Malaquias 3
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Malaquias 3
Morris - The "gospel" is not just a New Testament revelation, for it was preached to the children of Israel in the wilderness, in types and prophecies, at least. In fact, it is "the everlasting gospel" (Revelation 14:6,7), and the first promise of redemption (Genesis 3:15) is commonly known as the protevangel (first Gospel). In its essence, the Gospel (good news) is the message that the Creator is also our Redeemer and coming King, and that true faith in Him--faith which produces salvation--will also produce loving obedience to His Word. (cf God's declaration here in Mal 3:7 that Israel had persistently turned aside and did not keep [obey] God's statues.) See Related Discussion: Relationship of faith and obedience and Obedience of faith - What does it mean? "We must come back to God if we would have God come back to us, for it is we who have changed, and not God; He is the same." (Moore) Shub/sub in NAS Usage: again(53), answer(4), answer*(5), answered(5), averted(1), back(7), back again(2), bring(1), bring her back(1), bring him back(2), bring it back(1), bring me back(2), bring the back(1), bring them again(1), bring them back(14), bring you back(5), bring back(14), bring presents(1), bring… back(4), bringing(1), bringing the back(1), brought(2), brought him again(2), brought him back(3), brought it back(3), brought me back(4), brought the again(1), brought them back(2), brought us back(1), brought again(1), brought back(17), brought… back(1), call(1), came again(1), came back(1), cause(1), certainly bring(1), certainly bring them back(1), come back(10), converted(1), deluded(1), desist(2), draw and turning(1), draw it back(1), drawn(1), drew back(1), drives(1), ever go back(1), fro(1), forth(1), gave… return(1), get(1), get it back(1), give(2), give a answer(1), give it back(1), give them back(1), give back(2), gives(2), go(1), go on back(1), go back(10), go*(1), going back(1), gone back(1), indeed(1), indeed bring(1), indeed bring me back(1), indeed return(2), indeed turn away(1), keeps(2), make them return(1), make restitution(1), paid(2), pass your again(1), pass away(1), pay(1), pays us back in full(2), punishing(1), put(3), put his back(1), put the back(1), put back(1), rebuilt*(2), recall(2), recalls*(1), receded(1), recompense(1), recompense*(1), recompensed(4), recovered(4), refreshes(1), refund(3), refuse(4), refute(1), regain(1), remade*(1), render(8), repaid(1), repay(5), repeatedly(2), repeats(1), repel(1), repent(6), repent and turn away(2), repentant(1), repented(1), replace(1), reply(6), reply*(1), reported(1), reported*(1), repulse*(2), rescue(1), respond(1), restitution may be made(1), restitution which is made(1), restore(58), restored(17), restorer(2), restores(7), restoring(1), restrain(2), restrained(2), retire(1), retreat(1), return(261), return and take back(1), return*(1), returned(151), returned*(1), returning(2), returns(9), reverse(1), revived(1), revoke(10), revoked(1), sent back(1), set(1), spent(1), still(3), subsides(2), surely return(4), take(4), take it back(1), take me back(1), take my back(2), take your back(1), take back(2), there(1), took back(2), turn(49), turn and and withdraw(1), turn her away(1), turn his away(1), turn it back(1), turn me into again(1), turn them back(1), turn to you again(1), turn