“’Your words against me are harsh,’ says the Lord.

Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against you?’

You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Armies?

So now we consider the arrogant to be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

Malachi 3:13-15

Last time we saw Yahweh’s heart in asking His people to believe Him: That all nations would see His goodness. Today we continue on with a rebuke on how they were living.

“‘Your words have been harsh against me,’ says Yahweh…”

Words is dabar – speech, word, account, act, advice, affair, answer, business, matter, message, purpose, talk, thoughts, verdict.

Harsh here is interesting: it is chazaq, which we have seen before in other contexts, meaning to be or grow firm or strong, strengthen; cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, cure, help, repair, fortify, obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer, force, fortify, make hard, harden, play the man, mend, seize, be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

And against in “against Me” is actually al – hover over.

Obstinate, forceful, and hardened words and thoughts, purpose and verdicts from you are hovering over Me.

“And yet you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?'”

How here is our familiar mah – what? how? in what way?

“You said, ‘It is useless to serve Elohim…'”

Here useless is shav – emptiness, vanity, deceit, deception, false, lies, worthless; from the same as show’ in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective); and serve is abad – work, serve; become slaves, bondage, cultivate, do the work, labor, perform, till, worship.

It is destructive, evil, and worthless to become bond slaves to Creator God.

This one makes me shudder. It is one thing to have our prosperity gospel ideas challenged when God won’t behave like a genie and we become disillusioned. It is quite another to say worshiping, working for, and serving the Most High and His Kingdom is a lie, evil, morally ruinous. That word guile struck me this morning. The idea that serving God is nothing more than a show: a matter of going through the motions, but it won’t affect anything in our lives.

“[You have said] ‘And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances?’

What is mah again; and profit is betsa – gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit; dishonest gain, plunder, profit, covetousness; From batsa’; plunder.

Kept is our familiar shamar, to bodyguard; and ordinances is mishmereth – guard, charge, function, allegiance, keep, obligation, post, safeguard, service, watch, worship.

In what way have we profited, plundered in this life, by bodyguarding His charge to us?

Please notice, the profit they are seeking here is one that implies violence, a war, and injustice.

“…that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?”

The synonyms for walk (halak) listed in the definition are “go, come, accompany, am, about, became greater, becoming increasingly, brighter, continues, along, crawls, fled, flows, follow, get away, grew steadily, march, pressed heavier, travel.” And mourners is qedorannith – an adverb from qadar; blackish ones (i.e. In sackcloth), mournfully. And before in “before the Lord” is paneh – before the face of.

[In what way have we plundered in this life] by following Him and mourning before the face of Jehovah-sabaoth?

Remember, biblically, to put on sackcloth and ashes meant to grieve one’s sins, or the nation’s sins. And now the returned exiles, God’s people, are saying this is but a joke, a show, profiting nothing. Yikes.

And now we see the bitterness which has creeped into their hearts:

“So now we call the presumptuous blessed…”

Here we is anachnu – we ourselves; blessed is ashar from last time – to go straight, go on, advance; bless, direct, guide, happy, lead, relieve; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively, to go forward, be honest, proper; and the presumptuous is zed – insolent, arrogant, proud.

We ourselves say arrogant people are the ones guided, happy, living on level ground.

“…for those who do wickedness are raised up…”

Wickedness is rishah – evildoer, guilt; Feminine of resha’; wrong (especially moral); Raised up is banah – to build, built up, rebuilt, restored.

Those who are morally wrong are built up and restored.

We wouldn’t be alone if we’d looked at the suffering in this world, looked around and saw others without God seeming to be happy, and concluded it doesn’t matter. The psalmist struggled in this way as well:

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence

Psalm 73:2-6

Almost word for word what God is saying His people think of the wicked. The difference is the psalmist looked up:

When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground…

Psalm 73:16-18a

That last line “on slippery ground” is interesting, as these are the final words from our verses today:

“Yes, they even tempt God and go free…”

Yes here seems important: it’s gam – moreover; addition, both, even they too, furthermore, likewise, too, yes; By contraction from an unused root meaning to gather; properly, assemblage. And tempt is bachan– to examine, try, prove, test, tempt, to test (especially metals); and go free is malat – slip away, certainly rescue, delivered, escaped; deliver self, let alone, let go, preserve; A primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness).

Not only that, but they even try God and slip away, left alone!

So let’s unpack this. Because, first of all, that word for test in “test God” is the same one He uses when encouraging His people to bring in the whole tithe and test His character like metal. Now it is being used for those people who do not worship Him, and even test Him, but go free.

I think the difference is choosing to put the Lord your God to the test (like the Israelites in the desert demanding water from Moses to prove He cared about them), and the Most High inviting you to test Him. Seems to be a significant distinction, one Jesus knew quite well.

Second, this notion of being on slippery ground is used two different ways between the psalmist and the exiles. When the psalmist worshipped God, he saw the way of people who do wickedness is slippery. As in, no firm footing, will surely fall.

The returned exiles, on the other hand, are currently seeing those who do wicked as slipping out of punishment. As in, when they disobey, God sees and invites repentance. When the wicked disobey, they slip away scot free. And, to them, being held accountable does not imply love, it implies not having the freedom to do whatever they want.

You can ask any child if they’d rather be able to have complete freedom or have an adult monitor them, and they will most likely choose freedom. Until another child’s “freedom” hurts them and they want someone to hold that child accountable. God knows this. It is one of the ways we are bent toward sin, wanting to boss ourselves, not wanting to be told what to do. But, as we mature, we can see that the most loving thing our Father can do is discipline us for our own good and others’.

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:5-11

Did you catch the “everyone undergoes discipline?” The returned exiles needed to look up, needed a fresh perspective that everyone suffers in this life. Yahweh is offering to use their suffering for a powerful Good. And we who have the Spirit of God living inside us know no one is completely unbossed. We are all mastered by something.

Shall we end with our psalmists’ words?

When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:21-26

Our flesh and heart may fail, too, friends. But He never lets go and we can let Him become the strength of our hearts.

“‘I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,’ says the Lord of Armies. 

‘Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of Armies.”

Malachi 3:11-12

Last time we saw Yahweh challenge His people to bring Him the whole tithe and encourage them to test Him like metal – to see He has no impurities, no selfish motives. Today we see why.

“And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer…”

Rebuke is gaar – corrupt, rebuke, reprove; to chide; and devourer is akal – ate, consume, feast.

Chide simply means to scold, like a child. And in the sentence before God promised to open the floodgates of heaven and pour out more than the returned exiles could store. One way He will do this is to chide any insect or animal that would feast on what is theirs.

