Malachi

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Malachi 4:1-6
The Day is Coming

(Typed 28 October 2024) The book of Malachi and the Old Testament canon are complete with these verses in Malachi. Right at the very beginning, God set forth a plan that has been slowly and methodically worked out in the course of human history.

Much of it is centered on Israel. We might ask, “Why Israel?” But the same question would be asked if He had chosen the Mongolians or the Peruvians. He chose Israel, and that is how it is. He knew what would work and why.

He knew what languages would convey His intentions for His word. He knew what family, genealogy, nation, and location would bring about His purposes in the ways He determined.

His word shows that He purposefully intervened at various times in order to ensure things continued on as they should. Everything about the word shows careful attention to every detail.

One example from Israel’s history, which is alluded to in today’s verses, is cited by Jesus –

Text Verse: “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’
⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’
⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” John 8:56-58

Abraham rejoiced at the good news of God in Christ. The only way that was possible was for God to reveal it to him in some way. Paul explains that in the book of Galatians. But the Jews who argued with Jesus should have clued into what He was saying because they were told to remember the Law of Moses.

The story of Abraham is a part of the Law of Moses. If they had been less arrogant and more willing to study and accept God’s word, they would not have rejected Jesus’ words. They would have understood, believed, and been saved.

And the same is true with us today. Our understanding of God, what He is doing, and how it affects us is found in only one place, His word. It may be explained in ten thousand commentaries and sermons, but it is only found in the Bible.

Unless we actually read the word and check what we are taught, we can have no idea if what we have learned is correct or not. The leaders of Israel instructed the people in all sorts of things, but they often had little to do with the word.

Those instructing were the ones Jesus most vehemently argued against. Do you suppose the same would be true today? If He showed up right now, how would He evaluate the leaders of churches? He would do so in accordance with His word.

Let us remember this, both as a congregation and individually. We must be careful how we conduct our affairs in relation to it. The process of salvation is explained in the word. Many churches get that right, but their doctrine beyond that may be highly questionable.

People being saved doesn’t equate to receiving rewards for how their lives were lived in their state of salvation. And for those who fail to come to Jesus, only bad times can be expected. These are certain truths that are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Root and Branch (verses 1-3)

“For behold, the day is coming,

ki hineh hayom ba – “For behold! The day coming.”

The day referred to here corresponds to what was said in Malachi 3:2 –

“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?”

But what exactly is this day? Scholars vary in their interpretation of its meaning. Some place it at the time of Christ’s coming and the nation’s rejection of Him. Thus, the destruction of Jerusalem by fire and the exile of the people. Others see it as the day when Christ returns in fiery judgment, as in 2 Peter 3:7 –

“But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

If this is the same day referred to in Malachi 3, one might assume the day is in Jesus’ first coming. Malachi 3:1 begins with the thought of the Lord sending His messenger before Jesus. All three of the synoptic gospels cite Jesus saying this was John the Baptist –

“As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”’” Matthew 11:7-10

However, verse 5 will say that this day is when the Lord will send Elijah the prophet, a man who did not die but who was taken directly to heaven in a whirlwind, as recorded in 2 Kings 2.

To further complicate the matter, Jesus directly equated John the Baptist to Elijah in His continued words of Matthew 11 –

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 11:11-15

The answer to the meaning of “the day” comes from understanding God’s irrevocable faithfulness to His unfaithful people, Israel. He has promised that He will bring them into the New Covenant. As a nation, that has not yet happened.

And so, the day is not one particular time, nor is it one particular event. It is a succession of events that comprise the day of the Lord’s judgment spanning the history of Israel from Christ’s first advent until His second.

John the Baptist came as the promised Elijah and the nation did not receive Jesus. In the future, Elijah himself will return to testify once again to the nation. This will be seen as we continue. This succession of events that comprise “the day” will be…

^{1 (con’t)} Burning like an oven,

boer katanur – “Burning according to the firepot.” In Malachi 3:2, it said, “For He according to fire – smelting.” Christ was compared to the fire. Now, the day of Christ is compared to the firepot in which the smelting occurs.

Fire in the open burns with great heat, but the firepot is used to increase the heat. In such heat, everything impure is burned away or separated, such as the slag separating from the pure metal. Nobody can doubt that this type of process was used to purge Israel after Christ’s ascension.

In fact, preterists cling to the fact that the judgment upon Israel occurred at that time in the destruction of the temple and the exile of the people. To them, that was the end of Israel in the redemption narrative. And yet, this causes a dilemma because Israel exists today not only as a people but in the land promised to the people.

Preterists and replacement theologians dismiss this fact as an aberration, clinging to the notion that the church is the only focus of what God is doing in the world today. There has to be a lot of spiritualizing of Scripture in order to hold to this view.

But if taken literally, then the words of Malachi – and indeed both testaments of Scripture – tell us that “the day” is not isolated to a single time of the past nor of a day future to us now. The judgment of God upon Israel is an ongoing succession of events. It is a day of judgment…

^{1 (con’t)} And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.

v’hayu khal zedim v’khal oseh rishah qash v’lihat otham hayom haba amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth asher lo yaazov lahem shoresh v’anaph –

“‘And became all the arrogant,
And all doing wickedness – stubble!
And licks them, the day, the coming,’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth,
‘Which naught relinquishes to them root and branch.’”

The arrogant and those doing wickedness correspond to those of the previous chapter –

“And now, we straightened arrogant,
Also built doing wickedness,
Also tested God and escape.” Malachi 3:15

Those who think they are ok, ignoring the Lord and trusting in themselves apart from Him, are nothing but stubble. They will be completely burnt up through His fiery judgment.

The word lahat is used. It comes from a primitive root signifying to lick. That, however, is interpreted as to blaze, burn, set on fire, and so forth. The idea is identical to our concept of flames licking up what they come in contact with.

This coming day will be like a flaming tongue that will lick up the arrogant in the firepot, consuming them. As for the words of the verse itself, they are like what John the Baptist said to the people –

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’” Matthew 3:7-12

John equates the time of this wrath to the time of Christ’s appearing. And yet, Jews formed the initial body of the church under the New Covenant. They continue to be saved today. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2 –

 ^“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, ¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

Consider what is happening. Both Jews and Gentiles have entered the New Covenant. And yet, there are Jews who have not entered it. The Gentiles were never under the law, so those Jews who do not enter the New Covenant are the only ones who remain under the law.

The Law of Moses did not end for them when Christ came and initiated the New Covenant. It only ends for them if and when they enter into the New Covenant. Hebrews 8:13 makes this explicit –

“In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

The law is obsolete. It is no longer what God is doing in the process of redemptive history. However, it is not yet gone. It remains binding upon Israel until they come into the New Covenant.

As for the saying, “Which naught relinquishes to them root and branch,” the general consensus passed on from scholar to scholar is that this is a proverbial saying expressing utter destruction and signifying that none shall escape. Although this is true for those being described, this is not the intent.

Rather, the meaning is to be derived from the purpose of roots and branches. A root provides stability, brings in moisture, transfers nutrients into the tree to feed it, and so forth.

The branches produce leaves that receive the sunlight, take in carbon dioxide, and convert it, along with water, into glucose and oxygen. Thus, they produce the necessary nutrients for the tree to grow. It doesn’t say there will be no root or branch, but that the fire, the judgment, will not relinquish to them root or branch.

Paul uses this metaphor and equates it to Israel in the process of God’s judgment, thus defining “the day” as an ongoing succession of events –

“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” Romans 11:16-18

Paul’s words are misinterpreted in many directions. The meaning is that branches are equated to what God is doing in the process of redemption. There are believing Jews and also believing Gentiles. The believing Jews are never broken off from God’s purposes. The believing Gentiles are grafted into God’s purposes. They receive what the roots provide and then produce what is needed for the tree.

The unbelieving Jews are broken off. They receive nothing, and they have no part in what God is doing in the New Covenant. Unbelieving Gentiles are never grafted into the tree.

Paul further explains this process, but this is the intent of the Lord’s words through Malachi. The focus is solely on Israel. The mystery of the inclusion of Gentiles is a part of God’s plans, but at the time of Malachi, it was a mystery not yet revealed. Thus, for the sake of the next words, the focus remains on Israel alone…

² But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;

Rather: v’zar’khah lakhem yire sh’mi shemesh ts’daqah umarphe bikhnapheha –

“And arose to you – ‘fearful My name,’
Sun Righteousness,
And a healing in her extremities.”

The word bikhnapheha refers to a feminine entity as in her (or its), but certainly not his (His). The word sun is a common noun. The word righteousness is a feminine noun. Malachi is focusing on the righteousness aspect of the sun, not the sun itself. The righteousness defines the sun. More exactly, righteousness itself is equated to a sun.

To understand this, think of the song “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens. Peace is equated by him to a train that ran throughout the land. What is referred to here is a Righteousness Sun rising over the people who fear the name of the Lord.

This is not to diminish the role of Christ, but there is no personal reference to Him. Rather, the words are given to define what He did. This can be seen in the first use of the word righteousness in the New Testament –

“Then Jesus, He comes from the Galilee upon the Jordan unto John to be immersed by him. ¹⁴ And John, he thoroughly hinders Him, saying, ‘I, I have need by You to be immersed, and You, You come unto me?’ ¹⁵ And Jesus, having answered, said unto him, ‘Permit now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he permits Him.” Matthew 3:13-15 (CGT)

Christ’s coming is equated to a Righteousness Sun that shone over Israel. The people could not meet the demands of the law, but He could and did. His work fulfilled all righteousness (the extremities of the Righteousness Sun) for the people, thus healing them from the infection of sin that separated them from God.

The law, except as fulfilled by Him, stood opposed to them. They were expected to see this and come to Him for healing. This thought takes the reader all the way back to the introduction of sin in Genesis 3. The issue is dealt with, finally, in and through the work of Christ. For those who would trust in Him…

^{2 (con’t)} And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

vitsathem uphish’tem k’egle marbeq – “And gone out and spread according to calves a stall.” The words are not limited to either the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 or to the tribulation as various scholars claim. Rather, at any time a person is eclipsed by the Righteousness Sun, he is healed. In this healing, such a person is freed as a calf from the stall.

The word used here is phush, a word coming from a primitive root signifying to spread. It is debated what the intent is. Some equate it to growing fat. But if the calves go out, they’re not stall-fed afterward. Such an analysis seems to jumble concepts.

Others equate it to the act of the calves, springing about as they spread out in the fields. That would be more of a paraphrase based on observation of how cows might act when released.

What seems most likely is that when calves are stalled, they are close together. Thus, everything under their feet would be crushed. As such, “according to calves a stall” is saying that when calves go out, what they do would be as explained in the next words…

³ You shall trample the wicked,

v’asothem r’shaim – “And splootched wicked.” So, yes, I made that word up. The Hebrew word is asas, and it is found only here. It comes from a primitive root signifying to squeeze out juice. That brings to mind the sound or effect made when you grab something and squeeze out its juice – splootch.

There are other words that mean trample, tread, crush, etc. If one steps on a grape or squeezes a lemon, we don’t have a single word to uniquely describe the sound or effect. Words like press, puree, pulp, extract, and so forth each have their own meaning, but none of them fits perfectly. As for what happens after they are splootched…

^{3 (con’t)} For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

ki yihyu epher takhath kapoth raglekhem bayom asher ani oseh amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘For become ash under soles your feet,
In the day which I doing.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

When they are splootched out, there will be nothing left. Just as ashes under the soles of one’s foot disappear into nothingness, so it will be with the arrogant and the wicked.

Again, the intent is that this applies to the time when the Righteousness Sun shines upon a person. It is a timeframe, highlighted by the completion of Christ’s work, until the nation of Israel finally accepts Him.

Those who oppose the gospel, the arrogant and those doing wickedness, are being referred to as the recipients of the action by those who accept it.

The meaning isn’t that they will literally step on these people. Rather it is a metaphorical way of saying that the wicked will be regarded as if they were ashes under the soles of the feet. Those who fear the Lord and reckon His name (Malachi 3:17) will not have to worry that their fear of the Lord is in vain.

While the others were saying “Emptiness serving God,” (3:14), those who feared the Lord understood there is nothing futile or empty in their reverence of Him.

Remember what I have spoken
And apply it to your daily walk
Let My word be as a token
So that the two of us can talk

Without My word, we stand at odds
What kind of fellowship could we share
If you are out following other gods
Know with certainty, I would not be there

Remember the word that I have given
Keep it in context and things will go well
In My word are the details for true livin’
They’ll set you on the right path, keeping you from hell

II. Upon All Israel (verses 4-6)

⁴ “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,

The verb is imperative: zikhru torath Mosheh avdi – “Remember! Law Moses, My servant.” The admonition is not for us today, as if we are to observe the law. Nor was it written for the Jews after Jesus’ coming, as if the law was still binding upon them.

The words were spoken to Israel at the time of Malachi. The law was in effect. It was to be obeyed. As such, no further revelation (more prophets coming to remind them of this) was to be expected.

The Lord has just promised that the Righteousness Sun was coming. That indicates quite clearly that the Law of Moses was not a Righteousness Sun. The law, as Paul openly states, was a tutor to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

In remembering the law and anticipating the promise set forth in Malachi, the people would then be prepared for the coming of Christ. Understanding this, the Lord continues with…

^{4 (con’t)} Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.

asher tsivithi otho b’khorev al kal Yisrael khuqim u-mishpatim –

“Which commanded him in Horeb upon all Israel –
Enactments and judgments.”

The words could not be clearer. The verb is first person common singular. The Lord commanded (tsiviti – I commanded) Moses the enactments and judgments of the Law.

