Malaquias 3

Malaquias 3

Calvin: We then see the purpose of this passage, which is to show that the Jews were ungrateful to God, because they mingled with heathen nations, and knowingly and willfully cast aside that glory by which God had adorned them by choosing them, as Moses says, to be to him a royal priesthood… He therefore condemns them for this ingratitude, because they had not only departed from the covenant which the Lord had made with their fathers, but had also neglected and despised that gratuitous love, which ought to have softened even their iron hearts. For if God had found anything in them as a reason why he preferred them to other nations, they might have been more excusable, at least they might have extenuated their fault; but since God had adopted them as his peculiar people, though they were unworthy and wholly undeserving, they must surely have been extremely brutish, to have thus despised the gratuitous favor of God. Their baseness then is increased, as I have said, by this circumstance, -- that so great a kindness of God did not turn their hearts to obedience. True Courage "And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers."—Mal. 3:5 The boldness of Latimer in rebuking even the king's majesty himself, for conscience sake, is shown in a well-known anecdote. At the time of Henry's neglect of Queen Anne Boleyn, and his undisguised preference for Jane Seymour, the bishops brought, according to custom, their New Year's gifts to court. "Some," says the old chronicler, "did gratify the king with gold, some with silver, some with a purse full of money; some one thing, some another. But Master Latimer, being Bishop of Worcester, then among the rest presented a New Testament for his gift, with a napkin having this motto upon it, 'Fornicatores et Adulteres judicabit Dominus'—'Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.'" (Clerical Library) Malachi 3:5 "Financial Immorality" - A CHURCHGOING businessman and his attorney wife, respectable and wealthy people, asked me to recommend a household employee who could work from eight to five every day caring for two children, cleaning the house, and preparing the evening meal. They told me the amount they would be willing to pay—and it wasn't very much. I said simply that I didn't know anyone who could fill that role. Inwardly I seethed at their blatant desire to exploit a needy person. They each earned more in thirty minutes than they were willing to pay for a full day's work. God is just as concerned about financial injustices as He is about abortion, adultery, deceit, and dishonesty. He is grieved when He sees the rich and powerful take advantage of the poor and helpless. Malachi 3:6 "For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.: I the LORD: Ge 15:7,18 Ge 22:16 Ex 3:14,15 Ne 9:7,8 Isa 41:13 Isa 42:5-8 Isa 43:11,12 Isa 44:6 Isa 45:5-8 Jer 32:27 Ho 11:9 Do not change: Nu 23:19 1Sa 15:29 Ps 102:26 Heb 6:18 Heb 13:8 Jas 1:17 Rev 1:8 Rev 22:13 Therefore: Ps 78:38,57 Ps 103:17 Ps 105:7-10 Isa 40:28-31 La 3:22,23 Ro 11:28,29 Malachi 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DIVINE IMMUTABILITY ASSURES BOTH DIVINE JUSTICE & DIVINE MERCY For (see additional note on "for" below) - Always take note of this term of explanation and use it as an opportunity to pause (Slow down! Stop speed reading! Cp Ps 46:10,11-see Spurgeon's note!) In context, God is explaining why He must draw near to them for judgment -- He does not change. He is forever the reliably righteous Judge. Those who do not fear Him are destined to be judged (justly and without partiality) and be condemned to a Christ-less eternity (Read 2Th 1:8, 9). But notice that even in this somewhat "depressing" context of explaining His righteous wrath, He immediately moves to remind Israel of His mercies, as so beautifully proclaimed by Jeremiah… The LORD’S lovingkindnesses (Plural!) indeed never cease (Note this expression of time), for (term of explanation) = explaining why Jehovah's lovingkindnesses never cease!) His compassions never fail (Note this second expression of time). 23 They are new every morning (Note this third expression of time!). Great is Thy faithfulness. (Lam 3:22, 23, Be sure to read the context - Lam 3:18-21 - What was Jeremiah's mental/emotional state? What did he choose to do? Be sure to carefully track his going from "no hope" to possessing "hope!") OUR IMMUTABLE JESUS Hebrews 13:8-note For - There is another way to interpret this "for" - In view of the truth that God does not change, He will remain faithful to His covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and thus they will not be utterly destroyed, despite their recalcitrant rebellion. John Phillips agrees commenting that "The only reason the brazen skeptics of Malachi's day were not destroyed for their insolence was the integrity of God. "I change not."" In his 1856 commentary T V Moore explains for this way… It must be taken as a causal particle (expressing cause), introducing a reason for, or an inference from what precedes. The connection is probably as follows:—In view of this prevalent wickedness, there were two conclusions that might be drawn. First, that of the skeptic—that God had ceased to punish sin, since the sinning people still continued to exist; and secondly, that of the timid believer—that with so much sin, Israel must be destroyed. God