COMMENTARY ON MALACHI
LESSON NUMBER 22
Mal 3:13 “Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 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? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” – (Malachi 3:13-15)
STOUT WORDS AND WRONG CONCLUSIONS
INTRODUCTION
God has been displeased with the condition of the priests and people of Israel. They have conducted their lives as though the Lord had not been gracious toward them in deliverances and provisions. They had treated the Lord with disdain, and their hearts were set against Him. All of this was confirmed by both their words and their deed, as well as in the manner in which they reasoned. Like faith, unbelief permeates the entirety of the ones dominated by it. It colors their reasoning, their words, and their deeds. That is precisely why Jesus said, “ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16,20). The Lord did not mean that every person would know all other persons by their fruits. This was a word delivered to His disciples: “YE shall know them by their fruits.” In their thinking, this is either ignored or denied in many professing believers. They have adopted the worldly saying, “You cannot judge a book by its cover,” as though a shabby life was hiding a tender and loving heart. Jesus taught just the opposite, that a pure and pristine outward life can be wrapped around an inner man that is full of dead men’s bones (Matt 23:27) – but the opposite is never true. The ungodly can emulate a godly life, but the godly never emulate the ungodly. In His reasoning with the priests and people, God is uncovering the truth about them, even though they were going through all manner of religious activity. Further, His reasoning is forced upon them – something like a miniature day of judgment. Whether or not they want to reason with God is not even in the scenario. God reads their hearts and thoughts, tells them what He finds, pronounces a verdict, and assigns a penalty – all without any personal input from them. That is the kind of activity that will characterize the day of judgment. Like the words spoken through Malachi, it will be a day of revelation, not negotiation. Things will be declared as they really are, and all of the evidence will be laid before the people, thereby justifying God in all of His sayings.
STOUT WORDS AGAINST THE LORD
Malachi 3:13 “Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?”
Once again, the Lord searches the hearts of the priests and people, as He is wont to do (1 Chron 28:9). In fact, God is known as “He that searcheth the hearts” (Rom 8:27). Jesus Christ, to whom all judgment has been committed (John 5:22) says of Himself, “I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works” (Rev 2:23). Further, our blessed Lord gave this word to His churches. It is a fact that must shape how they conduct their lives.
The truth of the matter is that every person, together with the angels that fell, will be judged by God through Jesus Christ. Who they really are will be revealed to an assembled universe, together with all the holy angels. Their character will be seen to have perfectly comported with their motives, and their thoughts, words, and deeds. The points at which their expressions were hypocritical will be made known, and it will all be so clear there will be no dissenting voice in the heavenly chambers. This is what is involved in the comforting saying delivered to those who are in Christ Jesus, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor 4:5).
Thus the relevancy of this text becomes clear. It reveals the manner in which God assesses the hearts of men – a manner that will be imposed upon the entirety of the human race on the day of judgment. For those who have lived by faith and walked in the Spirit, it will be the day of ultimate advantage. For all others, it will be the time of cursing. At that time, unlike our text, there will be not be any time allotted for recover.
STOUT WORDS. Other versions read, “harsh words,” NKJV “arrogant,” NASB “strong,” BBE “unsufferable,” DOUAY “hard,” ESV “too strong,” JPS “grievous,” SEPTUAGINT “defied Me in a word,” NAB “criticized Me sharply,” NET “terrible things,” NLT and “proud and arrogant.” LIVING
The word “stout” is translated from a word meaning “harden . . .to press . . . grow rigid . . . to be severe, grievous . . . to make strong.” The word carries the idea of boldness, brazenness, and audacity. In other words, they spoke of God as though He was one of their peers, and was subject to their personal assessment. They felt no compunctions about calling Him into question, doubting the veracity of His Word, and refusing to do what He had commanded. Further, they expressed it in their words, which, in this text, were first uttered in the heart, then manifested in both their speech and manners.
WORDS THAT ARE AGAINST GOD. God affirms that the words they uttered were “against” Him. They were like an inimical spear hurled at him, even as Saul threw a javelin at David (1 Sam 18:11). Although totally powerless and vain, they were an attack on God, and that is precisely how He viewed them. Already He has revealed some of these words: “Wherein hast Thou loved us . . . Wherein have we despised Thy name . . . Wherein have we polluted Thee . . . the table of the Lord is contemptible . . .The table of the Lord is polluted . . . “Wherein have we wearied Him . . . Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord . . . Where is the God of judgment . . . Wherein have we robbed Thee” (1:2,6,7,12; 2:17; 3:8). All of these sayings reflect a certain disdain for the Lord. They also overstate the rights and worth of men, who are a creation of God. God says that such words are “against” Him. They constitute an assault upon His Person, an attack on His character, and the questioning of His will. They are not innocent, and He will not excuse them as though they were.
