Summary
God’s people in Malachi’s day spoke strong words against God, daring him to respond. Their actions towards God and towards each other demonstrate their hardness of heart. As we have repeatedly seen in our journey through Malachi, the problem was with God’s people, not God. God loved them, but they were unfaithful to him.
Malachi moves on from a discussion of showing generosity to God, his ministers, and the poor with a final confrontation. In the first part of this oracle from God which we read in Malachi 3:13-18, we see that God’s people were split in two: those who accused God of wrong, and those who trusted God despite their difficulties. From this, we see God’s love and promise of deliverance for those who trust in God.
Our passage explained
v13-15
Firstly, God addresses those who accuse him of doing wrong. “Your words have been hard against me” (v.13) begins God’s next address to his people. He accuses them of speaking harshly of his love and actions towards them. The response of those addressed, “How have we spoken against you?”, indicates that this group thought they were speaking factually, and questioned the legitimacy of God’s challenge.
The hard words spoken are detailed in verses 14 and 15. The people claim “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.” Their words betray their hardness of heart.
God’s accusers see those who do evil seemingly getting away with it. If you can thumb your nose at God and not face consequences, why bother following God? Clearly, they think, showing devotion to God has no pay-off, and is worthless. These sorts of words show a hardness of heart, and treat God like he is a cosmic vending machine where you throw in a bit of effort and get candy out.
v16-18
Thankfully, not all God’s people were so hard-hearted that they viewed God that way. A second group have endured the same difficult times, but trusted God. Those “who feared the LORD” (which is a way Scripture talks of those who trust God and worship him) hear God’s words spoken through Malachi, and speak to one another (v.16).
We do not know what they said, but this group is placed in contrast to the first group. They fear God and trust him, despite the same difficulties. They may have questioned how God’s plan would work out (cf. Psalm 89), but they still have faith in God and glorify him (“esteem his name”), despite their present circumstances.
To this group, God promised deliverance. God “paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him” (v.16). God takes note of those who trust in him, and figuratively speaking writes their names in a book to ensure he can later reward them. Those who truly belong to God will not have their names blotted out of the book of life (Ex. 32:32, Dan. 7:10), but belong to God forever (v.17).
This remnant will be God’s “treasured possession” and on the day of judgement “I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him” (v.17). On that day, the charge of injustice will be answered when “you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him” (v.18).
Our passage applied
This passage reminds us that there are really only two groups of people on this earth: those who fear and esteem God, and those who speak hard words against him out of unbelief, whether they call themselves Christians or not. But what matters is how God views each group. To the latter, God promises a response of judgement, but to the former, God promises salvation.
We often view our relationship to God in terms of how life is going. If life is going well, we assume God is happy with us and maybe we are doing the right things to keep him on-side. If things start going badly, perhaps God is angry with us, or even worse we may view God as being unjust (like God’s people did in Malachi’s day).
That is not how God works. Just as good comes to both the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45), so too difficult times come to God’s children too. God is not a cosmic vending machine, but the Sovereign Lord who works things according to his plans. Sometimes, that involves suffering and struggle for our benefit and God’s glory (Rom 8:28). Whether in good or bad, we all ought to fear God and esteem his name.
As we trust in God whatever the weather, we know that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf God will spare us, his sons made righteous by Jesus’ blood.
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