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Malachi 3:1
The desire of many nations
As a preacher I love words. I love making words sound powerful. Like instead of saying “we should all be worshippers of God” I might say “We must all be blazing white-hot worshippers of the consoling, light-filled, infinite, awesome, inexhaustible God.” It just sounds better. And in truth it actually means far more. Hopefully with that I have gripped your mind and your heart and I have given you reason to pause regarding your own worship. If I said “you are to worship,” you may all say, “Fine, I am a worshipper,” but when I say you must be blazing white-hot in your worship and I remind you that he whom you worship is infinite, awesome and inexhaustible consolation and light and salvation and redemption, it should inform you of the inadequacies of your worship.
If I were to say the word “desire,” Its Christmas time so I wonder what jumps into your head? I know your desires come from the Christmas catalogues. [Begin lighting candles] Perhaps you desire:
· the new wii system
· A new plasma screen tv
· A new addition on your house
· A new house
· A better job
· to be a couple of years older. Perhaps you desire to be 40 years younger.
Perhaps your desires are simpler and easily attainable
· A new manicure
· A new cordless drill
· A new tonka truck
· A new train set
· A new doll
· A new cell phone
Perhaps some things you desire are really really easy, but they seem impossible
· Flowers from your husband
· A touch when he walks by you in the kitchen
· A little bit of peace when you come home after a long day
· Some respect and encouraging words
We all have desires and that is good
But I wonder if I define this word a bit and put it into perspective where your mind will go.
This word “desire” just means “longing.” Desire, long for, yearn… it suggests strong feelings that impel one to the attainment or possession of something.
Strong feelings. Impel you to attain the object of desire.
This sounds like more than a cordless drill.
Now with the idea of longing, the idea of impelling you towards something, the word has become more evocative.
The desire now is for . . . I don’t know what do you really really long for
· that oh so hot girl in chemistry or
· in the cubicle next door.
· Its for that guy who actually listens to you
If it truly impels you to have it, it has to be more than some material substance. Its gotta be something that consumes your thoughts.
You know the people in the Bible desired things too. Many of the same desires you have. Some good some bad. I doubt they desired a cordless drill or bath and body moisturizers, but the word “desire” meant something for them.
It was far more than something they kind of wanted for Christmas. Not drills or bits or toys or clothes or appliances. Their desire was much more intense. It was wrapped up in their very being.
From Genesis 3 and forward the people desired a hero. They desired a king. This was a good desire because God had planned all the time to give them a king. He promised a seed from mankind who would crush the head of the serpent. In Deut 17, he even gave rules for what this king would be like when they inherited the land.
· the king should not be a foreigner,
· he shall not trust in horses and armies.
· He shall not have many wives who pull his desire away from what God wants.
· He shall not trust in gold or silver or wealth.
· He shall write a copy of the law and then read it every day so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God.
What a great king to desire after.
And they desired this kind of a king as they were trapped in Egypt and when they were redeemed and when they entered the land and when they were regularly overwhelmed with Philistine attacks and God raised up temporary kings called judges to fight for them.
And finally they get a king. And I Samuel 9:20 even says: that the desire of all Israel is turned to Saul and his fathers family. That which they have desired has seemingly come.
But this was not the culmination of all their hopes and dreams. Saul did some great things and brought excitement, but much like the presents we will get tomorrow, the excitement quickly faded.
And then David came and the glorious reign of the king began. A king after Gods own heart. A great king, one who would bring glory to Jerusalem.
But it wasn’t until Solomon that the glory arrived fully with the building of the temple. And within one generation the kingdom is split and soon thereafter comes great war and desolation.
And despite the kings all around them, the prophets begin to call out for God to help. Perhaps they have trusted too much in a king with all of his riches and wives and horses and chariots like Deuteronomy warned against.
And So Isaiah declares what their desire should be for:
IS 26:8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
It is Yahweh’s name and his renown. It is his glory they should be striving after and not their own. They must look not for someone like Saul who is handsome and tall. In fact, outwardly there is great paradox here.
The one we should desire will paradoxically have no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (Is 53:2)
But the people still don’t get it.
By the time of Haggai all is desolate. War has ravaged them. The first temple is no more and the newly built temple is nothing in comparison to the old. Perhaps it lacks the name and renown of Yahweh himself.
But Haggai 2:7 records Gods words as he says “…and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory.”
