Malachi Chapter Three, The Book of Remembrance

 

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name.

 

The apostasy was clearly detailed by Malachi’s final exchange with the disbelieving Jews. Some truly harsh or strong words were leveled against Israel’s God. It appears that a minority of the Jewish community certainly took the prophet’s words to heart. Those who feared the Lord and also meditate on His name spoke to one another. Let it be noted that meditate in the Biblical sense has nothing to do with emptying the mind, as in eastern mysticism. Rather, the Bible’s form of meditation is to fill our thoughts with God and His word. It means to contemplate, to think deeply upon, to ponder.

Malachi Chapter Three, Useless Worship

 

The first allegation Israel makes against the Lord is quite extreme. “It is useless to serve God.” We are familiar with the saying, “actions speak louder than words.” Israel attested to their feelings of religious impotency by sacrificing what was blemished, marrying pagan women, and abandoning their legitimate marriage partners. Furthermore the priests corrupted Levi’s covenant and perverted the Torah, leading the nation that they were shepherds of astray. In much smaller terms, if you are working someplace and feel like you aren’t getting what you deserve resentment sets in. At first it manifests toward your employer then co-workers and customers. The job is handled spitefully because reality did not meet your expectations. Irresponsibility settles in and colors your work ethic, attitude, and overall demeanor. But instead of self-reflection to determine what might have been misinterpreted or quitting gracefully to find different employment you take out your spite on everyone and everything around you. In modern lingo, you become toxic. Israel’s toxicity had reached critical mass with this enormously profane accusation.

Malachi Chapter Three, Spiritual Myopia

 

Malachi 3:13 “Your words have been harsh against Me,” says the LORD, “Yet you say, What have we spoken against You?’ [14] You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts? [15] So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free.’”

 

Malachi’s oratory between degenerative Israel and their covenant God reaches fever pitch in this passage. One might say this is the final word the rebels have to offer. It details an insight into their perception of God and human sin as Israel pours out the abundance of their heart, deeming their acts of worship worthless since the wicked prosper and escape God’s judgment. Seeing an easier road, they wish to join with these bold offenders and cast off all restraint.

Malachi Chapter Three, Hephzibah

 

Malachi 3:11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the LORD of hosts; [12] “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts.

 

The blessing God promised upon obedience appears to be in light of an epidemic occurring presently. The verse is in the future tense in anticipation of Israel’s response and call to repentance. God will rebuke the devourer of the fruit of their ground. It sounds very much like the prophecy of Haggai, when the Jews were reticent to build the temple, instead attending to their own needs. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away.  Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while everyone of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land,” Haggai 1:9-11.

Malachi Chapter Three, The Windows of Heaven

 

Malachi 3:9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. [10] Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

 

The English translation doesn’t quite do the beginning of verse 9 justice. The two words translated “curse” and “cursed” are different in the original Hebrew, as was discussed during Malachi 1:14. The first usage is “arar” which again means a judicial pronouncement on covenant breakers. In this instance all of mankind could be described as being cursed in this fashion, since we all fall under the just judgment of breaking God’s moral standard. In a more limited sense, Israel as a nation is under this curse since they withhold the tithe and offering from temple service. The second instance of the word in verse 9 is an execration. Israel is cursed (has judgment passed on their lawlessness) with a curse (the malediction God foretold would happen to them as a people when they did not obey).  The reason cited is their unwillingness to bring to God the tithe. Being carnally minded makes us flaccid when it comes to the things of God: a condition every Christian suffers periodically. Paul opined about this self-mindedness when he wrote, “For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:20, 21. Caught up in worldly, daily life, religious duty appears as obligation, and the carnal mind detests and rebels against the idea. To be obligated implies owing someone something.

Malachi Chapter Three, Stealing The Tithe

 

Habakkuk, moved by the Holy Spirit, writes, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith,” Habakkuk 2:4. This verse doesn’t oppose Leviticus 18:5; rather, it is a complimentary revelation. Obedience to God’s word trains the seeker to understand when God’s word reveals to us that, not works, but faith, is what saves the soul of man. The proud reject the notion because it offends human effort and compromises religion. Religion is a system of works humanity has built to replace God. The formality Israel fell into during Malachi’s burden transformed into mechanical, lifeless religion. Enoch learned the lesson of faith, Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5. In like manner, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” Genesis 6:8. Abram too, received like faith: “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted (imputed, credited) it to him for righteousness,” Genesis 15:6.

Malachi Chapter Three, Fickle Israel

 

Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ [8] “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

 

Verse 7 leads with the word, “yet.” In the last verse God revealed His immutable nature to Israel. He reminded His covenant people that He is the unchanging One; He will always uphold His side of the covenant because He never changes. Contrasted to this are His people, with whom change is the norm. Israel’s history is replete with revival followed by apostasy, which brought about another revival. Great kings like David and Josiah brought great religious reforms into the nation. Other kings brought Israel down into the collective mire with them, forsaking the God of Israel in the process. To do evil, we His children must willingly forget Him. Knowledge of Him will compel us toward what is right; if we want to pursue the unclean we can’t have God in our thoughts. The first step of sin is to disavow God’s ruling prerogative in our lives and in our church. For Israel God never departed from among His people. Rather, His presence became the elephant in the room of which no one spoke for fear of being reminded of their sinfulness.

