9; Daniel - Dan. 1:8; 6:10
    3. They persevere under severe trials regardless of the price they have to pay; Examples: the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace - Dan. 3:12-30; The martyrs in the Dark Ages; Heb. 11:35-40; Martin Luther and John Huss are two other examples of outstanding loyalty to the principles of the truth
  7. Most encouraging is the great fact:
    1. That God makes up his jewels; He polishes them, tempers them and places them
    2. That shows that anyone of God's children can become a precious treasure of the Lord - Christ is the great secret - "Christ in you the hope of glory" - Col. 1:27
    3. "We are God's workmanship and as such we are complete in him - Col. 2:10; Eph. 2:10
    4. This, dear sorrowing friends, can be said to be true of your loved one that has fallen asleep in Jesus


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