Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Malachi 3:18
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
18. return, and discern ] When “judgment shall return unto righteousness” (Psa 94:15), when, that is, the judgement of God shall not only be, as it ever is, but be seen to be righteous, then not only shall “all the upright in heart follow it” with glad approval, but those who have impiously called it in question ( Mal 3:14-15) shall witness and confess the justice of the discriminating sentence.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Then shall ye return, or turn – , not, return in the sense of returning to God, for in that day will be the time of judgment, not of repentance; nor yet, then shall ye again see; for this is what they denied; and, if they had ceased to deny it, they would have been converted, not in that day, but before, when God gave them grace to see it. They shall turn, so as to have other convictions than before; but, as Judas. The Day of Judgment will make a great change in earthly judgment. Last shall be first and first last; this worlds sorrow shall end in joy, and worldly joy in sorrow; afflictions shall be seen to be Gods love: Psa 119:75, Thou in very faithfulness hast afflicted me; and the unclouded prosperity of the ungodly to be Gods abandonment of them. The picture of the surprise of the wicked in the Day of Judgment, in the Wisdom of Solomon, is a comment on the prophet (Wisdom 5:1-5), Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors; when they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed with the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all they looked for: and they, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, This was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach: we fools counted his life madness and his end to be without honor: how is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints!
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mal 3:18
And discern between the righteous and the wicked.
The characters of the righteous and the wicked contrasted
The time alluded to by the prophet appears to be the awful day of judgment. Then shall ye return, says he, or be converted to a full sense of your neglected duty and your past transgressions. The delusions of folly and self-love shall be removed; conscience shall then no longer be blinded by the corruption of reason, or overpowered by the violence of the passions; but vice shall appear in all its depravity; guilt shall be attended with all its terrors and remorse; and you shall discern the striking contrast between the state of him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not. Without presuming to enter upon any imaginary description of the difference between the righteous and the wicked, in that future and invisible world to which we are all hastening, permit me to state some of the principal distinctions between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not, here, in this present life. Consider the superiority of the pious, in their intellectual powers, as well as in the good qualities and virtuous endowments of the mind. By the pious understand only those who admit, with grateful adoration, the glorious truths of revealed religion, and who endeavour to fulfil the duties of the Gospel of Christ from a steadfast belief in its holy sanctions.
1. The man who serves God may be said to possess a steady, elevated, and comprehensive mind. His belief is a strong and lively faith, implanted in early youth, founded on the first elements of reason, cherished from inclination, and deriving, force from the influence of sentiment and the energy of the passions. He receives also that Divine revelation which graciously instructs him in the ways of His providence; enjoins his duty under various forms, and prescribes the reward of his due obedience.
2. The pious man, by frequent meditations on the Almighty Father, shows a natural relish for grandeur and sublimity. The mere worldling finds his little passions, his low thoughts and grovelling desires completely occupied with the pleasures and enjoyments which thins present world affords. If he claim any pretensions to what is called a taste for the sublime and beautiful, it is confined chiefly to the productions of art. At most, he admires only parts, not a whole; and looks with wonder at the mere creature, without raising his thoughts to the great Creator. The truly religious man is the very reverse of this. He can retire, as it were, within his own bosom, as into a sanctuary, and converse with God. Every species of excellence is admired in proportion as it approaches His wisdom, His goodness, or His power.
3. By lifting up our hearts unto the Lord in the fervour of prayer and thanksgiving it is impossible not to enjoy the highest sensibility of which the human soul is capable;–a sensibility very unlike the sickly offspring of a worldly sorrow. The sensibility cherished by an habitual intercourse with God, purifies and ennobles the mind.
4. Akin to this intellectual enjoyment, is lively and impressive gratitude. It concerns both Divine and human obligations.
5. A constant sense of the benefits which he receives from God, prompts the pious man to imitate the Divine love, within the small circle of his power and abilities. Equally active is this Divine principle in promoting peace, in teaching forbearance, and in the forgiveness of injuries.
