Malachi 3:1-15
Q.1. Who was the messenger and what did he do? How was he identified in the Gospels? What was said about the messenger of the covenant and the people’s response that suggests this was another time? – Mal.3:1-4 c.f. Mt.3:3; 11:10; 17:12-13)
Jesus directly quoted Malachi, and identified this messenger as John the Baptizer, who would herald and prepare for His ministry (Mt.11:9-10). The first half of Malachi 3:1 was applied to John the Baptizer by the New Testament writers (Mal.3:1 c.f. Mt.3:3; 11:10; 17:12-13). Who was the messenger or angel of the Covenant? The context makes it clear that the second half of the verse was speaking about the Second Coming of Christ, and the following events – 1 … And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness (Mal.3:1-3). (i) Malachi was sharing his vision of the Lord’s return (Mal.3:1-2). (ii) As the Messenger of the Covenant, He will purge the sins of the Levitical priesthood (Mal.3:1 & 3). (iii) None will be able to stand against Him when He appears and removes sin from His presence (Mal.3:2). This lines up with other prophecies that speak of the cleansing of Israel, and the establishment of His reign from Zion in the midst of Israel’s priesthood (c.f. Is.2:2-4; Ezk.chpts.40-48 esp. 44:15-16; 48:10-14; Mic.4:1-5; Zech.12:10-13:1).
Q.2. How will God treat the false priests? What made their service a sham? On what basis would God respond to them? (Mal.3:5-7)
Now Malachi addressed the priests in his day – “I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts (Mal.3:5). God charged them with a sham religion, in which they went through the motions of their duties but failed to care for the defenceless in the land. In spite of this, He suggested a way for their blessing – From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts … (Mal.3:7).
Q.3. For what other reasons was God cursing them? What false explanation did the people give for their woes? What promise did God make for those who tithed faithfully? – (Mal.3:8-15)
The people were also unfaithful in the matter of giving – 8 “You are robbing Me! But you say, How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! (Mal.3:8-9). The people falsely claimed that it was pointless to walk with the Lord, and that the wicked escaped God’s judgment – 14 You have said,It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape (Mal.3:14-15). The truth is that it is worth trusting and obeying God because He is worthy of our allegiance. How different their lives would have been, had they resumed their faithfulness to God – 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows … 12 “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts (Mal.3:10 & 12). God would bless their produce, as they gave generously to His work. “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack His supply” (c.f. Phil.4:11-13,19).