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. 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. 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.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Mal
3:13-18)
There is great consolation in the two verses immediately preceding today's text
in which God assures us of blessings if we will be prove Him by His promises:
"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. And all nations shall
call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts."
(Mal 3:11-12) We need only trust God - and DISTRUST ourselves and other men -
to discover than God is faithful and true to perform all that He has promised.
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water." (Heb 10:22) There is an old gospel song by R. Kelso
Carter (1886) which declares the faith of the believer in God's power (and
willingness) to prove true His every promise:
Standing on the promises of
Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His
praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will
shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of
God.
There is no surer foundation than the Word of God upon which to stand, and no
more uncertain a foundation than that based upon trust in man. "It
is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
(Psalms 118:8) Here is another quote for those who prefer to obey a wicked
government law to the detriment of faith: "We ought to obey God
rather than men." (Acts 5:29) You already know who you are!
Just like the lawyer, seeking to justify himself, asked the Lord, "And who
is my neighbor?" so do we rationalize away our lack of faith and obedience
with vain words. 13 "Your words have been stout against me,
saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?"
We began as children uttering lies from a chocolate smeared face: "No,
mommy, I did not eat the cookies!" and we have gotten even better and more
sophisticated with our lies - so much so that we even are able to lie to our
own deceitful hearts. If we cannot even trust our own hearts (which we cannot)
how can we trust even ministers without proving all things by Holy Scripture?
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?" Do you believe God has ever
forsaken His own. He has not done so, nor will He ever. Though Christ prayed
the prayer from the Cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?" the cry was out of the calamity of sin that He bore for us.
It was a question and not an answer. God received the soul of His dear Son at
the moment of His surrender of the Spirit. Has it ever been vain to serve God?
The professed Church of God during the days of Malachi seems to have
experienced declension and compromise. The faith they profess seems at
variance with the lack of faith their lives exhibit. There was a 'professed'
piety, but not an inner piety that is based on heart knowledge. Real piety that
is practical and expressed in our outward lives is a reflection of the piety
which lies concealed within the heart and which flows outward from the abundant
Fountain of Grace which God provides each blessed soul in Christ. Real piety
serves God, not man, mammon, or the devil. It does not simply seek to obey
God's Law, but it actually loves and embraces that Law. It diligently
seeks out the will of God and attempts, at its fullest, to make God's Will its
own. Real piety also seeks to keep the ordinances and sacraments of God. Our
duty to God, and each other, is to be faithful in assembling ourselves
t5ogether in Common Prayer and Worship. We observe those two critically
important sacraments which Christ taught us, and requires of us - Baptism and
Holy Communion. True piety not only attempts to avoid sin, but actually HATES
sin just as God hates sin.
What of those of whom true piety is not valued or edifying? If we love great
art, we will certainly become knowledgeable of DaVinci, Michelangelo, Raphael,
Tolstoi, Shakespeare, and Longfellow. If we are not inclined to good taste, we
shall avoid familiarity with the arts and we shall remain blind and in the dark
concerning it. The same is true of religion. If we are no inclined to love
God's Holy Word, and find it a matter of little concern, we will remain forever
in t6he dark of those things which can light our way and lead us into the
Kingdom of God. The Christian cannot be double-minded! He cannot dance with
world at night and pray in the House of the Lord by day. If you are a
Sunday-only Christian, you will be spending the other six days in preparation
for a burning hell.
You will note the misappropriation of titles that the worldly Christian
associates with those things that are sin. 15 "And now we
call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that
tempt God are even delivered." How would the modern church
classify 'adultery' for example - perhaps as an alternate lifestyle. And what
of the abominable sin of homosexuality? Well, the world will call that being
'GAY!' What a horrendous misnomer that is! The average life expectancy of a
practicing homosexual, based on statistics of the previous decade, is age 43.
Either that is a most joyful 43 years, or a most miserable one. I opt for the
latter since those who practice this sin are so constantly angry and confused.
The murder of the most innocent of innocents is termed 'CHOICE.' The world
views the arrogant and proud as the happiest people ever. The politicians with
the most vicious and deceitful mind is revered and honored while the honest
citizen cannot get a voice. Those whose lives are the most violently opposed to
God are held us as role models in today's society.
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." Please note the gems of divine truth in this verse.
Those people who are Godly:
1) Fear the Lord. They are deeply concerned that they not
bring shame and dishonor to His Holy Name;
2) They do not fail to speak often of the Lord one to
another; they do not fail to assemble together in His Name;
3) They do not only dwell mentally upon the Name of the
Lord, but also speak out of it.
When Godly people are so inclined to honor Him, how does the Lord respond? 1)
He notices and hears the praises and pleasant worship of the people; and, 2) He
causes a Book of Remembrance to be written for those who have a reverence and
fear of Him. God will not fail to remember every random act of kindness, every
drink of water given to a little child, every widow whose journey was made
easier - by His elect people. He will make vessels of honor of his elect, and
vessels of dishonor of those who abuse their souls in sin.
Are you a jewel in the Box of the Lord? If you have received and followed
Christ as Lord and Savior, you certainly are a precious stone and gem to Him. 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."
Those faithful shall be highly treasured by the Lord in the Day of Wrath and
Judgment. Not a hair shall fall from their heads, and not a flame shall touch
their bodies. The Holy Angels will separate all of those fishes caught in the
dragnet (church) and the good fishes shall be kept apart, and the bad cast into
boiling pots. God will be quite careful to cuddle His people as a favored
child, and not harm shall befall. But this treatment is only reserved for
those who have faithfully served Him according to their abilities.
18 "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous
and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."
Just as the Rich Man in Hell saw the bliss of poor Lazarus the Righteous in the
bosom of Abraham, so shall the wicked see the bliss of the righteous in the
last day and will pine for the joy of the righteous while they suffer below.
The wicked are perfectly suited for the company of Hell for they neither served
God in life, nor will they be privileged to serve Him in the eternity of death
they will suffer through.
The next devotion will cover the last chapter of Malachi - it contains some of
the most beautiful of metaphors, and it points to the coming Christ without
apology. You might do your homework and read ahead.