It wasn’t something that Moses conjured up on his own. Rather, it was the word of the Lord commanded by Him to and through Moses. As such, the words confirm the dating of the law. It cannot be that the law was penned much later if the Lord, through Malachi, states that He commanded it to Moses.

And more, it says that this was “in Horeb.” The words not only confirm the dating of the law but also the circumstances by which it came about. The words of Moses in Deuteronomy claim that the law was received in Horeb. The Lord confirms this through Malachi. And more, the law commanded “upon all Israel.”

Israel had agreed to the terms of the covenant. In doing so, they placed not only themselves under its precepts but the nation as an existing entity, meaning in its continuance throughout the generations. The law was a formal agreement that remained binding upon the nation and its people.

They had no right to amend it, walk away from it, disregard it, etc. If they attempted to do so, they would suffer the punishments detailed in it. And those punishments were sure to come unless they paid heed to what is next said…

⁵ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet

hineh anokhi sholeakh lakehm eth Eliyah hanavi – “Behold! I sending to you Elijah the prophet.”

The words of verse 4 tell us that no further prophetic revelation was to be expected. The people were to remember the Law of Moses, meaning not only know what it said but also perform what it prescribed.

They would receive no more reminders or warnings. Instead, they had exactly what they needed to make the right choice and determination when the time arrived. When it arrived, the Lord promised to send Elijah the prophet.

As noted earlier, Jesus pinpointed the coming of John the Baptist with the promise of Elijah. However, when asked about who he was, John’s words appear to argue against that –

“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
²⁰ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’
²¹ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
‘Are you the Prophet?’
And he answered, ‘No.’
²² Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’
²³ He said: ‘I am
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”’
as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:19-23

This tells us that the idea of a succession of events concerning the words of Malachi concerning “the day” that is coming is correct. John was sent to fulfill the promise of Elijah’s return.

In Revelation 2:20, Jesus speaks of “that woman Jezebel.” This doesn’t mean Jezebel of the Old Testament book of Kings. And yet, He uses the name to identify this woman with her.

This is what Jesus did with John the Baptist. He identified John as the prophetic fulfillment of the one who would restore the people to proper law worship so that when Jesus came, He would be recognized as the One the law anticipated.

That calling did not end with John’s death. The message of John continues to this day in the pages of Scripture. Each Jew that reads and accepts his testimony concerning Jesus and then accepts Jesus is instructed by “Elijah” as referred to by Jesus.

And yet, the actual Elijah will return in fulfillment of the word of the Lord through Malachi. This is because Malachi explicitly states that Elijah will be sent because John explicitly said he is not Elijah, and because there will be two witnesses already identified in the Old Testament who will come to witness to the truth of God in Christ during the tribulation.

Although they are not named, a logical deduction of who each is can be made. First, in the Zechariah 4, it says –

“I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. ³ Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” Zechariah 4:2, 3

…

“Then I answered and said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?’ ¹² And I further answered and said to him, ‘What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?’

¹³ Then he answered me and said, ‘Do you not know what these are?’
And I said, ‘No, my lord.’
¹⁴ So he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.’” Zechariah 4:11-14

Later, in Revelation 11, these two are further described –

“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. ⁶ These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
⁷ When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:3-8

As they were identified first in Zechariah, we know that they are from Old Testament times. As only two people from the Old Testament were taken by God and are still alive today, Enoch and Elijah, we can correctly deduce that they are the two witnesses.

As they will testify in Jerusalem (as noted, “where also our Lord was crucified”), the promise of the return of Elijah in Malachi will find its final fulfillment at that time, which is…

^{5 (con’t)} Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

liphne bo yom Y’hovah ha’gadol v’hanora –

“To faces coming day Yehovah –
The whopping and the fearing.”

Again, there is a successive fulfillment of this. In their rejection of Christ Jesus after the testimony of John, Israel received the punishment of the curses of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. They continue to receive this with each rejection of Him today.

Each Jew who dies apart from Jesus will likewise face the great and dreadful day of the Lord when they stand before Him. But the nation as a whole will again have to face this decision with the coming of Elijah during the tribulation. He will instruct them just as John the Baptist did. Those who pay heed will find a different fate awaits them than those who fail to do so.

As you can see, the problem with explaining these verses with a single fulfillment of them is evident. It fails to take the whole of Scripture into consideration. John the Baptist came as a type of Elijah, identifying with his promised mission. Elijah himself will be sent to complete the process…

⁶ And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,

v’heshiv lev avoth al banim v’lev banim al avotham –

“And turned heart fathers upon sons,
And heart sons upon fathers.”

This is not a verse describing immediate family relations, as in, “He will turn the people in the families to love one another.” Rather, this is a word concerning the Hebrew people as a whole. The fathers are the patriarchs, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The children are those who have misunderstood both the promise to the patriarchs and the purpose of the law. The heart of the fathers was that of promise while trusting in the gospel of the grace of God. Paul explains this in Galatians 3 –

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.’”

…

“And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:8, 9, & 17, 18

The hearts of the children, the unbelievers of Israel, will have their hearts turned to the hearts of the fathers who trusted the gospel of Christ as a certain and sure promise. If they do not turn their hearts, the warning stands…

*^{6 (fin)} Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

pen avo v’hikethi eth ha’arets kharem – “Lest come and strike the land – anathema.” The Old Testament, the time of man’s living under the curse of law, ends with the word kherem, anathema. It speaks of the utter destruction or ban of something. It is a fitting end to the thirty-nine books of law.

Only with the hope of God in Christ is there life and renewed fellowship with God. Only in understanding the gospel can that state be realized.

As with the whole chapter, these final words speak of a dual fulfillment. The first part of it came about when Israel rejected Jesus. He told them as much in Matthew 23:36, saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”

The nation as a whole rejected Jesus, remained under law, and fell under the ban because of it. The second fulfillment will be for those of Israel who continue to reject Jesus during the tribulation. However, for the nation, that will eventually end. The land of Israel, symbolized by Jerusalem, was anathema because of Israel’s rejection of Jesus. This is seen in Zechariah 14:11 –

“The people shall dwell in it;
And no longer shall there be utter destruction [kherem],
But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

This prophecy concerns the future when Israel finally receives Jesus. Only when the hearts of the children are turned to the hearts of the fathers will this time of woe for Israel end.

The day is coming, and the world is being readied for it with the return of Israel to her land. The nation has been reestablished, prophecies of the past have come to their fulfillment, and many more prophecies are set to be fulfilled.

The book is written, and these things will come about. We are simply spectators watching as the words of Scripture are faithfully realized, often before our own eyes. At some point, the rapture will take place and the attention of the Lord will be directed to bringing about the final restoration of Israel while also bringing about judgment upon all who refuse to believe.

Malachi sets forth both the hope of restoration and the warning of rejecting it. Though it is directed to Israel, for those who know Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, we can learn from what is said here.

Our trust is not to be in the Law of Moses but in the One who is spoken of there and throughout all of Scripture. It is not easy to let go and place ourselves solely under the authority of another, but we must do so. If we are in need of surgery, we have to trust that the surgeon will get us through the ordeal.

In the case of our eternal souls, we have to let go of trusting in ourselves and look to the eternal gospel, which God has slowly and methodically revealed to the world through His word. And that gospel is centered completely and entirely on the Person of Jesus Christ.

Let us not fail to put our trust in Him. Anything else will not carry us through to the restoration that God offers to His people. Yes, let us trust solely in the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

When everything fades,
My strength is no more.
I have nothing left.
Yet, I have it all!
Your goodness, your grace,
Still lives in me.
I don’t have to be afraid.
I still have this peace;

My Lord overcomes
The surges of storms.
When people’s hearts fail
He is still in control.
No waves high enough
Could cover the truth;
There is no storm
Stronger than You!

I sit in my pity,
In my fallen ways,
But my Lord is perfect!
So is his grace.
His love is sufficient!
His love floods my soul,
I’m saved in your arms
So please hold me, Lord.
Izabela Bednara, 9 October 2024

Closing Verse: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21

Next Week: Wait and see

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.

Malachi 4:1-6 (CG)

For behold! The day coming:
Burning according to the firepot.
And became all the arrogant,
And all doing wickedness – stubble!
And licks them, the day, the coming,
Said Yehovah Sabaoth,
Which naught relinquishes to them root and branch.
² And arose to you – fearful My name,
Sun Righteousness,
And a healing in its wings.
And gone out and spread according to calves a stall.
³ And splootched wicked,
For become ash under soles your feet,
In the day which I doing.
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.
⁴ Remember! Law Moses, My servant,
Which commanded him in Horeb upon all Israel –
Enactments and judgments.
⁵ Behold! I sending to you Elijah the prophet,
To faces coming day Yehovah –
The whopping and the fearing.
⁶ And turned heart fathers upon sons,
And heart sons upon fathers.
Lest come and strike the land – anathema.

 

Malachi 4:1-6 (NKJV)

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.
² But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
³ You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

⁴ “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
⁵ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
⁶ And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

 

 

 

 

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Malachi 3:13-18
And Hearkens, Yehovah, and Hears

(Typed 21 October 2024) The Lord is direct with Israel in His words through Malachi. He is clear that their attitude as a nation and a people is completely unacceptable. There is no way to sugarcoat this, and it would be pointless to attempt to do so.

Nothing has changed in the world today, so I don’t attempt to sugarcoat my words about them either. When they do well in the world, I compliment them. Because the Lord has called them back to the land He promised them, I support them in light of that.

And yet, concerning their demeanor, their attitude towards the Lord, and their arrogance in their national and cultural thinking, I don’t hold back how I feel. There is nothing antisemitic about this. If one generally evaluates the Jewish people based on their compliance with Scripture, they would be given an F-.

Overall, their humility towards God is lacking, their morals aren’t just in the john, they were flushed eons ago, and their generally superior attitude is completely unjustified. Yes, this sounds harsh, but only until we realize that Israel is merely a microcosm of the larger world.

Can anyone say any differently about most of the politicians in the world? Or about most of those who run big tech or other big corporations? Are there not feelings of superiority welling up in nations, cultures, religions, and even denominations within Christianity?

Text Verse: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.’” Exodus 32:33

The faults of Israel and the Jewish people are different from the rest for one important reason: they covenanted with God. There is a benefit to this. Despite their incredibly horrible conduct before the Lord, He has promised that they will forever remain as a people before Him.

That’s a good thing, because were it not for this, the record of their conduct as found in Scripture would have merited utter annihilation eons ago. On the other hand, there are definite drawbacks to their relationship with the Lord when they fail to honor Him as they agreed.

Those drawbacks are openly and clearly recorded in the Pentateuch, especially Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. When they came about, they were obviously self-inflicted wounds, but this doesn’t make it any less tragic.

For example, and let’s be honest, from a biblical perspective – meaning taking things in context and literally – would the Holocaust have happened if the Jews were right with the Lord? Would the pogroms have happened? Would they have been exiled? The answers are obvious, even if they (and many others) will not admit it.

Israel’s Holocaust Museum, the Yad Vashem, as sad and horrific as it is to visit, is a testimony to Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord. Whether saying that disturbs you or makes you angry doesn’t change the fact that it is so. The book of Zechariah, which will be quoted from today, along with so many other passages of Scripture, clearly and unambiguously reveals this to us.

But again, Israel as a nation, and the Jewish people as a cultural entity, are merely a microcosm of the rest of the world. When we point our fingers at Israel and blame them for the world’s problems, we are taking a myopic view of things.

The guilt is everywhere, and it is increasing daily. This is for one main reason: the rejection of Jesus Christ. Israel was exiled and has faced many woes. The world will be joining them in the tribulation period, the time of Jacob’s trouble, for exactly this.

Remember this as we continue through and complete Chapter 3 of Malachi. When I pick on some of the Jews of the world, highlighting them for their ways, it is because they are the focus of the words of Malachi. But these words are a part of the Bible. Thus, they are instructive for all people.

This is a certain truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Built Doing Wickedness (verses 13-15)

¹³ “Your words have been harsh against Me,”
Says the Lord,

Apart from Malachi 1:2 and 1:13, the wording is unique in the book: khazqu alay divrekhem amar Y’hovah –

“‘Seized upon Me your words,’ said Yehovah.”

In Malachi 1:2, it says, amar Y’hovah, “said Yehovah.” That is repeated in 1:13 and in this verse. Every other instance where a proclamation is made by Yehovah, it says, amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth – “said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

Rather than a proclamation from the Lord of Hosts who wields all the power of His many legions of angels, it is a pained cry from the self-existent Lord who called Israel to be His own special possession. Because of this, one can see the personal nature of the words –

1:2 – “‘I loved you, said Yehovah.’
And said, ‘In how loved us?’”

1:13 – And brought stripped, and the lame, and the rubbing.
And brought the present!
Accept it from your hand?’
Said Yehovah.”

3:1 – “‘Seized upon Me your words,’ said Yehovah.
And said, ‘What spoken upon You?’”

As such, one can see that the Lord is wounded by the event being conveyed. He loved Israel and yet their words seized Him. It was as if they violently grabbed Him with them, painfully stating things that then marred the relationship between them.

The words of the NKJV, “Your words have been harsh against Me,” are somewhat of a paraphrase, but they do get the intent across. Yehovah, who reads the hearts and minds of His people, and who is aware of every word they speak, is personally affected by the discourse He hears and the intent behind the spoken words…

^{13 (con’t)} “Yet you say,
‘What have we spoken against You?’

vaamartem mah nidbarnu alekha – “And said, ‘What spoken upon You?’” In this, one can see that Israel understood the intent of what Yehovah said –

“‘Seized upon Me your words,’ said Yehovah.”
“And said, ‘What spoken upon You?’”