6. None but the pious man can have a proper sense of the dignity of his nature. Whatever the condition allotted to us here, however humble and dependent, we know that not all the world can estrange us from our Maker, or banish us from the presence of God. And nothing but sin can render the sense of this Divine presence afflicting, or leave us, in our sufferings, comfortless or degraded.
7. He who serves God with truth and fidelity will be endowed with a larger portion of fortitude than he who serveth Him not. It was proper that a life of discipline should abound with difficulties and dangers, temptations and calamities. They are the appointed measures of our virtue and obedience, and they form our spiritual warfare with the world. The pious man ever regards them as the means of improvement in righteousness and true holiness; as such, he submits to them with patience and resignation. Full of trust and confidence in the Divine wisdom and goodness, he learns to suffer as a good soldier of Christ. If we take, therefore, from human life this grand principle of action–a principle that equally influences our hopes and fears–that gives steadiness of conduct, and fortitude of resolution in every situation, and that combines itself with all our nobler passions; is it not easy to perceive that we destroy the strongest support of moral duty, that we diminish the worth of every virtue, and poison the purest source of happiness in the human heart! Contrast, in conclusion, these two characters in the text, on the bed of sickness, and in the hour of death. (J. Hewlett, B. A.)
Two classes
I. There are two great classes into which the whole human race may be divided.
1. They are distinguished by their state.
2. They are distinguished by their character.
II. These two classes are now so intermixed as to obscure the distinction between them.
1. They are intermingled in the family circle.
2. They are intermingled in the arrangements of civil society.
3. They are intermingled in the house of God.
4. They are intermingled in the membership of the Church.
III. There is a period when the distinction between these two classes shall be rendered visible.
1. The season of temporal calamity.
2. The day of judgment.
3. Eternity. (G. Brooks.)
The obliteration of moral distinctions
It is a sad state of society when the faculty of moral discrimination is blunted. The minor prophets were appointed to rebuke just such religious degeneracy.
1. One sign of the practical obliteration of these vital distinctions may be seen in the prevailing depreciation of sound doctrine. Men try to mix truth with error, as though they were not inherently different. To depreciate the importance of discovering and embracing the truth undermines, also, the true basis of morals. Sincere convictions may thus be urged to justify crime, as the Spartans upheld secret theft, and David Hume secret adultery.
2. Another sign is found in the practical association of those that serve God and those that serve Him not. God decrees separation as the means of expressing and impressing these vital distinctions.
(1) Many believers are only secret disciples. Their very success in practising Christian virtues is disastrous, fostering self-righteous hopes in worldly hearts, and leading men to confuse worldly morality with genuine piety.
(2) Another thing which contributes to the confusion of godly and ungodly, is the fact, that many worldly men are professed disciples. Secret believers make the world seem more godly; unregenerate professors make the Church seem more worldly, and so there is double confusion.
(3) Whatever relaxes the demand for godliness of character, lowers the standard of piety, and so lessens the contrast between righteous and wicked. Besides secular influences, there are many ecclesiastic tendencies hostile to holy living. Ritualism furnishes one example. But the lack of holiness of heart is the main cause of the slight contrast between the servants of God and of mammon. Most earnestly, therefore, do we plead in Gods name, for practical separation between the godly and the ungodly. (Arthur T. Pierson, D. D.)
Balaam and Saul, or consistent wickedness and inconsistent profession:
It is wonderful to remark the numberless shades of character among wicked men: the various modes and ways which they have of acting against God. The character of Balaam was that of a very sinful man, in his mode of offending God. Strikingly different to him, yet equally offending God, is the character of Saul, King of Israel. The fact of a mans being raised up to bring about a certain end, does not excuse him in acting wrongly, if, to gain that end, he does act wickedly. We do not know now what God intends about us; yet we do know we can act rightly if we like, with Gods grace. For instance, Pharaohs con duct was doubtless overruled for good–to show forth His power. Still, Pharaoh acted calmly and coolly; he might have acted rightly if he liked. He was hardened because he neglected opportunities. In finding fault with Saul persons might say he could not help it. He was appointed for a punishment.