Several translations say, “I will rebuke the locust…” for they were what often took farmer’s crops, devastating acres in a single day.

Makes me think of these verses in Joel:

“’I’ll make up for the years of the locust,
    the great locust devastation—
Locusts savage, locusts deadly,
    fierce locusts, locusts of doom,
That great locust invasion
    I sent your way.
You’ll eat your fill of good food.
    You’ll be full of praises to your God.'”

Joel 2:25-26a (MSG)

Don’t you love the idea of Him chiding locusts and bringing redemption from ruin? 

“…so that he will not destroy your fruit of the ground…”

Here not destroy is shachath – act corruptly, depravity, devastate, raiders, ravage, spoil, wreaking destruction, mar, perish.

Fruit is peri – earnings, offspring, produce, reward; From parah; fruit (literally or figuratively). And of the ground is adamah – dust, earth, fields, ground, land; From adom – to be red; soil (from its general redness).

He will chide the destroyer so it will no longer devastate and spoil the produce of your fields. 

For those of us who are not farmers, I appreciate that the word for fruit can be literal or figurative. I may not have an orchard, but my life can bear fruit if I abide in the Gardener.

“Nor shall the vine in the field fail to bear fruit for you…”

Vine is gephen – from an unused root meaning to bend; a vine (as twining), especially the grape.

And the root for fail to bear fruit is shakol – to be bereaved; abort, bereaved of my children, childless miscarried, unfruitful, barren, deprive; properly, to miscarry, suffer abortion.

Whew, these are definitions loaded with emotion, yes? If you talk with someone dealing with miscarriage or infertility, it is not an objective topic. Daily, hourly, thoughts are dedicated to the sorrow. Granted, in this context Yahweh is referring to the grapevine being barren. But I believe when we test Him to see He is perfectly pure in motive, it most pointedly affects the areas most tender to us.

And isn’t that where we most need Him to show Himself trustworthy? The returned exiles were continuing to withhold from God and the result was reflected in their crops and vines and herds. And the places we have the most difficult time surrendering and trusting God are likely where He will continue to nudge us to test His character.

I think we all know this side of heaven that Him opening the floodgates when we obey does not always mean every sorrow is taken away and our prayers are answered how we’d like. But can’t many of us testify that He comes through? That He becomes enough? The floodgates opening used our sorrow and disappointment for something greater? 

It may never mean we stop asking for our miracle. But it can always mean fruit for His glory and our good. Even with tears.

And now for a peek into His heart:

“And all nations will call you blessed…”

Here all nations is kol goy – every nation, Gentiles, people. And blessed is ashar – to go straight, go on, advance; bless, direct, guide, happy, lead, relieve; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively, to go forward, be honest, proper.

Every people who sees how I answer will call you happy, guided, on level ground.

And why?

“For you will be a delightful land…”

We have seen delightful before; It’s chephets – delight, pleasure, care, desirable things, matter, precious, sight. And land is erets – earth, country, land, region, territories, wild; common, nations, way; From an unused root probably meaning to be firm.

You may notice this is a different word than above for ground, adamah. This isn’t just your field or my vineyard; this is our common land as God’s people. That is what will be seen as desirable, precious, and cared for by all watching. Our country will be recognized as desirable compared to what the world offers.

And is all that just so we can brag about our lives on firm ground? Or so He will only be gracious to one nation and not others? Of course not. It never has been.

It is so His Kingdom looks inviting and others seek it. 

The ultimate goal in tithing is the goodness of God reaching all nations.

“‘You are under a curse — your whole nation — because you are robbing me. 

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.’

‘Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it…’

Malachi 3:9-10

Last time we saw the fantastic news that Yahweh does not change, and that His people were robbing Him by not bringing a tenth of their produce nor ensuring the priests were given the heave offering. Today we see God’s challenge if they would just obey.

“You are cursed with a curse…”

Cursed is the verb arar, and curse in “with a curse” is meerah, the noun which comes from arar. There’s just no getting around that this means curse. And this is not the first time we’ve heard about a curse in Malachi.

Remember, Yahweh had spelled out up front how obedience would yield blessing, and disobedience a curse on themselves and their land. This section is simply reiterating how they are currently reaping what they’ve sown, even in their return from exile. And why?

“…for you have robbed Me, this whole nation…”

We began exploring the concept of robbing last time – this word qaba, meaning “rob, take, spoil; to cover, defraud.” You probably remember, it not only implied taking what is not yours, but also spoiling what is someone else’s. In this case the tithe and heave offering for the priests.

Now for the solution:

“Bring all the tithes into my house, the storehouse…”

Bring is bo – to come in, come, go in, go; abide, apply, attain, be, befall, besiege, bring forth, in; House is bayith; and Storehouse is otsar – a treasury, storehouse, cellar.

We have seen this word for storehouse before when we found out the men who had been appointed over it. God’s challenge is to bring every last tenth of every last crop and herd into this storage unit. And why?

“…that there may be food in my house…”

Simple as that. As much as the Most High has been tough on the priests for accepting unacceptable offerings, He is still ensuring they have their portion under His law. This was literally their food to eat.

Now for the challenge of it all.

“…now try me in this,’ says Jehovah-sabaoth, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven…’

Here now is na – I (we) pray, now; Ah, beg, beseech, implore, O may, please; a particle of entreaty or exhortation. The phrase try me is bachan – to examine, try, prove, test, tempt, to test (especially metals); and open is pathach – appear, break forth, draw out, let go free, engrave, loose self, be, be set opening, to open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve ungird, unstop, have vent.

Windows is arubbah – a lattice, window, sluice; chimney, floodgates; from arab – to lie in wait. And heaven is shamayim – heaven, sky; astrologers, horizons; Dual of shameh meaning to be lofty; the sky, perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve.

I beg of you, my children, test me like metal, as I have tested you. See if I won’t break wide open the floodgates of heaven.

I love, love this. Because if we’re honest, the main reason we don’t give God the first and best is we do not genuinely believe He has our best interest at heart. He is holding out on us, doesn’t understand our needs or anxieties, and basically wants us to be unhappy. So He speaks to this. Test me, try me, give it a shot, and see if I don’t open the floodgates.

The testing Him as metal made me think of this section from a few weeks ago:

“...flux [is] any substance introduced in the smelting of ores to promote fluidity and to remove objectionable impurities…Bleach, fire, soap, flux: all used to remove impurities. You don’t just take out impurities for no reason; you do it so what is left is pure.” 

Don’t you love it? He wants them to test Him like they would a metal to remove impurities – only He has none! Zero. He’s perfectly pure and He wants them to trust that as He implores them to bring the whole tithe.

