In this message we will consider Malachi 3:5—4:6.
Malachi 3:5 and 6 speak of Jehovah’s judgment by His drawing near. In our experience, every time the Lord appears to us, He rebukes us. His rebuking is His judgment.
Verse 5 tells us that Jehovah would be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the orphan, against those who turn the stranger aside, and against those who do not fear Jehovah. Jehovah’s concern for the stranger indicates that He is very human and that He is not happy when His people ill-treat a stranger instead of giving him hospitality.
Verse 6 says that Jehovah does not change; therefore, the sons of Jacob are not consumed.
In verses 7 through 12 we have Jehovah’s advice to the sons of Jacob.
“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says Jehovah of hosts” (v. 7). Here Jehovah instructed the sons of Jacob to return to Him so that He would return to them that they might be blessed by Him (vv. 10, 12). To be blessed by God is to be healed (4:2), and to be healed is to be made whole.
Whereas Haggai touches the laziness of God’s people in their not working to build God’s house, Malachi speaks concerning their robbing God in tithes and offerings. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. With the curse you are cursed, yet you, even the whole nation, rob Me” (3:8-9). Here we see that after advising the sons of Jacob to return to Him, Jehovah charged them not to rob God in tithes and offerings that the curse would not be brought in to them. To rob God is to not give Him what He is due. He established the principle that of all the produce from the land, one tenth should go to Him (Lev. 27:30). The top tenth must go to Him.
“Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in My house; and prove Me, if you will, by this, says Jehovah of hosts, whether I will open to you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it” (Mal. 3:10). Here we are told that when the first tenth is brought to the storehouse, God opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing until there is no room for it.
This verse speaks of food in God’s house. This food is not for us—it is for God. God is hungry and needs food. What is God’s food? God’s food, the divine food, is the offerings, especially the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering. The peace offering is enjoyed mutually by God and His people. We enjoy this offering before Him and with Him.
In verse 11 Jehovah went on to say that He would rebuke the devourer for their sake, not allowing the devourer to destroy the fruit of the ground and not allowing the vine to lose its fruit in the field before it ripens.
According to verse 12, all the nations will call them blessed, and they will be a land of delight.