There are contemporary responses to Divine mandates that constitute the same kind of assault against the Lord. They are not innocent either, and reflect a defiled heart. Some human responses in this category are as follows. “Why is this happening to me?” “I am angry with God.” “There are contradictions in God’s Word.” “I do not believe I need to be baptized.” “God loves me no matter what I do.” “I cannot understand the Bible.” None of these sayings, or any like them, come from a pure heart. None of them are uttered out of faith or because of a commitment to the Lord. All of them flow out of an over-assessment of the value of self.
YET THEY SAID . . . Here again, stout words are spoken against the Lord – just as though what He has just said was not true. “What have we spoken so much against Thee?” or, “How have we spoken against You?” NRSV or “What have we said that we shouldn’t?” LIVING Although spoken in ignorance, this is not innocent ignorance. God had revealed Himself to these people. He had wrought miraculous deliverances among them, and supernatural punishments as well. He had revealed His will to them, and told them how they were a favored people, which mandated a favorable response from them. But unbelief washes such recollections from the mind. A hard heart suppresses the memory of blessing, and self-will is a robber that takes away sensitivity to God. There simply is no satisfactory excuse for those to whom God has revealed Himself to be obtuse and unresponsive to Him. Those who seek to explain such things are themselves speaking stoutly against the Lord.
THE REASONING OF THE FLESH
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?”
As He has done from the first of this prophecy, God will read the hearts of the people to the people. He will reveal what He sees in their heart, and they will know what He means.
YE HAVE SAID. This is not something the people will say, but something they have said. They have already yielded to the temptation, and reasoned in accord with their unbelief. When sin is expressed in thought, word, or deed, the individual has already succumbed to the devil. The eruption of sin is the evidence that it has control of the person. Jesus Himself, who is the Truth incarnate, said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
IT IS VAIN TO SERVE GOD. Other versions read, “useless,” NKJV “it is futile,” NIV “no use,” BBE “no point,” CJB “he laboreth in vain,” DOUAY “pointless,” GWN “What’s the use,” NLT and “It is foolish.” LIVING
The idea here is that the people saw no immediate advantage in serving God – that is, advantage by their definition. Serving God did not grant them the desires of their heart. It did not enable them to reach their goals, so to speak, or to fulfill their self-conceived ambitions. Of course, what they called “serving God” was really nothing more than a perfunctory, or superficial, service. Their heart was not in it, and they only did what they conceived to be the minimum that was absolutely necessary. They consented to a half-hearted service, thinking that God was ready to receive anything that was offered to Him – even though He had specified in plain language what was to be given to Him. But, alas, when they went through the outward mechanics of religion, they did not see their deep desires being met. Thus they concluded that serving God itself was vain.
This same mind set is prevalent in our day, and is kept secret from the public, even as Israel’s thoughts were kept secret. Sporadic religion is the evidence of this kind of thinking. People do not give themselves wholly to the Lord because they see no real advantage in it. Any person who perceives he will be truly advantaged by a thing will do it in a most precise way – whether it is stealing or giving, lying or telling the truth, obeying God or disobeying God. If believing sensitizes the heart, unbelief dulls it. If walking in the Spirit makes one more aware and willing, walking in the flesh makes one less aware and less willing. So when a person thinks it is vain to serve the Lord, they have only revealed their distance from the Lord.
WHAT PROFIT IS IT THAT WE HAVE KEPT HIS ORDINANCE? These people completely ignored HOW they kept the ordinance of the Lord. It was not in an acceptable manner. They had offered the blind, the lame, and the sick as sacrifices to God (Mal 1:8,13) – something that was a flagrant contradiction of what He had required of them (Deut 15:21). They had not brought ALL of the tithes and offerings into the storehouse (Mal 3:8-10) – even though Divine directions on the matter had been quite clear (Lev 27:30-31; Neh 10:37-38). Yet, even though their obedience was feigned, and violated the expressed word of the Lord, yet they thought they had kept God’s ordinance. Actually, they had only gone through a flawed outward motion, not keeping the ordinance at all.
And what may be said of our day? Has this dreadful propensity of speaking against God in such a manner ceased? Indeed, it has not. Who does not know that there are people to say they have been baptized, yet who do not walk in the newness of life, or yield their members as instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:4-19). Legion is the name of those who eat the Lord’s Supper without a due regard for the Savior, and without experiencing the communi0on of the body and blood of the Lord. What of those who insist on maintaining a religious identity, yet remain friends of the world (James 4:4). Or those who gather together on the Lord’s day without considering one another, to provoke unto love and good works (Heb 10:24-25). Yet, such people imagine that they too have kept the ordinance of the Lord.