Reminds me of Peter’s response in how the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus:

“Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!‘

‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — along with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’”

Mark 10:28-31

Basically? Anything you have to sacrifice is worth nothing compared to the freedom obedience brings you.

And finally for the over and above:

“‘…and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be enough room to receive it.'”

Here pour out is ruq – arm, cast out, draw out, make empty, pour forth out; (see riq – to make empty, empty out, to no purpose, vanity, figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain — empty, to no purpose.)

Blessing is our familiar berakah – benefit, generous, gift, peace; and not be is beli – wearing out; because, lack, no more, overflows, without; From balah – failure, without. And enough (room) is day – sufficiency, enough; ability, often, sufficient, what you need, able; used chiefly with preposition in phrases (as in “enough room” – room is implied only).

I will not only open the floodgates of heaven, I will empty them by pouring out generous gifts and peace. So much so that you will have no more room to receive it.

Remember, God making our wildest dreams come true this side of heaven is not His goal – especially if it would not conform us into the image of Jesus. And we will continue to see as we travel on in Malachi who and what this over-abundant of blessing is for.

But for now, can we each pause at the start of this new year and ask ourselves where we’re holding back from God? Then let’s confess to Him our fears about why. And rather than stay there, let’s make a plan for letting go, walking in faith, and trusting Him with the results. Based on the authority of His Living Word, only blessing will result.

“’I, the Lord, do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.

But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

In tithes and offerings.”

Malachi 3:6-8

Last time we saw the LORD declare mishpat and be swift to witness in protest to anything that dishonors God or people, grateful He came in the flesh and tabernacled with us. Today we see some details of His faithfulness and His people’s responsibility.

Frankly, we begin with the best news first:

“I, Yahweh, do not change.”

Aren’t you so grateful?

Change here is shanah – to repeat, speak again, strike again, alter, double, be given to change, disguise, be diverse, pervert; to fold, i.e. Duplicate (literally or figuratively); by implication, to transmute (transitive or intransitive).

Did a little grammar googling, in case you’re like me and forgot what transitive means. It’s a verb that requires a direct object; intransitive verbs do not. So you can say, “I run,” and it’s a full sentence. But you cannot say, “I want,” on its own. You have to name what you want – it’s transitive verb. And transmute means “to change or alter in form, appearance, or nature and especially to a higher form.”

So when Yahweh says He does not change, and the verb implies to change in nature, He is describing His otherness. He cannot be duplicated, has no alter ego, and cannot change into a higher form because He is the highest form. The Alpha and the Omega, no other outside Him, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And He not only doesn’t change form or character, He simply does not alter in existing – He is the great I Am. Always has been, always will be.

(And shall we not dissect the glorious trinity in this? I believe we will lose that argument. They were all there in the Beginning.)

Isn’t it just such a breath of fresh air? In this world of fickleness, reacting versus responding, making decisions on a whim or according to feelings, He. does. not. change. And when you’re dealing with perfection to start with, that is very good news indeed. But it also implies another glorious Truth…

“…therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed…”

Consumed is kalah – to be complete, at an end, finished, spent, annihilate, ceased, completely gone, demolish, devoured, ended, terminate, waste away, consume away, destroy utterly, wholly reap, make clean riddance; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitive (to complete, prepare, consume).

Goodness with this transitive/intransitive business. His people will neither have their lives and generational line completely spent nor will they be utterly consumed. And why? Because even when they (we) are faithless, He is faithful. And He cannot be Anyone other than Who He is. We aren’t wholly reaping what we sow or being devoured by evil because He does not change.

“Yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from my ordinances…”

“Gone away” is sur – to turn aside, abolished, avoid, departed, escape, left, put away, removed, swerve, turn aside, wanderer, withdrawn, eschew; decline, grievous, pluck away, put down, rebel, revolt, be sour.

And ordinances is choq – something prescribed or owed, a statute, allotment, boundaries, conditions, due, portion, appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decreed, law; From chaqaq – to cut in, inscribe, decree; carve, lawgiver, ruler’s staff, scepter; to hack, i.e. engrave or inscribe; by implication, to enact (laws being cut in stone or metal tablets…); hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) — set time, statute, task.

I will write My commandments on their hearts

I will circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their descendants

And “have not kept them” is shamar – keep, watch, preserve; attend, being careful, bodyguard, give heed, keeper, perform, preserve, protect, regard, secured, take care, take heed, waits, watch, look narrowly, observe.

From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside, swerved and grievously withdrawn from my conditions and boundaries, My appointment for you as My people. You have not carefully body guarded my decrees, but have revolted, rebelled sourly, and become wanderers.

Fortunately, there is a remedy:

“Return to Me and I will return to you,” says Jehovah-saboath.

This, when taken down to their roots, is “shub el, shub el.”

Shub means to turn back, return, bring back, draw, draw back, give an answer, pass away, pay back in full, refresh, refund, repent, restore, make restitution, revoke, turn away, turn back, withdraw.

Return toward Me, I will return toward you.

Such intimacy, no? The God of the Universe – the One Who never changes in form or Being – desires our return, our relationship.

I’m in Lamentations in my morning reading, but also doing a devotional given to me by sweet friends. Lamentations details God’s people being taken into captivity, of reaping all they’d sown. But in the devotional, the Psalm today was 148, and this section in particular struck me:

“And he has raised up for his people a horn,

the praise of all his faithful servants,

of Israel, the people close to his heart.”

Psalm 148:14

To juxtapose one author detailing the destruction of their city and people with how those people were close to His heart made me think of how our actions and relationship affect Him. That always causes me to pause – our actions, heart, decisions, thoughts, and the way He responds affecting Him. So Other, so much higher than us, yet so intimately involved. Thank You, Jesus.

Unfortunately, God anticipates their pushback:

But you say, “How (mah – what? how? ) shall we return (shub again)?”

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me.

Rob is qaba – rob, take, spoil; to cover, defraud

This definition seems to imply not only taking what’s not yours, but spoiling and defrauding what is someone else’s. And when it says, “rob God,” the Hebrew word for God is Elohim – the Most High Creator. As in, everything belongs to Him.

But, when we’ve experienced His salvation, tasted forgiveness, watched Him move in our lives and relationships, and know experientially we and other believers belong to Him, that is a different level of “what’s His.” We are His people. We should not be spoiling or defrauding each other.

But our verses today point specifically to how His people are robbing Him…

But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?”

In tithes and offerings.