The words seized and spoken are in apposition. Israel questions what they have said that so seized Yehovah. And, as has been the case throughout the book, they ask it as if they have no idea what He is talking about, “Wha.. What? Spoken upon You? What are You talking about?”

The main issue here is essentially a denial of the omniscience of Yehovah. The form of the verb spoken, nidbarnu, is what is known as a niphal. It is either a passive or reflexive voice. Thus, these weren’t words spoken to the Lord but about Him, either muttering to themselves or among one another.

The Lord is telling them that He hears and is fully aware of what they are saying. They fail to recognize this quality and go about muttering their complaints, not considering that He is aware of every word that passes over their lips.

If one considers and takes to heart the tenth commandment, “You shall not covet,” he understands this quality and ability of the Lord. Coveting is something that occurs inside a person. It may lead to outward words or actions, but the state of coveting is only truly known to the individual and God.

In stating, “You shall not covet,” the Lord was letting them know that He was aware of their inner desires. Paul shows that this is true in Romans 7 –

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’ ⁸ But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Romans 7:7-12

How can sin be imputed for an internal act, coveting, unless the Lord is aware of the act, meaning the evil desire, which then leads to other sins?  The same is true here in Malachi concerning the words uttered in private that seized upon the Lord. Understanding this, the Lord, through Malachi, continues with his proclamation…

¹⁴ You have said,
‘It is useless to serve God;

amartem shav avod elohim – “Said, ‘Emptiness serving God.’” The word is shav, coming from sho, desolation. Thus, it is a state of nothingness or emptiness. This tells us that the words referred to in the previous verse are not unlike those of verse 2:17 –

“Gasped, Yehovah in your words,
And said, ‘In what gasped?’
In your saying, ‘All doing evil good in eye Yehovah.
And in them He inclined.’
Or, ‘Where God the verdict?’”

The actions of the people are equated to their words as if their actions are openly proclaiming the intent of the heart. The word “words” in verse 2:17 is not to be taken literally. The words being referred to are not specifically the words spoken by the people, but what was spoken by them leads to the thought being expressed by Yehovah.

The people may have said, “Why are we wasting our time with offerings, sacrifices, and tithes? The nations around us don’t do these things and they are all prospering. We are no worse off when we don’t do these things, and we are no better off when we do them.” This type of attitude is equated to “Emptiness serving God.”

This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of Israel’s position before the Lord. They, as a nation and a people, agreed to the conditions of the Mosaic covenant. Throughout the years, they voluntarily recommitted to it time and time again.

The requirement to serve God as a nation was not optional. Their fathers had entered into the covenant for them, and it was binding upon them. What seemed to them to be emptiness (meaning pointless) was still required, whether they liked it or not.

To understand, one might consider the Jews in America today. They are prosperous, famous, intellectuals, movie stars, etc. They might say, “Why do I need to read the Bible? Why do I need to know about the conditions set forth in the law? Why do I need to worship Yehovah? I am rich, famous, and have power and influence!”

That attitude is then returned to them with the words, “Said (pl.), ‘Emptiness serving God.’” The attitude of the Jews of America is that they are already okay with the Lord. They have everything anyone could ask for. Tossing Him into their everyday lives is completely unnecessary because they are already full of all they could ever want.

Now take the opposite circumstances. The Jews of Nazi Germany considered themselves the people of the Lord. And yet, they were being exterminated by the government of the nation in which they lived. They might say, “Why should we serve the Lord? We are His people, and yet we are being led as sheep to the slaughter. What good has He ever been to us?” This is what the people of Jeremiah’s time essentially said.

Again, it reflects a complete misunderstanding of who they are in relation to the Lord. It is not their choice. That decision was made for them in the past. They are under obligation to serve Yehovah. Until they come to Jesus, that means living and dying by the Mosaic Law.

But even more, the words of the Lord, which reflect the sentiment of the people, say, “Emptiness serving God.” Yehovah is God, but the people have distanced themselves from this truth, trying to shake off their calling altogether. They think not only is it pointless to serve Yehovah (who is God), but it is pointless to serve God in general.

It is the atheistic attitude that permeates the Jewish society to this day. Even when they proclaim that they are the people of the Lord and the chosen of God, their actions deny that they accept either.

This isn’t just a diatribe against Israel. Rather, the same attitude permeates other religions and cultures as well. During the elections, Kamala Harris claimed to be a Christian and allowed people to equate her to Jesus or a “spiritual” Christian in various ways.

And yet, when she openly spoke about abortion, someone in the crowd called out, “Jesus is Lord.” Her response spoke volumes about her supposed “faith.” She belittled him, saying that he was “at the wrong rally” further demeaning him by saying, “No, I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.”

This is the arrogant and vile attitude on display in Malachi and which Isaiah called out. Jesus cited it, saying –

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8

One can see this attitude in the continued words…

^{14 (con’t)} What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts?

u-mah betsa ki shamaru mishmarto v’ki halakhnu q’doranith mipne Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“And what gain, for kept His watch,
And for walked blackishly in faces Yehovah Sabaoth.”

Here is a word found only this one time in Scripture, the adverb qedoranith. It comes from qadar, to be blackish. Thus, it literally means blackishly. Figuratively, it gives the sense of mourning.

Though using a different word translated as “mourning,” the sense is understood from Zechariah 7 –

“Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ⁵ ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? ⁶ When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? ⁷ Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?”’” Zechariah 7:4-7

The Lord charges the people with their words which were reflective of their conduct. “Why are we bothering with considering the Lord, keeping His watch, and mourning before Him? Nothing changes regardless of what we do.”

Here, however, they say Y’hovah ts’vaoth, Yehovah Sabaoth. They have demonstrated an atheistic attitude, essentially mocking Him. “If He is the Lord of Hosts, why isn’t He using His hosts to exalt us as He promised?”

Yehovah is supposedly God. He supposedly has all of heaven’s power at His disposal, and yet, they believe doing things they are supposed to do is no different than if they don’t do them. Never mind that Israel almost never did what they were supposed to do. Because of this attitude…

¹⁵ So now we call the proud blessed,

The words are emphatic: v’atah anakhnu m’ashrim zedim – “And now, we straighten arrogant.” In verses 3:10-12, the Lord promised the people that if they did what was right, He would bless them even to overflowing. In 3:12, it says, “And straightened you, all the nations.”

In essence, “All nations will call you blessed.” However, the people essentially turn around and say, “Oh yeah! Serving You counts for nothing. There is no benefit in it. Instead of the nations calling us blessed, we call the arrogant blessed.”

The word translated as arrogant, zed, comes from zud, to boil. Thus, “Those who are proud and boastful are the ones who get ahead! Why should we serve Yehovah blackishly when we can be proud, boastful, and arrogant while living comfortably?” This is the attitude that the people are displaying and which continues today. This is because…

^{15 (con’t)} For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free.’”

gam nivnu ose rishah gam bakhanu elohim vayimaletu –

“Also built doing wickedness,
Also tested God and escape.”

The clauses are parallel and highlighted by the word gam, also. Thus, they build upon the first clause. The arrogant are considered straightened (blessed). Also those who are doing wickedness are built up, and also those who test God escape from any judgment.

This is the attitude of the Jewish people. Mel Brooks is a good example. Even if his movies are funny, they show a disregard for the Lord and His word. Much of what he put forth is simply wickedness, and yet he has been abundantly built up in fame and fortune.

And more, at times his films actually test God in a mocking, dismissive, or belligerent attitude. Despite this, he has had a long life (98 years so far) with no harm or trouble. People see this type of thing going on in the world and naturally question God’s ways, dismiss the Lord, neglect the covenant, and go about pursuing the same perverse life that they see as rewarding.

Now, after all of this chiding by the Lord, if we go back to Malachi 1, the reason for speaking against Edom ought to be obvious. Israel was (and remains to this day) intolerable before the Lord. The only thing that set them apart and which has spared them for millennia has been God’s covenant affection toward them –

A lifting – word Yehovah unto Israel in hand Malachi.
² “‘I loved you said Yehovah.’
And said, ‘In how loved us?’
‘Not brother, Esau, to Jacob?’
Utterance Yehovah.
‘And I love Jacob.
³ And Esau, I hate,
And set his mountains – a devastation.
And his inheritance to jackals wilderness.’”

⁴ “For says Edom,
‘Demolished! And return, and build wastelands.’”

“Thus said Yehovah Sabaoth:
‘They build, and I raze.
And called to them Territory Wickedness,
And “the people whom frothed Yehovah until vanishment.”
⁵ And your eyes see,
And you say,
‘Magnified, Yehovah, from upon to border Israel.””

Whereas Edom was destroyed and lost as a nation, Israel has continued, but only because of the Lord’s faithfulness to them.

Look at how much money he has!
Despite all the rotten things he does
He has cars and boats and all that jazz
And he always gets a pass when arrested by the Fuzz

Everyone knows he is a total crook
And yet he prospers everywhere he turns
Obviously, God doesn’t care or look
From him, the rest of society notices and learns

Where is the God who judges us?
It is useless to serve Him, so we can tell
Why should we fear rejecting Jesus?
When doing wrong, everything stays swell

II. Between Just to Wicked (verses 16-18)

Despite the overall conduct of Israel, there are those who actually care about their relationship with the Lord. They are the faithful remnant noted throughout the Bible. Paul refers to them in Romans 11 –

“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ³ ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life? ⁴ But what does the divine response say to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ ⁵ Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Romans 11:1-6

Of this faithful remnant at Malachi’s time, the words next convey three identifying factors concerning them…

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,

az nidbru yire Y’hovah ish eth reehu – “Then spoke, ‘fear Yehovah,’ man to his friend.” There are two identifying characteristics stated here. One is there are those who fear the Lord. As it says elsewhere –

“And to man He said,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:28

Second, those who fear the Lord speak about their fear of Him. They don’t just keep quiet, but rather, they share their hope in Him.

As for the first word, az, it signifies “at that time.” In other words, what is said here is the exception within Israel. The words of the nation as a whole seized upon the Lord. However, at that time, there were those within the nation who feared the Lord and each spoke to his friend from that perspective.

As for the meaning, it may be as the NKJV translates it. There are those in Israel who have a fear of Yehovah. They speak to their friends who also fear Yehovah. Or it could mean that those who had a fear of Him spoke, “man to his friend,” in order to convince his friend to fear Him.

Either way, there are those who fear the Lord and who speak about Him in a right, positive manner. This is not unknown or ignored by Him. Rather…

^{16 (con’t)} And the Lord listened and heard them;

Rather: vayaqshev Y’hovah vayishma – “And hearkens, Yehovah, and hears.” The inserted word “them” may or may not be correct based on what was said before. It may be that the previous clause refers to discourse between two parties. Or it may be individuals who fear the Lord and tell others to do so as well.

Either way, the Lord hears their words and hearkens to them. In His hearkening and hearing…

^{16 (con’t)} So a book of remembrance was written before Him

vayikathev sepher zikaron l’phanav – “And writes book remembrance to His faces.” The words here are written for our benefit, not the Lord’s. There is nothing He needs to remember, nor is there anything He either doesn’t know or could forget.

As such both the words “remembrance” and “book” are to be taken figuratively or anthropomorphically. This is true in other such references to books referred to in the Bible in this manner.

It is true that God could have a book written up with all the deeds of man in it, but the idea of a “book” here is more likely just a way of saying that God, who knows and remembers all things, will remind us of every good or evil deed we have done.

However He will accomplish this, the remembrance of those who fear Him and speak rightly concerning Him will come to pass. With that understood, the thought is confirmed with the words…

^{16 (con’t)} For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

l’yire Y’hovah ul’khoshve sh’mo –

“To ‘fear Yehovah,’
And reckoning His name.”

The first identifying characteristic is restated here as those who fear Yehovah. That is then followed by a third characteristic, those who are reckoning His name. The use of the participle, reckoning, shows the ongoing nature of their conduct.

They don’t just reckon Him and move on, but they continue to think about Him. As for the word translated as reckon, khashav, this is its only use in Malachi. It signifies to plait or interpenetrate. Such a person weaves the knowledge of God into his thoughts and actions.

Thus, the use of this word is parallel to but also expands upon, the thought of those who “spoke” in the first clause. Their speaking about the Lord is based on their fear of Him which is reckoned by them. One can speak without thinking, but these fear, consider, and then speak. Of them…

¹⁷ “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,

Rather, the verb is in the perfect aspect: v’hayu li amar Yehovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And became to Me,’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

It is already done, not in the future, even if the benefit is future. That is not unlike our salvation. In God’s eyes, it is done. We are His, even if we are still here living in sin-sacks and offending Him daily. The day we called on Jesus, we became the Lord’s.

What we possess is not a dubious claim that can be lost through negligence or faithlessness. Rather, we have assurance, even when we might not feel assured. Such is true with these people. Those fearing Yehovah stood before Him justified…

^{17 (con’t)} “On the day that I make them My jewels.

Rather: layom asher ani oseh s’gulah – “‘To the day which I making possession.” Those who feared the Lord are remembered by Him. They had become His, and this was for a set time and purpose. The day is one determined by Him but which will come to pass. The purpose is that they will be a part of His possession.

The word is s’gullah. It is from the passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up. One might shut up wealth, treasure, jewels, etc. The NKJV dubiously paraphrases the thought with “My jewels,” but it simply signifies a possession.

The thought here is in line with that of 1 John 5:19, 20. There he says –

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

In other words, because of Jesus, we move from the power of the devil to that of Christ. This is true with the Old Testament saints, even though Christ had not yet come. They lived by faith in the Lord and in the anticipation of the Messiah. Today, we live by faith in the Messiah who has come.

