MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:1 Apparently Israel was repeating the error of Amos’s listeners (Amos 5:18). They supposed that the Lord’s coming would be only for blessing. They did not realize that the Lord’s coming would also be for judgment. He would come to be a “witness” against all evildoers, inclu... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:2 When the Lord comes, he will purify some sinners (vv. Malachi 3:2) and judge others (v. Malachi 3:5). The purifying will be thorough and severe, as if it were done with a REFINER’S FIRE and FULLERS’ SOAP (compare Hebrews 12:7). The heat of the refiner’s fire helped separa... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI 3:6 Fifth Dispute: How Shall We Repent? Can a Man Rob God? Malachi returns to the subject of Israel’s offerings, which he first addressed in the second dispute (Malachi 1:6). When Israel returned from exile, they neglected to offer their tithes (see Nehemiah 13:10). Crop failure and disease... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:8 YOU ARE ROBBING ME. The people were not giving to God the offerings that rightly belonged to him. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:10 God promises that if his people faithfully present their FULL TITHE, then the desperately needed rain will come (v. Malachi 3:10). Crop failure will cease (v. Malachi 3:11), and the promise to Abraham that ALL NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED (v. Malachi 3:12; Psalms 72:17)... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:13 Sixth Dispute: How Have We Spoken against God? This section echoes the first dispute. Here the focus is on God’s own people. Some embrace the covenant, and some do not. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:16 In sharp contrast to the people in vv. Malachi 3:13, a second group is now mentioned: THOSE WHO FEARED THE LORD AND ESTEEMED HIS NAME. Just as the Lord heard the insults of the first group, so he hears the faithful conversation of the second. A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE is wri... [ Continue Reading ]
MALACHI—NOTE ON MALACHI 3:17 The Lord promises that, for those faithful believers listed in the “book of remembrance” (Malachi 3:16), a day is coming when God will say, THEY SHALL BE MINE, his TREASURED POSSESSION (Malachi 3:17; compare Exodus 19:5). God will spare them AS A MAN SPARES HIS SON WHO S... [ Continue Reading ]