Malachi 3:10-1510Bring 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. 11And 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. 12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. 13Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14Ye 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? 15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. (Malachi 3:10‑15)
GIVE God His due place in heart and conscience, and there will be the richest blessing; this is the lesson of verse 10. Do we not find here the explanation of much in both of the lives and the meetings of Christians that is not what it should be? His word is plain, — “Bring”; and then, “prove Me now, herewith.” Prayer for blessing is excellent, but a selfish withholding from His servants who do His bidding, in order to have more for ourselves, is without doubt, often a real hindrance; it is the one hindrance named in verses 8 to 10. God’s readiness to bless is fully shown; when it is not given, we must look within for the hindrances, and remove them; then blessing can be counted upon.
Verse 11. If there is obedience, the devourer will be rebuked, as it is said, “for your sakes,” so that he shall not destroy the fruits of the ground. This passage is general in scope, no doubt, for the reward promised to Israel for obedience to God’s Word is earthly blessing; nevertheless it must specifically refer to the day of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)), when the whole land, because of Jehovah’s righteous indignation, shall be devoured. (Zephaniah 1:1818Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. (Zephaniah 1:18)). The devourer then will be the Assyrian or king of the north (Isaiah 10:5, 6; 28:2-45O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (Isaiah 10:5‑6)
2Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. 3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: 4And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. (Isaiah 28:2‑4)).
The Christian is not to expect earthly prosperity; his truest blessings are heavenly, as many Scriptures tell; 1 Timothy 6:6-86But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1 Timothy 6:6‑8) may be contrasted with Dent, 8:7-9, the one giving the Christian’s right earthly position, while the other exhibits Israel’s.
The happy slate to which verse 12 refers has never been seen, nor can it be, until sins, national and individual, are owned in the fullest way of repentance. Thus verse 13 brings to the chosen people a charge of guilt more flagrant than any before named in this prophecy: “Your words have been stout against Me.” It is the last accusation Malachi was given to set before God’s earthly people, but as in each preceding case, the callousness of their hearts is such that they unfeelingly reply, “What have we spoken against Thee?” And, they add, “And now we call or consider) the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set (or built) up; yea, they tempt God, and they escape” (N. T.). This is the character of man at a distance from God which will be fully displayed before His judgment falls upon them.
Thank God, there are those who, perhaps moved by the growing wickedness of the scene in which they live, are aroused in their consciences; of these the next verse (16) tells.
ML 12/19/1937