Those who became the Lord’s before Christ’s coming will be a part of His possession that is to be expressed in the millennial reign of Christ. Those who are Christ’s after His coming will be taken at the rapture to be a part of His eternal heavenly kingdom. As for those Old Testament saints…

^{17 (con’t)} And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

v’khamalti alehem kaasher yakhmol ish al b’no ha’oved oto –

“And commiserate upon them,
According to which commiserates man upon his son – the ‘serving him.’”

The word is khamal, to commiserate. As such, it is quite often rendered to spare or have pity on. In this case, because of the additional word al, upon, saying commiserate is appropriate. But more, He adds in the thought that this will be as a man commiserates upon the son who faithfully serves him.

It is a wonderful set of words. The relationship between the Lord and those who are faithful to Him is as close as that of a father and his beloved and faithful son, who appropriately and devotedly serves him.

This tells us that the Lord will have sympathy upon the faithful of Israel, even while He is judging the unfaithful and sending them to their just punishment. That overall thought is then expressed in the final verse of the chapter…

¹⁸ Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,

v’shavtem urithem ben tsadiq l’rasha – “And returned and seen between just to wicked.” The thought here speaks of the nation that will be realized in the millennium. In other words, those who have been spoken of will be commiserated upon by the Lord.

They will be raised before the millennium. They will be a part of the generation who is returned to Israel, having understood the fullness of the redemptive narrative as it has played out in the nation of Israel. This is seen in two separate thoughts.

The first is the state of the Old Testament saints before Christ’s coming, such as Daniel –

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

These will be a part of what is known as “the first resurrection” in Revelation 20, a resurrection that will include those who were beheaded for Jesus during the tribulation and who did not receive the mark of the beast.

Along with them, there will be those of Israel who survive through the tribulation and who will be alive at the second coming of Christ. They are detailed in Zechariah 12:10-14.

Together, they will comprise those who enter the millennium and receive the promises made throughout the Old Testament to the nation of Israel. They will at that time discern “between just to wicked,” meaning they will understand how the Lord deals with His people from the just even to the wicked. That thought is taken and further explained with our final words of the day…

*^{18 (fin)} Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

ben oved elohim laasher lo avado – “Between serving God to whom not Him served.” The thought takes us right back to verse 3:14 where it said, “Emptiness serving God.” Those who found serving God pointless will see the error of their thinking.

They think that life is about them, their prosperity, their contentment, and so forth. That is not the point of serving God. Those who faithfully serve Him are found in almost every condition imaginable.

Some were wealthy and attained a good old age, like Abraham. Some were called to lives without wives and children and who suffered constantly at the hands of the people, like Jeremiah. David became king and led the nation. Others lived lives of almost total obscurity.

Serving God is not at all about us and our happiness. It is an attitude that comes from within and transcends whatever situation we find ourselves in. David was a man after God’s own heart while reigning as king. Other kings completely ignored the Lord, boasted against Him, walked away from Him, etc.

The people in the millennium will return and discern who is righteous and who is wicked. They will understand what faithful service to the Lord means, and they will be His people in that day. Chapter 4 will further explain the difference between such people.

For now, it is to be remembered by each of us that God is not inattentive to our lives and actions. If He is God, He knows everything about us, everything we think, and every action we take.

This isn’t intended to scare us. Rather, it is simply a truth that exists. What should scare us is when we are unprepared for the inevitable meeting we will have with Him. If we are wise, we will heed the words of Scripture and have a reverent fear of the Lord.

Today, that no longer means what it did during Malachi’s time. The Lord spoke to Israel as a nation. The nation as a whole turned and talked back to the Lord, denied their guilt, rejected His ways, and said that it was pointless to serve Him as they had been directed.

There were some who took the words of Malachi to heart and stood against this national trend by remaining faithful to their God according to the plan set forth by Moses. With the coming of Christ, a new direction was set. The people were no longer to cling to Moses, but to Jesus, of whom Moses wrote.

As a nation, they failed at this. But as Paul explained, a remnant of Israel has remained faithful to God through their allegiance to Jesus. And more, the Gentiles have come to Jesus in droves. This is what pleases God, faith in what He has done through Jesus.

Despite our failings, that God sees and knows in minute detail, if we have called on Christ in faith, we will be remembered on that great day when He calls, and we will be taken to glory. No promise of God will fail, and no person who has lived since Adam will be overlooked in His judgment of humanity.

Be prepared for that day by being set apart to Him through the precious blood of Christ. The tithes and offerings of the past find their fulfillment in Him. Those things, and indeed all of the precepts of the Law of Moses, were simply an instructional tool to lead Israel to understand their need for Christ.

Their failure to grasp this in no way negates that Scripture, which tells us of Israel, is intended for the same purpose: to lead us to Jesus. Let us not get bogged down in law observance but rather rightly understand what God is doing in and through Israel as detailed in His word. May it be so, to the glory of God who gave us Jesus.

Closing Verse: Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 1:14, 15

Next Week: Malachi 4:1-6 Can’t you just hear the drummers drumming (The Day is Coming) (10^th and final Malachi Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.

Malachi 3:13-18 (CG)

¹³ “‘Seized upon Me your words,’ said Yehovah.
And said, ‘What spoken upon You?’
14 Said, ‘Emptiness serving God,
And what gain, for kept His watch,
And for walked blackishly in faces Yehovah Sabaoth.
¹⁵ And now, we straighten arrogant,
Also built doing wickedness,
Also tested God and escape.’”

¹⁶ Then spoke, ‘fear Yehovah,’ man to his friend,
And hearkens, Yehovah, and hears,
And writes book remembrance to His faces,
To ‘fear Yehovah,’
And reckoning His name.
¹⁷ “‘And became to Me,’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
“To the day which I making possession.
And commiserate upon them,
According to which commiserates man upon his son – the ‘serving him.’
¹⁸ And returned and seen between just to wicked,
Between serving God to whom not Him served.”

 

(NKJV)

¹³ “Your words have been harsh against Me,”
Says the Lord,
“Yet you say,
‘What have we spoken against You?’
¹⁴ You have said,
‘It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts?
¹⁵ So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free.’ ”
¹⁶ Then 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 on His name.
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.”
¹⁸ Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Malachi 3:7-12
The Tithe and the Oblation

(Typed 14 October 2024) In the verses today, some of the most often quoted and yet completely misapplied verses are found in Scripture. They are cited every weekend in churches throughout the world. They are read on Christian TV and in evangelistic crusades. They are found in innumerable commentaries and sermons as well.

And yet, they have absolutely nothing to do with the Christian church except for understanding what Israel as a nation could expect from God for faithful obedience to His law.

The Lord, through Malachi, said that Israel was defrauding God by failing to honor Him through the system of tithes established in the Law of Moses. Here are a couple of toughies for you. Think carefully. If you need time to answer, you won’t get it. We have a sermon to get through. But give it your best shot.

Who was the Law of Moses given to? Was the Law of Moses given to any other group of people on the planet? Did Jesus fulfill the Law of Moses? What happened to the law when Jesus fulfilled it?

In annulling the law, what did Jesus introduce? In coming to God through Jesus, do we enter into the Mosaic Covenant or the New Covenant? Was tithing a precept of the Mosaic Covenant? Is tithing a precept of the New Covenant?

Why do people keep shoving tithing down people’s throats with verses that have nothing to do with either the New Covenant or the church founded by the New Covenant?

Like everything else, the precepts of the law anticipate Jesus. This includes tithing. If Israel was robbing God by failing to tithe, and if Jesus is the fulfillment of the tithe, then how can we rob God by failing to tithe? We are in Christ, the fulfillment of the tithe! Think it through.

Text Verse: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14

The “handwriting of requirements” mentioned in the text verse is the Law of Moses. To wipe out means to erase. It no longer exists as a part of God’s plan for His people. Rather, it exists as a point of enmity between Him and the people of Israel.

Their failure to come to Christ has brought all of the catastrophes that they have faced for two millennia upon them. They remain bound to the law and outside of God’s favor. So no, you are not robbing from God when you don’t tithe. You will not get special blessings poured out from heaven when you do tithe.

How do you rob God? By being ungrateful for the blessings in Christ that He has provided. When we fail to thank and praise Him, we rob Him of His just due.

That means when we fail to come to Him through Jesus, we are actively robbing Him. As noted, Jesus is the fulfillment of the tithe. To fail to acknowledge Jesus as Savior is to rob God. It isn’t money God is looking for from you. Rather, He expects His Son to be honored. Jesus said this explicitly in John 5:23, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Theology is important. Proper theology actually matters. When we get our understanding of God and what He expects wrong, we only harm ourselves. Be ready to put in the time necessary to get these things right! It is a certain truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Return Unto Me (verses 7-9)

⁷ Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.

l’mime avothekhem sartem mekhuqay v’lo sh’martem –

“To from days your fathers,
Veered from My enactments,
And not guarded.”

What is the Lord saying here? He just got done telling them –

“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6

Immediately after saying that, He brings in the fathers of the people, meaning those of the past, even to their inception as the people of Yehovah at Mount Sinai. As E.B. Pusey says –

“Back to those days and from them, ye are gone away from My ordinances. ‘I am not changed from good; ye are not changed from evil. I am unchangeable in holiness; ye are unchangeable in perversity.’”

Throughout their history, Israel has continuously turned from the Lord, veering off the path of His enactments. They failed to guard the sacred charge given to them, which is known as the Law of Moses. Even with the warnings of the prophets both in real-time and then in their recorded history, the witness of the Lord through His word stood against them.

But they are Israel, and He is Yehovah. Despite their unfaithfulness, He remained unchanging and thus faithful to His word. Therefore, the eternal promises stand…

^{7 (con’t)} Return to Me,

shuvu elay – “Return unto Me.” The words, without any disputation, signify free will. Admittedly, it is the nation being referred to, but the nation is comprised of individuals. There is a leader, there are subordinates, there are priests and Levites, etc.

As a nation of individuals, they are called to return to the Lord. The doctrine that denies free will in man is proven false throughout Scripture. When man returns to the Lord, and in this case of the nation of Israel, the promise is given…

^{7 (con’t)} and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

The words contain a cohortative: v’ashuvah alekhem amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And I am returning unto you.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

Being a cohortative, it is an absolute and imperative promise. “In returning to Me, I will most assuredly return to you.” It is the same thought that Zechariah spoke to the people around the time of Malachi –

“The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. ³ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.’” Zechariah 1:2, 3

The unchangeable nature of Yehovah has spoken the words with all certainty: “When this, therefore this.” But Israel egged on the Lord with their own exclamation of supposed innocence…

^{7 (con’t)} “But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’

vaamartem bameh nashuv – “And said, ‘In what returning?’” “What are You talking about? How have we offended?  What have we done wrong?” To this day, it is almost a united voice from the people of Israel. With the exception of a teeny minority who have called on Christ, the nation expects that being the people of the Lord makes them right with God simply because they exist.

As this is so, how can they “return” to Yehovah? The dilemma for them now is even greater than at the time of Malachi. They are asked to return to the Lord through observing and upholding the Law of Moses.

To this day, they don’t do that. Today, they are told to return to Him by receiving Christ, the Fulfiller of the Law of Moses. But to the nation, it is all but unthinkable to even utter such words. As for the points of law at Malachi’s time…

⁸ “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!

It is a failed translation. The verb is a participle: hayiqba adam elohim ki atem qovim othi –

“Defrauds man God?
For you defrauding Me.”

God is the Provider of all things. If there is something that He expects in return from His creatures, and if that expectation is not met, then God is defrauded of His just due. It is unconscionable to even consider such a thing. And yet, it is as common as pixels on a computer screen.

In the case of the nation of Israel, Yehovah, through Malachi, says that this is not only something that has taken place, but it is ongoing, thus the use of the participle – “defrauding.” What is being defrauded should be perfectly obvious to the people, and indeed it is. However, they again needle the Lord with their incredulity…

^8 (con’t) But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’

v’amartem bameh q’vaanukha – “And say, ‘In what defrauded You?’” Israel is like the child with chocolate smeared all over his face and fingers who acts as if he has done nothing wrong when asked about the cookies he has been sneaking. “Wha… huh? I didn’t do anything wrong.” But Yehovah says otherwise…

^8 (con’t) In tithes and offerings.

Rather: hamaaser v’hat’rumah – “The tithe and the oblation.” Yehovah simply states the words of law without additions. Consider a cop arresting someone for murder, and the murderer says, “What are you talking about? Where is your proof?” With that, the cop pulls the bloody knife out of the guy’s pocket and says, “This knife, covered in his blood.”

Israel owes the tithes to the Lord, and the people have failed to give Him what He is due. Even to the present moment, they are defrauding Him. But how could this matter? As Yehovah says –

“I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:9, 10

If the Lord isn’t taking a bull or a goat (as required oblations), then what is He all upset about? How can He say one thing and then another? Such thinking, however, fails to acknowledge the context. What is the purpose of the tithe and oblation?

It isn’t as if the Lord needs them. Therefore, the purpose of these things is tied up in His nature towards the appropriate recipients of them. Of Yehovah, Moses said –

“He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:18

He says such things about the poor and needy as well. In fact, the only other time the word qaba, to defraud, is used outside of Malachi 3:8, 9 is in Proverbs 22 –

“Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
²³ For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.” Proverbs 22:22, 23

The word comes from a primitive root signifying to cover. Thus, it is an act of defrauding that is taking place. The Lord isn’t affected by lack or by mistreatment. However, people are. In harming such people, it is as if one is harming Yehovah. Thus…

⁹ You are cursed with a curse,

bam’erah atem nearim – “In the execration, you execrated.” It is the same word used in Malachi 2:2, meerah, an execration. It means an angry denouncement. It is not a verbal attack levied at someone. Rather, it is a word against a person, his livelihood, possessions, family, etc. In this case, it extends to the entire nation. They stand under the execration of Deuteronomy 28:20 because of their conduct under the law –

“The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.”

