THERE is evidently an analogy between the close of the Jewish and of the Christian dispensations, and hence the last voice of inspiration in the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi, has a special interest for us.
We live in days marked by much the same features as those which distinguished the returned captives among the Jews, from the time of this prophet until the first coming of our Lord; and the seven questions to which we refer show the moral condition of the professing people of God at that time.
1. “Wherein hast Thou loved us?” God begins by reminding them of His love—a free sovereign love on His part, for He loved them “because He loved them” (Deut. 7:7), at the beginning of their history, and He loved them still, in spite of their shameful failure and ingratitude.
But, alas! they had lost the consciousness of His love to them; and hence their love to Him had grown cold. So it was with the Church at Ephesus― “Thou hast left thy first love,” says the One who can read the heart as well as the outward life. In truth this is the root of all failure; for when Christ ceases to be the absorbing object for the heart; when the beams of His divine love fail to penetrate our souls as once they did, we soon grow cold, and other things take the place He should have in the affections of His people.
2. and 3. “Wherein have we despised Thy name?” “Wherein have we polluted Thee?”
These questions come from the priests, who ought to have taught God’s Word and maintained His truth. They were insensible to their own real condition, and to the claims the Lord had upon them. They were offering to God the lame and the blind out of their flocks, when His Word expressly stated that there was to be no blemish in His offering (Lev. 22:21-24). Mark, it was not that no offerings were made at all—they had plenty of religion―but utter indifference as to what was due to God. It was as much as to say, anything will do for Him. Is there not an abundance of this spirit abroad in Christendom, and are we not all in danger of being affected by it?
4. “Wherein have we wearied the Lord?” They had no lack of words, for they had wearied the Lord with their words; but behind it all they were characterized by a spirit of infidelity, for they were saying, “Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment.”
Was it not terrible hardness of heart to attribute a delight in evil to Jehovah Himself? Yet this is what the heart of man, and even religious man, is capable of. Faith knows that God takes knowledge of everything, and that He is a God of patience and forbearance: unbelief, on the other hand, says, “Where is the God of judgment?” But He will sit as a refiner’s fire, and He will come near to judgment to these very people, great though His patience may be. And if the spirit of rationalism was to be found amongst the professing people of God in Malachi’s time, it is no less to be found now. Our so-called Christian Churches are leavened with a spirit of infidelity, showing itself in all kinds of unbelief in God’s Word and His authority over the soul. We need to be kept in humble dependence on the Lord, far removed from the withering influence of unbelief.
5. “Wherein shall we return?” Here the Lord appeals in wonderful and surpassing grace to His erring people, and says, “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you.” How ready He is to meet the first motion of the heart towards Himself in repentance! But, alas, they are quite unconscious of their distance, and they say, “Wherein shall we return?” The same is true of the professing Church, as we see in Laodicea; the Lord says to them (Rev. 3) Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see! Oh the need of being kept humble and dependent, learning in the Lord’s presence our own weakness, but His grace and sufficiency, so that we may get from Him wisdom and spiritual eye salve to see!
6. “Wherein have we robbed Thee?” It was in tithes and offerings. They were thinking of themselves and their own interests; but neglectful as to the claims of the Lord.
7. “What have we spoken so much against Thee?” They had multiplied words, saying, “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinances,” &c. So also we read in Zeph. 1:12, of those settled on their lees, who say in their heart, “The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil.” It was as much as to say, “God is absolutely indifferent: we may do just what we like.” And, further, here in Malachi, they were calling the proud happy, and even saying that those who worked wickedness and tempted God were delivered. This was indeed the climax of unbelief and hardness of heart.
But an unbelieving Christendom is even more guilty, because of the much fuller revelation of God now, and the far greater light and privilege since Christ died and rose. And we all have lessons to take to heart, for we must never suppose that we are not in danger of being affected by the moral atmosphere which surrounds us. The spirit of infidelity may affect even the true children of God. It produces indifference to God’s Word, lack of attendance at prayer meetings, lack of earnest pleading with the unsaved as those who really believed in a God, a heaven, a hell, and an eternity, as well as many other symptoms of spiritual deadness.
In striking contrast with the dark background of unbelief, the prophet closes with the bright witness of faith on the part of the remnant. “Then,” he says, “then” ―in such a state of callous indifference and dark unbelief — there were those that “feared the Lord,” and “spake often one to another.” How precious to the heart of the Lord to find those who loved and reverenced His name, and who were drawn together by one common object and center!
He took note of it, and recorded it in His book of remembrance. And He says, They shall be Mine, as a precious treasure, “in the day that I make” (or prepare) (chap. 3:17). It is the day of the Lord, a day which He prepares for judgment (chap. 4:3), and it will burn as an oven, and the proud and wicked unbelievers will be as stubble―this will be their terrible end.
How striking the contrast for those who fear His name! For them the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings, to usher in the “day” of millennial glory and blessing. This is His promise to the remnant of Israel, and it is with this He closes the inspired volume of the Old Testament. In like manner He closes the New Testament by presenting Himself to His Church―to the watchers during the long night of His absence―as “the bright and morning Star.”
Can we not pray, “O Lord, keep us so far from the spirit of unbelief and cold indifference, so conscious of the depth and reality of Thy love by the power of the Holy Spirit, that the cry may go up increasingly from the hearts of all who know and fear Thy name—Even so come, Lord Jesus.”
F. G. B.