1. The announcement of Sauls being elevated to the throne of Israel came upon him suddenly; but seemingly without unsettling him.
2. Saul was not wanting in generosity and a feeling of gratitude. He was calm, high-minded, generous, and candid. A brave man he was without doubt. But take a deeper insight into Sauls character, and we shall find those deficiencies which he certainly had. The first duty of every man is the fear of God, a reverence for His Word, a love towards Him, a desire to obey Him, and all this would be most peculiarly the duty of the King of Israel. Saul lacked this one thing. He was never under an abiding sense of religion, or what Scripture calls the fear of God, however much he was sometimes softened and touched. His unbelief and fearlessness of God seem to have been shown by a contempt alike for prophet and priest. The immediate cause of his rejection was his impatience at the arrival of Samuel, and his own offering up of the sacrifice. He rejected Samuel, and had recourse to others instead. There was no profaneness, nor intentional irreverence in Sauls conduct. He finished his sad history by an open act of apostasy from God: in consulting the witch of Eudor. Unbelief and wilful ness are ever deaf to the plainest commands, and produce a heart hardened against the most gracious influences. Balaam offers a singular contrast with Saul. The leading difference was: the one was under a strong, abiding sense and influence of religion and the fear of God; the other not. The one trembled before a God he was forced to confess; the other appeared to respect a Deity whom in heart he despised. Balaam knew what religion was; felt it, valued it, was convinced of it. Saul knew, but calmly scoffed at and despised all he knew. The one was the religious man grossly inconsistent; the other, the man with no religion, yet wearing it as a garb. Learn from this contrast-
1. A character may be admirable, nay beautiful, without one spark of Gods grace, and therefore all its moral excellence be nothing worth; it may shine in every virtue, amiability, disinterestedness, kindness, generosity, and benevolence.
2. Inconsistency in a professing religious man is nearly equally bad with the conduct of the unprofessing and open believer. (E. Monro.)
Consecration to God
I. What consecration to God is.
1. It is not necessarily a seclusion from the fullest, largest life. Long before the Christian era, men saw obscurely the need of their turning life over from self, from itself, to the great Author of Life. This impulse wrought itself into the excesses of pagan monachism, which has left unmistakable traces in oldest historic records and in rock-hewn caves,–mute witnesses of vigil and macerations for centuries, and even millenniums before the coming of Christ. Separateness from the world, such as Christ taught, was not of the body, but of the spirit. He emphasised, with the utmost distinctness, the duty of closest contact. The purifying salt, the guiding light, and the useful talent could do their work for the world only at the shortest range. Sympathy and free mingling with men and women are a far closer copy of Jesus than is the solitariness of cloister, cave, or desert.
2. Consecration to God is full self-surrender to Him, not self-abandonment. Here is room for great mistakes. Never is a man more truly master of himself, more vigorously alive, more earnestly at work, than when he has given himself to God, and is, henceforth, in the Christian sense, not his own. There is no diminution of being, no stinting of faculties, no abridgment of opportunities.
II. Reasons for consecration to God.
1. Refusing, or failing in this, we rob God. Mens faculties find their rest, and possibilities of profitable exercise, only when intentionally and gladly used for their Creator. Time, talents, all that there is in and of life, belong to God by virtue of creation and preservation.
2. Disobedience is followed by penalty. For this sin Malachi pronounced a curse upon Israel. Israel is not alone in this.
3. The rewards of obedience. A general enfranchisement and empowering of faculties come to the soul when consecrated to God. Among the rewards of obedience, a prominent place should be given to the peace of mind which comes from harmony with God. Christian fellowship has glad rewards for those consecrated to the same Master.
