ALThe great moral principle unfolded in the book of Malachi, is the insensibility of the people to that which the Lord was for them, and to their own iniquity with respect to the Lord; their want of reverence for God, their despisal of the Lord. Alas! this insensibility had reached such a point, that when the very actions that proved their contempt were laid before their consciences, they saw no harm in them. Nevertheless, this did not alter the purposes and counsels of God, although it brought judgment on those who were guilty of it (see 1:2, 6; 2:14; 3:7, 13). Malachi also distinguishes the remnant and that which characterized them, while proclaiming the punishment of the wicked, and the call of God to those who had ears to hear, to bring them back to repentance a ministry which would restore moral order in the hearts of parents and children—a relationship from the maintenance and exercise of which all earthly peaceful order according to God flows.
At the commencement of the prophecy, the Lord sets forth His love to Israel, slighted, alas, by an ungrateful people, yet proved by their election from the beginning. Even while exhibiting the sad ingratitude of the people, the Lord adheres to His own thoughts towards them. He will bless Israel, and He will judge Edom, in spite of the pride of the latter.
AL 2The sin of Israel, and their offensive indifference in the service of their God, is shown (6-10). This gives occasion to another expression of grace-the revelation of the name of the Lord among all nations. Thus, the election of Israel, and mercy towards the Gentiles, are established amidst, and even on occasion of, the sin of the restored people. Ver. 12-14 also display their offenses against the Lord, and their contempt of His majesty. Chapter 2:1-9, proclaims the fallen condition of the priests, who ought to have been the faithful depositaries of the mind and ways of God; 10-12, their misconduct towards their brethren, and their intimate relationship with idolaters, are pointed out; 13-16, the lightness with which they were in the habit of divorcing at their pleasure. But the Lord was coming.
Here again we find the Lord's first coming connected with the full result of the second. John the Baptist is announced as His messenger to prepare the way before Him; and then, the angel of the covenant, whom they so earnestly desired, should come; but it would be in judgment, to purge the people and take away all their dross. Then should their offerings in Jerusalem be acceptable to the Lord, offerings in righteousness. But all the evil-doers should be judged; for God was unchangeable, both in righteousness and grace. It was this which, after all, secured the existence of Israel, happen what might. Let Israel then return unto the Lord, and the Lord would return unto them. But the pride of Israel is excited by this, and they say, " Wherein shall we return?" Their sins, with respect to the offerings and the ordinances, are then shown. But grace again displays itself, in prospect of the people's return from their practical alienation from God. They had but to return and prove the goodness of God.
In the midst of the pride of the wicked in their apparent success, the remnant are distinguished as being drawn together by their common spiritual wants and feelings, founded on the fear of the Lord which governed them all. They spake often one to another in their affliction, of these things. And the Lord hearkened and heard, and wrote it down in His book. And they shall be His, in the day when He maketh up His jewels. After this, they should discern between the righteous and the wicked, between those that served God and those that served Him not. For the day was coming which should burn as an oven, and the proud and the wicked should be as stubble. But to those that feared the name of the Lord, the Sun of Righteousness should rise. It should be no longer the sorrowful night of darkness and affliction, and of the enemy's dominion; but a day which God would cause to shine, by the presence of His Son, by the reign of His Beloved One on the earth.
It will be remarked here, that all is in connection with the authority of Jehovah and His dispensations towards Israel, and with the conduct of Israel, as a nation, towards their God. That which belongs to the first coming of Christ, and its consequences to Israel, is not brought in here. John the Baptist is presented as the fore-runner of Jehovah, who, without doubt, is Christ Himself, but who here comes as the Angel of the Covenant, coming suddenly to His temple, and trying everything in Israel by fire and by His judgment, in order that the offering of Judah may be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old. The transgressions here spoken of are those of the people brought back against the Lord. The Gentiles and their empire are not seen here. All takes place between Israel only and the Lord, the God of their fathers; as in former days, between the people beloved of God and the Lord who loved them. A strange God is that which the Lord will not endure. It is Levi, with whom His covenant had been: it was the priests, whose lips should have kept the true knowledge of the Lord.
There is even no king here spoken of, except that the Lord, whose name is terrible among the heathen, is their King. Finally, the people (Israel) are commanded to return to the law of Moses, given at Horeb for all Israel.
Thus we have here the Lord's unchangeable love for the people whom He gathered to Himself at Horeb,- His controversy with them on account of their sins,-the marking out of a faithful remnant,-and the sending of a messenger before the execution of the judgment. Israel is looked at nationally, in their own relationship with the Lord, as returned from captivity, and awaiting the judgment of their God, who sends His messenger to forewarn them.
All was prepared to put the people morally to the proof, with respect to the accomplishment of this, at the time when John the Baptist was sent; but Israel had not ears to hear-and all was lost.
The perfect and entire fulfillment will take place at the end, after that other glorious work of God, with regard to the Church, shall have been accomplished.
The long-suffering of God towards Israel has been great, for when they had rejected His Son, He sent them -through the intercession of that same well-beloved Savior, on the Cross-the message by the mouth of Peter, that if they repented, the Christ whom they had slain would return. But their leaders were more than deaf to this grace on the part of God, and their house still remains empty and desolate.
AL 3At the time of the end, Elias, whose mission was to call back an apostate Israel who had forsaken the Lord, to own Him in truth; and that, by the sovereign grace of God, although in connection with the law, and that Mount Horeb whither he went to lay down the burden of his prophetic office, when rendered useless by the unbelief of the people,-Elias, shall effectually accomplish his mission, before the great and terrible day of the Lord; in order that the curse of God may not fall upon the land of His delight, in that day when He will definitively execute His judgments. It is on this account that John the Baptist is spoken of as being Elias, if Israel could receive it; for he answered to the 1St ver. of chap. 3, and, at the same time, that he said he was not Elias; for, in fact, he did not at all fulfill the 5th and 6th ver. of chap. 4 (compare Luke 1:1717And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17)).
The prophecy speaks to the conscience of those who lived at the time it was delivered, chap. 3:10; and passes on-showing that at the end of those times, Israel would be put on trial by the mission of grace-to the last days, in which God would display His unchangeable love for His people, and His righteous judgment against evil, by separating a remnant unto Himself for blessing, and by executing judgment on the rebellious.
The Gentiles are not mentioned, nor even the connection of His people with Christ, coming down as Man to the earth.
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.