WHAT PROFIT IS IT THAT WE HAVE WALKED MOURNFULLY? Other versions read, “walked as mourners,” NKJV “going about like mourners,” NIV “going in clothing of sorrow,” BBE “walked humble,”GENEVA “feeling sorry,” GWN “going about in penitential dress,” NAB “have gone in black,” YLT “sorrow and mourn for our sins,” LIVING and “in mourning apparel.” AMPLIFIED
This was the people’s interpretation of mourning, and not a statement concerning genuine mourning. It had more to do with having an outward appearance of mourning, while the heart was not sorrowful at all. Many of the ancients put on sackcloth when they mourned (Gen 37:34; 2 Sam 3:31; 1 Kgs 20:31-32; Esther 4:1; Psa 35:13; Isa 22:12; 32:11). Jesus Himself referred to the putting on of sackcloth as associated with repentance (Matt 11:21).
In this text, the people took upon themselves the outward appearance of mourning, donning the apparel associated with that state of mind. However, they were not truly mourning for their sins, but only going through the mechanics of sorrow. A modern parallel of this would be some of the activities at, what is called, the prayer altar. While everyone who is at such a place is not hypocritical, it is a convenient provision for such people to think they are mourning.
WRONG ASSESSMENTS
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.”
Remember, these are “stout”words that are spoken against the Lord. On the surface, they have a philosophical sound to them, as though they were a mere opinion, and therefore innocent, and spoken with no malice. However, that is not how God viewed them, and it is not how we are to view them. These words manifest a corrupt and alienated heart.
WE CALL THE PROUD HAPPY. Other versions read, “call the proud blessed,” NKJV “call the arrogant blessed,” NASB “men of pride seem happy,” BBE “we consider the arrogant to be fortunate,” CSB and “we consider the proud and arrogant to be happy and favored.” AMPLIFIED
This is the assessment of those who judge according to appearance. The great psalmist Asaph was once snared by this kind of thinking. In order that we might see things as they really are, he was inspired to write about it. His words mean the same thing as “we call the proud happy,” i.e. blessed and privileged. “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men . . . they have more than heart could wish” (Psa 73:3-7). It seemed as though they could do as they willed, even though they were living in opposition to the God of heaven. By comparison Asaph said, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning” (Psa 73:13-14). That kind of reasoning sounds remarkably like that of our text. Yet, there is a vast difference between Asaph and the priests and people of Malachi’s day. Asaph was tempted to think in this manner, but took his thoughts into the sanctuary of God, and there he saw things more plainly. When viewed from that lofty realm, he assessed the very people whom he had envied as being placed by God in “slippery places,” destined for “desolation,” and to be “consumed with terrors” (Psa 73:18-19).
The priests and those who followed them had not gone into the sanctuary of God. They did not submit their thoughts to the Lord, as did king David (Psa 139:23). As unbelievers are prone to do, they assumed the validity of their thoughts, and thus concluded that it was vain to serve the Lord, for in so doing they had ended up with less than the ungodly. In fact, the ungodly were running roughshod over them, and they could not perceive that circumstance as the chastening hand of God. They had a corrupted view of blessedness, or happiness.
THEY THAT WORK WICKEDNESS ARE SET UP. Other versions read, “are raised up,” NKJV “built up,” NASB “prosper,” NIV “doing well,” BBE “are successful,” NET “get rich,” NLT and “are exalted and prosper.” AMPLIFIED
Here the idea is that of being made stable and successful in the world. It includes the view of being exalted, made prominent, and appearing to have much authority. Of course, this is the inevitable conclusion of those who equate worldly riches, prominence, and exaltation with the blessing of the Lord.
Those who teach worldly prosperity as evidence of the blessing of God tell us that there are certain financial laws put in place by God, that guarantee the increase of wealth, whether one is godly or ungodly. Of course, they are forced to draw this kind of conclusion by the presence of multitudes of ungodly wealthy people. Notwithstanding their fastidious, yet carnal, way of thinking, they have said precisely the same thing as the corrupt priests and people said in Malachi’s day. God interpreted such reasoning as “stout words” spoken “against” Him. That is still the only proper way to assess such utterances.
THEY THAT TEMPT GOD ARE DELIVERED. This is yet another word that has been spoken stoutly, or arrogantly, against the Lord. Those who “tempt God” are the ones who venture into forbidden territory – those who actually do the things that God has pronounced unlawful. Those who “tempt God,” whether they know it or not, are testing Him, to see if He, in deference to them, will act out of character or not. Will, God bless those who act out of fleshly impulses, or in response to the devil? Will He ignore His requirements for men? Will He who discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart ignore what He finds?
The conclusions of the priests and those who followed them were that such postulates were true. Instead of those who tempt God being punished for their sins, they appeared to have clean escaped Divine judgment. The wicked think precisely as Solomon wrote: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl 8:11).
The conclusion of the deceived is that such people have been delivered, or have escaped. However, they forget that God has “appointed a day” in which such actions will be assessed as men are placed upon the scales of Divine judgment (Acts 17:31). They do not recognize that such people are in “slippery places,” and could slide, as it were, into hell at any moment. Oh, this flawed way of thinking is not innocent. It is rather the expression of stout words against the God who is “a great King over all the earth” (Psa 47:2). Such thinking is not unnoticed.