III. How is this consecration made?
1. Deliberately.
2. Personally.
3. Affectionately.
However full and irrevocable the surrender which the soul makes of itself, it is made gladly and lovingly. Meanwhile, till the day of reward comes, every burden is lightened, because borne for God; every sorrow is assuaged, because faith loves the hand that chastens; every dark cloud has a bright lining, every weariness sings of coming rest, disappointments point to the time, not far away, when every soul shall be satisfied, awaking in the Divine likeness. Consecration on earth transfigured and fulfilled in the glories of heaven. (Sermons Monday Club.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 18. Then shall ye return] To your senses, when perhaps too late; and discern-see the difference which God makes, between the righteous and the wicked, which will be most marked and awful.
Between him that serveth God] Your obedience to whom, ye said, would be unprofitable to you.
And him that serveth him not.] Of whom ye said, his disobedience would be no prejudice to him. You will find the former received into the kingdom of glory; and the latter, with yourselves, thrust down into the bitter pains of an eternal death. Reader, ponder these things.
In the great day of the Lord, at least, if not long before, it will be fully discovered who have been the truly wise people; those who took up their cross and followed Christ; or those who satisfied the flesh, with its affections and desires, following a multitude to do evil.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then, when that day of the Lord punishing the Jews by the Romans shall come, and he shall do thus for his jewels, shall ye, the blasphemous scoffers, proud contemnors of God and. religion, return; return to your reason, enforced by the convincing power of Gods judgments to come to yourselves, or to change your opinion of God and his government.
Discern between the righteous and the wicked; clearly see, with envy towards them, with horror and grief in yourselves, the unexpected escape and happiness of the righteous who served God and your misery that served him not, but were wicked, and perish now in your wickedness.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Then shall ye . . . discernThenshall ye see the falseness of your calumny against God’s government(Mal 3:15), that the “proud”and wicked prosper. Do not judge before the time till My work iscomplete. It is in part to test your disposition to trust in God inspite of perplexing appearances, and in order to make your serviceless mercenary, that the present blended state is allowed; but atlast all (“ye,” both godly and ungodly) shall seethe eternal difference there really is “between him that servethGod and him that serveth Him not” (Ps58:11).
returnYe shall turn toa better state of mind on this point.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then shall ye return,…. Either the wicked, who will be “converted” z, as some render the word, and will have a different view of things, and change their minds and language; or they that feared the Lord, who at the time before spoken of will have a new turn of thought, and another and clear discerning of persons and things, and better judge of the dispensations of Providence: some that refer this to the resurrection of the dead, and the last judgment, understand it, as Abarbinel does, of the returning of souls to their bodies, when indeed the difference between persons after described will be very discernible; but it seems to refer to the time of Christ’s first coming, and Jerusalem’s destruction:
and discern between the righteous and the wicked; the difference between such who are really and truly righteous, who are here meant, even such who believe in Christ, and are justified by his righteousness; and those that are wicked, as all by nature are: though sometimes this character designs the more profane and abandoned, and even professors of religion; the difference between these is not always easily discerned; as for the righteous, they are not known and discerned by the world; and by reason of afflictions, temptations, and sins, they are apt to judge wrong of themselves; and sometimes are so left to fall into sin, that they look like others: and there are wicked men under the appearance of righteous men, as were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ’s time; but by the destruction that came upon them, and the preservation of such as believed in Christ, it was discernible who were wicked, and who were righteous; indeed, at the last day, this difference will be more visible; in the bodies of the righteous, which will be raised glorious, when those of the wicked will not; in their souls, having on the wedding garment, the robe of Christ’s righteousness, and perfectly holy; and in their situation, being set at Christ’s right hand, and the wicked at his left; and by the characters that will be given of them by the Judge, and the different sentences passed and executed on them:
between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not; that is, between such persons that serve the Lord, and him only, privately and publicly, in righteousness and true holiness, in spirit and in truth, with faith and fervency, with reverence and fear, heartily and willingly, seeking his glory, without any dependence on their services; and those that are ungodly, or only outwardly serve the Lord, for sinister ends, and with selfish views, and according to their own inventions, and the traditions of men, and not the will of God, as the Scribes and Pharisees; between whom, and Christ’s sincere disciples and followers, the awful day, described in the next chapter Mal 4:1, will make a manifest difference.
