Malachi 3: 1-4 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
A familiar Advent passage that asks an interesting question. Who can stand when the messenger of the covenant arrives? Both the assurance of the coming of the messenger and the reminder that we need to be changed. Malachi uses strong images for the necessary change -- a refiner's fire that burns hot, hot enough to burn the impurities out of the silver. Fuller's soap is a strong soap used to remove the impurities from the wool. The coming of Christ will demand that we work to remove our impurities.
What change might God be wanting you to make this Advent?
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