replies that neither of these conclusions is correct. “They are spared and not consumed, because I am Jehovah, the covenant God of their fathers, and they, sons of Jacob, to whom I am bound by covenant; and while I spare them, I will also punish them, and while I punish them, I will also preserve them from total extinction!” The stress of the verse, then, is found in the meaning of the name Jehovah, which was the covenant Name of God to the Jews, as is clearly proved by the remarkable… passage, Ex 6:3; and is here used in antithesis (Ed: A rhetorical contrast - Jehovah's faithfulness versus Jacob's unfaithfulness) with Jacob, the covenanting head of the visible theocracy… The immutability of God, then, is at once the guarantee that His people shall be cast into the furnace, and also that they shall not be consumed." I, the LORD, do not change - This divine attribute ought to evoke a heart felt "Hallelujah!, thank You Jesus!" As Walter Kaiser remarks "Even when Israel had “violated” and profaned the covenant of God (Mal. 2:10), God had refused to “violate” His promise to Israel (Ps. 89:34; the same Hebrew word for “violate” is used in both texts)." The New English Bible rendering is interesting - "I am the Lord, unchanging; and you, too, have not ceased to be sons of Jacob." J. Baldwin adds that "He who once loved Jacob (Mal 1:2) did not cease to love his sons, though they continued to take after their father and were cheats and supplanters (Ge 25:31–33; Ge 27:18–29, 36; cf. Mal. 3:5). The antithetic parallelism accentuates God’s goodness." God's unchangeable goodness contrasted with Israel's persistent deceitfulness (Ge 31:20, 26). Immutability means that God is not subject to change through time or circumstances. He is invariable. In His nature and character, God is absolutely without change. In God's essence, attributes, consciousness and will, He is unchangeable. Ponder the significance of this truth, in light of other truths about God such as "God is love." (1Jn 4:8, 16). What does the truth of immutability add to the truth that God is love? Below is C H Spurgeon's "answer" to this question… Every Christian is to be a testifier. He is to be a witness with heart and lips. All the other creatures speak not with words. They may sing as they shine, but they cannot sing vocally. It is the believer’s part in the great chorus to lift up voice and heart at once, and as an intelligent, living, loving, learning witness, to testify to God. In the first place we have known that God’s love to us is undeserved. Another thing we can bear testimony to, is this — that the love of God is unconquerable. We strove against God’s love, but it conquered us. We can say concerning His love that it has never been diminished by all the sins we have ever committed since we believed. We have often revolted, but we have never found Him unwilling to forgive. We have known and we have believed the love of God to us to be perfectly immutable. I will make but one other remark here, and that is, we can bear our willing witness that the love of God to us has been an unfailing support in all our trials. This great truth is the groundwork of Christian encouragement. The trustworthy 1915 edition of the ISBE says Immutability "is the perfection of Yahweh that He changes not in character, will, purpose, aim." (Orr, James. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Warning! Beware of the radical (and radically heretical) false teaching that is being propounded by some so called "process theologians" who hold the belief that God’s own nature is evolving. They are directly refuted with God's our Word of Truth "I, the LORD, do not change." (Malachi 3:6). Watch and listen to Charles Haddon Spurgeon's message on "The Unchangeable Christ" (The Unchangeable Christ, A Sermon No. 2358) (Here is the text of his sermon -- Hebrews 13:8 The Unchangeable Christ) Therefore - A term of conclusion. Whenever you encounter a "therefore", pause and ponder, taking the opportunity to interrogate the text! You can always ask "What's it there for?" Or you can amplify your probing of the passage with questions like -- What is Malachi's conclusion? What is the basis for his conclusion? The basis is the immutability of God. Because God does not change, Israel would not be destroyed, as explained in the next paragraph. In Malachi 2:10-note we see that Israel profaned the covenant -- the word "profane" in Hebrew is chalal, the same word translated violate in Psalm 89 where God declares.. "My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips." (Psalm 89:34-note) God is a God Who "not change" (Malachi 3:6-note), so that even though Israel "violated" which explains why the "sons of Jacob are not consumed!" Consumed (03615)(kalah) is used 200x in the OT and conveys such meanings as annihilate, destroy, devour and perish. Had God been a mutable (fickle, changeable) God, Israel would have been annihilated! The Lxx uses the verb apecho/apechomai one meaning of which is to receive in full what is due! Israel deserved to be annihilated, but because of Jehovah's covenant lovingkindness, they did not receive what they fully deserved! And neither have we, beloved! We deserved Hell, but God graciously granted us Heaven in Christ! Praise God that He does not change, but is forever faithful to His covenant (Play Forever by Chris Tomlin). Warren