Malachi chapter 3 and verse 17. They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts on the day that I make them my jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Verse 16 those who feared the Lord spoke to one another and the Lord listened and heard them so a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate who think on his name, they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts on that day when I make them my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Now, as we have seen, there were those in Malachi's day who were opposing, were asking questions, and when they began, their questions were quite, well, they were concerned, they were very concerned, and I think we need to as we said when we began this little series, we need to sort of, in a sense, give them, not be too hard on them, because they didn't understand the ways of God. And I think we often find that we don't always understand the ways of God. It's sometimes very sad when we hear of things that are happening. I'm going to mention a little bit later on, we've just heard from our friends in India, I've been in the Philippines, not in India, but we just heard from our friends in India that one of our pastors who some years ago, his little daughter, the youngest of his children, he had two children, a boy and a girl, his youngest daughter had a rare disease and she died some 8 years ago, 10 years ago, something like that, maybe more than that. Anyway, we've just heard news that his son, who would have been probably in his early 20s now, Sorry, late teens, early 20s, yeah, possibly. I'm not quite sure. I think he might, yes. But he went out with his friends. They went for a swim, as is customary. They do, taking what we would call a bath, because that's what you do in India. You go into it. And when he was there, he got trapped and he was drowned. And so they've now lost both their children, which is very sad. Very, very sad indeed. Well, we don't know the ways of God, do we? We can't understand them. And well, there we are. This is what happens sometimes. Sometimes we ask the question, why? Why? I'm sorry, but I said that I asked the question, why? When the news came, why? Why them? You know, they've lost their daughter, now they've lost their son. And that's a tragic thing. It's a tragic thing for parents to lose their children, any child, but to lose both like that is very, very hard. You really do wonder why that has happened and why the Lord has allowed that to happen in that way. And we do ask why, and sometimes we can't understand. And those are serious matters, those are hard matters, and some of these questions, certainly early on, were certainly Well, please, in a sense, Malachi, explain it, explain it. Well, he does that, but gradually, and sadly, some of the people, some of the people, they harden their hearts, and by the time we get to chapter 3, verse 13, the Lord comes back to them and says, your words have been harsh against me, says the Lord, and now they are getting quite, arrogant, some of them, in their refusal to accept God. So much so that in verse 14, it's useless to serve God. What profit is there that we have kept His ordinance and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud blessed. For those who do wickedness or raised up, they even tempt God and go free. Why is it that the ungodly seem to get away with it? Why do we as God's people have to suffer in these kinds of ways? What are we to do? Well, thankfully, there were those who did continue to follow the Lord. and who trusted him. Many had been criticising his providential dealings and grumbling and complaining against him. They were never satisfied. But however great the darkness and however fierce the opposition, there still were those who feared the Lord and who thought upon his name. And when it says feared, of course that's not that cringing fear, but that reverence for God, that love for God, that genuine expression of God's grace. Liz and I were hearing somebody preach just recently and they were talking from one of the psalms. talking about the fear of the Lord. Now I understand what the man was saying, he wasn't saying anything wrong, but I'm not quite sure whether the psalm he was speaking from was actually speaking about the fear of the Lord in the sense of being afraid of what happens. I think there, in that particular psalm, it was much more a sense of reverence and awe and wonder. And there is no need to be afraid. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Of whom shall I be afraid? I have no need to be afraid, because the Lord is my light and my salvation. It's a testimony of confidence in God, and not the desperate cry of someone who's frightened. In that sense, I may well maybe think otherwise, but I think that probably is more likely in that case. Well, there we are. Thank God there are those who fear him, and God had kept his remnant faithful. He kept to light the light in days of darkness and confusion as he always does. And God had hearkened and he was pleased with what he heard. So that's what we were thinking about in verse 16 months ago when I was last here or so. