Scripture Reading: Mal. 3:5-18; 4:1-6
In this message we will consider Malachi 3:5—4:6.
Malachi 3:5 and 6 speak of Jehovah’s judgment by His drawing near. In our experience, every time the Lord appears to us, He rebukes us. His rebuking is His judgment.
Verse 5 tells us that Jehovah would be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the orphan, against those who turn the stranger aside, and against those who do not fear Jehovah. Jehovah’s concern for the stranger indicates that He is very human and that He is not happy when His people ill-treat a stranger instead of giving him hospitality.
Verse 6 says that Jehovah does not change; therefore, the sons of Jacob are not consumed.
In verses 7 through 12 we have Jehovah’s advice to the sons of Jacob.
“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 Jehovah of hosts” (v. 7). Here Jehovah instructed the sons of Jacob to return to Him so that He would return to them that they might be blessed by Him (vv. 10, 12). To be blessed by God is to be healed (4:2), and to be healed is to be made whole.
Whereas Haggai touches the laziness of God’s people in their not working to build God’s house, Malachi speaks concerning their robbing God in tithes and offerings. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. With the curse you are cursed, yet you, even the whole nation, rob Me” (3:8-9). Here we see that after advising the sons of Jacob to return to Him, Jehovah charged them not to rob God in tithes and offerings that the curse would not be brought in to them. To rob God is to not give Him what He is due. He established the principle that of all the produce from the land, one tenth should go to Him (Lev. 27:30). The top tenth must go to Him.
“Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in My house; and prove Me, if you will, by this, says Jehovah of hosts, whether I will open to you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it” (Mal. 3:10). Here we are told that when the first tenth is brought to the storehouse, God opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing until there is no room for it.
This verse speaks of food in God’s house. This food is not for us — it is for God. God is hungry and needs food. What is God’s food? God’s food, the divine food, is the offerings, especially the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering. The peace offering is enjoyed mutually by God and His people. We enjoy this offering before Him and with Him.
In verse 11 Jehovah went on to say that He would rebuke the devourer for their sake, not allowing the devourer to destroy the fruit of the ground and not allowing the vine to lose its fruit in the field before it ripens.
According to verse 12, all the nations will call them blessed, and they will be a land of delight.
In verses 13 through 18 we see Jehovah’s encouragement to those who fear Him and serve Him.
The words of some of the sons of Jacob were strongly against Jehovah (v. 13a).
They said, “It is vain to serve God,” and they asked, “What profit is it that we have kept His charge and have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?” (v. 14). They worshipped and served God, but they did it mournfully, not at all happy that they were required to do these things.
Those who spoke strongly against Jehovah also said, “Now we call the arrogant blessed; not only have those who act wickedly been built up, but they also try God and escape” (v. 15). This indicates that these opposers of God seemed to be saying, “The way to be blessed is not to be humble but to be arrogant. The ones who act wickedly not only are built up, but they try God, not believing Him and not giving Him the tithe, and they escape from any kind of calamity. Instead of suffering, they escape tribulation.”
Verses 16 through 18 are the word of encouragement by Jehovah.
Those who feared Jehovah spoke to one another, each to his neighbor, and Jehovah gave heed and listened (v. 16a).
Verse 16b tells us that a book of remembrance was written before Jehovah of those who feared Him and considered His name. We today consider, love, regard, respect, and sanctify God’s name, and He keeps a record of this. We may not remember our fellowship concerning Christ and the church, but God keeps a record of this fellowship in His book of remembrance.
According to verse 17, the sons of Jacob will be Jehovah’s. They will be a personal treasure in the day that He prepares (the day of His anger), and He will spare them, as a man spares his son who serves him.
Finally, in His word of encouragement to those who fear Him and serve Him, Jehovah said that they will return and discern between him who is righteous and him who is wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him (v. 18).
Malachi 4:1-6 is Jehovah’s warning by the day of Jehovah.
The day of Jehovah comes, burning like a furnace, and all the proud ones and all the ones who act wickedly will be stubble. The coming day will set them ablaze, so that it will not leave them root or branch (v. 1).
Unto those who fear Jehovah’s name the Sun of righteousness — the healing Christ — will arise with healing in His wings. They will go forth and leap about like well-fed calves. They will trample the wicked; for the wicked will be ashes under the soles of their feet in the day that Jehovah prepares (vv. 2-3).
In verse 4 the sons of Jacob were charged to remember the law of Moses, that is, the statutes and judgments. The law is the Ten Commandments; the statutes are detailed items of the law; and the judgments are ordinances. When a judgment is added to a statute, that statute becomes an ordinance. For example, the commandment to keep the Sabbath and not to profane it, lacking any mention of judgment, is simply a statute. But when a judgment is added, perhaps the sentence of death by stoning, the statute becomes an ordinance.
Finally, in verses 5 and 6, God promised to send Elijah the prophet to them before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes (Matt. 17:10-11; Rev. 11:3-4). Elijah will turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest Jehovah comes and strikes the land with a curse. This is the closing word of Malachi and the last word of the Old Testament.