z “et convertemini”, Cocceius, Gussetius, so Pagninus, Montanus; “conversi”, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This verse at the first view seems to be addressed to the faithful; for there never has been a turning as to the reprobate: but as the word has a wide meaning, the passage may be suitably applied to the whole people, according to what we find in Zechariah, “They shall see him whom they have pierced;” for we have said that this might be understood both of the good and of the bad. So also the whole people might be viewed as addressed in these words. But when we more minutely examine all circumstances, it seems that Malachi more particularly addressed the ungodly, and checked again their furious blasphemies; for we find almost the same sentiment expressed here, as when he said, “The Lord whom ye expect shall come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant whom ye seek;” and at the same time he showed that the coming of Christ, which they said was advancing too slowly, would not be such as they desired or looked for. “Let not this delay,” he says, “be grievous to you; for everything terrible which his majesty possesses will be turned on your heads; for he will come as an angry judge and an avenger: ye therefore in vain hope for any comfort or alleviation from his presence.”
So also he says in this place, Ye shall see this difference between the just and the unjust; that is, “Ye shall find that God does not sleep in heaven, when the ungodly grow wanton on the earth and abandon themselves to every kind of wickedness: experience then will at length teach you, that men shall not thus with impunity become insolent against God, but that all your wickedness must come to a reckoning.” When therefore he says, that they would find the difference between the godly and the ungodly, he means that they would find by the punishments which God would inflict, that men are not permitted to indulge their own depraved desires, as though God slept in heaven, forgetful of his office. Their blasphemy was, “In vain is God worshipped; what is the benefit? for we have kept his charge, and yet the proud are more happy than we are.” As then they accused God of such a connivance, as though he disregarded and cast away his own servants, and showed favor to the wicked, Malachi returns them an answer and says, “Ye shall see how much the good differ from the evil; God indeed spares the wicked, but he will at length rise to judgement, and come armed suddenly upon them, and then ye shall know that all the deeds of men are noticed by him, and that wickedness shall not go unpunished, though God for a time delays his vengeance.”
We now then perceive the Prophet’s meaning — that the ungodly who clamor against God, as though he made no account either of the just or of the unjust, shall find, even to their own loss, that he is one who punishes wickedness.
As to the verb turn, I have already said that it has a wide meaning, and does not always mean repentance or the renovation of man: it may therefore be taken as signifying only a different state of things; as though he had said, “The dice shall be turned, and such will be your condition when God shall begin to execute his judgement, that he will then manifestly show that he has not forgotten his office, though he does not immediately hasten to execute his judgements.” Ye shall return then and see. Yet if any one prefers to regard returning as the feeling of God’s judgements, by which even the ungodly shall be touched, though without repentance, the view will not be unsuitable, and I am disposed to embrace it, that is, that the Lord will shake off the stupidity in which they were sunk, and will correct their madness, so that they will not dare to vomit forth so insolently their blasphemies, as they had been wont to do: Ye then shall return; that is, “I will make my judgement known to you, and ye shall not rush on headlong as wild beasts, for being taught by facts, ye shall learn the difference between the good and the bad.” (270)
The just, and he who serves God, mean the same person. We hence learn that there is no justice where there is no obedience rendered to God. The first thing then in a good and an upright life, is to serve God; for it would be but of little benefit to be harmless towards men, when his right is denied: and we know that God is not rightly served but according to what his law prescribes. We must then always come to this, — that men must obey God, if they desire to form their life aright. Now follows —
(270) Both Newcome and Henderson regard this verb as used here adverbially. “And ye shall again discern, or, see the difference, between the righteous and the wicked.” The Septuagint give it as a verb “ ἐπιστραφήσεσθε —ye shall return.” The same is done by Jerome and Marckius; and the latter gives a similar view of its import to what is given here. Dathius takes it meaning to be the same, “And being better taught (or instructed — medius edocti ) ye shall then understand how great is the difference between the godly and the ungodly, between the worshipper of God and his despiser.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
18. In that day the skeptics will see that Jehovah does distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, and that he does reward all according to their deeds, whether they be good or evil (2Co 5:10).