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. Well, God has his faithful remnant. And one day, God will say to them, as I trust he will say to many of us one day, well done, good and faithful servant. I don't know about you, but I don't feel very often that I'm a very faithful servant. I feel I've sinned against the Lord and I don't do what I ought to do and I'm constantly aware of the pressures of life and the burdens that I feel and the sins that weigh me down. But it's amazing, God takes pathetic people like me and you, and says, well done. That's wonderful, isn't it? That's lovely. We may look at ourselves, and we may think we're nothing, but God says he takes care of us. Vessels of wrath have been made fit for honor, no longer under destruction. but under his grace. Vessels of mercy and honour. In days of darkness God has his own. God knows, God sees and God remembers. Now God remembers the sins of the nations of course. He remembered the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and he brought judgement upon them because they continued to persist in their sin and their ungodliness. And what happens? The cry of Sodom, we read, came up to heaven. And in the great days of great sin, God hears the prayers of his people. So he heard the prayer of Abraham for Lot. And when the Lord seems long in answering, and when the Lord perhaps didn't seem to answer Abraham's prayer in the way in which he expected because he prayed to the Lord to spare Sodom, well, the Lord was not going to spare Sodom, but he did spare Lot. And Abraham, maybe, when he saw the fire and brimstone fall upon Sodom, wondered whether God had heard his cry. He didn't, of course, know immediately whether the lot had been delivered or not. But even God's delays are part of his providence. And, of course, we see that often, of course, in the Psalms, don't we? Psalm 73, Psalm I feel strongly I haven't contacted our, well I've contacted our friends in India but I haven't actually contacted the particular pastor involved because I'm just thinking about what I want to say to him. But I'm seriously thinking about maybe saying a word or two from Psalm 77. There is a psalmist in Psalm 77 asking why, why, why, why? Remember we studied it some weeks ago. Is it eight or nine why questions? Why, why, why? he still remains confident in God. Or Elijah after the confrontation on Mount Carmel and he feels that everyone is against him and he runs for his life. And I don't criticize him for running for his life, some do, I don't. I think good on you. Where was he going? He was going to the Mount of God, he wanted a word from God, he wanted to keep in touch with God. Now I know he was weary and I know all of that and I'm not denying that. But there were 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal, but Elijah didn't realize that at the time, he didn't recognize that. And the devil has done much to mar and spoil the image of God in the world, but it is still God's world. And the devil is a defeated foe, and God knows who are his. And that brings us to this wonderful verse 17. So we're gonna spend the whole evening, or what's left of what I'm gonna say on verse 17. They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, On the day that I make them my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. So, two things. Firstly, God's jewels. A number of subheadings, and then something else in a minute. God's jewels, look at them. Well, let's notice a number of things about them. Firstly, their value. Their value. They shall be mine, says the Lord of Hosts, on the day that I make them my jewels. And literally, the word there is his special treasure, his peculiar treasure. Now when I was a child, I don't know if there are any left now, but there were a group of Christians in Essex who called themselves the peculiar people. Now they were a bit peculiar actually, in more senses than one. But the name came from those words in 1 Peter, for you are, in the authorised version, you are a peculiar people, you are a special people, you are unique. And the world does think that we're peculiar. You understand? Because we're not like the world. We're different if we're Christians. And we stand out as different and odd. And they can't understand it. And whether any left, I don't know, because I know they were very much a dwindling group. But they were known as the peculiar people. That was the title. And there were a number of churches in Essex about that. They were essentially different from the world. 1 Peter 2, 9 to 10 speaks about that, doesn't it? Now the Hebrew word that is used here, sorry I don't want to give you a word study, but it was fascinating. The word that is translated jewel here is actually a covenantal word. God has renewed his promise to his chosen one. God, they are special to him, they are valuable to him. They belong to him by special grace. And the word segulah refers to his people as his special treasure. If you have a margin Bible, authorized or New King James, and you've got a margin Bible, you'll find that that's what's written in the margin in most cases. Their special treasure, his special treasure. Now it's a word that occurs a number of times in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word, well obviously Hebrew doesn't occur in the New Testament because it's written in Greek, but you understand what I mean. It occurs a number of times in the Old Testament, and significantly it appears in Exodus