Pretty straight forward. Tithes here is maaser – tenth part, tithe. And offerings is terumah – contribution for sacred uses, heave offering, shoulder, lifted up; from rum – to be high or exalted; a present (as offered up), especially in sacrifice or as tribute — gift, heave offering (shoulder).

That heave offering, amiright?

From JewishEncyclopedia.com:

“[The heave offering is a] present made to the Tabernacle or Temple for the use of the priests…

The heave-offering of the tithe (“terumat ha-ma’aser”): the tithe of their tithe which the Levites surrendered to the priests (Num. xviii. 26)…

The heave-offering for the priests (“terumat ha-kohanim”): taxes paid to the priests from the yield of the fields, olive-groves, and vine-yards…

Tithe and heave-offering are occasionally mentioned together (II Chron. xxxi. 10-14; Neh. x. 39; Mal. iii. 5). In such cases that portion of the agricultural produce reserved for the priest is so designated, and this was permitted to be eaten only by priests in a state of Levitical purity, or by members of their family.“

So, the tithe is giving a tenth to God by giving it to the Temple and Levites. The heave offering was the portion specifically for the priests. Those who stand between God and the people, offering sacrifices and intercession on their behalf. And did you notice it was to be eaten in a state of Levitical purity? Privileges and responsibilities combined.

So when God says they are spoiling, robbing, defrauding Him, this is what He points to that they have neglected: giving a tenth of what they earn, and making sure the priests are provided the heave offering.

Financial giving has always been interesting to me, as God has no need for our money. But it clearly affected His work among His people – Temple upkeep, sacrificial duties, payment for those whose lives were committed to Yahweh’s service.

But it seems to always be more than that, doesn’t it? It matters because giving is directly tied to our hearts. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. And God is saying there is no way to return to Him, to make Him first in their inmost being, without getting this right first. It speaks to lordship, obedience, and trust in His provision – that He is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider, and the Good Shepherd. That He will actually take care of us.

Next time we can see Yahweh speak to their anxieties. For now, can we lean in on this New Years Eve to what it would look like to not defraud God and others in 2023?

There is only joy to be found in taking Him at His Word.

“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 3:5

Last time we saw how the Messenger would sit as a Refiner and Purifier of the Levites, making the people’s offerings pleasing once again. Today we get to see God’s zeal for justice and righteousness.

“I will come near you for judgement…”

This is another intense beginning. But let’s lean into why He’s the perfect judge.

Come near is qarab – to come near, approach; accept, appear, approach, assisted, bring, came close, draw near, join, keep, offer, present; cause to approach, cause to bring forth, near, cause to come near, nigh; to you is el – to, into, towards; and judgement is mishpat from last time – claim, court, crimes, decisions, justice, mode of life, order, plans, rights, rule, standard, verdict, way prescribed, what is right, worthy.

I will draw near to you to proclaim mishpat – a just mode of life, the Way that is worthy, innocent in a court of law.

“And I will be a swift witness…”

Here swift is mahar – to hasten; act quickly, anxious, hurry, immediately; be carried headlong, fearful, fetch; to be liquid or flow easily.

Witness is ed – evidence; concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder; from ud – admonish, to return, go about, repeat, do again; charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, relieve, rob.

He will hurriedly be a witness, a faithful Recorder to charge against in protest…

“Against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers..”

Interestingly, the preposition against is listed before each of the nouns in this section:

Against sorcerers, kashaph: to whisper a spell; to enchant or practice magic; denominative verb of kesheph – sorcery.

Against adulterers, naaph: adultereress, committing adultery, woman that breaks wedlock.

Against perjurers…

Here against is interesting. It is shaba, meaning to swear, adjure, curse, promised them by oath, vow; Shaba can also mean “to be complete,” but used when only as a denominative from sheba’ – seven; to seven oneself, to swear, as if by repeating a declaration seven times. And perjurers here is sheqer – deception, disappointment, falsehood; deceit, lying, lying visions, perjury, slander, treacherously, wrongfully; without a cause; It is from shaqar – an untruth; a sham, a vain thing.

I will hurriedly be a Witness in protest against those who practice magic, who break their wedding vows, and who swear with lies, dealing with falsehood, shams, and lying visions.

First, isn’t it interesting that to swear can imply “to seven?” Like how Peter asked Jesus, “How many times should I forgive my brother? Seven?” That number of completeness was right to him, more than enough. And, of course, our Lord said, “Not seven, but seventy times seven.”

“And against those who exploit wage earners, and orphans, and widows…”

Here exploit is ashaq – crushed, defrauded, extorted, oppress; get deceitfully, deceive, drink up, use oppression, do violence, wrong; to press upon, violate, overflow. Wage is a verb, sakar – hire, compensation, fare, reward and earners is an adjective sakir – hired man, wage earner.

And orphans and widows mean just that: almanah means widow and is the feminine of alman – forsaken, in the sense of bereavement; discarded (as a divorced person). Orphan is yathom – orphan, fatherless, from an unused root meaning to be lonely; a bereaved person.

I will not only hurry to witness against those who practice magic, break their vows, and lie, I will also go after anyone who deceitfully gains from or violates hired workers, or those forsaken, lonely, and grieving.

Don’t you love his heart? I want mine to reflect His more and more.

“And against those who turn away a sojourner…”

Here turn away is natah – to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend; afternoon, turn aside, turn away; apply, decline, deliver, go down; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); carry aside, let down, offer, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, cause to yield.

And sojourner is ger – alien, foreigners, immigrants, stranger; from gur – to abide; assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather together, inhabitant, remain; to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose); to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid) — abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, stand in awe, (be) stranger.

I will also hurry to witness against anyone who turns away, lets down, or overthrows the way for an immigrant – one who turns aside, possibly in fear, to abide in a new, strange place.

Do you wonder why? Why would God’s heart so quickly witness against those who ignore or make difficult a sojourner’s life?

I can think of a lot of reasons, and many of them are tender right now at Christmas. As Mary and Joseph left their familiar town to travel somewhere different. Then fled a murderous king as refugees until the babe was safe.

Whatever else we think Christmas is, it certainly involves sojourners. But the reason given, at least in our text today, for God caring about how we treat others – especially those in difficult circumstances – is because of our final section:

“Because they do not fear me,” says Jehovah-sabaoth.

Fear is our familiar yare‘ – affright, reverence, make afraid, dreadful, put in fearful reverence.

I think we often struggle with genuinely believing God cares how we treat one another. We just don’t think He’s that concerned; we’re not afraid, living in fearful reverence, that He would have something to say about it.

But the Word does not let us separate our relationship with God from our relationship with people. And He is a swift witness against us when we defile others.