Malachi Chapter Three, Irrevocable Promises

 

God promised Israel a kingdom, a king, and peace from their enemies. He promised the Messiah to lead them, heal them, and save them. God does not lie or change His mind. Israel is not set aside, because God is unchanging in His purpose and person. What He has said, He will do. Allegorizing the passages that belong strictly to Israel concerning their covenant promises through Abraham and David is blasphemous. The church is not Israel, 1 Corinthians 10:32. Otherwise Paul’s fervent plea for his kinsmen by blood (Romans 9:3) makes no sense. “Brethren (fellow Christians) my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved,” Romans 10:1. The Holy Spirit answers in the affirmative a little later: “And so all Israel will be saved,” Romans 11:26. The fact that he is not speaking about the church is clear because the apostle adds, “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable,” Romans 11:28, 29.

Malachi Chapter Three, God's Unalterable Nature

 

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

 

This verse is the golden thread in the book of Malachi. The Lord will come to His temple. He will refine the priesthood. He will be a swift witness. For He is Yahweh, Israel’s covenant God. I AM of the burning bush, and the I AM who is the Nazarene (John 8:58), is changeless. God is eternal. With Him there is no beginning; with Him, there is no termination. Past, present, and future hold no bearing or meaning for Him. Time is a construct made by God for human utility, Genesis 1:14. God is self-existing and self-determining. He is complete of Himself, having perfect unity of fellowship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Needing nothing and providing all freely of His own will and by His own power (both might and authority in this instance), God shows Himself infinitely rich, wise and all encompassing. God’s knowledge is perfect; there is nothing He needs to learn. He is the Teacher. God’s ability is flawless; what He purposes to do will be done because no power in Heaven or earth or Hell can resist Him; He is the Maker of all. He holds all things together by the word of His power. All things consist in Him, and by Him we live and move and have our being. The universe’s seemingly boundless complexity and depth merely serves to showcase our God’s unparalleled creative prowess. He speaks and things exist. By an act of direct creation whatever He does is perfect, Genesis 1:31, Psalm 18:30.

Easter's Rabbit Hole, Part 2 (Of 2)

 

The Easter Egg has similar origins to the hot cross buns. In the mysteries of Bacchus celebrated in Athens there consisted a ceremony that consecrated an egg, (Davies’s, Druids). Hindoo, Japanese and Chinese dyed, golden or brazen eggs were also used in their celebrations. Hyginus the Egyptian, keeper of the Palatine library in Rome, related this tale: An egg of wondrous size was said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, where doves having settled upon it, and hatched it, out came Venus, who afterward was called the Syrian Goddess, (Hyginus, Fable). Venus, of course, is another name for Ishtar, Astarte, or Ashteroth of the Canaanites, daughter of El the chief god. In another such fable Ishtar was said to have washed up from the sea in a great egg only to have a serpent coil about the egg she resided within and, like the doves, hatched her to dispense wisdom, being hailed as the civilizer and benefactress of the world. Like the rabbit, the egg is an old symbol of fertility, and Ashteroth/Astarte/Ishtar was a goddess of (sensual) love and fertility, as well as war.

Easter's Rabbit Hole, Part 1 (Of 2)

 

With the advent of another Easter upon us, and being in the throes of Lent one more time, I felt it would be good to spend a little time exploring the ancient origins of both customs. May I throw out this caveat, however: this is by no means a definitive or exhaustive treatment on Easter. Rather merely my gleanings from numerous works I’ve read coupled with my own observations.

Malachi Chapter Three, Perjury And Oppression

 

Perjury is lying, but it is more than just lying. To perjure oneself is to prove to be a false witness in a judicial court. In short, you testify against another, willingly and knowingly lying about them in an effort to malign them. This type of lie can come with radical penal consequences. It might mean the difference between a man walking free or going to the electric chair for murder. False testimony is the basest slander, and something the serpent practiced when he misled Eve in the Garden. God’s command not to eat of the fruit was on trial, and the serpent questioned its veracity.

Malachi Chapter Three, Witness Against Adultery

 

Adulterers are listed after practitioners of sorcery. The foremost on the list dealt with spiritual adultery, pursuing spiritual truths outside of the living God. In God is life, and if we know God we have truth, because that is who He is. “I am…the truth, and the life,” John 14:6. The second is like it. Save now it is adultery with one’s recognized spouse and only legitimate marriage partner. Again, the writer of Hebrews says in no uncertain terms that marriage is a sacred institution, and God will sorely judge those that transgress its purpose, Hebrews 13:4. Those who are unfaithful toward their spouses whom they can see, how is anyone to trust that they can love and practice fidelity toward the God they cannot see? If we cannot be faithful with what is another’s, who will entrust us with anything of our own?

Malachi Chapter Three, God Judges

 

Malachi 3:4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD, as in the days of old, as in former years. [5] And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien—Because they do not fear Me,” says the LORD of hosts.

 

The chapter begins with a terse rebuttal regarding the Jews’ ignorance concerning God. A wrong view of God distorts every other view of things that humans have. When we lessen or abolish God from our sight, morality crumbles and objective truth vanishes. Neither concept has a pillar to stand upon; there is no basis for these ideologies in a world where God’s holiness is warped by sinful man’s interpretations of Him. Verse 1 speaks of the forerunner and the Lord’s coming. This was partially fulfilled in John the Baptist and Jesus’ first advent. Mark quotes the first portion of Malachi 3:1 (Mark 1:2), deliberately excluding the second part of the verse because historically it did not find completion in Jesus’ first advent.