chapter 19 and verse 5, which is just as the children of Israel are about to face that awesome experience of God coming down on Sinai to give them the Ten Commandments. And what does God say to Moses as the people are to prepare themselves? This is, I think, fascinating and wonderful. Exodus 19 verse 5. If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you see, covenantal, God's made his covenant with them, it's established with them, then you shall be a special treasure. You will be a jewel in my crown. That's the word he's using. It's exactly the same Hebrew word at that point. It's not even a deviation or a root or a different, it's the very same word. And it could be translated jewel. And that's amazing, isn't it? You will be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And look at this. You recognize this because this occurs in the New Testament. It occurs in Peter. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So here in the Old Testament, God is setting down the terms of his covenantal relationship with his people. And already, well, I mean, it's there with Abraham, of course, earlier. But it's just significant, I think, that this very word is used here in this verse. In covenantal term, God enters into relationships with his people. God is not a passive or a detached God. He comes into fellowship with his people. He meets with them, and he fellowships with them, and he makes covenant with them when they come to approach before him. in Exodus 19, to sanctify themselves. They are to prepare themselves. They are to be separate from the world. They are different from the nations around. They are a holy people to the Lord God Jehovah Yahweh. And all the earth belongs to Him, but His people are His special possession. That's wonderful, isn't it? You are special to God. Are you a Christian tonight? You are special to God. He looks upon you as a jewel. You may think you're nobody, and I hope you do in one sense, because you are nobody, and I'm nobody, if you understand what I mean. I'm not insulting him. But God thinks you're special. That's wonderful, isn't it? What value, what value. Deuteronomy, I won't take a lot of verses, but Deuteronomy chapter seven and verse six. Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verse 6, the same thing, he's talking about the chosen people, the special people, these people, they have been delivered from the pagan nations around, the Hittites, the Gurgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jemuzites, they're all listed in verse 1, and the Lord God will deliver you from them and so on, and you're not to get, be involved in mixed marriages with them, why? Verse 6, Deuteronomy 7 verse 6, for, You are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the margin is set apart. Holy, that's what it is, to be set apart for God, the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special treasure, and that again is exactly the same Hebrew word. It's not a derivation or not a different part of the word or anything, it is the same word. A jewel above all the peoples of the face of the earth. Wonderful. And God didn't love you because you were the greatest, you were the least. The Lord loved you because he would love you. That's amazing, isn't it? Wonderful, wonderful. Now, that comes again in Deuteronomy two or three times, we won't stop with it. But the context here again, as it is in Deuteronomy 14 and Deuteronomy 26, where the same word occurs, is always the holiness, the covenant, the special treasure of God. They are constantly being reminded by God that they are his holy people, that he loves them with an everlasting love. In fact, if we hadn't sung that hymn, that psalm tonight, which I hope you see the relevance of that in a moment or two, I was going to sing loved with everlasting love. Not I was going to sing, it was going to be you to sing, we were going to sing that. Which again is another hymn which speaks of that, doesn't it? Or Psalm 135, another great psalm of praise and worship. Look at this, now this is not quite the same, it is the same Hebrew root word, but it's a slight, slightly, slightly, but it's the same sentence, it's the same word, it's the same root word. It's a different, slightly different form of it. Psalm 134, 5. Praise the Lord, praise the name of the Lord, praise him you servants of the Lord, and so on. Verse 3, sing praises to his name for it is pleasant. 4, verse 4, for the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his jewel, his special treasure. His people are precious in his sight. That's why we praise him, because he puts great value on them. These are covenant terms. This is a covenant relationship. Now, this is taken up in the New Testament by, well, it's taken up in a number of places, but it's taken up by the Apostle Paul, particularly in those most wonderful words. I love these words in Titus, in chapter two and verses 11 to 14. Listen to this. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Holy. