Malachi 3:16-18 meaning

Malachi 3:16-18 begins with a shift from prophetic pronouncement to narration. Rather than speaking the words of the LORD to the people, Malachi records a response of the people to the spoken prophecy. One group decides to listen to Malachi’s words and together commit to follow in the ways of the LORD:

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name (v 16). 

Certain Judeans convened and resolved to take action: Those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. Someone who fears the LORD walks according to His commands. To fear a person or thing is to order your choices because you prioritize a concern about consequences that can be created by that person or thing. For example, we might fear a policeman because he can give us a speeding ticket. We might fear our friends at school because they can reject us. When we place our first and foremost fear upon anything other than the LORD, it leads us to folly and futility (Ecclesiastes 2:26). The fear of the LORD is the actual starting place for both knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10).

Those who feared the LORD gathered together and spoke to one another. The inference is that they stirred up one another to resolve to follow the LORD’s commands. This is what scripture admonishes, that we convene together with like-minded believers and stir up one another. After an exhortation to continue living as faithful witnesses, the author of the letter to the Hebrews says:

“and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
(Hebrews 10:24-25)

The inference of this verse from the book of Hebrews is that humans require constant encouragement and reminding in order to endure in faithfully walking in God’s ways. It requires stimulating and encouraging one another. It requires a constant reminder that “the day is drawing near”—referring to the day of God’s judgment by fire (in His very presence).

God had reminded the Judeans that His judgment is coming, as He would send His messenger to refine and purify them (Malachi 3:1-3). The fact that these Judeans feared the LORD infers that they decided to walk in His ways. They decided that pleasing the LORD was more important than falling in line with their surrounding culture.

It could be that this remnant of faithful people started a revival of faithfulness that ultimately led to the Maccabean uprising that saved Judaism from being exterminated by the Greek rulers who governed Israel after Alexander the Great conquered Persia (167-37 BC).

When these people who feared the Lord spoke to one another and encouraged one another to live faithfully to the LORD, it was not only themselves that heard the encouragement. Also, the LORD gave attention and heard it. He heard their commitment and gave heed to it.

The LORD is eager to reward those who commit to follow Him; “His eyes are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). The prophet combined the verbs gave attention and heard to emphasize God’s deep interest in the faithful ones. And as God responded to His people, a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.

The phrase before Him indicates that this book of remembrance is a record of the actions and destinies of these people written in heaven. It seems God wants to write down their faithful actions that He might reward them in the day of judgment.

In the ancient Near East, Kings often kept a record of the essential events in their rulership (Esther 6:1). God also keeps a set of books. It is suggested that this book of remembrance records the faithfulness of these righteous people. Scripture also refers to books that include the deeds of the unrighteous—the people gathered at the Great White Throne will be judged by the deeds recorded in the books (Revelation 20:12).

Other books that record different things are also mentioned in scripture. There is a “Book of Life” that records who has been declared righteous before God through belief. The book of remembrance in verse 16 appears to either be a different book or a different application. It is inferred that this book records people whom the LORD wants to remember in order to give them a reward for their faithfulness.

Moses refers to a book that might be the same or similar to this book of remembrance. Moses prayed for the sins of the Israelites and said to God, “But now, if you will, forgive their sin⎯and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32). It could be that Moses is saying, “I will trade in whatever rewards I have coming so that the people can be forgiven.”

God denied Moses’s petition and said He will make His own judgment and blot out of His book whoever sins against Him. Apparently, we cannot barter our own rewards to benefit others. God will judge each person based on His own judgment and without respect of persons.

While God denies Moses’s request, He does not refute the idea that a person can be blotted out of His book. If this refers to faithful deeds being erased or overturned by unfaithfulness, that is in keeping with the scripture’s emphasis on enduring to the end; those who falter can lose rewards (2 John 1:8). One of the rewards mentioned in Revelation for believers who endure in faithfulness (“overcome”) is that their name will not be blotted out or erased from the book of life (Revelation 3:5). It is consistent with human experience that misdeeds can erase an excellent reputation a person has established over a period of time.

Scripture also refers to a Book of Life described in the Psalms and the New Testament (Psalm 69:28, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 21:27). This book might refer to who is living on earth, as well as those who are part of God’s family, as well as the rewards for those in God’s family who overcome as Jesus overcame (Revelation 3:21). The way to be remembered/rewarded by God is to fear the LORD and esteem His name. 

We fear the LORD when we listen to and seek Him above all others; this is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-39). We esteem His name when we believe that His ways are for our best and trust and follow Him as a result.

God declares how He will reward these people who decided to be faithful witnesses for Him: “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him” (v 17).

The LORD provides context for what He means by they will be mine. The LORD says this will occur on the day that I prepare My own possession.

Further context is provided by verse 18, which says: So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him (v 18).

It appears here that the LORD is saying that in the future, something similar will take place as is taking place during the time of Malachi. Some listened and chose to fear the LORD and esteem His name while others did not. It seems there will be another period in the future when there is a similar dividing between those who are righteous and those who are wicked, just as in the times of Noah (Genesis 7:1, Matthew 24:37-38). This will also be like the “sheep and goat judgement.” To learn more about the Sheep and Goat judgement, see our commentary on Matthew 25:31.

