Return to the Lord.

Malachi 2:17–3:18

vv. 2:17–3:5—God’s people claim that God delights in the wicked and that His justice is absent. However, God says He will come to them with justice, like a refiner and purifier.

—The people claim to be wearied by God and ask, “Where is He?”

—God promises to send His messenger (not the prophet, Malachi). This messenger relates to Elijah in chapter 4:5, and is fulfilled in John the baptizer. The messenger will prepare the way for God’s arrival (See also Isaiah 40). The term “prepare” conveys the idea of clearing the path for a king’s royal procession.

—After the messenger, the Lord Himself will come suddenly to His temple. The term used here is not the covenant name (LORD), but the title, functioning as master, authority, and one who will judge His people. We know that this Lord is God because God said His messenger was to prepare the way before “Me.” This verse finds fulfillment when Jesus enters the temple and judges it (Mark 11:15–19).

—The messenger of the covenant could be John the baptizer or the Lord. John called people back to God in repentance but denounced the religious elite, calling them a brood of vipers. Jesus flipped tables and chased the corrupt worshipers out of the temple.

—v2. speaks of the Day of the Lord, the day of judgment. Verse five gives us the full scope of what the God of justice will do (compare with 3:16–18).

vv. 3:6–3:12—God is the unchanging God. Because this is true, He is the God people can return to.

God is immutable. Meaning His character and nature do not change.

—v.7 is the overall appeal of Malachi. God wants His people to return to Him. This term is the Old Testament equivalent of “repent.” If God’s people would return to Him, He would return to them. The tragedy in this passage is that God’s people do not realize they have any need to return.

—How should the people return? By giving their full tithe to the Lord. The Lord instructed the tithe in Leviticus 27:30–33, Numbers 18:21–32, and several places in Deuteronomy, especially 26:1–2. The tithe is more than just an act of obedience; it is a demonstration of faith in God’s unchanging character. So, God tells His people to test Him with their tithe. He wants to prove to His people His unchanging character by lavishing upon them the treasury of heaven. The result of their gifts and God’s blessing will be the nations saying God’s people are blessed because their land is a delight.

vv. 13–18—The people say that it is pointless to serve God because the wicked get away with everything.

—In the previous paragraph, God invites His people to test Him and experience His promises. However, in verse 15, the wicked test God, not as a demonstration of their faith but as an act of defiance against His holy command (See Deuteronomy 6:16 and Exodus 17).

—God will bring justice and distinguish the righteous from the wicked. He will write the name of the righteous in the book of remembrance, and they will be His treasured possession. He will have compassion on them.