May we worship the One so concerned with Love and Justice that He came. Came as a sojourner, came as One lonely and grieved. Came to understand what it’s like to be exploited and lied to, with feelings, a personality, body that became tired and heart that felt pain.

And One Who will come again, ensuring perfection in love and justice is complete. May your Christmas celebrate this God With Us.

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. 

Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”

Malachi 3:3-4

Last time we heard the beginning of the Good News: a messenger would clear the way for the Messenger. And the intense news: He will be like bleach and fire, refining His people individually and corporately to create a pure Bride. Today we continue on with this Refiner.

“And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver”

Sit is yashab – to sit, remain, dwell; refiner is tsaraph from last time: to smelt, refine, test, cast, refiner, founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away. Here purifier of silver is taher – to be clean, pure, purge, become clean, pronounce him clean, purified; and silver is keseph – money, silver.

He will dwell among them as one who refines silver, purging what’s needed…

Whenever Christ is referred to as sitting, it makes me pause. The idea that He’s seated at the right hand of God in heaven reflects One in confident control of things. Not anxiously pacing, not running to keep up with the world spinning out of control. Remaining, dwelling with His Father, both intimately aware of the pain of living and supremely confident in the redemption of all things.

“He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver…”

Here purify is taher again, but refining is a different verb: zaqaq – to refine, purify, distill; fine, pour down, purge; to strain, extract, clarify.

It seems taher has more to do with cleaning and zaqaq with refining. It makes me thing of something already good, like water, in which we continue to extract whatever isn’t best until it’s as clear as it can be. Fine, pure, distilled water, like a mountain stream.

And who is He refining? The Levites, those workers in Temple.

“That they may offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness…” 

We have seen these words before as Malachi’s prophetic song has targeted the priests. Offer is nagash – to draw near, approach, bring offered, present, stand, touch; offerings is minchah – gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary]; and righteousness is tsedaqah – right, merit; honesty, justice, righteous, vindication.

I appreciate that chapters one and two outline the issues God has with Temple sacrifice. And while He offers ways to make it right (offering the best of the flock and harvest, not treating wives with contempt), His ultimate answer is in this Messenger Who will cleanse and refine. Who will take out hearts of stone and give hearts of flesh, ready to obey His will.  

“…and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”

Here will be acceptable is arab – to be sweet or pleasing, pleasant, to be agreeable; days of old is olam – antiquity, always, forevermore; and former years is qadmoni – former, eastern; ancients, things of the past; same as qedem – aforetime, before, east end, everlasting; the front, of place (relatively the East) or time (antiquity)…

Because of this Messenger’s refinement, His people’s voluntary sacrifice will once again be pleasant to Him. Like before the kingdom splitting, the exile, and reaping what they’d sown. And for us, back to Eden, walking before Him without shame.

But then again, this Messenger-born-teeny-babe was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. El Olam, God of antiquity, the Everlasting One. Ready with the cure before we knew we were gravely ill. In the flesh Sacrifice before a sacrificial Temple system was ever enacted. And One Who knew the number of hairs on each of our heads before being born with his own locks and soft spot, cradled and cooed over.

May we celebrate this Refiner today.

“’See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in — see, he is coming,’ says the Lord of Armies.

But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s bleach.”

Malachi 3:1-2

Last time we continued on with the people of God acting treacherously toward their wives, clothing themselves with violence. We also saw God wearied with words questioning His character and justice. Today we begin to look toward Good News.

“See, I am going to send my messenger”

See is our familiar hen – lo! Behold! Send is shalach from last time – to send, cast away, forsake, bade his farewell, burned, cast off, certainly let them go, delivered, dismissed, divorce, driving them away, escorted him away, gave them over, get rid, gets his own way, let them down, let them go, release, remove, send them away, set free, stretched; and messenger is malak (as in Malachi).

Lo and Behold! I am sending, letting go of, giving over, my messenger…

“And He will prepare…”

Prepare here is panah – to turn, approaches, cleared away, dawns, empty, faced, have regard, prepare, return, turn; appear, at eventide, behold, cast out, dawning, empty; to turn, by implication, to face, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away.

This messenger will clear any night, dawning the light…

“The way before me…”

Here the way is derek – way, road, distance, journey, manner, actions, conduct, course, crooked, direction, example, favors, highway, impulses, line, manner, mission, path, practice, safely, street, toward, walk, way, way toward; along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, eastward, journey; from darak; a road, figuratively – a course of life or mode of action; and before me is paneh – before my face.

“Prepare the way before me” is more literally “Panah the way paneh.”

Put together, this is My messenger will clear away the night from the mission, path, safe street, course of life before My face.

Behold, a voice calling in the desert…

“Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple…”

This one is very straightforward: The Lord whom you (attah – you yourself) seek (baqash – aim, beg, concerned, consulted, eager, inquired, investigated, pursuit, request, search) will suddenly (pithom) come (bo) to el (to, into, towards) His temple (hekal)…

The Adonai you yourselves eagerly pursue will suddenly come into His Temple.

“And even the Messenger (malak) of the covenant (berith – covenant, allies, treaty) in whom you delight…”

This one is a different messenger, One from whom the delightful covenant comes. Delight is chaphets again – desire, to delight in, to be pleased with; to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire — favour, be well pleased.

The Messenger of the covenant treaty in whom you are well pleased and delight in…

It seems, based on this Hebrew reading [“in whom” versus “in which”], that it’s the Messenger in whom the people delight. In some English translations it looks as though the covenant is what they are pleased with. Either way, He’s coming!

“Behold! He is coming!” says Jehovah-sabaoth”

Now for the intensity of Who He is:

“But who can endure the day of his coming?”

Who (mi) can endure (kul – to comprehend, contain, calculated, endure, hold, provided, sustain; be able to, can abide, bear, feed, forbearing, guide; properly, to keep in; figuratively, to maintain (in various senses); nourish(-er), be present…coming (bo again)?

Who is able to comprehend Him and bear, keep in, be fully present when He comes?

The knowledge of His holiness, paired directly with our unholiness, is intense.

It seems the next part is the reason for the intensity:

“And who will be able to stand (amad – take one’s stand) when He appears (raah – to see, show self, sight of others, view, behold, enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, be near, perceive, present, provide, regard)?”

What footing do we have when He sees right through us? Every unkind thought, angry word, bitter whisper under our breath, word spoken in secret, selfish act, and hidden sin will be revealed. Laid bare in His gaze, perception, view. Indeed, who can stand? We know who because of the Gospel, but let’s dig in a bit more…

“For He will be like a refiner’s fire and launderer’s bleach.”