Things will not go well for them…

^{9 (con’t)} For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.

Again, a participle is used: v’othi atem qovim hagoy kulo –

“And Me you defrauding,
The nation – it all.”

The entire nation is being addressed. If it was just one person and the nation was righteous, the one would be punished for his offense. However, this was not the case. Rather, the entire nation was complicit in defrauding Yehovah. As before, being a participle, they had not only defrauded Him, but they continued to do so to that day. To remedy this, He will continue speaking…

Give that tithe, and the Lord will bless you
He will open up the windows of heaven
Send me your money, and this, He will do
I promise you abundance… times seven

 Don’t you realize that a tithe you must give?
That’s what the word says. Trust me on this
If you want abundantly to live
You will send it in, and not a percent shall you miss

How can you receive God’s grace if you don’t give?
You must not understand what grace means at all
My goodness! Is it by grace that you think you live?
If that’s what you think, you’re headed for a fall

Give until it hurts, and then give a little more
This is what you must do, even if you are poor

II. Test Me in This (verses 10-12)

¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,

The word tithe is singular, and the second clause contains a jussive: haviu eth kal ha’maaser el beith haotsar vihi tereph b’veiti –

“Bring all the tithe unto house the depository,
And there shall be fragment in My house.”

The otsar, depository, is from the verb atsar, to store up or lay up. At times, it is used to describe the king’s treasury. It is a place where things are deposited for a particular reason. Even the heavens are called the depository where the rains are stored.

In this case, it is the depository of the tithes for the Lord’s house, as in Nehemiah 12:44, “And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse [otsar] for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.”

The use of the jussive, an implied command, highlights that bringing in the tithes fulfills meeting the needs required by the law. In other words, the second clause is not an explanation of the first clause. Rather, the clauses are parallel:

You shall bring in the tithes to the depository.
(I have ordered that) there shall be a fragment in My house.

The word tereph, fragment, is from taraph, to tear or rend. As such, it is something torn and thus a fragment. A portion of the tithe is torn off from the whole tithe. The tithes of Israel are as follows:

• Ten percent is taken out each year as a dedication to the Lord.
• For two years, the tithe is eaten by the people in the presence of the Lord, as indicated in Deuteronomy 14.
• In the third year, the tithe is stored up for the purpose recorded in Deuteronomy 14 –

“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. ²⁹ And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” Deuteronomy 14:28, 29

This is the fragment, the tearing off, of the tithe being referred to. In failing to bring in the tithes, the Levites, the priests, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow were being deprived. Because of this, it was as if the Lord Himself was being defrauded by the people.

Therefore, He is telling them to bring the whole tithe meant for Him to the depository along with the oblations required by the law. As for the oblations of verse 8, there were various things that were to be offered by the people, such as the first fruits, the annual half-shekel, various offerings for the tabernacle/temple, portions of sacrifices, and so forth.

Each had its particular purpose, but those purposes could not be met if the people did not give them. Thus, they were under the execration. However, if they met their obligations…

^{10 (con’t)} And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,

uvkhanuni na bazoth amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And Me test in this.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

The Lord is offering the people a test of His reliability, “If you do this, I will respond with this.” How faithful do the people believe the Lord to be? He is extending an offer to demonstrate what they may fail to understand or what they may question about His reliability. What do they have to lose?

Again, the words are spoken to the nation as a whole. If one person wasn’t tithing but the rest of the nation was being faithful, this would not be stated. Instead, the nation would be responsible for handling the unwilling individual.

This is one of several fallacies of those who cite these verses from Malachi when speaking to people about their need to tithe to the church:

• The words are spoken to Israel under the law and no one else.
• The tithe referred to is the third-year tithe, not ten percent every year.
• The same people who constantly harp about tithing in the church never (no, never ever!) mention the oblations that are spoken of in the same passage – obviously because they do not apply to the church, nor could they ever be mandated in it. And yet, they are as integral to the words of the Lord to Israel as are the tithes!

The hypocrisy and dishonesty of using these verses from Malachi when speaking to the church is both astonishing and appalling. And yet many preachers do, thus promising individuals something that only applies to the nation of Israel under the law, which is…

^{10 (con’t) “}If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

im lo ephtakh lakhem eth aruboth ha’shamayim vahariqothi lakhem b’rakha ad beli day –

“If not open to you windows the heavens,
And emptied to you blessing until failure sufficiency.”

As seen earlier, the windows of the heavens refers to the storehouse of the rains that water the land. It is from the rains that the land becomes fruitful and productive, causing crops to grow, grapes to become full and ripen, fruit trees to bear, and so forth.

Israel was an agrarian society. Opening the windows of the heavens is set in contrast to being execrated and receiving no rain. This is not speaking of becoming rich because one gives his tithe to the church. It refers to the land becoming fruitful for the nation to receive its promised increase.

The land would become so productive because the nation honored the Lord that the depository would not be able to hold all of the tithe (failure sufficiency). If there was that much from ten percent of what the people gave, it would mean that their ninety percent would be more than could be imagined for the people.

The nation would become an exporting nation. From there, they would build material wealth of other kinds. Eventually, it would again be like the time of Solomon’s rule –

“And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.” 1 Kings 4:25

As a practical example of this precept, right from their own history, this is recorded in 2 Chronicles 31 –

“Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.”

…

“And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”
2 Chronicles 31:4 & 10

In performing according to His word, Yehovah next makes a further promise to the people…

¹¹ “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Rather than a noun, devourer, it is a verb: v’gaarti lakhem baokhel v’lo yashkhit lakhem eth peri haadamah –

“And rebuked to you in ‘the eating,’
And no ruins to you fruit the ground.”

The verbal participle preceded by the definite article, the eating, gives the sense of a lively and voracious foe, eating up all of the livelihood of the people. The words are reminiscent of Joel 1 where various locusts are said to have devoured the land.

Whether a locust, caterpillar, worm, aphid or whatever else could devour the fruit, the Lord would rebuke it and keep it from doing so. The words of this verse are the opposite of what was seen in Malachi 2:3 –

2:3 (to the priests) – Behold Me! Rebuking [gaar] to your “the seed,”
3:11 (to the nation) – And rebuked [gaar] to you in the eating,

The seed of the ground, reflected in the tithes to the priests, was rebuked by the Lord because of their faithless conduct. However, if they would rightly instruct the people, the people would then act appropriately, and the Lord would rebuke the means by which the seed was rebuked, meaning “the eating.” These things are based on the execration said prior to the rebuke –

2:2 (to the priests) “And sent in you the execration.
(And execrated your blessings.)
And also execrated it.”
3:9 (to the nation) In the execration, you execrated.
And Me you defrauding,
The nation – it all.

The Levites and priests were sent the execration by which their blessings were execrated. This was because the people were not providing the tithe to the priests and Levites according to the law. But that was because “the eating” was eating all the people’s efforts, and the heavens were withholding the rains.

The entire nation was failing to honor the Lord and misfortune came upon all because of it. There was a cycle from which the people could seemingly not get free because all were failing. However, the primary failure was that the law was not being upheld, first and foremost, by the priests and Levites, and then by the people who were not being rightly instructed by the priests and Levites.

Despite this, if the people would be willing to honor the Lord by upholding the law, He would favor them. He would rebuke “the eating” to not ruin the fruit of the ground…

^{11 (con’t)} Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;

v’lo t’shakel lakhem ha’gephen basadeh amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And no miscarries to you the vine in the field,’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

The meaning is that each blossom would pollinate and bud into fruit, and each fruit would come to full maturity, thus the clusters of grapes would be full and abundant.

The vine produces grapes. They, in turn, produce juice, wine, raisins, and so forth. The people would receive the abundance of the blessings of the Lord through obedience to the system of tithing that was set up to ultimately glorify Him.

The widows, orphans, and strangers would be tended to, the stewards of the law would receive the Lord’s portion (meaning their wages from the tithes), and the Lord would be glorified through this harmoniously working machine set forth in the law.

By stepping back and looking at what is going on, one can see the pattern whereby God is glorified. However, sin in man makes this impossible beyond the most temporary of instances. And so, what man needs is grace from God’s intervention into this system in order to complete and fulfill what man cannot do.

The priests are the mediators. The Levites take the place of the firstborn of each family. The people comprise the nation. It is responsible to fulfill the requirements of the law in order to be pleasing to God. Each had failed, and each did so continuously.

The Lord is showing, through Malachi, that something else – something greater – is needed to restore the nation to God in the fullest sense of the word. That something is a Someone – Jesus.

He is the perfect Mediator, God’s Firstborn, and the true Israel who strives with God to fulfill His perfect will through perfect obedience to the law set forth by Him. The lesson of Israel is that all of the promised blessings will only find their fullest realization through the coming of the Messiah.

Israel could only be a shadowy, failing image of what God expects of His people. But in Christ, the blessings of God can be poured out on mankind in a way that we cannot yet even imagine. Israel failed to see this and lost its way. At the same time, the Gentiles have embraced what God is doing through Jesus.

In Him is the hope of complete and eternal restoration with God. It will take many ills and woes for Israel to realize this and to finally accept Jesus’ full, final, finished, and forever work.

As for Israel, the ideal is set forth, even if it is actually unattainable. But it is promised nonetheless…

*^{12 (fin)} “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

v’ishru etkhem kal hagoyim ki tihyu atem erets khephets amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And straightened you, all the nations,
For become you land desirable.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

The verb ashar means to be or go straight. In turn, that can signify to go forward, advance, etc. The sense is that the nations will look to Israel as the role model for right living, happiness, prosperity, etc. It is what America has been for some time, where everyone wants to emulate the lifestyle, culture, and so forth that America displays.

This is promised to Israel if they will simply heed the word of the Lord, do as He has instructed, and conform themselves to His will as a nation. In doing so, they, represented by the land (the pronoun is plural), will be desirable.

The words of this and the surrounding verses are like those of Zechariah 8 –

“For the seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
The ground shall give her increase,
And the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
¹³ And it shall come to pass
That just as you were a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.” Zechariah 8:12, 13

As for these promises, they always came about when the people did as the Lord said, but Israel never continued. Like America today, prosperity leads to lethargy towards the Lord, greediness in the hearts of the people, impatience with those less fortunate, and so forth.

Israel continued on her walk toward the coming of Christ, but she stumbled as she went. When He came, He offered a new direction. Instead of blessings turning into curses, He offered a state of abundance and joy that could never be taken from them again.

However, the gospels and Acts reveal how the nation turned from Him, refused the Lord’s offer of peace through Him, and shunned the New Covenant that came through His shed blood. In rejecting this offer, they remain bound to the Mosaic Law, and they stand condemned before the infinitely holy Creator God.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the offer of the New Covenant has been retracted from them. Paul clearly and carefully explains this in Romans 11, which tells us that at a certain point, when the fullness of the Gentiles has been brought into His salvation, Israel’s blindness will end.

This is not a misunderstanding of Paul’s words. Rather, it is exactly what both testaments of Scripture proclaim. Israel was given the law to be God’s witness to the world that the law is merely a tool, a steppingstone to the fulness of what God is doing.

Israel’s failures, each one of them, witness to their need for Jesus. A success, if it is temporary, is only a temporary success. It is not a permanent fix. With Jesus, the fix is permanent. The temporary successes of Israel are comingled with their constant failures.

This record of their history, then, is a tool of instruction to lead man to see his need for Jesus. Paul explains this in Galatians 3. We will see that as we close out today. Anyone who can’t see the utter futility of life under the law is not looking very hard.

Malachi is summing up what was seen right on the first pages of man’s recorded history. Man was given law, man failed at keeping the law, and man was exiled from God. Israel was given the law, Israel failed to keep the law, and Israel has been exiled from God.

But with Jesus, that is all changed. He was born under the law, He kept the law without failing in the slightest precept, and He was therefore brought close to God, serving at His right hand. Jesus! It is all about Jesus. If you are looking for the desirable land that God offers, you must come through Him to obtain it.

There is no end-around or work-around. Rather, Jesus has done the work. He is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Again, He has done the work! He has fulfilled the roles set forth in Israel. Jesus alone has prevailed. So come to God through Him and that wonderful, desirable land you long for will be waiting. All hail the name of Jesus!

Closing Verse:  Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:21-25

Next Week: Malachi 3:13-18 When you do right, cast aside all your fears... (And Hearkens, Yehovah, and Hears) (9^th Malachi Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.

Malachi 3:7-12

⁷ To from days your fathers,
Veered from My enactments,
And not guarded.
Return unto Me,
And I am returning unto you.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
“‘And said, “In what returning?’”

⁸ “‘Defrauds man God?
For you defrauding Me.
And say, “In what defrauding You?”
‘The tithe and the oblation.
⁹ In the execration, you execrated.
And Me you defrauding,
The nation – it all.
¹⁰ Bring all the tithe unto house the depository,
And there shall be fragment in My house.
And Me test in this.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
“‘If not open to you windows the heavens,
And emptied to you blessing until failure sufficiency.
¹¹ And rebuked to you in ‘the eating,’
And no ruins to you fruit the ground,
And no miscarries to you the vine in the field,’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”
¹² “‘And straightened you, all the nations,
For become you land desirable.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

 

NKJVYet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’

⁸ “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
⁹ You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹ “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
¹² “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

 

 

 

 

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

Malachi 3:5-6
For I, Yehovah! Not Transmuted

(Typed 23 September 2024 – day 15 of a 21-day water fast) In what is presented today, I will cite more Scripture than I may have ever done in a sermon before. It will be a journey through much of the Bible, explaining the relationship of Israel to the world around her.

