“Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.” (Malachi 3:15b) We often wonder why the people and nations that cause the most grief to others seem to do so well. We wonder why those who run corporations that keep outrageous profits suddenly fold up and “run with the money” to escape the consequences of their bad business practices. Malachi relates this to us in the prophesy of the LORD. The people who where faithful to the teachings and the love of God complain to Him. Even today, we still wonder why those how use and abuse us seem to prosper while we who are obedient to the rules of common decency seem to be ruined and left without recourse.
It was quite by accident (or was it?) that while at a bible study on Hebrews, these words where brought to my attention. It was the final verses of the Book of Malachi that we were to reflect on regarding the opening chapters of Hebrews, but as is always the case with me, I read the prior verses to take them in context to the lesson. All of the Law (the Book of Teaching = Deuteronomy) was to prepare the people for the coming of the redeemer. Moses warned them that they would walk away from the LORD their God time and time again. Yet God would remain faithful to them and show them mercy. These verses, the last chapter of Malachi not only tell of the day of the coming of Christ, they are also telling of the day of Judgement, the day that the LORD will come to destroy the evil in the land forever. In that context, this is the Apocrypha spoken of in Revelation of John.
I want to take Malachi 3:14-18; 4:1-4 and relate it to the sufferings of the Faithful and the promise of a day of wrath and reward as the prophet expressed them.
[The LORD said] “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying His commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins?’”(Malachi 3:14) It is easy to think these thoughts when we are trampled by the people of destruction. While Americans and those who live in the “Free World” seem to have it easy compared to those living in the Nations of Persecution, we see ourselves as taken advantage of by those who have power. While in other places of the world, tyrants, dictators and terrorist try to control the thoughts, will and lives of their subjects, we are more or less victims of the Banking Industry and the Mega-corporations who swallow up small businesses and then create empires “to big to fail.” Our victimization is monetary and because we serve a lesser god, manna, we are convinced that we are just as much victims as those who languish in prisons for the sake of the Gospel. Quite frankly, I think we are foolish and selfish for believing that but it is a fact that we suffer from an acute case of self-pity.
The question is valid though; why do obedient Christians have to suffer loss while the evil prosper? It does seem to be a reality that “Blessed are the arrogant, for those who do evil will get rich.” (Malachi 3:15) Not being the Lord of All, I can’t answer that except to say that God gave us Free Will and it is within our finite flesh to will to do evil. What gives us pleasure is always our first choice. Those who do not have the Love of God within their core, will do evil to others to gain pleasures for themselves. This applies to those who claim the Lord Jesus as their own yet are not true believers nor have a contrite heart as well as those who reject, fear or despise the teaching of God. David asks the question in Psalm 58:11, Mankind will say, “Surely there is reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Time and time again, we ask for justice on earth. Time again and again we plead our case before Him and we await vindication and reprieve from the evil in the land.
“…And the LORD listened to what they said.” Malachi 3:16b) Do not think for a minute that the Lord does not hear us or know our most private fears, pleas and frustrations. God listens to every thought, idea and complaint we have. Take comfort that He is in control and nothing escapes Him. Those who live in His righteousness have had their names recorded in the Scroll of Remembrance. This is the book of names that Ezekiel speaks of, the writing case (see Jer. 9:3-4), and the Book of Life (Rev 20:12; 21:27). Those who revere God in the fullest and who loved to dwell upon Him, their names are added to the book of Life. The LORD says that, “THEY shall be My People, … I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.” (Malachi 3:17)Psalm 103:13 reminds us that; “The LORD is like a fther to His chirldren, tender and compassionate to those who fer Him.” David tells us in Psalm 56:8; “You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your Book?” Not only are our names in His Book, but also our complaints, griefs and torments. He knows our every tear and our every joy.
It may be frustrating to us who live in a mortal world, to have to wait for the Day of Judgement to see the punishment of the evil in the land, but we are assured that God, through Christ, will restore us to fullness and reward us with Eternal Life and serve us with honor in the heavens. In that day, we will,
While we are to be diligent in the study of the Word to see the righteousness of others, we are to first work out what is unrighteous in ourselves. We are called to be holy and blameless before the King. He does not make us to continue to live in sin and unrighteousness, He cleanses us from sin to sin no more. Just as you don’t bath your children so that they can go play in the mud, Jesus did not shed His blood so we can go dirty ourselves in the pits of disobedience. In the Day of Judgement, we will see the unrighteousness and sin that we still cling to. We will see that we are truly undeserving of God’s Mercy. While we still live, we are to repent and commit to change that will cause us to adapt a life of holiness and purity of body and spirit so as to be a pleasing offering to the Most High.
“For behold the day is coming, the burning like a oven when all the arrogant and all the evildoers will be stubble (cut straw). The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of Hosts, so that it shall leave them neither root or branch.” (see Malachi 4:1) It will be on the day of Judgement that all will be made clear and those who revolt against God will be as ashes and have no life. The righteous will trample on them as dust under their feet. In the day of reckoning, The Faithful will stand with Christ as He witnesses the charges against the wicked. The sun of righteous, the Son of God, will rise up, and it will be a new dawn of the eternal day. (Malachi 4:2) There will be a new sun and a new earth and only the righteous shall live in it. And those who love God in the wholeness of spirit and life, will be as calves in the spring pastures. We shall leap out of the stalls of our grief and the pens of the unrighteous to tread on the wicked as if they are nothing but ash, and dance in the pastures of the Lamb of God.
And the people are told to remember the Book of Teaching that was given to them by Moses at Horeb before they entered the Promised Land. (Malachi 4:4) Moses told the Children of Israel to obey the law, statutes and just decrees given from God. While there are many who say that, through Christ we are no longer obligated to follow God’s Law to the Children of Israel, the essence of a solid Christian life is living in the content, purpose and love of God’s instructions to His people. If we are to be called a people of God, we are to obey Him. And as God never contradicts Himself in the Word, His Word is still true today as it was when it was first given. We can not pick and choose what we want to follow or accept as valid. The Whole of the Word is from God for His People. On the “Great and Awesome day of the LORD,… He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6) We will be all in one accord with God. There will be no division, no distinction and no conflict with the people of God. There will be one Church, and He shall be Christ. And we will be the temple of the Living God. (see 2 Cor 6:16) No longer will there be grief nor tears, no longer will the wicked live.