Here fire is esh – blazing, burned, fiery, flame, flashing, man; refiner is tsaraph – to smelt, refine, test, cast, refiner, founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away.

Both painful and purposeful, the goldsmith heats up the metal to refine it, his fiery flame fully deliberate.

The root word for launderer’s is kabas – to wash; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet.)

Once again, a painful-sounding process that from the outside could look like meanness.

But bleach here is borith – lye, alkali, soap; from bor; vegetable lye (from its cleansing); used as a soap for washing, or a flux for metals; purely.

Hmm, that “purely” strikes me.

And once again, metal is brought up. I wasn’t sure what a “flux” was, so according to Britannica.com:

“...flux [is] any substance introduced in the smelting of ores to promote fluidity and to remove objectionable impurities…”

Bleach, fire, soap, flux: all used to remove impurities. You don’t just take out impurities for no reason; you do it so what is left is pure.

Yes.

It is interesting to hold all this holiness, refining-talk in tension with the Advent season and how this Messenger came: completely helpless as an infant. Unable to meet His own needs let alone ours. Yet.

He had to go through the neediness to understand ours. He embraced the vulnerability to know in the flesh how scary it is to be human.

And yet, all that holiness was as much in Him at birth. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His Being.

This Baby God came to make us pure. To refine us individually and as His Church. No matter how uncomfortable or even painful, may we listen, lean in, and join where He is working.

“’If he hates and divorces his wife,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ‘he covers his garment with injustice,’ says the Lord of Armies.

Therefore, watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously.

You have wearied the Lord with your words.

Yet you ask, ‘How have we wearied him?’

When you say, ‘Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and he is delighted with them, or else where is the God of justice?’” 

Malachi 2:16-17

Last time we saw why the people of God were weeping at the altar: because Yahweh no longer accepted their sacrifices due to their treacherous treatment of their covenant wives. Today we continue with the same charge into two new ones.

We will start with “If he hates and divorces his wife…”

Hates here is sane – detest, enemy, hate, turned against, unloved; enemy, foe, be hateful, odious, utterly; and divorce is shalach – to send, cast away, forsake, bade his farewell, burned, cast off, certainly let them go, delivered, dismissed, divorce, driving them away, escorted him away, gave them over, get rid, gets his own way, let them down, let them go, release, remove, send them away, set free, stretched.

If a man detests and turns against his wife as an enemy and casts her out, driving her away…

“He covers his garment with violence…”

This seemed like an unusual way to say something, so I found some comfort in additional translations (found here):

“’To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…”

“…ungodliness shall cover thy thoughts…”

“…[he] conceals his violence by outward appearances…”

“…[he] hide(s) evil in his cloak…”

Interesting to compare the translations, huh? Let’s look at the Hebrew:

Here cover is kasah – to cover; closed, clothed, conceal, engulfed, forgive, hidden, overwhelm, take refuge; violence is chamas – violence, wrong, malicious; cruelty, damage, false, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, violence against, done, From chamac; violence; by implication, wrong; Unjust gain. With here is our al – hover over; and garment is lebush – a garment, clothing, raiment; apparel, armor, attire, robe.

Unjust, malicious violence hovers over and engulfs his attire…

What are your thoughts? It seems to return to God’s repulsion by injustice toward those with less social power. If women were essentially property of men, and sending them off with a certificate of divorce means she has few options in society, you are, indeed, being cruel toward her.

And what of this idea of violence covering one’s clothes? I like how it is implied in the other translations that as clothes cover your body, so you may try to hide your evil with outward appearances.

It seems to me, though, like how Paul talks about clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Or putting off the old self and putting on the new. If you are dealing treacherously with your wife or if you dismiss and drive her away, what you daily put on is cruelty, injustice, and unrighteousness.

But the implication seems to extend beyond the walls of one’s home or spouse; what you put on out there – at work, with others, in the public square – is also injustice and wrong-doing. It hovers over you, engulfing your character.

Seems like the way we treat those closest to us most accurately reflects our hearts. This is a very challenging realization.

“Therefore, take heed of your spirit that you do not deal treacherously…”

The wording here is exactly like last time: shamar (bodyguard) ruach (spirit, breath) bagad (treacherous). Or:

Bodyguard your spirit, the life and breath within you, to no longer be deceitful, faithless, or offensive.

Now we move onto the new section:

“You have wearied Yahweh with your words.”

Here wearied is yaga – to toil, grow or be weary; become weary, labor, worn; faint, make to labor, to gasp; hence, to be exhausted; and words is dabar – speech, word; act, advice, affair, answer, any such thing, because of, book, business

Your advice, speech, and order of business is toilsome and exhausting to Yahweh.

Again the push back is anticipated: “Yet you say, ‘In what way have we wearied him?'”

“In that you say everyone that does evil…”

Does is asah – accomplish and evil is ra‘ – adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress; From ra’a’; bad or evil – exceedingly, great, grievous, harm, heavy, hurtful, mischievous, misery, naughty, sorrow, trouble, vex, wickedly, wretchedness.

You ask how (mah?) do we weary Yahweh? You say everyone that accomplishes wicked, grievous, evil harm…

What about those who do this? “…[everyone who does evil] is good in this sight of Yahweh”

Good is towb – beautiful; and sight is ayin – an eye; appearance, before, concern, displease, generous, humble person, knowledge, look, looked, pleased, presence; a fountain (as the eye of the landscape).

Everyone who accomplishes wicked, grievous, evil harm is beautiful to the knowledge, the fountain of Yahweh.

This is quite the insult, huh? To say those who do grievous evil are beautiful to Him. But that’s not all:

“And in them He delights…”

Here delights is chaphets – desire, to delight in, to be pleased with; to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire — favour, be well pleased.

And in them He is pleased, bends toward them.

The accusation is those who continue to do evil are not only beautiful in His sight, but they are to whom Yahweh bends toward.

Why would this weary the Most High? Probably because it is the very opposite of His character. God in the flesh said those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are pure in heart are blessed and see Him.

Or else you say, ‘Where is the God of justice?'”

Here where is ayyeh – where? from ay’ – how, origin, which; why; how, what, whence, where, whether, which way; and God of justice is mishpat – judgement, arrangements, claim, court, crimes, decisions, judge, justice, mode of life, order, plans, rights, rule, standard, verdict, way prescribed, what is right, worthy.

What’s the origin, and where has He gone, this God of order, what is just, right, and worthy?

Wearying words, indeed.

I appreciate the Message version of this:

And also by saying, “Judgment? God’s too nice to judge.”