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us. Hold on to that. We're coming back to that in a moment, the cost. He gave himself for us. He paid the ultimate, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself what? His own special people, his jewels. His own special people, zealous for good works. Wonderful. Now, although, as I say, this is not the same Hebrew word in the Old Testament in the reference I'm just about to quote, but there is a connection with it. Because back in Exodus 15 and verse 16, that's the context of the words that Paul is using in Titus. Sorry, I didn't make that very clear. obviously Titus is the New Testament, but the reference that Paul is using from referring to Titus is actually referring back to Exodus 15, and in Exodus 15 it is not the word for jewel, but it's a word that speaks of the preciousness of God's people. And in this great song that Moses sings after they've been delivered from, taken over the Red Sea and their enemies have been drowned and they have been rescued, we read these amazing words in Exodus 15 and verse 16, fear and dread will fall on them, that's the inhabitants of Canaan, by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as a stone till your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over whom you have purchased. And that comes back to this thought, who gave himself for us, that's the thing that Paul has in mind, gave himself for us. God's special people, God's jewels have been purchased. He's gone out and he's found the jewel. He's paid the price. They're valuable to him. Paul has spoken of Titus, of the Lord Jesus Christ giving himself for us at such tremendous cost. The value he puts on us, that's amazing. What value the Lord puts on his own. He sent his only well-beloved son to redeem us. He paid the tremendous cost of our salvation. Now men prospect for gold and diamonds, don't they? They will spend and be spent for their value. God spends his energies to redeem fallen men. He goes to great lengths to save us. Diamonds, when they first come out of the ground, are not always much to look at. Gold, unrefined, may be ignored by the untrained eye, but God sees the value of his saints. They may be poor, they may be despised by the world, but God knows them and God loves them. The almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, looks upon you and looks upon me and loves us. With great tenderness, he cares for us as for the apple of his eye. Well, sorry, that was a long section on their value. Secondly, their variety. Well, jewels come in all shapes and sizes, don't they? But they're all beautiful. All kinds of luster and glory, all kinds of different jewels found all over the world. You never know where you might find a gemstone, do you? Some years ago, a man found a diamond among the road chippings. Fancy that. I don't think he was looking for it particularly, but he had an eye for these things and he knew that there amongst them, and he saw something glisten and it was a diamond. Whether somebody had dropped it out of a ring or whether it was, whether it had been in the chippings and just been, and nobody, I don't, who knows? But you never know where you might find that. I looked up on the internet to see if I could find that, because I remember this from years ago. I remember it being reported. when I was a youngster, and I can't find the precise details of it, but I do remember it being reported. But as I was looking it up on the internet, I found a man who goes around Manhattan, particularly near the Jewelry District, and he pans for gold on the streets. And he actually makes quite a tidy living out of it. Because people in these houses, they're jewelers, and they come out, and there are bits of flakes on their clothes, You know, of course they're very careful, but, and he pans in Manhattan, in the streets, in the gutters, and he finds enough gold to live on. He makes quite a tidy sum, you can read about it. He seeks out the discarded flecks and finds them of great value. What does God do? He goes to the gutters of this world and he rescues men and women from their sin and rebellion. What a picture. I read this and I thought, wow, what a picture of the grace of God. I have loved you with an everlasting love, he says. You have found grace in my sight. Fear not, I know you by your name, you are mine. God knows each one of us. As I say, he takes us from the gutter, from the roadways of this world, and he makes us royal sons and daughters. T.V. Moore, the Puritan commentator says this, these humble and fearing followers of Jehovah in the midst of abounding wickedness shall be his, and when the threatened wrath begins to consume the enemies of God, he will spare them with all a father's yearning fondness for a docile and a loving child. All classes and conditions of men are here in his kingdom, and because of their variety, He takes them, and polishes them, and cuts them as gems fit for the king, making us jewels for his crown. Isaiah 62, we read it, verse three. You also shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no longer be forsaken, nor your land desolate, but it shall be called Hephzibah. and your land, Beulah. Hepzibah, meaning, says he, delight, and Beulah, meaning married. Wonderful. Zechariah 9. Just for this moment, although I've just been lecturing on the minor prophets, I need to read it because I can't remember what the verse refers to, isn't that terrible? Shows you I'm still suffering from jet lag. Zechariah 9, 16, I've got here. Yes, that's right. The Lord their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people, for