Then In the day mentioned in Mal 3:17.
Ye The skeptics addressed in Mal 3:13 ff.
Return, and discern Better, ye shall discern again. Accounts had been handed down from ancient times telling how Jehovah rewarded the good and punished the wicked; in their own days these divine manifestations seemed to have ceased, hence the skepticism; but in the day of Jehovah’s coming his fairness and justice will be recognized once more.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
Reader! behold in this Chapter the gracious goodness of the Lord, in promising to send his Herald, to prepare the way of the Lord! And mark the corresponding event with the prediction, in the account the Evangelist gives of the coming of John the Baptist. And think how every heart must have been big with expectation, and every eye on the lookout in Juda, when the messenger came, announcing the approach of Jesus. And did not Jesus then come to his temple, at the time predicted? Did not the angel of the covenant appear, as had been foretold? Yes! but when he came to his own, we are told, his own received him not. Alas! what was there offensive in thy person, blessed Jesus, or in thy doctrine, that they rejected thee, O thou Lord of life and glory? Was it thy humble appearance, thou meek and lowly Lamb of God? Did they indeed despise thee for that, which above all things ought to have endeared thee to thy people? Reader! is the offence of the cross ceased? Is not Jesus still a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence? Oh! for the teachings of God the Holy Ghost, to make known among the people the glories of Christ!
But, Reader! whatever others do, may it be your happiness and mine, to welcome the Lord Christ to his temple. Come, thou Almighty Refiner and Purifier! come and melt down all the dross and spots of our corrupt nature. Do thou as with fuller’s sope, by the gracious influences of thy blessed Spirit, take out the uncleanness within, and purify all thy kingdom of priests, as the sons of Levi. Keep my poor heart, dearest Jesus, by thy restraining and preventing grace, from going away from thine ordinances, that in thee, and thy perfect righteousness, my offering may go up, and find acceptance in the beloved. And, oh! thou blessed bountiful Lord of all, and Giver of all; open the windows of heaven upon thy Churches, thy Ministers, and thy People; and pour out such a plentiful effusion of blessings in grace, that every heart may be made glad, and refreshed in thine house of prayer. Let the public ministration of thy word be accompanied with such a visible display of thy presence, that all nations may know, that where thy Church is, there is a delightsome land, and all shall call it blessed. And let the private communions of they that fear thee, be so sanctified with the holy conversation concerning Him that is always in their midst, that nothing but the name and sweet savor of Jesus may be known or heard among them. And do thou, dearest Lord, who art now hearkening, and hearing, and knowing all that passeth among thy people, and dost regard with peculiar tokens of thy favor, the affection of thy chosen; do thou remember all in that day, when thou comest to make up thy jewels; yea, Almighty Jesus! manifest then in full open display, as thou dost now in private testify by thy Spirit, whose are thine, and how dear they are to thee. Say of every one, in that solemn hour, when thou drawest the everlasting distinction between the righteous and the wicked, these are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto them a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me. They shall eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Ver. 18. Then shall ye return and discern ] You wicked blasphemers, that have slandered God’s housekeeping, and brought up an evil report of his providence and justice; as if in managing the matters of the world he were less equal or less careful: you, I say, shall return, not to your right minds by a thorough conversion, by an entire change of the whole man, from evil to good (alas for your misery, it is past time of day with you for any such good works); but you shall alter your opinions when your eyes are once unsealed by the extremity of your sufferings (as the mole’s eyes are said to be, when pangs of death are upon her), to see and acknowledge a sensible difference between the righteous (ever more “excellent than his neighbour,” let him dwell where he will, Pro 12:26 , because “sealed up to the day of redemption” Eph 4:30 ), and the wicked, who is but a vile person, an (let him be great as Antiochus Epiphanes the great King of Syria); between him that serveth God, accounting it the highest honour to be his vassal, as Constantine, Theodosius, and Valentinian (the emperors) called themselves Dan 11:21 , Vasallos Christi repersentives of Christ (Socrat.), and him that serveth him not, but casteth off the yoke of his obedience, being a son of Belial; and counteth it the only liberty to live as he wishes, and not to be ruled by God.