Such an interesting way to begin the Advent season: being reminded that it’s wearisome to Yahweh when His character is maligned and His righteousness doubted.

As we wait for the long-expected Jesus, born to set His people free, we celebrate God indeed did something about sin and injustice. And as we participate in the Kingdom that’s here, but not yet completely, we celebrate His patience that all may come to repentance.

Because the God Who is worthy would never ignore or delight in evil.

“This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.

And you ask, ‘Why?’

Because even though the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, you have acted treacherously against her. She was your marriage partner and your wife by covenant.

Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring.

So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.”

Malachi 2:13-15

Last time we saw Malachi pointing out how the people of Jacob were piercing God’s covenant and putting themselves under the authority of other gods. His prayer was those who did such would be cut off from God’s people. Today we continue on with Malachi’s accusations.

“And this is the second thing you do: You cover Yahweh’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning…”

Cover is kasah – to cover, closed, clothed, conceal, covering, engulfed, forgive, hide, keep, overwhelm, take refuge; clad self, close, conceal, cover self, flee to hide, overwhelm; properly, to plump, i.e. Fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); weeping is beki – bitterly, continual weeping, flowing, weeping, overflowing; from bakah – bewail, complain, make lamentation, more, mourn, sore, with tears; and groaning is anaqah – crying out, groaning, sighing; From ‘anaq – shrieking

This is an interesting beginning. Seems like weeping over the altar would be a positive step in repentance: lamenting, engulfed in crying out and groaning. But apparently not. Let’s lean into why.

“He no longer regards the offering nor receives it with goodwill from your hands…”

Regard here is panah – to turn; No longer is od – a going around, continuance, still, yet, again, beside; unto is el – to, into, towards; about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because, before both; the offering is minchah (bloodless and voluntary gift).

Receive is laqach – take, accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold; goodwill is ratson – goodwill, favor, acceptance, will; acceptable, delight, desire, earnestly, favor, please; and hands is yad.

He no longer turns toward your voluntary gifts nor does He delight in accepting them.

That makes sense why they are weeping at the altar. The prescribed gifts are doing nothing to earn His favor. Why not?

They wondered the same thing:

“And yet you say, ‘why?'”

why is al – hover over and what – what? how? anything

What’s hovering over us that you no longer accept our offerings?

“Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth with whom you have dealt treacherously against…”

Because is al (hover over) again. Here is what’s hovering over you…

Witness is uwd – admonish, to return, go about, repeat, do again; to duplicate, by implication, to protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively, to encompass, restore, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, rob, solemnly, stand upright, give warning, call to witness. Between is bayin – an interval, space between; the wife (ishshah) youth is naur – youth, early life.

You is attah – you yourself; and treacherously is bagad from last time (act treacherously, deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage).

I can testify the number of times you yourselves have been deceitful, faithless, and offensive toward the wife of your youth.

I find this interesting. The reason He does not accept their sacrifices is due to how they’re treating their wives. Makes me think of another verse I can consider tricky:

“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together.

She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.”

1 Peter 3:7 NLT

In both situations, the willingness of God accepting a sacrifice or prayer is based on a husband’s treatment of his wife. What do you think about this?

I think most of us know women weren’t given the same rights as men during the time which these verses were given. And even now, we can point out ways in which our society is male dominated. So why would the God of the universe be so focused on wives?

The same reason He defends orphans, widows, sojourners, and the poor. When you are given less power in a society or relationship, you have a front row seat to His goodness, justice, and power.

“Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant…”

She is hu – he, she, it; companion is chabereth – consort; from chaber – united, associate, companion, knit together; from chabar – be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charm, alliance is made, attached, compact, couple together, have fellowship with; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate — charm, couple (together).

your wife (ishshah again) by covenant (berith from last time)

She is your united companion, knit together by a treaty made before God.

“But did not God make them one and give them a portion of the spirit?”

Make is asah – to accomplish; one is echad, portion is shear – rest, residue, remnant, survivors; and spirit is ruach – breath, wind, spirit; air, anger, blast, cool, courage, despondency, exposed, grief, heart, inspired, mind, motives, quick-tempered, strength, thoughts, trustworthy; From ruwach – wind; A sensible (or even violent) exhalation; life, anger; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions) — air, anger, blast, windy.

Our high school son is dealing with divorce being a common thing among the parents of his peers. And please know I have had intimate, painful conversations surrounding divorce with people in my life – this is in no way a judgment on people in excruciating situations. But when he asked me, “Isn’t it just better when two people realize they don’t really love each other any more to get divorced?” I couldn’t help but think about this oneness is in God’s Word:

“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,

‘This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.’

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:22-24

If God accomplishes this oneness, giving the new family a portion of ruach – wind, breath, courage, strength, and life – it makes sense we cannot separate that without tearing apart both people involved.

I like how the Message puts these next several lines:

“God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage.”

The next question feels a bit confusing: “What is the one seeking? Godly offspring.”

What is mah again (what? how? anything), seeks is baqash – aim, beg, concerned, consulted, eager, inquired, investigated, pursuit, request, search; Godly is Elohim; and offspring is zera – sowing, seed, offspring.

The aim in all this – a covenant marriage, knit together by God, given the spirit and life – is for children who look like their Father.

And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. (MSG)

To be clear, this is God’s desire through marriage from the wife’s responsibility as well. We wives do not somehow get off the hook in all this.

And our final part from Malachi today is: “Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.”

Take heed is shamar – keep, watch, preserve; attend, being careful, bodyguard, give heed, keeper, perform, preserve, protect, regard, secured, take care, take heed, waits, watch, look narrowly, observe; and spirit is ruach again.

This is bagad (treacherously), ishshah (wife), and naur (youth) again.

Bodyguard your spirit, the life and breath within you, to no longer be deceitful, faithless, or offensive toward your knit-together companion.

Good advice no matter the circumstances. But particularly when Jehovah-saboath is clearing telling you it is a reason why He no longer accepts your worship.

He is constantly at our hearts and desiring to make us more like Jesus. May we all have eyes to see and ears to hear what obedience looks like today.

“Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us? Why then do we act treacherously against one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors? 

Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable act has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the Lord’s sanctuary, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, whoever he may be even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.”

Malachi 2:10-12

Last time we saw how the priests were swerving from the Way, turning their face from protecting Truth and toward partiality. Today we see what are apparently Malachi’s words continue to reason with the Israelites and urge them toward obedience.

We begin with: “Don’t all of us have one Father?” One is echad and Father is ab.

