Malachi 3

Malachi 3:1: Behold, 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.
Commentary: Malachi promises that the Lord will send a messenger to prepare the way for His return. This messenger will be the messenger of the covenant, and will bring delight to all who seek the Lord.

Malachi 3:2: But 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:
Commentary: Malachi warns that the Lord’s coming will be a day of judgement, and that we must all be prepared to stand before Him. He is compared to a refiner’s fire, purifying and cleansing us of our sins.

Malachi 3:3: And 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.
Commentary: The Lord will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold and silver so that they may offer themselves to the Lord in righteousness. This is a call to repentance and holiness, that we may be fit to serve the Lord.

Malachi 3:4: Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Commentary: Malachi promises that if the people of Judah and Jerusalem repent and offer themselves to the Lord in righteousness, then the Lord will accept them again, just as He did in days of old.

Malachi 3:5: And 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.
Commentary: Malachi warns that the Lord will judge all those who practice sorcery, commit adultery, take false oaths, oppress the poor, mistreat widows and orphans, or mistreat strangers. He will be a swift witness against them, and they must fear Him in order to be spared from His judgement.

Malachi 3:6: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Commentary: Even though the people have sinned against the Lord, He is unchanging and merciful and will not destroy them. He will forgive them and restore them if they humble themselves and repent.

Malachi 3:7: Even 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?
Commentary: Malachi calls the people to repentance, reminding them that they have strayed from God’s ordinances. He promises that if they will turn back to Him, He will restore them.

Malachi 3:8: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Commentary: Malachi accuses the people of robbing God by not paying their tithes and offerings. He reminds them that these are necessary to sustain the temple and its services, and that God deserves to be honored with our offerings.

Malachi 3:9: Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Commentary: Malachi declares that the nation has been cursed for its failure to pay their tithes and offerings, robbing God of the resources He needs to sustain His work.

Malachi 3:10: Bring 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.
Commentary: Malachi calls on the people to pay their tithes and offerings, as this is necessary for the temple to serve its purpose. He promises that if they do this, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on them that will be too great to contain.

Malachi 3:11: And 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.
Commentary: God is faithful to His people and will protect them from those who would seek to do them harm. He will not allow the enemy to destroy their crops, and He will ensure that their vineyards are fruitful and prosperous. This is a reminder of God s provision and care for His people.

Malachi 3:12: And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Commentary: The Lord will bless His people and bring them favor with other nations. His blessing will make them a delightful land, and a place of beauty and joy. This is a promise of the Lord’s care and protection for His people, and a reminder of the joy that comes from living in obedience to Him.

Malachi 3:13: Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
Commentary: The people of Israel had been disrespectful and rebellious towards God, yet they were unaware of the magnitude of their sin. God is reminding them of their stubbornness and lack of obedience, and He is calling them to repentance.

Malachi 3:14: Ye 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?
Commentary: The people had become disillusioned with serving God, and were questioning why they should remain faithful to Him. God is reminding them of His faithfulness and the joy that comes from obedience to Him. He is calling them back to faithful service, and reminding them of the blessings that will come to them if they remain true to Him.

Malachi 3:15: And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
Commentary: The Israelites had come to believe that those who were proud and disobedient to God were blessed, and that those who served Him were denied the same blessings. This is a warning against such false beliefs, and a reminder that God will not be mocked. He rewards those who remain faithful to Him and punishes those who disobey and seek to defy Him.

Malachi 3:16: Then 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.
Commentary: The Lord rewards those who remain faithful to Him and who speak often of Him. He hears their conversations and records their names in a book of remembrance. This is a reminder of the Lord s faithfulness and His commitment to those who remain devoted to Him.

Malachi 3:17: And 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.
Commentary: God is faithful to His people and will protect them as He would His own son. They will be His jewels, and He will spare them from evil and keep them safe. This is a reminder of God s love and protection for His people, and a promise that He will never forget them.

Malachi 3:18: Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Commentary: The Lord will eventually separate the righteous from the wicked, and those who serve Him from those who do not. This is a reminder of the accountability that comes with serving the Lord, and a reminder that God will judge those who do not follow His commands.