The few words of these two verses are literally filled with truths about Israel, their conduct before the Lord and their attitude towards Him, their position in relation to the New Covenant, and their precarious and yet forever firm state before Yehovah.

If Israel would simply read and contemplate what is said in just these two verses, rightly considering them as they are given, they would save themselves an unimaginable amount of grief. And yet, they have been published and available to them for almost 2500 years, and they have never paid attention to them.

But it is so much easier to not be bothered with God’s word. That is what the rabbi is for, right? It’s like most people in churches today. They let the pastor, preacher, or priest worry about the Bible. Whatever is presented from them concerning it will be sufficient.

It is not a good way to handle one’s theology. Trusting someone else with your relationship with God is like trusting politicians with your money. It usually doesn’t work out so well.

Text Verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Reread those words. Notice it does not say, “Jesus is the same…” It would be a false statement. Jesus was born. “…Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Jesus wept. Jesus got pretty miffed with the merchants and money changers in the temple. Jesus died.

There was potential in Jesus during His earthly ministry. He had the potential to do all these things and so many more –

“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” John 21:25

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same…” God in Christ united with humanity. There is the Babe who became a Man, and there is the unchanged, untransmutable, immortal God in whom there is only pure actuality with no potential for change in any manner at any time.

Jesus is the One who came to make this unchanging and seemingly uncaring God knowable to us. He is the One who shows us that even though God cannot change, He is not uncaring. He is not One who created just to revel over death and destruction. Rather, He is the God. The One whom we change in relation to.

Jesus came to correct our thinking and to align His people with this unchanging God so that when we do change, even in a negative way, we will not be destroyed. At least Israel (as a nation) has that on her side. If not, she would have perished long, long ago.

Great truths such as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. No Fear of the Lord (verse 5)

Malachi 3:5 is a head breaker. It is filled with plural verbs…

⁵ And I will come near you for judgment;

v’qaravti alekhem lamishpat – “And neared unto you to the judgment.” These words respond to Malachi 2:17 –

“Gasped, Yehovah in your words
And said, ‘In what gasped?’
In your saying, ‘All doing evil good in eye Yehovah.
And in them He inclined.’
Or, ‘Where God the verdict?’”

The people were saying that everyone doing evil was good in Yehovah’s eyes. It is the same mindset that much of Israel carries to this day. If they believe in God at all, they are ok doing whatever because God loves them for who they are, not for what they do or what their faith in Him is.

They believed and continue to believe that God inclined toward them because they are Israel. And so their natural, even mocking, question was, “Where God the verdict?” All is ok. We know God favors us.

If you tell a Jew that their exile and last two thousand years of punishment is their fault, they will normally either stare at you with a blank face as if, “What are you talking about?” or they will get angry and accuse you of being an antisemite.

On rare occasion, one will stop and think, “I never thought of it that way.” It is that type who is most prone to accepting the gospel. They know that they have a problem that has carried on seemingly forever, but they can’t put their finger on it.

All of a sudden, all of the lies about Jesus that have been heaped on them by their rabbis for eons are suddenly dispelled, and they think, “So this is the reason!” It is as if a lightbulb illuminates what the Lord has been trying to tell them all along.

Well, Yehovah is telling them right here in Malachi that He was going to near unto them the judgment, meaning He was going to purify them, just as He has been saying. Malachi 2:2-4 first addressed the house of Levi, meaning the priests and the Levites. Judgment begins at the house of the Lord. From there, it extends outward to the people. When He comes to judge, He next says…

^{5 (con’t)} I will be a swift witness

v’hayiti ed m’maher – “And became witness hastening.” A purging of the people would come swiftly as the Lord Himself would witness against them. But one might ask, “How can this be when Jesus came to heal, restore, and give life, not judge?”

That would be a complete misunderstanding of what is going on. For example, the Pulpit Commentary says, “The announcement applies especially to the circumstances of Malachi’s time, though, of course, it has an extended reference.”

This is entirely incorrect. There is no reference to judgment after the book of Malachi was written. This is because Malachi closes out the Old Testament canon. The Lord just said in Malachi 3:1 that He was sending His messenger to prepare the way and then the Lord would instantly come to His temple.

The entire narrative hinges on that thought. The people were given warning. It is true that the people had a high expectation of the coming Messiah. That is evidenced in the gospels –

“Now some of them from Jerusalem said, ‘Is this not He whom they seek to kill? ²⁶ But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? ²⁷ However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.’” John 7:25-27

This sentiment is repeated elsewhere in the gospels. It was even understood by those who were not considered the covenant people –

“The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’
²⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’” John 4:25, 26

When the Sanhedrin was called together for Jesus’ trial, they specifically asked Him if He was the Christ. This demonstrates that it was fully understood that the Messiah was coming.

Based on the timeline of Daniel 9, of which every competent rabbi would have been aware, they knew Messiah’s coming would be before the temple was destroyed. And more, the prophecy told them the exact timing it would occur.

This is why the expectation of His coming was so high. They obviously believed the Scriptures, clung to them, and anticipated good things from them. And yet, they failed to actually consider them in context.

A destroyed temple meant they were out of favor with Yehovah. Malachi’s words told them that judgment on them, not the nations, was coming. This was a case of selective bias, and it was to be their doom. Jesus did come to heal, restore, and give life, not judge.

He did those things during His earthly ministry. Those who accepted Him would be provided those things abundantly by Him. But that is not the end of the story. When His earthly ministry was complete, and in the rejection of that by Israel, the Lord was set to purify the people –

“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, ¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

Jesus even told them this, in advance, so that they were without excuse –

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24

Why did this come about? Because Israel rejected the Messenger of the covenant, Jesus. They failed to acknowledge Him, rejecting the New Covenant, and thus, the curses of the Mosaic Covenant came upon them to the fullest extent.

The God of grace and peace who stood among them was rejected. In His departure, He stood against them. If people, especially Israel, would just pick up the book and read it, they would see why all the disasters of the past two thousand years have come upon them.

The clan of the Levites has been addressed. Now, the Lord will speak against all of those who would likewise be purified from Israel. This judgment would start…

^{5 (con’t)} Against sorcerers,

bamkhashphim – “In the incantings.” The word is kashaph, coming from an unused root signifying to whisper a spell, thus it is one who practices incantations, such as a sorcerer or a witch. This was expressly forbidden three times in the Law of Moses, in Exodus 7:11, Exodus 22:18, and Deuteronomy 18:10.

The penalty was death, “You shall not permit a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18). And yet, the people often practiced this. It was even spurred on and openly condoned by King Manasseh –

“He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” ⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶ Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery [kashaph], and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:4-6

This was still practiced in the New Testament, such as in Acts –

“Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, ⁷ who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” Acts 13:6-8

To this day, sorcery is still practiced in Israel as has been seen in news articles over the past years. These are the types of people who are to be purged from the nation by Yehovah. Next, he says…

^{5 (con’t)} Against adulterers,

u-vamnaaphim – “And in the adulterings.” It is one of the most common sins of man and is not limited to Israel. Unfaithfulness to the covenant of marriage is simply an extension of an attitude that begins with unfaithfulness to the Lord. As such, there is a dual meaning to the words.

It is true that the people were (and are) prone to physical acts of adultery against their wives or husbands. That is seen, for example, in John 8 –

“Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.” John 8:3, 4

The woman did wrong and was brought before the Lord for judgment. However, those who brought her forward were just as guilty of adultery against the Lord –

“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10

They played the harlot with the law in order to attempt to trap Jesus in the decision He rendered. For all we know, He may have written Leviticus 20:10 in the sand and asked them why they had betrayed the Lord through their actions, sparing the man, but accusing the woman.

As a nation, Jesus openly rebuked them for their attitude –

“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’
³⁹ But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.’” Matthew 12:38, 39

Jesus accused them of being an adulterous generation because instead of going to the Lord, through His word, they wanted an easy end-around to obtain proof of His messiahship. It is like many Charismatic churches today. To neglect His word is an implicit reference to rejecting Him. Continuing on…

^{5 (con’t)} Against perjurers,

u-vanishbaim lashaqer – “And in the swearings to the untruth.” The word is sheqer, an untruth. It is one of the Big Ten –

“You shall not bear false [sheqer] witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

This is something noted throughout the Old Testament, which included false prophesying. Israel was famous for it, continuing into the New Testament. It is as common as stones in a gravel pit in both the world at large and in the church today.

Inability to tell the truth is one of the most common infections that humans face. It is especially grievous when done in the name of the Lord. False prophecies, whether in Israel or in the church, are common.

The Lord, to Israel, said He would purge this from the people. This will be so much the case that in the future, this is prophesied –

“It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies [sheqer] in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.” Zechariah 13:3

And the Lord, through Malachi, continues…

^{5 (con’t)} Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,

u-voshqe s’khar shakhir almanah v’yathom – “And in oppresssings salary salaried, widow, and orphan.” The first offense is specifically mentioned in the law a couple of times. For example –

“You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.” Leviticus 19:13

The Lord, through Moses, explains why in Deuteronomy –

“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. ¹⁵ Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you.” Deuteronomy 24:14, 15

The person who was hired as a wage earner had his own necessities to tend to. If they were not met, his life could be endangered or his home or possessions could be lost because of debts. For those who did not pay those as promised, the Lord would deal harshly with them, purging them from the people.

Likewise, the widow and orphan were protected by the Lord, as already stated eons earlier in the Law of Moses –

“You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. ²³ If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; ²⁴ and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.” Exodus 22:22-24

In failing to hold to this precept, Zechariah told Isreal that it was one of the reasons they were going into exile –

“Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ⁹ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
¹⁰ Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’
¹¹ ‘But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. ¹² Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. ¹³ Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,’ says the Lord of hosts. ¹⁴ ‘But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”’” Zechariah 7:8-14

As the Lord is the Lord, Israel knew the Lord’s expectation for their treatment of others. Nehemiah understood this –

 ^“And I said to them, ‘According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?’
Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. ⁹ Then I said, ‘What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? ¹⁰ I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! ¹¹ Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.’” Nehemiah 5:8-11

This attitude remained at the time of Jesus, especially from those who were supposed to be the stewards of the law –

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.” Matthew 23:14

The repetitive nature of Israel’s sin is seen throughout Scripture. If there is one over-arching lesson we can learn, it is that law solves nothing. Rather, it only exacerbates the problem. It is the grace of Christ that alone can turn people away from constantly returning to their own vomit and grading themselves on a bell curve that does not exist.

^{5 (con’t)} And against those who turn away an alien—

u-mate ger – “And deflectings sojourner.” The first word is natah. It signifies to stretch out or incline. However, in this case, it is figuratively used in the sense of moral deflection. One can see a stranger, a ger, being pushed away from the front door of the house.

Again, it is a precept found in the law. One time, it is listed as one of the heinous crimes worthy of an audible curse before the Lord –

“Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger [ger], the fatherless, and widow.” Deuteronomy 27:19

The word ger signifies a guest and, thus, by implication, a foreigner. He is someone sojourning in an area or land. Moses himself was an example to Israel of this lesson –

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
¹⁸ When they came to Reuel their father, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so soon today?’
¹⁹ And they said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.’
²⁰ So he said to his daughters, ‘And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.’
²¹ Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. ²² And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’” Exodus 2:16-22

Job, who was outside of the covenant people and not bound to the law of Moses understood this precept –

“(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler).” Job 31:32

And, of course, there are Jesus’ unforgettable words in Luke 10 that give us all we need to know about this principle –

“Then Jesus answered and said: ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’
³⁷ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37

This is exactly the type of person the law demanded tending to and not deflecting away. Both the priest and the Levite, stewards of the Law of Moses, would have been fully aware. Despite this, they shunned their responsibilities under the law.

And yet, a Samaritan, one of those held in contempt by the Jews, was willing to not only tend to this person but to extend himself beyond anything the law required out of human decency.

James expanded on the words of this verse and said the following to his audience –

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

Such people were set to be purified from the people of Israel. This began at Pentecost. It has continued unabated for two millennia, and yet, the people, to this day, have not learned their lesson.

Next stop, the tribulation period, meaning the time of Jacob’s trouble. At that time, the refining process will go into overdrive making ready a people for the return of Jesus. And all of this…

^{5 (con’t)} Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

v’lo y’reuni amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘And no feared Me.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

These words were the basis for every evil and wicked thing the people did. They stood at the base of Mount Sinai and heard the words of the Lord. As they stood and heard, they feared and spoke to Moses about what should take place –

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’” Exodus 20:18, 19

In the comparable account in Deuteronomy 5, Moses explained what the Lord’s reaction to their words was –

“Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. ²⁹ Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!’” Deuteronomy 5:28, 29

However, the problem is that they did not have such a heart in them. Instead, they almost immediately rejected Him and turned to idolatry. For the rest of their years, they tottered between obedience to the Lord and outright apostasy from Him.

As seen in Judges, by the time of Moses’ grandson, the people were steeped in idolatry. Time and again, the Lord brought judgment against them. Eventually, they would cry out to Him for help and He would return and tend to them.

But no sooner did they receive relief than they went right back to their wicked ways. With all of this ongoing warning, punishment, and return, one would think Israel would have learned its lesson. But such was never the case. The law, a device intended to instruct them and lead them to Christ, became their object of idolatry.

Instead of fearing the Lord, they feared the law, given by the Lord, ascribing it to Moses. He and what he epitomized became their focus. The Lord, incredibly, was relegated to an afterthought in all they did.

