In Malachi 2:17 to 3:7, God confronts Israel’s complaints about His lack of justice and their doubts about His goodness. God then promises to send a messenger, widely believed to be John the Baptist, to prepare the way for the Messiah, who will bring purification and judgment.
In this passage, God calls His people to repentance, reminding them of His unchanging faithfulness and mercy. Despite their history of disobedience, God still offers them a chance to return to Him. Still, He warns that His coming will be one of refining, purifying, and judgment.
The passage begins with God telling His people they have wearied Him by incessantly questioning His justice. They have perceived God as indifferent to evil in allowing the wicked to prosper, implying that God is either approving of evil or unjust. God responded by telling them that He is wearied by their accusations and twisted perception of His justice. In fact, they fail to see that their faults and injustices contributed to the problems.
In addressing their accusation, God promises to send a messenger. He is widely understood to be John the Baptist. He will come to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, who will come suddenly. The word “suddenly” suggests the unexpected nature of Messiah’s coming. The people expected a conquering Messiah and did not expect Messiah to come the way He did, to cleanse and purify the people first.
Malachi 3:2-5 then proceeds to describe Messiah’s task when He arrives. Firstly, He will be a Refiner’s Fire and Fuller’s Soap. These metaphors represent the process of purification. A refiner’s fire purifies metals by removing impurities, and Fuller’s soap cleanses deeply.
The Lord’s coming will cleanse the people, especially the priests, the sons of Levi, from their sins. The whole priesthood had been corrupt and unfaithful. Still, God promised to purify them so that they could offer righteous sacrifices again. God wants a spiritual purification that will allow the people to have the right relationship with God.
When that is done, the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and in former years. Here, restoration of Worship is suggested. Once purified, the Worship of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to God. This points to a time when true and righteous Worship will be restored.
However, in verse 5, God promises to bring judgment on diverse forms of sin—sorcery, adultery, false oaths, oppression of the vulnerable and marginalized, such as wage earners, widows, orphans, and foreigners, and general disregard for God. This is how God responds to the people's complaint that He does not deal with evil. He will not delay in bringing judgment on these injustices.
In verse 6, He reminds the people that His unchanging nature is why they have not been wholly destroyed. Despite their unfaithfulness, He remains faithful to His covenant promises. Although they deserve judgment, God's steadfastness and mercy have preserved them.
In verse 7, God calls them to return to Him. He begins by pointing to their recalcitrance. To God, their disobedience is not new; they have been unfaithful since the time of their ancestors. However, God still calls on them to repent, saying that if they return to Him in obedience and faith, He will restore His relationship with them. The people retorted with a question that indicates a refusal to acknowledge their sin, which suggests a more profound spiritual blindness.
We need to
recognize the unchanging nature of God’s faithfulness and mercy. Despite our
faults and disobedience, God continues to offer us the opportunity to return to
Him. Just as He called the people of Israel to repentance, we are also called
to examine our hearts and turn back to God in obedience and faith. Christ’s
coming has dealt with our sinful nature and purified us, so we should seek to live a sanctified life pleasing to Him.
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