The Whole Story
Malachi 3-4
Malachi 3 is a pivotal chapter in the final
book of the Old Testament, addressing both God’s justice and His mercy, as well
as His desire for genuine devotion from His people. This chapter reveals God’s
intention to purify and refine His people, prepare the way for the coming
Messiah, and address the spiritual complacency and corruption present in Israel
at the time. Malachi 3 highlights God’s covenant faithfulness and His call for
repentance, as well as His promise of blessings to those who honor Him.
The chapter begins with a prophecy about the
coming of a messenger who will prepare the way for the Lord. This is a
reference to John the Baptist, who would later come to prepare the hearts of
the people for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The verse reads,
"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then
suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple..." (v.1). This
announcement points forward to the coming of Christ, the Messiah who will enter
the temple and establish God's reign in a new and more profound way.
Malachi 3 also addresses the purification of
the people. The Lord speaks of refining His people like gold and silver,
cleansing them of their impurities. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver” (v.3).
This process of refinement and purification reflects God’s desire to restore
His people to righteousness. The sins of Israel, particularly in their worship
and their failure to give God the honor He deserves, will be judged. Yet, through
this judgment, God will refine His people, making them pure and acceptable
before Him.
The chapter also emphasizes the issue of
tithing and the people’s failure to honor God with their resources. In Malachi
3:8-10, God rebukes the people for withholding their tithes and offerings,
stating, “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me... Bring the whole tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” God challenges His
people to bring their tithes faithfully, promising that He will bless them
abundantly in return, “Test me in this,” God says, “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.” This promise of abundant blessings reflects God’s
generosity and His desire to bless His people as they walk in faithfulness and
obedience.
Finally, Malachi 3 speaks of the future
judgment of the wicked and the final distinction between the righteous and the
unrighteous. The Lord will return as a judge, separating those who fear Him and
serve Him from those who do not. “Then once more you will see the distinction
between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who
do not” (v.18). This future judgment is a reminder of God’s holiness and His
ultimate justice.
Malachi 3 is a call to repentance,
faithfulness, and holiness. It assures God’s people that He is not indifferent
to sin but will purify, refine, and bless those who turn to Him in obedience.
The ultimate proof that God is not indifferent to sin but will do whatever it
takes to purify and refine is seen in Jesus who dies to forgive people and
gives them the purity of a new heart. Jesus is here, even as we finish the Old
Testament.
When Jesus Judges: He Purifies, He Punishes, He Saves
Malachi 3:1-7a
3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refi ne them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 From the days of your fathers you
have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I
will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Malachi 3:1-7
Discussion Questions
Malachi 3:1
Who is the “messenger” in this verse, and how
does this verse ultimately point to Jesus (cf. Matthew 11:10)?
Malachi 3:2–3
Why does God describe Himself as a refiner’s
fire and fuller’s soap? What does this imagery teach us about how God works in
His people?
Malachi 3:5
What kinds of sins does God highlight here?
Why might these be particularly important to Him in a covenant community?
Malachi 3:6
What does it mean that God does not change?
How does this truth give us hope when we’ve failed?
Malachi 3:7
What does a returning to God look like in
practical terms? How can we help each other pursue faithfulness?
Closing Thoughts
Malachi 3 reminds us that we cannot long for God’s presence while ignoring His purification. He comes not just to affirm us, but to refi ne us — to burn away sin, cleanse our hearts, and restore justice in our lives and communities. And yet, amid His holiness, He remains merciful. The same God who comes with fire also opens His arms and says, “Return to me.” That invitation still stands for every wandering heart.
Where in your life is God calling you to stop resisting
and start returning?
END
Teacher's Notes (Brent Egan)
