Malachi 3 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Malachi 3

3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 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. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.¹ 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Robbing God

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer² for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Footnotes

[1] 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness
[2] 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests

Commentary

v1-3: The coming of God's messenger, preceding the Lord's arrival. The purpose here is to refine, to purify, to purge; for Israel has been unfaithful to God. There is no longer idolatry, for the Babylonian captivity has purged that, but there is now a lack of devotion, with complacency and hypocrisy.

The aim is to have a righteous people, with a righteous offering, thus glorifying God. Does not the Lord purge those He loves?

v4-5: The sins of Judah exposed and dealt with; those who do not fear the Lord are those who are guilty of cherishing such sins. These verse refer not to individual acts of wrong doing, but of habitual practice of sins.

From Zech 13.8-9; 14.2, we see that the remnant which has returned still requires refining. So, Haggai and Zechariah and Malachi all bring immediate challenge, see Rom 9.6.

v6-7: The faithfulness of God contrasted with the people's lack of faithfulness. They are descendants "of Jacob," for they have reverted to their old ways of deceit and scheming.

God preserves those who belong to Him; they re not destroyed, or consumed (Jer 10.24), for He will complete the work He has started in His people. Our part is to heed His voice.

As in Zech 1.3, the command is to "return to me."

The question, "How are we to return?" is answered in v8-15.

v8-10: Robbing God, and the blessing of giving God His due; illustrated in Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5; see also 1.8,13-14.

To rob God is;

to despise the precious things of God;
to try to deceive God;
not to give God His rightful demands;
to hold back in our commitment to Him.

The challenge comes with a promise; to bring "the whole tithe," to put Him first; and there is great blessing for those who will do this.

v11-12: See Is 62.4; previous curses removed, and great blessings upon the people, as they enjoy the delightful land.

v13-15: The criticism against God; compare 2.17.

They claim that they do not say anything against God.

They claim that it is pointless serving and obeying God; Jer 44.17-19; a form of nominalism and pragmatism; it seems they expect God to serve them.

The apparent injustice, and unfairness of life; but God says we do not receive because we do not ask.

v16: The godly remnant;

they fear the Lord;

they talk and fellowship together;

they honoured His Name.

Even in the darkest days, whether of idolatry or of nominalism, there remain a remnant, faithful to God. The Lord will honour and bless such saints.

v17: The Lord will remember His faithful remnant, "my treasured possession," or jewels; these are servants of God.

v18: Discernment; marking a difference between true believers and others. This is a mark of spiritual character and maturity.