Vain. Murmuring against God is blasphemous and unsufferable. When the Jews were punished by famine, for neglecting to pay tithes, they laid the blame on God, as if he took more care of other nations which had abundance. (Worthington) --- Sorrowful: "humbled." Chaldean, "in mourning." (Junius) --- But is seems to denote downcast countenances, which our Saviour orders his disciples not to affect, Matthew vi. 16. (Calmet)
Verse Malachi 3:14. _YE HAVE SAID, IT IS VAIN TO SERVE GOD_] They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was _vanity_; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be noth...
YE HAVE SAID, IT IS VAIN TO SERVE THE GOD - o “as receiving no gain or reward for their service. This is the judgment of the world, whereby worldlings think pious, just, sincere, strict men, vain, i....
REBUKE FOR DEFRAUDING THE LORD CHAPTER 3:7-15 Another rebuke is administered. They were alway a stiff-necked people, never obedient to His ordinances. His gracious call to return unto Him, and the pr...
MALACHI 3:13 TO MALACHI 4:3. THE FINAL TRIUMPH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. The prophet here returns to the complaint of those who thought that religion did not pay (with Malachi 3:14; cf....
_kept his ordinance_ lit. OBSERVED HIS OBSERVANCE. _Kept his charge_, R.V. It is the same tendency to regard mere outward observance as true religion, which earlier prophets had denounced (1 Samuel 1...
_THE SIN OF SPEAKING AGAINST GOD -- MALACHI 3:13-15:_ The Jews denied that they were doing anything wrong. This amounted to saying that God was making false charges against them. The attitude of these...
IF THE PEOPLE WILL RETURN IN DEVOTION TO GOD HE WILL YET BLESS THEM. Malachi 3:7-12 RV. From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me...
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? He notices the complaint of the Jews, that it is of no profit to serve Yahweh, for that...
3 The Speedy Judgment 1. This v. is closely connected with the preceding. It is the answer to the question, 'Where is the God of judgment?' The messenger is evidently a prophet or a succession of pro...
MY *MESSENGER MALACHI _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ CHAPTER 3 V1 ‘Look at me! I will send my *messenger. He will prepare the way for me. Then, suddenly, the *Lord that you are looking for will come to his...
REBUKE OF INFIDELITY. THE ADVENT OF THE LORD FORETOLD (MALACHI 2:17 TO MALACHI 3:18). (17) A new section of the prophecy begins with this verse. The prophet now directs his reproofs against the people...
MOURNFULLY — _i.e.,_ with all outward signs of fasting. (Comp. Matthew 6:16.) The fasting referred to is not that of the Day of Atonement, but of voluntary fasts. We see here, in already a somewhat de...
אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּ מַה ־
Malachi 2:1; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:1 PROPHECY WITHIN THE LAW "MALACHI" 1-4 BENEATH this title we may gather all the eight sections of the Book of "Malachi." They contain many things of perennial i...
WICKEDNESS AND PRIDE SHALL FIND JUDGMENT Malachi 3:13-18; Malachi 4:1-6 The day cometh! either in the fall of Jerusalem or in some terrible catastrophe yet future. Whenever it comes may we be reckone...
The last division of the Book contains the prophet's announcement of the coming of Messiah. It falls into three sections, one dealing with the coming One, one dealing with the Coming Day, and one utte...
I include the whole of these verses under one reading, in order to observe in them what the last verse expresseth, the discerning between the righteous and the wicked. And what can more strikingly set...
Lectures on the Minor Prophets. W. Kelly. The Lord has not been pleased to give us much express information of the prophets in general, with the exception of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, and in a me...
He then gives the reason why he said, that their words grew strong against God, that is, that they daringly and furiously spoke evil of God; and the reason was, because they _said, that God was worshi...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 4. The prophecy of Malachi deals with the people brought back from the captivity of Babylon, and is most important as shewing the moral condition of...
YE HAVE SAID, IT [IS] VAIN TO SERVE GOD,.... This they said in their hearts, if not with their lips, that it was a vain thing for a man to serve God; he got nothing by it; he had no reward for it; it...
Ye have said, It [is] vain to serve God: and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? Ver. 14. _Ye have said, It is vain to se...
_Your words_, &c. “From this verse to the end of Malachi 4:3, the prophet expostulates with the wicked for their hard speeches; and declares that God will make a fearful distinction between them and t...
THE WAYS OF GOD VINDICATED...
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God, it does not pay, just as scoffers in our days say; AND WHAT PROFIT IS IT THAT WE HAVE KEPT HIS ORDINANCE, AND THAT WE HAVE WALKED MOURNFULLY BEFORE THE LORD OF H...
Malachi 3:14; Malachi 3:14 ordinance: _ Heb._ observation Malachi 3:14; Malachi 3:14 mournfully: Heb.
13-18 Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those who work wickedness, tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judg...
YE; ye that are the children of forefathers who had this good land given to them, and ever made fruitful while they feared and obeyed their God; you that have been well rewarded for your obedience, or...
Malachi 3:14 said H559 (H8804) useless H7723 serve H5647 (H8800) God H430 profit H1215 kept H8104 ...
Malachi 3:1. _Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:_ The name Malachi means «my messenger.» The reference here is, of course, to John the Baptist, who was to prepa...
CONTENTS: Mission of John the Baptist, and Christ's first advent foretold. Israel exhorted to return to God. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Malachi, John the Baptist. CONCLUSION: Those who deny God His pa...
Malachi 3:1. _Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me._ John the baptist, as our Saviour himself expounds this passage. Matthew 11:7. _The Lord whom ye seek,_ and for whom...
_Ye have said, It is vain to serve god._ THE SERVICE GOD DEMANDS Those who were the immediate objects of the prophet’s ministry had departed from the service of God. The priests having broken their...
CRITICAL NOTES. Malachi 3:13.] Impatient murmuring is most unreasonable; the day is coming which will bring to light the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. MALACHI 3:13. STOUT] (bold)...
EXPOSITION MALACHI 3:1 BEHOLD, I WILL SEND (_I send_) MY MESSENGER. God answers that he is coming to show himself the God of judgment and justice. Are they ready to meet him and to bear his sentence?...
Now the promise of the coming of John the Baptist as the forerunner to Jesus Christ. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenl...
Isaiah 58:3; James 4:9; Job 21:14; Job 21:15; Job 22:17;...
VITAL QUESTIONS Malachi 1:1; Malachi 2:1; Malachi 3:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS The Book of Malachi presents questions asked by God. In response, instead of a direct answer, the chosen people, Israel, ask...