With Him out of their primary focus, they could manipulate the law in any way that suited them, ignoring or twisting anything inconvenient.

To this day, this can be seen in any rabbi or teacher of the law, right on YouTube. If you read and know the Bible, you will need Tums or Pepto Bismol because of what you hear.

However, Moses was only the middleman in the process of receiving the law. It came directly from the Lord. Moses carefully penned, letter by letter and dash by dash, every single precept so that there would be no mistaking in the Lord’s intent –

“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18

The jot equates to the Hebrew yod (י), the tenth and smallest letter of the aleph-beth. It would be easy to miss a jot when transcribing a document. The tittle equates to a dash used in making a letter. Some letters are so close in appearance that the smallest mark distinguishes each –

כ ב – beith and kaph

ר ך – daleth and resh

תחה – he, kheth, tav

The slightest change in these or other letters can change the entire meaning of what is being said. As for Jesus’ words, the meaning is that there can be no change in the word of the Lord. It is fixed, unchanging, and binding. All who are under the law will be judged by every precept set forth in it… until all of it is fulfilled by them or for them.

That was done by Jesus. Any who come to Him by faith are released from that bondage and enter into a new economy under a New Covenant. Those who do not remain bound to the burdensome law by which they will be judged according to Christ’s perfect fulfillment of it. Their end will not be happy…

The Lord God Omnipotent! He reigns!
He in whom there is no change, no shadow of turning
He alone has broken our chains
It is for Him that our souls are deeply burning

We shall forever hail He who was, and is, and who is to come
The One who spoke it all into existence long ago
From age to age He directs every outcome
Because from the first, every moment after He did know

The Lord God! Hail the name of Jesus!
Who came to show us the perfect way
Look and behold what He has done for us!
God in Christ has introduced His perfect Day

II. Not Ended (verse 6)

⁶ “For I am the Lord, I do not change;

ki ani Y’hovah lo shaniti – “For I, Yehovah! Not transmuted.” The name Yehovah is not a predicate to the subject I, as in “I am Yehovah.” Rather the words are set in apposition, being grammatically parallel, one confirming the other – “For I, Yehovah, I…”

This is apparent from the next clause where the words “you” and “sons of Jacob” are likewise set in apposition. Thus, the Lord is making an absolute proclamation about Himself. As for that declaration, it is, “Not transmuted.” The word I is implied in the verb. The word itself, shanah, signifies to duplicate.

Thus, in this case, it means that there is no duplication in the Lord, meaning in form, nature, or substance. He is as stated in Exodus 3 –

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”’” Exodus 3:14

God is. He does not bend to His creation, nor is He uncaring toward it. Time does not affect Him. Change implies an imperfection. In God, there is no change. Aristotle called this Act. There is no Act in God. God is.

On the other hand, there is potential. Potential implies the ability for something to change. I was young, now I am old(er). I had curly blond hair. Now, I have little hair, mostly gray. I am content, and then I am dissatisfied and angry. My car rusts and corrodes.

God does not “get” angry, something that would occur in time. Rather, like a person sitting on one side of a pillar or another, the individual is either on the right side of God or on the wrong side. But God is the unmoved Mover. He is the unchanging Force in whose sight we change.

Introducing the law does not change God. Setting aside the law and establishing a New Covenant does not mean God has changed. God set forth a plan that has been at work since the creation of the universe. It is we who are to respond to what He has ordained.

God is not uncaring about death, but it also does not affect Him, bringing sorrow. Each thing that occurs is in accord with His plan. We are the ones who respond to it and, thus, we are the ones who react inappropriately toward Him when things don’t go our way –

“You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ ²⁰ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ ²¹ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
²² What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³ and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Romans 9:19-24

Indeed, how presumptuous for us to shake our puny fists in God’s face and call His purposes into question! A beginning to all things implies a Beginner. A Beginner implies immutability –

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

This is His ordered system and we are participants in it. It is our responsibility as mature humans to accept that and not act in nastiness against His perfection –

“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:
‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.’
²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Job 1:20-22

It is unconscionable to curse God for our misfortunes without understanding the simplest of His ways. And His ways include an absolute binding nature to His covenants. He will faithfully uphold them without ever missing the fulfillment of a jot or tittle of what He has said…

*^{6 (fin)} Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

v’atem b’ne ya’aqov lo kh’litem – “And you, sons Jacob, not ended.” With Israel under the sternest condemnation for their appalling attitude and conduct toward the Lord, why would He say this to them now?

It is because He had already told them that, despite their conduct, He would preserve Israel forever. The words signify that it is for this, and only this reason that He would not just utterly swat them away –

“And He said: ‘Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.’” Exodus 34:10

“Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs the sea,
And its waves roar
(The Lord of hosts is His name):
³⁶ ‘If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.’
³⁷ Thus says the Lord:
‘If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the Lord.’” Jeremiah 31:35-37

Unfortunately, the Jews, even to this day and as I have personally seen, take these words to mean that the Lord will always favor Israel, no matter what they do. This is entirely incorrect according to His word through Malachi. Rather, it is solely because the Lord covenanted with them.

They will be brought into the New Covenant and they will loathe themselves and their conduct for eons of ignoring Him and bringing disgrace and discredit upon His name –

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. ¹¹ In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.” Zechariah 12:10, 11

These words are a prophecy of the future and they will come in their due time. It is because the Lord is not transmuted that they will come to pass. He has spoken, and it will come to pass. Amen.

Closing Verse: “That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past.” Ecclesiastes 3:15

Next Week: Malachi 3:7-12 Something mandated upon Israel the nation… (The Tithe and the Oblation) (8^th Malachi Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.

Malachi 3:5, 6 (For I, Yehovah! Not Transmuted)

⁵ And neared unto you to the judgment.
And became witness hastening,
In the incantings,
And in the adulterings,
And in the swearings to the untruth,
And in oppresssings salary salaried, widow, and orphan,
And deflectings sojourner,
And no feared Me.’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

⁶ “‘For I, Yehovah! Not transmuted.
And you, sons Jacob, not ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⁵ And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

⁶ “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
⁷ Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
 

 

Malachi 3:1-4
Behold Me – Sending My Messenger

(Typed 16 September 2024) On the day I typed this sermon, I was both preparing a sermon and also a memorial service for Berk Carico. He was so anxious for the Lord’s return that he would get giddy talking about it. He loved to share the word with others, and he reveled over every nuance.

When listening to sermons or Bible studies, there were times when he would suddenly erupt about something in the word, excitedly calling out a meaningful connection to another passage or a clarification of what a particular verse was saying.

When songs were sung, after ending, he would call out the background information about the author or what the author was thinking when the song was written. There was never a time the word wasn’t running through his mind.

Just a few days before the memorial service, his son Paul called and said he found a piece of paper with instructions concerning the service. Berk said he wanted me to perform it, that he didn’t want any fanfare, and that he wanted his life summed up with a single verse from Romans –

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

Berk was waiting for the Lord, patiently waiting for the one who would come and raise him to eternal life. That day lies ahead for all of us, but are we as antsy as he was?

Text Verse: “And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.” Job 1:4, 5

Job was performing a priestly function by sacrificing for his family. This was how it was done in ancient days. The head of the house was the one to minister before the Lord. We can infer this began with Adam when reading the story of Cain and Abel.

We can also infer that it continued through Noah’s day as well as those after him. The tradition was not lost at the time of Job. But as with all things, if there is not a set procedure, those things will eventually fall into a state not intended by God.

Societies around the world continued to appoint priests. In Canaan, Melchizedek was a priest to God, mediating on behalf of others. In the Mayan culture, they had priests. But their sacrifices were such an abomination that it is hard to describe the wickedness of what they did.

Human sacrifice was on full display, and the blood of their people and their enemies ran like rivers off of their altars. In the New Testament, as I will explain later, ministering the gospel is a priestly service.

Berk was a great expositor of the word and he loved to tell others about it. He would rejoice with every gospel presentation after each sermon. This was important to him. Now, he rests awaiting the promise for his efforts. Rest well, Berk. The Lord is coming.

Remarkable wonders, such as sharing the gospel, are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Lord Whom You Seek (verse 1)

Malachi 2 ended with these words –

Gasped, Yehovah in your words
And said, “In what gasped?”
In your saying, “All doing evil good in eye Yehovah.
And in them He inclined.”
Or, “Where God the verdict?” Malachi 2:17

The Lord will now answer the question of where the God of the verdict is – “Don’t fret, guys, He is coming.”

“Behold, I send My messenger,

hini sholeakh malakhi – “Behold Me – Sending My messenger.” In Malachi 2:7, it said –

“For lips priest guard knowledge,
And law seek from His mouth.
For messenger Yehovah Sabaoth – he.” Malachi 2:7

The priests were the messengers of the Lord to the people. They were to bear the word of God and relay it to the people in a proper manner. Thus, this doesn’t mean a messenger who simply receives prophecies from the Lord. Many non-Levites received a word from the Lord.

Rather, the onus was on the priests to ensure that the word was rightly handled and carefully transmitted to the people. As such one would expect that the person who is being referred to would be of the priestly class. It is a particular messenger sent under the full authority of God to relay a message to the people.

In the words, a pun is set forth based on the name of the prophet Malachi with the words malakhi, My messenger, which is identical in Hebrew. Even though the Lord had been sending His messengers, since Aaron, they had failed to uphold the covenant.

However, the context tells the hearer that a particular messenger of the Lord is promised at some point. This is not a messenger, as in any given priest, but His messenger. A particular individual is singled out as the one who would come.

The verb is a participle, sending. It is a simple action in an active voice. The sending could mean at any given point, but because the priest was the messenger of the Lord, it would be assumed that the One mentioned in this verse would be as well. Keil disputes this, saying –

“It is true that in Malachi 2:7 the priest is also called a messenger of Jehovah; but the expression הנני שׁלח (behold I send) prevents our understanding the term maleâkh as referring to the priests, or even as including them, inasmuch as ‘sending’ would not apply to the priests as the standing mediators between the Lord and His people. Moreover, it was because the priests did not fulfil their duty as the ordinary ambassadors of God that the Lord was about to send an extraordinary messenger.”

But that is an unnecessary stretch. That would be like saying, “Because all men failed to fully observe the law, God was going to send a non-human to fulfill the law.” Rather, he sent a human male of the priestly class. Changing categories mid-stream would change the entire dynamic of what God had set up in the institution of the Levitical priesthood.

This is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done with Jesus by saying He is the Archangel Michael. He may have come as a man, but His manhood would be a mode of existence, not his very nature. Rather, His messenger would be one of the messengers of Malachi 2:7, a priest –

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Luke 1:5

John the Baptist was of the priestly line. As such, in this aspect, which is clearly defined in Scripture, he perfectly fit the qualifications set forth by Malachi based on his words to the priests. John was an appointed messenger of the Lord because of his ancestry.

Therefore, there was no change in the dynamics of what was presented. God ensured that His word over four hundred years later would be exactingly fulfilled as expected.

^1 (con’t) And he will prepare the way before Me.

u-pinah derekh l’phanai – “And turned way to My faces.” The words are a reference to Isaiah 40:3: panu derekh Yehovah – “Prepare way Yehovah.” The context is –

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3

This is considered a messianic verse by pretty much everyone. As such, there was the expectation that this one was a person who would herald the coming of the Messiah. Looking back on the words, we have a full sense of what was going on, but at the time, it was somewhat of a mystery.

The words “turned way” or “prepare the way” are borrowed from Isaiah, such as –

“And one shall say,
‘Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare [panah] the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.’” Isaiah 57:14

“Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare [panah] the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
¹¹ Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.” Isaiah 62:10, 11

The preparation of the way signifies the removal of stumbling blocks, idolatry, immorality, etc. The sin of the people would be addressed in order to prepare a people for the coming of Yehovah.

And yet, the way was to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah, even though this one was coming to prepare the way for Yehovah. Now we know what was unclear to the people then, that the Messiah is Yehovah, God incarnate, in the Person of Jesus…

^1 (con’t) And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,

The NKJV reverses the clauses, destroying the emphatic nature of the proclamation: uphithom yavo el hekhalo ha’adon asher atem m’baqshim –

“And instantly comes unto His temple,
The Lord, whom you seek.”

The words have gone from the first person, before Me, to the third person, the Lord whom you seek. It is an emphatic way of ensuring that all are to understand the coming One is, in fact, Yehovah. This is fully supported by the word hekhalo, His temple.

Solomon may have made a temple, Zerubbabel may have built a temple, and Herod may have expanded Zerubbabel’s greatly, but the temple is the House of Yehovah.

As for the words, “And instantly comes unto His temple,” some scholars claim that this is not in His first coming but in His second. That is incorrect. His second coming will be for the rescue of Israel and the establishment of His kingdom.

It was in His first coming that judgment upon Israel was highlighted. The words are referring to the narrative of Luke 2 –

“Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
²⁹ ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation
³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.’” Luke 2:22-32

Jesus, on the day of Mary’s purification, was taken immediately to the temple, His temple, to be presented before Yehovah. The One they were seeking, the “God of the verdict” whom the priests mockingly inquired about in Malachi 2:17, was brought before the priests in the humbled state of a helpless babe. Nothing could be more ironic than that to answer their arrogant question.