Then shall ye return
Between the righteous and the wicked
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God
Summary of the O.T. revelation of Deity: God is revealed in the O.T. (1) through His names, as follows: ClassEnglish FormHebrew EquivalentPrimaryGodEl, Elah, or Elohim (Gen 1:1)LORDJehovah (Gen 2:4)LordAdon or Adonai (Gen 15:2)Compound (with El = God)Almighty GodEl Shaddai (Gen 17:1)Most High, or most high GodEl Elyon (Gen 14:18)everlasting GodEl Olam (Gen 21:33)Compound (with Jehovah = Lord)LORD GodJehovah Elohim (Gen 2:4)Lord GODAdonai Jehovah (Gen 15:2)LORD of hostsJehovah Sabaoth (1Sa 1:3)
The trinity is suggested by the three times repeated groups of threes. This is not an arbitrary arrangement, but inheres in the O.T. itself.
This revelation of God by His name is invariably made in connection with some particular need of His people, and there can be no need of man to which these names do not answer as showing that man’s true resource is in God. Even human failure and sin but evoke new and fuller revelations of the divine fulness.
(2) The O.T. Scriptures reveal the existence of a Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe and of man, the Source of all life and of all intelligence, who is to be worshipped and served by men and angels. This Supreme Being is One, but, in some sense not fully revealed in the O.T., is a unity in plurality. This is shown by the plural name, Elohim, by the use of the plural pronoun in the interrelation of deity as evidenced in Gen 1:26; Gen 3:22; Psa 110:1; Isa 6:8. That this plurality is really a Trinity is intimated in the three primary names of Deity, and in the threefold ascription of the Seraphim in Isa 6:3 That the interrelation of Deity is that of Father and Son is directly asserted; Psa 2:7; Heb 1:5 and the Spirit is distinctly recognized in His personality, and to Him are ascribed all the divine attributes (e.g.; Gen 1:2; Num 11:25; Num 24:2; Jdg 3:10; Jdg 6:34; Jdg 11:29; Jdg 13:25; Jdg 14:6; Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14; 2Sa 23:2; Job 26:13; Job 33:4; Psa 106:33; Psa 139:7; Isa 40:7; Isa 59:19; Isa 63:10. (See Scofield “Mal 2:15”).
(3) The future incarnation is intimated in the theophanies, or appearances of God in human form (e.g. Gen 18:1; Gen 18:13; Gen 18:17-22; Gen 32:24-30 and distinctly predicted in the promises connected with redemption (e.g. Gen 3:15 and with the Davidic Covenant Isa 7:13-14; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Jer 23:6.
The revelation of Deity in the N.T. so illuminates that of the O.T. that the latter is seen to be, from Genesis to Malachi, the foreshadowing of the coming incarnation of God in Jesus the Christ. In promise, covenant, type, and prophecy the O.T. points forward to Him.
(4) The revelation of God to man is one of authority and redemption. He requires righteousness from man, but saves the unrighteous through sacrifice; and in His redemptive dealings with man all the divine persons and attributes are brought into manifestation. The O.T. reveals the justice of God equally with His mercy, but never in opposition to His mercy. The flood, e.g., was an unspeakable mercy to unborn generations. From Genesis to Malachi He is revealed as the seeking God who has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and who heaps up before the sinner every possible motive to persuade to faith and obedience.
(5) In the experience of the O.T. men of faith their God inspires reverence but never slavish fear; and they exhaust the resources of language to express their love and adoration in view of His loving-kindness and tender mercy. This adoring love of His saints is the triumphant answer to those who pretend to find the O.T. revelation of God cruel and repellent. It is in harmony, not contrast, with the N.T. revelation of God in Christ.