Interesting what God says here: the desired of all nations. This isn’t just their great desire, its the desire of everyone. Everyone. Its what we all want and need and forget every day. Something the Israelites too seem to ignore
And in Malachi we read the words of the Lord Almighty: “then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come”
Suddenly? And then 400 years go by without glory in Israel.
And the waiting is overwhelming. Some perhaps have given up waiting. The king is not coming. Perhaps they said as those mentioned in Peters letter.
“For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of Creation.”
Everything is the same.
And the desire shifts. There was a strong desire for glory of God to fill their midst again, but time keeps on going by and nothing seems to have changed. We aren’t any closer they say.
But some perhaps remain devout and anticipate the renown of the Lord. Some are left who desire and who remember that suddenly the Lord they are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom they desire, will come.
And it is with this prominent idea in the mind of doctor Luke that he opens his letter to Theophilus. A desire for a king and for the renown of the Lord and for the filling of the temple.
The first thing Luke gives us is the forerunner announced to a priest of the temple—Zecharias—an old faithful devout man.
Then the announcement to Mary. Oh how we love that angels message that she will bear a son and call him Jesus.
But it is the next line that enthralls us today:
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
A great king. The desire of every Israelite since Adam sinned. A king whose dynasty would never pass away.
And then Luke emphasizes something that is seldom seen. Luke tells us that that glory has returned to the temple.
Simeon an old devout man patiently waiting for the consolation of Israel is there in the temple when Josephs family comes in.
I don’t know if he was excited before he got there or not. I do know the Holy Spirit led him there, but who knows if he knew why he was going to the temple that day. And then face to face with Mary and Joseph and this child and it all makes sense.
I can only imagine the joy which overflows. The worship—the blazing white-hot worship of the consoling, light-filled, infinite, awesome, inexhaustible God. Simeon sees and understands what has been missing for hundreds of years.
Imagine the joy as he lifts the child up and says “My eyes have seen Your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples. A Light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.”
The consolation has come. The comfort has come. The salvation has come, the revelation to the gentiles has come. The glory has returned. The king is here.
I wonder if anyone else heard his words and understood. We know Anna was desiring the same thing. But what about the others in the temple? Did they hear and crowd around and begin crying and repenting and pleading and thanking and resolving and planning. Had their desires so changed over the long wait that perhaps it wasn’t a joyful time but a time of fear.
And so here we are. The glory has returned to Israel. We sit on the other side of this mind-blowing event. I know it isn’t mind-blowing anymore. Its cute and cuddly and gives us a warm feeling, but do you see the power of this moment. The force of Simeon’s proclamation.
Here we sit 2000 years removed from this event and our desires have changed. We say with Peter’s detractors “For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of Creation.”
The king came and what has changed? We wait and wait. We suffer anguish and loss and depression and lack of reconciliation and lack of resolution. Like the people in war-torn Israel we hurt, we bleed, we are battered.
And so we seek joy in the little things. Anything to get us through. Anything that will give us a moment of comfort and peace from this wretched world. We seek joy in our things and our relationships and our ambitions. Tomorrow we will have great happiness, but in what is our joy found? Presents, things? I pray that it is in the right things.
We are to seek comfort and peace. In fact we already have it if we belong to him. He says the Consolation (Comfort) of Israel has come. He will be our comforter not the things of this world. He will bring our peace.
Oh the great news of Luke 2:14. Peace, good will on whom his favor rests. I wish I could tell you all that Christmas is the time we celebrate peace for all mankind, but this is not true.
There is peace and great news. There is consolation, comfort for the Israel of God and this includes people from every nation, tribe and tongue. But it does not include every person.
This peace comes with a sword. A sword it says in Luke. Simeon’s song prophecies that the Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel. He is the beginning of something which will be spoken against and through which the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.
Is there joy in your heart over the coming of the king? Or do you desire other things more than his glory and renown? Are the thoughts of your heart revealed this evening as you realize for what you desire. You might be able to admit that you would be content if you had your bills paid and your health and just the right woman or man, and obedient and honorable children. If God would just bless you with all of those things then you wouldn’t really even need him.
Our desires may not be easy to extinguish but it can be done
[Blow out the candles of our desires.]
[Light the one candle which should be our desire]—the king, the glory of Israel and the light to the Gentiles.
As we all light our own candle I want you to look carefully at the light and ask yourself what you desire. Is your desire the second advent of Christ? Is your desire the worship of the great consoling, light-filled, infinite, awesome, inexhaustible God.” There is joy and peace and hope for you as you find your joy, peace, hope and satisfaction in him and him alone.