they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over his land. For how great is its goodness and how great its beauty. Their variety. Thirdly, their safety. If we are the king's jewels, then we are safe. No one can pluck them out of my hand, says the Lord. No one can pluck them out of my father's hand. And even though we may be mixed with the world, and we may be undiscerned and unknown by the world, yet each and every one of us is known to the king and special in his sight. And someday, one day, he will come and separate his jewels from the pebbles, the sheep from the goats. and all the rough diamonds will then have become polished stones glowing with glory. Some of us are rough diamonds, aren't we? Maybe we're all rough diamonds. I think probably we are, aren't we? Well, maybe, I don't know. I don't know what's the different values. Maybe some, who knows what jewel we are in his crown. But he's gradually polishing us and making us what he wants us to be. And all God's providential purposes will be fulfilled in us. That'll be great. So that was God's duel. Secondly, and much more briefly, why does he spare them? Let me say three things. Firstly, because their sin is forgiven. Their sin is covered. How do we know that? Well, we know that from verse 16. Those who feared the Lord. They have not despised his dealings with them like the others have. They're not complaining harshly against his dealings, even though they can't understand them always. They've not complained against his gracious providences, they've not robbed God, but they've heard his promises and claimed them by faith. They have become, verse 17, his own son who serves him, son and daughter, of course. They shall be mine, says the Lord, they shall be mine. Secondly, because they are his sons, sons and daughters, children of God, as a man spares his own son. those who serve him, those who are obedient to his word, those who live in the light of his truth. And we don't deserve the least of his favours, do we? We know that. But he has come to us and made us sons and daughters of the King of kings. Not according to our merits, not according to any works of righteousness which we have done, but of his own mercy and grace he saved us. No one can stand before God if God does not save them. but God has promised to spare us on the basis of the work of his Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to make us heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. We're his sons and daughters, children of the King of Kings. Thirdly, because they are special to him, jewels His special treasure, His special treasure. Nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And because He loves us, He will shower great honor upon us. We, yes, we who are so worthless, we who are so vile and full of sin, but He will take us and shine us with a luster and honor that will cause the angels to gasp. Is that fair? Why not? Why not? The angels try to look into these things and can't understand them. The angels cannot sing of redemption. They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts. How tragic if on that day we hear those terrible words, I never knew you, depart from me. You were never part of my treasure. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness. How can we avoid that tragedy? By learning now to fear the Lord and walk in his ways. By meditating upon his truth, especially the truth of salvation in Christ alone. Seeking his righteousness and his salvation, guarding our hearts. Well, my friends, let's not lose heart as we get older. Let not the world drag you down I've lived long enough to see men, older men and women, sometimes fall it grievously. Oh, may the Lord never allow us to be dragged down. Seek his righteousness. Seek to encourage one another in his grace. Seek to go on with him. See this wonderful picture of the Lord of glory doing such good to us who don't deserve it, sparing us. and watching over us by his saving grace so that we're no longer pebbles in the mud but jewels in his crown. That's a wonderful picture, isn't it? Well, I trust it is. Seek him. Continue to seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near. Never think, as I've said before, somebody once said to me when I was a youngster, someone who claimed to be a Christian, but sadly a few years later proved to be utter sham. I've done with repenting. We've never done with repenting, my friends. We've never done with coming and seeking his forgiving grace. But he is a forgiving God. And as he knocks the corners off us, and as he polishes us, and sometimes it may be hard, We know that we are being made into jewels, jewels for his crown. What a wonderful, what a glorious picture. That's why I wanted us to sing that hymn just now. But the good shall live before thee, planted in thy dwelling place, fruitful trees and ever verdant, nourished by thy boundless grace. In his goodness to the righteous, God his righteousness displays. God my rock, my strength, my refuge, just and true are all his ways. Well, my friends, I trust that God is indeed for us our rock and our strength and our refuge and we are seeing his righteousness being brought into our own hearts and lives as we seek to follow him and serve him. Well, may those words be a help, a trust and a blessing. Let's turn then to prayer.