Malachi 3

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Malachi Chapter 3

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Malachi

Date Penned: (430 BC)

Overview: Confront Sinners to Restoration with God (c 1-4)

Theme: The Sinful People (c 2-3)

Message: The Coming of the Lord (v 1-18)

Malachi 3 Commentary

(3:1) There are 2 messengers in this verse. The first is usually understood to be John the Baptist. (Matthew 11) The second messenger is Jesus the Messiah, for whom both Malachi and John the Baptist prepared the way.

(3:2,3) In the process of refining metals, the raw metal is heated with fire until it melts. The impurities separate from it and rise to the surface. They are then skimmed off, leaving the pru metal. Without this heating and melting, there could be no purifying. As the impurities are skimmed off the top, the reflection of the worker appears in the smooth, pure surface. As we are purified by God, his reflection is our lives will become more and more clear to those around us. God says the leaders (Levites) should be especially open to his purification process in their lives.

(3:7) Malachi urged the people to stop holding back their tithes, to stop keeping from God what he deserved. The tithing system began during the time of Moses (Leviticus 27) The Levites received some of the tithe because they could not possess land of their own (Numbers 18) During Malachi's day the people were not giving tithes, so the levites went to work to earn a living thereby neglecting their God-given responsibilities to care for the Temple and worship. Everything we have is from the Lord. So when we refuse to return to him a part of what he has given, we rob him. Do you selfishly want to keep 100 % of what God gives, or are you willing to return at least 10% for advancing God's Kingdom? God's patience seems endless! Throughout history, his people have disobeyed, vene scorned, his laws. But he has always been willing to accept them back. Here, however, they have the nerve to say they never disobeyed. ("Wherein shall we return?") Many people have turned their backs on forgiveness and restoration because they have refused to admit their sin. Don't follow their example. God is ready to return to us if we are willing to return to him.

(3:8-12) The people of Malachi's day ignored God's command to give a tithe of their income to his Temple. They may have feared losing what hey had worked so hard to get, but in this they misjudged God. "Give, and it shall be given unto you" he says (Luke 6) When we give, we must remember that the blessings God promised are not always material and may not be experienced completely here on earth but we will certainly receive them in our future life with him.

(3:13-15) These verses describe the people's arrogant attitude toward God. When we ask, "what good does it do to worship God?" we are really asking, "what good does it do for me?" Our focus is selfish. Our real question should be, "What good does it do for God?" We must worship God just because he is God and deserves to be worshiped.

(3:16) God will remember those who remain faithful to him, and who love, fear, honor, and respect him.

(3:17) God's people are called jewels. A jewel is made from raw material that is exposed to thime, heat and pressure to change it into a valuable gemstone. The stone must then be cut in order for its real beauty to be seen. A craftsman takes a stone and puts it into just the right setting to display its beauty. Be willing to allow the Lord to make you a jewel. Ask him to shape and polish where needed and be patient while he works. Be sure you are ready to change, because when the Lord begins to make a jewel, He doesn't stop until it is perfect.

Dave Burnette's Life Application
Tithing

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the book of Malachi with Chapter 3. In our text today we see prophecy on the coming of the Lord, the faithful few, and the stinginess of God's people as he address the tithe and how we can rob God by failing to give. In making application we see a major problem exposed. Robbing God by failing to be obedient with their resources. How about you? Do you tithe? Let us learn from our text today and instruction to tithe and give to see that if we fail to give we not only disobey but God considers it robbery.

Malachi 3

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Malachi 3

¹Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

³And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

⁴Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

⁵And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

⁶For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

⁷Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

⁸Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

⁹Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

¹⁰Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

¹²And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

¹³Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

¹⁴Ye 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?

¹⁵And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

¹⁶Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

¹⁷And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

¹⁸Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

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