(6) Those passages which attribute to God bodily parts and human emotions (e.g. Exo 33:11; Exo 33:20; Deu 29:20; 2Ch 16:9; Gen 6:6; Gen 6:7; Jer 15:6) are metaphorical and mean that in the infinite being of God exists that which answers to these things–eyes, a hand, feet, etc.; and the jealousy and anger attributed to Him are the emotions of perfect Love in view of the havoc of sin.
(7) In the O.T. revelation there is a true sense in which, wholly apart from sin or infirmity, God is like His creature man Gen 1:27 and the supreme and perfect revelation of God, toward which the O.T. points, is a revelation in and through a perfect Man.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
shall: Mal 3:14, Mal 3:15, Mal 1:4, Job 6:29, Job 17:10, Jer 12:15, Joe 2:14, Zec 1:6
discern: Gen 18:25, Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Isa 3:10, Isa 3:11, Dan 12:1-3, Mat 25:46, Rom 2:5, Rom 2:6, 2Th 1:5-10
between him: Jos 24:15, Dan 3:17-26, Joh 12:26, Act 16:17, Act 27:23, Rom 1:9, Rom 6:16-22, 1Th 1:9
Reciprocal: Gen 7:23 – and Noah Exo 8:22 – sever Exo 9:4 – General Exo 10:23 – but all Exo 11:7 – a difference Lev 11:47 – General Num 16:5 – the Lord Deu 25:1 – General Deu 29:21 – separate Jos 22:22 – Israel Job 10:15 – If I be wicked Job 21:19 – he shall Psa 1:5 – sinners Psa 6:10 – return Psa 26:9 – Gather not Psa 37:6 – light Psa 94:15 – But Ecc 2:13 – I saw Ecc 4:1 – I returned Ecc 8:13 – it shall Ecc 9:2 – feareth Ecc 9:11 – returned Isa 25:8 – off Isa 32:5 – vile Isa 65:13 – my servants shall eat Isa 66:14 – the hand Eze 18:30 – every Dan 2:18 – of the God of heaven Hos 2:9 – will I Mic 7:9 – he will Mal 4:1 – and all the Mat 7:22 – to me Mat 13:30 – both Mat 25:32 – he shall separate Luk 16:26 – between Rom 8:19 – the manifestation 1Co 4:5 – who Rev 7:3 – the servants Rev 11:12 – and their
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Mal 3:18. The gist of this verse is that the members or the new kingdom will have superior knowledge of what is right and wrong. That is because they will have the “perfect law of liberty” for their guidance. But this is not all, for the leaders of. the Jewish kingdom, especially In the days of Malachi’s writing. had mixed together the good and the evil and bad refused to make any difference between them. (See chapter 2: 17,) The Gosvel was to be clear and exacting and those who believe it will be trained to “have no fe llowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph 5:11).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mal 3:18. Then shall ye Ye contemners of God and religion; return and discern See clearly, and distinguish perfectly; between the righteous and the wicked Between the characters and the portion of the truly righteous, and of those who are not so. How different the lot is, and to all eternity will be, between the former and the latter; between him that serveth God And makes conscience of his duty to him, and him that serveth him not But puts contempt upon his service. You that now speak against God, as making no difference between the good and bad, and therefore say, It is vain to serve him, Mal 3:14, you shall be made to see your error: and you that speak for God, but know not what to say to this, that there seems to be one event to the righteous and the wicked, and that all things come alike to all, will then have the matter set in a true light, and will see to your everlasting satisfaction the difference between the holy and the profane, the godly and the ungodly. Then shall ye return That is, change your minds, and come to a right understanding of this most important matter. For then every mans character will be both perfected and perfectly discovered; and every man appear in his true colours; and every mans condition, likewise, will be both perfectly happy or miserable, without mixture or alloy, and everlastingly determined.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
In that day it will be clear who behaved righteously and who behaved wickedly because Jesus Christ will reward the righteous and not reward the wicked among the Israelites. Then the true and the false servants of the Lord will be manifest. In Malachi’s day, and in ours, the true motives of God’s people are not obvious, but in the future they will become clear for many to see.