you about(1), turn you around(1), turn you back(2), turn your away(1), turn again(1), turn aside(1), turn away(24), turn away and not repent(1), turn back(20), turn… back(1), turned(16), turned them back(1), turned around(1), turned away(9), turned back(16), turned… back(1), turning(2), turning away(1), turns(7), turns again(1), turns away(5), unleash(1), went back(5), went*(1), withdraw(4), withdrew(1). Shub/sub is found in 948 verses (with many verses having more than a single usage) -Gen 3:19; 8:3, 7, 9, 12; 14:7, 16f; 15:16; 16:9; 18:10, 14, 33; 20:7, 14; 21:32; 22:5, 19; 24:5f, 8; 26:18; 27:44f; 28:15, 21; 29:3; 30:31; 31:3, 13, 55; 32:6, 9; 33:16; 37:14, 22, 29f; 38:22, 29; 40:13, 21; 41:13; 42:24f, 28, 37; 43:2, 10, 12f, 18, 21; 44:8, 13, 25; 48:21; 50:5, 14f; Exod 4:7, 18ff; 5:22; 10:8; 13:17; 14:2, 26ff; 15:19; 19:8; 21:34; 22:26; 23:4; 24:14; 32:12, 27, 31; 33:11; 34:31, 35; Lev 6:4; 13:16; 14:39, 43; 22:13; 25:10, 13, 27f, 41, 51f; 26:26; 27:24; Num 5:7f; 8:25; 10:36; 11:4; 13:25f; 14:3f, 36, 43; 16:50; 17:10; 18:9; 22:8, 34; 23:5f, 16, 20; 24:25; 25:4, 11; 32:15, 18, 22; 33:7; 35:25, 28, 32; Deut 1:22, 25, 45; 3:20; 4:30, 39; 5:30; 13:17; 17:16; 20:5ff; 22:1f; 23:13f; 24:4, 13, 19; 28:31, 60, 68; 30:1ff, 8ff; 32:41, 43; Josh 1:15; 2:16, 22f; 4:18; 5:2; 6:14; 7:3, 26; 8:21, 24, 26; 10:15, 21, 38, 43; 11:10; 14:7; 18:8; 19:12, 27, 29, 34; 20:6; 22:8f, 16, 18, 23, 29, 32; 23:12; 24:20; Judg 2:19; 3:19; 5:29; 6:18; 7:3, 15; 8:9, 13, 33; 9:56f; 11:8f, 13, 31, 35, 39; 14:8; 15:19; 17:3f; 18:26; 19:3, 7; 20:48; 21:14, 23; Ruth 1:6ff, 10ff, 15f, 21f; 2:6; 4:3, 15; 1 Sam 1:19; 3:5f; 5:3, 11; 6:3f, 7f, 16f, 21; 7:3, 14; 9:5; 12:3; 14:27; 15:11, 25f, 30f; 17:15, 30, 53, 57; 18:2, 6; 23:23, 28; 24:1; 25:12, 21, 39; 26:21, 23, 25; 27:9; 29:4, 7, 11; 30:12, 19; 2 Sam 1:1, 22; 2:26, 30; 3:11, 16, 26f; 6:20; 8:3, 13; 9:7; 10:5, 14; 11:4, 15; 12:23, 31; 14:13, 21; 15:8, 19f, 25, 27, 29, 34; 16:3, 8, 12; 17:3, 20; 18:16; 19:10ff, 14f, 37, 39, 43; 20:22; 22:21, 25, 38; 23:10; 24:13; 1 Kgs 2:16f, 20, 30, 32f, 41, 44; 8:33ff, 47f; 9:6; 12:5f, 9, 12, 16, 20f, 24, 26f; 13:4, 6, 9f, 16ff, 22f, 26, 29, 33; 14:28; 17:21f; 18:43; 19:6f, 15, 20f; 20:5, 9, 34; 22:17, 26, 28, 33; 2 Kgs 1:5f, 11, 13; 2:13, 18, 25; 3:4, 27; 4:22, 31, 35, 38; 5:10, 14f; 7:8, 15; 8:3, 6, 29; 9:15, 18, 20, 36; 13:25; 14:14, 22, 25, 28; 15:20; 16:6; 17:3, 13; 18:14, 24; 19:7ff, 28, 33, 36; 20:5, 9ff; 21:3; 22:9, 20; 23:20, 25f; 24:1; 1 Chr 19:5; 20:3; 21:12, 20, 27; 2 Chr 6:23ff, 37f, 42; 7:14, 19; 10:2, 5f, 9, 12, 16; 11:1, 4; 12:11f; 14:15; 15:4; 18:16, 25ff, 32; 19:1, 4; 20:27; 22:6; 24:11, 19; 25:10, 13, 24; 26:2; 27:5; 28:11, 15; 29:10; 30:6, 8f; 31:1; 32:21, 25; 33:3, 13; 34:7, 16, 28; 36:13; Ezra 2:1; 6:21; 9:14; 10:14; Neh 1:9; 2:6, 15, 20; 4:4, 12, 15; 5:11f; 6:4; 7:6; 8:17; 9:17, 26, 28f, 35; 13:9; Esth 2:14; 4:13, 15; 6:12; 7:8; 8:5, 8; 9:25; Job 1:21; 6:29; 7:7, 10; 9:12f, 18; 10:9, 16, 21; 11:10; 13:22; 14:13; 15:13, 22; 16:22; 17:10; 20:2, 10, 18; 22:23; 23:13; 30:23; 31:14; 32:14; 33:5, 25f, 30, 32; 34:15; 35:4; 36:10; 39:4, 12, 22; 40:4; 42:10; Ps 6:4, 10; 7:7, 12, 16; 9:3, 17; 14:7; 18:20, 24, 37; 19:7; 22:27; 23:3; 28:4; 35:13, 17; 44:10; 51:13; 53:6; 54:5; 56:9; 59:6, 14; 60:1; 68:22; 69:4; 70:3; 71:20; 72:10; 73:10; 74:11, 21; 78:34, 38f, 41; 79:12; 80:3, 7, 14, 19; 81:14; 85:3f, 6, 8; 89:43; 90:3, 13; 94:2, 15, 23; 104:9, 