I think it’s interesting Malachi begins with Father rather than Creator. He is, after all, talking about the people of God, not human beings in general. These are people who have direct experience with this God providing, protecting, and loving them as a father. The nations saw this and many chose this way, but the people to whom our prophet is singing are His chosen children. Let’s keeping going.

Now we move on to Creator: “Didn’t one God create us?” One is echad again, God is el – God, gods, mighty one; and create is bara‘ – to shape, choose, create, cut down.

Even if appealing to their status as children didn’t work, Malachi is ready to point out God’s right to rule over them as the One Who created, shaped, and chose to make them. It seems to me we could all use this reminder. Those of us who claim to trust in Christ, myself included, would do well to meditate on 1 John 3:1:

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.” (MSG)

To truly have our identity rooted in being His beloved child has the potential to redirect our passions, affections, energies, anxieties, and insecurities. Seems to me it would’ve helped the people in our passage as well.

But even further, it would do us all well to embrace our creatureliness. To know our human limits, including limited knowledge and power, would save ourselves the consequences of pride: burnout, frustration, broken relationships, isolation, and physical ailments. We are simply not God. As one friend put it, “As my pride goes down, so does my judgementalism. Amen and amen.

But whether or not we actively choose to follow Him, the human population as a whole could benefit from living into being created. We didn’t create ourselves and we will give ourselves over to something, even if we think we’re just following our hearts. We will be mastered, something must be our lord, and everyone worships.

According to these verses, it seems as though this experiential knowledge would benefit our human relationships as well. If one God created all of us, if we are all creatures, works in progress, searching for something, it would help us be kinder. We could have the kind of humility that makes allowances for others’ humanity because we require it as well.

The crux of these questions is next: “Then why do we act treacherously with one another?”

Why is maddua – for what reason?; deal treacherously is bagad – act treacherously, deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage; one is ish – man, and another is ach – brother.

For what reason should we act faithlessly and deceitfully against someone who is our brother?

It’s pretty clear. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty convicting. It’s such a good question: If we are God’s chosen children, even more, if we’re all creatures made by Him, why can’t we stop being cruel to each other?

And yet, it’s the most common thing we see on the news, on social media, in our own hearts. Yes, the negative is what sells, and drama keeps us engaged, but even all that aside, I think we know how it is is not how it should be.

And when Malachi delivers His prophetic burden, he includes a human appeal to his fellow Israelites. Why on earth would we pillage one another’s lives when we are to be living as siblings under our Father?

The question then gets more specific: why do we offend each other “by profaning the covenant of the father?”

Profane here is chalal – to pierce, covenant is berith – covenant, allies, treaty; and fathers is ab again.

Seems as though the way the people were acting treacherously toward each other is by piercing the covenant God made with them. Which, of course, includes unacceptable sacrifices we have been learning about the past few months.

In what way do we do pierce God’s covenant with us as New Testament believers? How does our individual and corporate idolatry, unbelief, and pride cause us to be unfair, offensive, and pillagers of our fellow believers?

We’re not done.

“Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable act has been done in Israel and Jerusalem.”

Judah is Yehudah – “praised” from yadah – to throw, cast, celebrate; treacherously is bagad again – act deceitfully, faithless, unfairness, offend, depart, pillage; detestable act is toebah -abomination, object of loathing, detestable thing, morally disgusting, abhorrence especially idolatry, an idol — abominable (custom, thing); has been done is asah – accomplish; and Israel is Yisrael meaning “God strives.”

It seems as though our prophet is appealing to the people’s history with these names of ancestor and people and city.

I’m not sure I remembered Judah means praised. But I love it. The Lion of the tribe of Judah comes from the son of Jacob which means to sing and shout and give glory to God.

I did know Israel means “God strives.” And it seems fitting, not just in His dealing with Jacob whom he renamed Israel, but also in His striving with His people. With us, with me. We do require some striving, don’t we?

The specific way the people are dealing treacherously in this section is next:

“For Judah has profaned the Lord’s sanctuary which He loves.”

Here profaned is chalal again – to pierce; sanctuary is qodesh – apartness, sacredness; and loves in “which He loves” is aheb – verb: dearly love, beloved, friends, lover.

And how?

He “has married the daughter of a foreign god.”

Marry here is baal – to marry, to rule over, master, have dominion over; daughter is bath – daughter, granddaughter, maiden, apple of eye, woman, branch, village; and foreign god is nekar – alien, strange, el – god.

So the people of God are piercing the sacred place, which Yahweh dearly loves, by putting his affections under the rule of a strange god.

This is not new territory; Ezra deeply lamented over the literal marriage of God’s people returning from exile to foreign women who worshipped other gods. Whether these unlawful marriages were still happening, it is not clear. What is clear is the idolatry of worshipping gods who are not God.

Finally we have Malachi’s solution for this disobedience and idolatry:

“May Yahweh cut off the man who does this…”

Here cut off is karath – cut, make in writing; often used in cutting covenant.

He wants no such idolatry among God’s people, and cutting off the offending people is his prayer.

Why so harsh?

“Being awake and aware and from the tents of Jacob.”

Awake is ur – to rouse oneself, awake, arise, rouse yourself, lift up self, master, raise up, stir up self, through the idea of opening the eyes; to wake (literally or figuratively); aware is anah – to answer, respond, sing, shout, testify, announce, speak, testify, utter, bear witness; and tents is ohel – home, owned, covering, dwelling-place, tabernacle.

Because this person has their eyes wide open to covenant responsibilities, knows their calling is to bear witness, and being among God’s people is home.

Basically? They know better.

And our final section takes away the rest of the excuses: “Even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.”

I like how the Message puts it:

“No matter how many offerings they bring to the God-of-Angel-Armies.”

Here brings is nagash – to draw near, approach, bring offered, present, stand, touch; and offering is minchah – gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary].

Even if he draws near and offers a voluntary tribute.

This makes sense, as God wants their hearts, not a token gift. It would be like a spouse repeatedly committing adultery without repentance, and expecting a gift to make it alright.

I don’t know about you, but in verses like these, I start to squirm internally. They just highlight all the things: ways I knew better this week, but still fell short; the times I tried to make things right with words or a “gift” rather than genuine repentance; situations in which I know that I know I didn’t look like someone whose home is among God’s people.

Perhaps for some the gospel becomes a bit…redundant. But I think for most of us, the simplicity of knowing Someone took the judgement we deserve is what we must inhale deeply each day. That our sin will never be enough to cut us off from Him, because no one can snatch us out of His hand, and nothing can separate us from His love.

And from that rootedness, may we take seriously the discipleship call of Malachi. May our repentance be genuine, our relationships clear, and our eyes single.