In the words, another confirmation of the deity of Christ is found. The word ha’adon, the Lord, is one only used in reference to Yehovah. This is consistent in all of its uses where the name Yehovah is affixed to it. For example –

“For behold, the Lord [ha’adon], the Lord of hosts,
Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah
The stock and the store,
The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water.” Isaiah 3:1

There are no exceptions to this. Thus, the One who will come, from a proper scriptural perspective, must be Yehovah incarnate. Taken together with the thought that it is His temple and He is the God of the verdict whom they seek, the words cry out that this will be their God, Yehovah…

^1 (con’t) Even the Messenger of the covenant,

The words are set in parallel to the words, “The Lord, whom you seek.”: u-malakh ha’berith – “And Messenger the covenant.” This is a title found nowhere else in Scripture and it therefore begs the question, “Which covenant?” Abraham was given one. Others such as David (even if it his not explicitly called a covenant at the time) were given covenants. Lange does a great job explaining this –

“From a very early period we find mention of an extraordinary Messenger, or Angel, who is sometimes called the Angel of God, at others, the Angel of Jehovah. He is represented as the Mediator between the invisible God and men in all God’s communications and dealings with men. To this Angel divine names, attributes, purposes, and acts are ascribed. He occasionally assumed a human form, as in his interviews with Hagar, Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon, Manoah, and his wife. He went before the camp of Israel on the night of the Exodus. In Exodus 23:20, Jehovah said, “Behold, I send an angel before thee to bring thee into the place, which I have prepared. My name is in him.” In Isaiah 63:9 he is called the Angel of his Presence, or face, where there is a reference to Ex. 33:14, 15, where Jehovah said to Moses, ‘My presence (or Hebrew, My face) shall go with thee, and Moses said, If thy face go not with us, carry us not up hence.’ He is called the face of God, because though no man can see his face and live, yet the Angel of his face is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. In him Jehovah’s presence is manifested, and his glory reflected, for the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ. There is thus a gradual development in the Old Testament of the doctrine of the incarnation, of the distinction of persons in the Godhead, not brought to light fully, lest it should interfere with the doctrine of the unity of God.”

He is right. The angel of the covenant is not merely speaking of the Mosaic Covenant but of the covenant in a general sense. Any covenant with God is its own covenant and is thus a part of “the covenant.” This is the reason why Jesus was not blaspheming when He said these words in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31 –

“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” Luke 22:20

Because this coming One is called My Messenger, the Messenger of the Covenant, and yet He is called “the Lord whom you seek,” Keil rightly says, “This identity does not indeed exclude a distinction of person; but it does exclude a difference between the two.” It is a subtle but marvelous hint at the doctrine of the Trinity.

Understanding these things, the Lord, seemingly mockingly, says…

^1 (con’t) In whom you delight.

asher atem khaphetsim – “Whom you – delighted.” The word khaphets is an adjective, even though almost all translations incorrectly render it a verb. One can almost hear the taunting tone. If you are so delighted in the God of the verdict, get ready.

The Lord is going to totally upend their way of life, their faulty traditions, their mockery of His name, and their shunning of the responsibilities laid upon them. This will become perfectly evident in the gospels where the priests will be some of the primary ones to speak a word of condemnation against Him. They ask for the God of the verdict, and guess what?…

^1 (con’t) Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

hineh va amar Y’hovah ts’vaoth –

“‘Behold! Coming!’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

The words should not be taken as “Great and wonderful things lie ahead,” but more as, “Beware! You don’t realize what you are asking for because your hearts are wicked and your ways are an abomination.”

Instead of learning their lesson, the priests continued to reject the glory of the Lord as well as their responsibilities to the people. This is perfectly evidenced in the life of Caiaphas the high priest at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. If he was representative of most priests, woe to those of the priesthood.

Thus, when it says, “Said Yehovah Sabaoth,” these priests should quickly turn from their ways and humble themselves. He is coming…

The Lord whom you seek
Do you really seek Him?
He is coming, humble and meek
But for you, His coming may be grim

Before He comes, one will be sent first
To prepare the way for the Lord’s coming
In My word, he will be well-versed
And at his words, anticipation is drumming

And then, My Chosen One
Unto His temple, He shall come
The time for something new will have begun
He will refine the priests, even removing some

In Him do you really delight?
Are you sure you are ready for His coming?
He will do His work, making all things right
Can’t you already hear the drummers drumming?

II. Refined According to Gold (verses 2-4)

² “But who can endure the day of His coming?

The question is rhetorical, demanding a negative response: u-mi m’khakel eth yom bo’o – “And who contains day His coming?”

The word kul means to keep in and thus, contain. When a basin holds twenty gallons, it contains that much. Beyond that, it will overflow. Solomon asked –

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain [kul] You. How much less this temple which I have built!” 1 Kings 8:27

Thus, when the Lord, through Malachi, says, “And who contains day His coming?” it means, “Who can stop it from coming.” You asked for the God of the verdict, but you don’t really want Him to come. You want to keep living in your aberrant ways. But you cannot stop His arrival. At that time, all things will change…

^2 (con’t) And who can stand when He appears?

umi ha’omed b’heraotho – “And who the standing in His appearing?” Though some think the answer also demands a negative response, this is not necessarily so. It is, however, a question that demands one’s consideration before attempting to stand.

This is the Lord appearing among the priests of Israel to answer their question, “Where is the God of the verdict?” If they think He is coming to pat them on the back and exalt them for their ways, they should reconsider well. At first, it appeared that few or none of them did. However, in Acts, we read –

“Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7

God was not looking to applaud them, He was looking for the same thing He has always looked for in men: faith. These priests believed, meaning they were obedient to the faith. They are those who could stand at His appearing. This is good for them, because Malachi next proclaims in parallel clauses…

^2 (con’t) For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.

ki hu k’esh m’tsareph ukvorith m’khabsim –

“For He according to fire – smelting.
And according to alkali – washing.”

The picture of fire melting imperfect metals is used quite often in Scripture. The metal is heated until it melts. It continues to be heated until the impurities either burn off or rise to the top and are removed as slag. The process thus purifies the metals, perfecting their purity –

“The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6

As for the word borith, alkali, it is found only here and in Jeremiah 2:22. It is derived from bor, vegetable lye, such as potash. This bor is used for cleansing hands (Job 22:30). It is also used figuratively as a flux for purifying metals (Isaiah 1:25). In Jeremiah 2:22, borith is used on the whole body. In this verse, the words are referring to the cleansing and purifying of the priests from the defilement of sin. As it next says…

³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;

The first verb is in the perfect aspect: v’yashav m’tsaraph umtaher keseph – “And sat, smelting and purifying silver.” In the previous verse, the Messenger was equated to the fire, “according to fire – smelting.” Now He is the One who is the smelter and purifier.

The image is of the Messenger having sat upon a throne. He is equated to a Judge or, more likely, a King. His subjects come before Him for judgment. There, He will sit and burn out their impurities. It is similar to what we are told concerning Christ and those in His church –

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

In this capacity…

^{3 (con’t)} He will purify the sons of Levi,

v’tihar eth b’ne levi – Again, the verb is in the perfect aspect: “And purified sons Levi.” In His sitting, He has accomplished His purification of the priests. This speaks not only of removing those who are unacceptable but purifying those who believe, such as those in Acts 6 noted previously.

This brings back the haunting memory of what occurred at the Babylonian exile –

“Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.” Ezekiel 9:6

Judgment begins at the house of the Lord. This was the case when Jesus came, presented Himself, and then departed. In their rejection of Him, the sons of Levi, meaning the priests first and then all the Levites, would be marked for termination (as a means of purification) or for purification of the person. There will be dross, and there will be those who are purified from the process…

^{3 (con’t)} And purge them as gold and silver,

The translation is lacking and so the intent comes out wrong. And, once again, the perfect aspect is used. It is done in the mind of the Lord: v’ziqaq otham kazahav v’khakasef –

“And refined them according to the gold,
And according to the silver.”

The NKJV focuses on the process, “purge them as.” But the words focus on the result, “according to the gold… the silver.” When gold and silver are refined, the result is purity. This is what is highlighted. No more bad priests, and no more good priests who will occasionally stray. The result will be only priests of perfect righteousness…

^{3 (con’t)} That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

And again, the first verb is in the perfect aspect: v’hayu laY’hovah magishe minkhah bitsdaqah –

“And became to Yehovah –
Approaching present in righteousness.”

With the purifying process complete, these purified sons of Levi are then acceptable to appropriately perform their duties (and became). With that, their state will be “Approaching present (minkhah: an offering (present) to the Lord) in righteousness.”

This is a total rebuke to the intended audience. Chapter 1 spoke of the unacceptable offerings to the Lord – blind and lame, etc. Chapter 2 spoke of the conduct of the priests – mistreating the law, mistreating their wives, etc.

He is directly telling the Levites that they, and those who will later follow after them, will be purged from His sight. What they are offering is an abomination because it lacks faith. Once the purification is complete what the remaining priests will offer will be acceptable because it is done in faith. As such, it will be offered in righteousness. Again, it takes us right back to Genesis 4, as is explained in Hebrews 11 –

“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. ⁴ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” Genesis 4:3-5

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” Hebrews 11:4

Innumerable commentaries have been written by Jews, arrogantly claiming that they were a part of the good line descending from Adam, while the line of Cain was despicable. And yet, if they simply considered the words of the Lord to their conduct, they would see the divine finger pointing right at them, “O you sons of Cain.”

The genealogy of a person is not what makes them acceptable to God. Nor is the culture, society, or status. Rather, it is faithfulness to the Lord by accepting His word that pleases Him. When the purification of Levi is accomplished…

⁴ “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,

The perfect aspect continues: v’arvah la’Y’hovah minkhath y’hudah virushalim – “And sweetened, to Yehovah, present Judah and Jerusalem.” What this is saying is that until the priests are made acceptable, the offerings (minkhah: present) of the inhabitants are not acceptable.

However, once they are made acceptable, the offerings of the nation will also be acceptable. The tricky part about this, however, is to understand that this will only occur through the acceptance of the New Covenant. This is set forth in Jeremiah and is fully treated in Hebrews –

 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ³⁴ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. ¹³ For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.” Hebrews 7:11-13

As such, the words of Isaiah 66 find their full sense –

“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. ¹⁹ I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. ²⁰ Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. ²¹ And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.’” Isaiah 66:18-21

Those who enter the new covenant will not need to be in the line of Levi to perform the priestly functions before the altar. But more, the words find a greater fulfillment than just Jews from other tribes. Paul says this in Romans 15 –

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, ¹⁶ that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering [hierourgeó] the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:14-16

The word hierourgeó comes from hieron, temple, and ergon, work. As such, it is a worker at the temple and thus, a priest. Paul was of Benjamin, and yet he says that he is performing a priestly service. As the service is temple work concerning the gospel of God, then it seems to logically follow that anyone who comes after him in the same work of sharing the gospel would be doing the same thing.

Paul’s work set the baseline for the Gentiles to serve, but those who follow after him, Jew or Gentile are performing the same service when they take what Paul says and convey it to others. Though the term is not used in this sense beyond Paul, it is hard to see how this could not be the case.

Thus, it appears this is exactly what Isaiah is referring to, even though he is speaking of a later dispensation when Christ will reign in Jerusalem.

*^{4 (fin)} As in the days of old,
As in former years.

kime olam ukhshanim qadmoniyoth –

“According to days concealed,
And according to years anterior.”

This probably is not specifically referring to the earlier priests under the law of Moses. It would be hard to find a handful who were faithful to the law. There are some, but for the most part, the history of the priesthood was one of apostasy from its inception.

The wording probably actually refers to the priestly class within families, such as Job, as well as known priests of righteousness, such as Melchizedek. They, along with those like Samuel and Jehoiada (2 Kings 12) who served under the Law of Moses, form a select number of priests who faithfully followed the Lord.

These extended back to ancient times and a few in more recent times, but besides them, the priesthood was constantly stained with nothing but apostasy and turning from the Lord.

The verses are complete for today, but they have been filled with details that show the minute attention by God to His word, showing that events distanced by the span of time meld together into a harmonious whole which tell of a great plan set forth all along.

God is in control of time because He created it. Within that stream, our existence is realized for a breath of a moment. Berk Carico was a little child just a heartbeat ago. And yet, he had a full life, filled with honor and care for the word of God.

He ministered to us and to so many others faithfully. He performed a priestly duty in sharing the gospel of God with others. Are we doing likewise? Our day for expiration is set. God already knows it. In this church, we have had heart problems (galore).

Were it not for modern medicine, the seats would be far emptier than they are now. We have had accidents, traumas, near-death experiences, etc. Apparently, God has kept us alive for a reason. Will we seize the grace we have been bestowed and do what is right? Each of us has to decide.

Let us be responsible and determine that our lives will be dedicated, henceforth, to serving this wonderful God who sent His Messenger to purify a people unto Himself. Jesus! All hail the name of Jesus.

Closing Verse: “And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.” … “‘But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,’ says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 44:10 & 15

Next Week: Matthew 4:12-16 What an absolutely heavenly sight… (A Great Light) (2024 Christmas sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He has sent His Messenger to carry the good news to all people. Jesus! God promised, and God delivered. The time of the law has ended, and grace has come. Praise God for Jesus.

Malachi 3:1-4

“‘Behold Me – Sending My messenger,
And turned way to My faces
And instantly comes unto His temple,
The Lord, whom you seek,
And Messenger the covenant,
Whom you – delighted.
Behold! Coming!’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.”

² “‘And who contains day His coming?
And who the standing in His appearing?
For He according to fire – smelting.
And according to alkali – washing.
³ And sat, smelting and purifying silver,
And purified sons Levi.
And refined them according to the gold,
And according to the silver.
And became to Yehovah –
Approaching present in righteousness.

⁴ And sweetened, to Yehovah, present Judah and Jerusalem,
According to days concealed,
And according to years anterior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“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,
Even 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 launderers’ soap.
³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

 

⁴ “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.