29; 106:23; 116:7, 12; 119:59, 79; 126:1, 4; 132:10f; 146:4; Prov 1:23; 2:19; 3:28; 12:14; 15:1; 17:13; 18:13; 19:24; 20:26; 22:21; 24:12, 18, 26, 29; 25:10, 13; 26:11, 15f, 27; 27:11; 29:8; 30:30; Eccl 1:6f; 3:20; 4:1, 7, 9; 5:15; 9:11; 12:2, 7; Song 6:13; Isa 1:25ff; 5:25; 6:10, 13; 9:12f, 17, 21; 10:4, 21f; 12:1; 14:27; 19:22; 21:12; 23:17; 28:6; 29:17; 31:6; 35:10; 36:9; 37:7f, 29, 34, 37; 38:8; 41:28; 42:22; 43:13; 44:19, 22, 25; 45:23; 46:8; 47:10; 49:5f; 51:11; 52:8; 55:7, 10f; 58:12f; 59:20; 63:17; 66:15; Jer 2:24, 35; 3:1, 7, 10, 12, 14, 19, 22; 4:1, 8, 28; 5:3; 6:9; 8:4ff; 11:10; 12:15; 14:3; 15:7, 19; 16:15; 18:4, 8, 11, 20; 22:10f, 27; 23:3, 14, 20, 22; 24:6f; 25:5; 26:3; 27:16, 22; 28:3f, 6; 29:10, 14; 30:3, 10, 18, 24; 31:8, 16ff, 21, 23; 32:37, 40, 44; 33:7, 11, 26; 34:11, 15f, 22; 35:15; 36:3, 7, 28; 37:7f, 20; 38:26; 40:5, 12; 41:14, 16; 42:10, 12; 43:5; 44:5, 14, 28; 46:16, 27; 48:47; 49:6, 39; 50:6, 9, 19; Lam 1:8, 11, 13, 16, 19; 2:3, 8, 14; 3:3, 21, 40, 64; 5:21; Ezek 1:14; 3:19f; 7:13; 8:6, 13, 15, 17; 9:11; 13:22; 14:6; 16:53, 55; 18:7f, 12, 17, 21, 23f, 26ff, 30, 32; 20:22; 21:5, 30; 27:15; 29:14; 33:9, 11f, 14f, 18f; 34:4, 16; 35:7; 38:4, 8, 12; 39:2, 25, 27; 44:1; 46:9, 17; 47:1, 6f; Dan 9:13, 16, 25; 10:20; 11:9f, 13, 18f, 28ff; Hos 2:7, 9; 3:5; 4:9; 5:4, 15; 6:1, 11; 7:10, 16; 8:13; 9:3; 11:5, 9; 12:2, 6, 14; 14:1f, 4, 7; Joel 2:12ff; 3:1, 4, 7; Amos 1:3, 6, 8f, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6; 4:6, 8ff; 9:14; Obad 1:15; Jonah 1:13; 3:8ff; Mic 1:7; 2:8; 5:3; 7:19; Nah 2:2; Hab 2:1; Zeph 2:7; 3:20; Zech 1:3f, 6, 16; 4:1; 5:1; 6:1; 7:14; 8:3, 15; 9:8, 12; 10:6, 9f; 13:7; Mal 1:4; 2:6; 3:7, 18; 4:6 GRACE REBUFFED But you say, 'How shall we return? (NAB = "Why should we return?", Young's Literal = "In what do we turn back?") - The conjunction "but" signals a contrast between what God desired of Israel and their rebellious response! The Living Bible paraphrase has… "Come and I will forgive you." But you say, 'We have never even gone away!" Clearly, Israel is not seeking clarification of what God meant by "Return." Indeed, their response was not a reception but a rebuff of God's gracious call to repent! (cf Israel in Jesus' day - Mt 11:20-24 and earth dwellers in the last days outpouring of God's wrath - Rev 9:20-21-note, Rev 16:9-11-note) In Malachi 3:8 the prophet does not hesitate to tell the rebels how to return to God - return by refraining from robbing God! Matthew Henry has some excellent points for personal pondering - Israel had run away from their Master, and quitted the work he gave them to do (Mal 3:7): You have turned away from God's statutes and have not kept them. The ordinances of God's worship were the business which as servants they must mind, the talents which they must trade with, and the trust which was committed to them to keep; but they went away from them, grew weary of them, and withdrew their neck from that yoke; they deviated from the rule that God had prescribed to them, and betrayed the trust lodged with them. They had revolted from God, not only in worship, but in conduct; they had not kept his ordinances. This disobedience they were chargeable with, and had been guilty of, even from the days of their fathers; either as in the days of their fathers of old, who were sent into captivity for their disobedience, or, "Now, for some generations