Malachi 3:14–15

They were satisfied with a correct position and the outward performance of religious duties, and had no sense at all of their low condition... If God reminds them of His love, they say, "How have You loved us?" (Mal. 1:2). If God charges them with robbery, they say, "How have we robbed You?" (Mal. 3:8). If He says, "Your words have been hard against Me," they say, "How have we spoken against You?" (Mal. 3:13).

What is more solemn is the language of God's own people in the book of Malachi. They are a people God had served for centuries in the greatness of His love, and yet they say, "It is vain to serve God." It is solemn indeed that men in the world should refuse His service. It is more solemn, intensely more solemn, that those who had experienced the blessedness of His love should say it.

These people of Malachi's day go on: 'What is the profit of our keeping His charge…?' (3:14). They looked only at their possessions. They might have said, as we might say today, 'What has obeying God put in my bank account? Or into my home? Has it been the source of my cars, my boat, my equipment, my entertainment, my household comforts?'

This is a short-sighted and lopsided view. We ought to consider it alongside verses like these: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Cor. 5:10)… "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:19–20).

The Book of Malachi is a solemn exposure of the low state of the remnant of Israel. God had brought them back to the land in His sovereign mercy. Priests and people alike had no feeling for the glory and honour of the Lord. Few cared about keeping the dignity that belongs to His service… They not only had no feeling for God's honour; they also thought God was indifferent to everything that was taking place.

The remnant persist in self-justification, yet He comes in and blesses them. He does not leave them, though they keep shutting the door on His claims… Are you not struck with the patience, the unwearying love of God? Anyone else would have been repulsed and driven away long ago. There was only one heart that would have borne it all. Yet in verse 14 they say God has not been true to His word.

There are two classes in this chapter. First, those who say: "What is the profit of our walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?" (v. 14). Second, the faithful ones, a feeble and afflicted remnant. They speak to one another, acknowledging the ruin, but waiting for the Messiah who alone can give them deliverance. These do not say: "What profit is it?" Their humbling is for their profit. It turns their eyes to Him who "raises up the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes."

Despite what the people said in the time of the prophet Malachi, it is not vain to serve God in fearing Him and in walking mournfully before Him (Mal. 3:14).

The people had been serving God in this official and ceremonial way, and they felt they got nothing out of it in the form of material gain, which was what they wanted. This completely twisted their sense of real values. In their view, to be proud was to be "happy", and evil among them rose high. We see just this in the Gospels; people counted the proud Pharisee the happy man. Because of this, when the Lord "opened His mouth and taught" on the mountain, the very first blessing He pronounced was, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). To be "poor in spirit" is the exact opposite of being proud in spirit. The leaders were proud in Malachi's day, and in the day when Christ came. We fear such pride is not absent in our day either.

This is another mark of their condition. They want to break down all distinctions. "Call the proud happy" — class them all together, and make them all alike. That is the judgement of a heart not in communion with God. They "put darkness for light, and light for darkness."

Another thing, in verse 18: instead of calling "the proud happy," you will "discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him." There will be no more writing pleasant names over those who are doing evil.

The prophet first shows how hopeless the moral condition of most of the nation was. They had lost all moral perception. Worse, they were charging God with siding with the proud and the wicked, and favouring them. That proved how deceived they were about their own condition, and how ignorant they were of the character of God… Nothing confuses our moral perceptions like self-righteousness, and no sin before God is worse than the religion of the Pharisees.

They judged from outward appearances when they called the proud happy. Pride and wickedness may look as if God overlooks them. But He takes account of them, and He will deal with them in His own good time. Malachi 4:1 says: "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble." God is patient, giving men time to repent, but judgement awaits those who do not repent.

The King of the Jews was born in Bethlehem, and yet for weeks they knew nothing about it… Of all people, the chief priests should have heard of this great event. They claimed to be waiting for it — the birth of the Messiah. Luke 2 tells us that heaven made the event known within a few hours at most, and made it known to humble people who feared the Lord. The Psalmist told us that "the friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him" (Ps. 25:14). We see this in the shepherds and others, but not in the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They were among "the proud" whom men called "happy" (see Malachi 3:15-16). So they were as much in the dark as the wicked Herod.

This state of things brought to light those who feared the Lord… Such people may have to walk in quiet obscurity. To the mass of that proud and stubborn nation they counted for very little and were of no use. But they had the approval of the Lord, and in that dark day, when the nation despised God, that was all they truly valued.