Malachi 3:16. A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
The metaphor is supposed to be taken from the ancient Persian custom of keeping a record of the names and deeds of any who had rendered special service to the king. It was in this way that the faithfulness of Mordecai in revealing to Ahasuerus the plot against his life was recorded and filed among the records of the court. See Esther 6:1-2.