past, you have fallen off from what you were, when first you came back out of captivity.'' Ezra owns it in one particular instance: "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day." (Ezra 9:7) Now observe, 1. What a gracious invitation God gives them to return and repent: "Return unto me, and to your duty, return to your service, return to your allegiance, return as a traveler that has missed his way, as a soldier that has run his colors, as a treacherous wife that has gone away from her husband; return, thou backsliding Israel, return to Me; and then I will return unto you and be reconciled, will remove the judgments you are under and prevent those you fear.'' This had been of old the burden of the song (Zech 1:3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.), and is still. 2. What a peevish answer they return to this gracious invitation: "But you said with disdain, said it to the prophets that called you, said it to one another, said it to your own hearts, to stifle the convictions you were under; you said, Wherein shall we return?'' Note, God takes notice what returns our hearts make to the calls of His word, what we say and what we think when we have heard a sermon, what answer we give to the message sent us. When God calls us to return, we should answer as those did Jer 3:22, "Behold, we come to Thee; For Thou art the LORD our God." But not as these here, Wherein shall we return? (1.) They take it as an affront to be told of their faults, and called upon to amend them; they are ready to say, "What ado (time-wasting bother over trivial details) do these prophets make about returning and repenting; why are we disgraced and disturbed thus, our own consciences and our neighbours stirred up against us?'' It is ill with those who thus count reproofs (expressions of disapproval) as reproaches (expressions of displeasure), and kick against the goads (cf Acts 26:14). (2.) They are so ignorant of themselves (Ed: cf self-deception!), and of the strictness, extent, and spiritual nature, of the divine law, that they see nothing in themselves to be repented of, or reformed; they are pure in their own eyes, and think they need no repentance. (3.) They are so firmly resolved to go on in sin that they will find a thousand foolish frivolous excuses to shift off their repentance, and turn away the calls that are given them to repent. They seem to speak only as those that wanted something to say; it is a mere evasion, a banter upon the prophet, and a challenge to him to descend to particulars. Note, Many ruin their own souls by baffling the calls that are given them to repent of their sins. Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.: man: Ps 29:2 Pr 3:9,10 Mt 22:21 Mk 12:17 Lk 20:25 Ro 13:7 In tithes: Mal 1:8,13 Lev 5:15,16 27:2-34 Nu 18:21-32 Jos 7:11 Ne 13:4-14 Ro 2:22 Malachi 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries EXAMPLE OF ISRAEL'S NEED TO RETURN Related Resource: Malachi 3:8 Will a Man Rob God-Study of Tithing in Old and New Testaments Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! - God first asks a rhetorical question, one that should have served to get their attention and engage their minds! He follows with the accusation. And so in light of Israel's refusal to return to Him, He now points out a glaring example of their refusal. They were asking "How can we return, when we have never departed." God says "Look at your check books!" Rob (06906)(qaba) means to rob, defraud, or to overreach (although in Talmudic literature it means “to take forcibly”). Other than Mal 3:8-9, the only use is… Proverbs 22:23 For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them. But you say 'How have we robbed You?' - Some sins are obvious, but we must remember that sin by its very nature is deceitful, which means that there are times when we don't even realize we are committing sins. Such seems to have been the case with Malachi's readers. God is shining the light of His Word on Israel's self-deception. And yet they still fail to see God's point, questioning His accusation. In tithes and offerings - God's answer is like a sharp arrow, piercing and to the point. God shines His light on their selfish hearts. Other than the Bible, no other book reveals the truth about our heart like our check book! Tithes (04643)(maaser) means a tenth part or tithe. Maaser is related to the numerical adjective eser (04643) used in 157 passages in the OT most often with the meaning of the number ten. A tithe is 10 percent of one’s grain, fruit, animals, or money (Lev. 27:30–34; Neh. 13:5). The Lxx translates maaser with the adjective epidekatos meaning one in ten (the tenth). In Dt 14:28, 29 we see that every three years a feast was held at the time of offering the tithes, to which the needy were invited as well as the Levites.
Malaquias 3
Morris - In heaven, God keeps records of not just the actions of His people but even of their thoughts. This verse indicates His particular pleasure when His people truly fear the Lord, and He occupies both their conversations and their inward thoughts, even (perhaps especially) when most of their contemporaries ignore or reject Him. (book of remembrance) Before Him - Not merely in His presence but it is before Him constantly as a reminder. The Septuagint uses enopion which means literally in sight and thus means before or in front of God. As Kroll says "The point of the figure is that God ever keeps before Himself the names of those who are His and are in proper relationship to Him." Who esteem His Name - KJV has "thought upon His Name." The NKJV translates it as “meditate on His name” Those who fear His Name will esteem His Name! Every time we pray "Hallowed be Thy Name" (Mt 6:9-note) we esteem His Name! Recall how Malachi's message began… "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise (same word used in Nathan's reproof of King David - 2Sa 12:9!) My Name. But you say, 'How have we despised Thy Name?' (Mal 1:6+) Kaiser - God’s “name” comprises His person, His qualities, His doctrine, and His ethical and moral standards—these were the things the believers judged to be their highest and most prized possessions! If you asked any of these God-fearers what they judged to be their wealth, property, or greatest asset, they would have pointed to the name of God and all that it stands for. This is exactly as our Lord counseled, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21-note). Solomon said as well, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pr. 23:7). The believers thought on the name of the Lord, and as a consequence it was reflected in their character. Related Resource: Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower: Summary G Campbell