Perhaps the phrase they will be Mine refers to God declaring a special place in His coming kingdom for people who determined together to live faithfully as unto the LORD, as did those during Malachi’s time. God consistently promises great rewards in the coming kingdom for those who are faithful witnesses (overcomers) for Him. Perhaps the phrase they will be mine refers to these people having a special place of service, a special inheritance from Him in the kingdom that is to come (Daniel 12:13, Revelation 3:21).

Following this statement that they will be Mine, Malachi inserts the phrase, says the LORD of hosts, to confirm the divine source of his message. The term host (Hebrew, “Sabaoth”) means “army” and denotes the angelic armies of heaven (1 Samuel 1:3). In prophetic literature, the phrase LORD of hosts often describes God’s power as a warrior leading His army to defeat His adversaries (Amos 5:16, 9:5; Habakkuk 2:17). Here in Malachi, it demonstrates God’s power as the supreme ruler who has complete control over all human matters.

The words involved in the phrase My own possession sometimes occurs in covenantal contexts, where Yahweh describes Israel’s privileged position as His people among all the other nations (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6). The Hebrew word translated possession can also be translated “treasure,” as it is in 1 Chronicles 29:3. The NKJV translation renders this phrase as “On the day that I make them my jewels.”

Many other translations include “treasured possession.” In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul speaks of faithful deeds done by believers as like precious metals and jewels that are refined in the fire (Malachi 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 3:12). This would further support the idea that God is speaking here of rewarding those who are faithful to Him.

We might ask “What is God preparing His treasured possession to be or do?” The context supports the idea that He is preparing them to fully inherit all that God promised. All that God has promised to Israel will be fulfilled in the coming Messianic Kingdom where Jesus the Messiah will sit on the throne of David and reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). Those who overcome by being faithful witnesses will reign with Him (Revelation 5:10, 20:6, 22:5). It might be here that God promises to remember those who were faithful witnesses for Him on the day that He prepares Israel to become the kingdom He promised it would be.

The LORD also asserts that He will protect faithful followers: I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. It might be that God will spare faithful witnesses from the destructive (consuming) effects of His refining fire that will be necessary to cleanse those who declined to live faithfully in this life (Malachi 3:1-3). God’s judgement, including the fire of His presence, consumes or destroys His adversaries but refines those who are His (Daniel 12:10, Zechariah 13:9, Hebrews 10:27).

All God’s people need to be refined in order to remove the corruption of sin and the flesh (Romans 8:28-29). However, New Testament-era believers can choose whether to be refined when they go through the fiery trials that accompany walking in obedience to God, and thus gain great rewards. Or they can choose to be refined at the judgment seat of Christ and suffer loss of rewards (1 Corinthians 3:15). If believers choose to follow Jesus as faithful witnesses in this life, they are promised that they will endure fiery trials, persecution, and rejection by the world (2 Timothy 3:12). The prophets which were sent by God to Israel experienced this reproach and were often rejected and killed (Acts 7:52).

The circumstances of surrounding wickedness possibly led to the believers of Malachi’s day to look at their situation and say, “Where is the God of Justice?”, since they perceived that the wicked were not going through the same fiery trials that some of them were. But this bad perspective was to be rejected. Believers today are instructed to be “filled with joy” when they experience the suffering and rejection that Jesus also experienced for doing right. Fiery trials that we deserve for disobedience cannot be claimed as the sufferings of Christ. But only when we suffer for doing rightly (1 Peter 3:17).

The trial of rejection by the world can be avoided by seeking comfort and compromise with the world. If believers do this then our deeds will be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble in the judgement fire of Christ, and we will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). However, if we walk in obedience, our deeds are refined into gold, silver, and precious stones. God will spare any faithful follower from the destructive effects of His judgment fire if they seek to walk in faith. Perhaps something similar is being stated to the people of Israel.

The phrase as a man spares his own son indicates leniency for those seeking to obey God. 1 John 1:7 says that if we are walking in what light we have, doing what we can with the understanding we have, Jesus takes care of the things we do not understand. God does not demand we do things beyond our capability. He meets us where we are (1 Corinthians 10:13).

If we choose not to live as faithful witnesses, then Christ’s refining fire will purify us, but we will lose some of the rewards of our inheritance (Colossians 3:23). On the other hand, if we endure as faithful witnesses, we are promised that we will gain the immense privilege of serving alongside Jesus and reigning with Him as sons (Matthew 25:21, Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 3:21). God promises He will spare the refining fire (including God’s very own presence) from burning up our deeds, instead it will purify us.

The Hebrew verb translated as spare means to have compassion for someone. For instance, Pharaoh’s daughter “had pity” on the boy Moses when “he was crying” (Exodus 2:6). Likewise, the LORD would remember and have compassion on these faithful servants. God promises rewards for faithful service, but His rewards are always a matter of His mercy because no one can cause God to be indebted to them (2 Timothy 1:18). We cannot control God or obligate Him to reward us, but we can trust in His goodness and generosity. Scripture is clear that God is incredibly generous, so that is a much better deal for us anyway (Matthew 20:15-16).

Malachi ends the chapter by saying to the people, So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him (v 18).

The phrase So you will again is translated from a single Hebrew word “shuv” which is often translated “return” and is where the concept of repentance comes from. God is saying that the people will again “return” to a time when Israel used to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. This might recall the days of David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, a time when righteous kings reigned in Israel or Judah. The idea seems to be that what is happening now in the time of Malachi will occur again in the future. There is a pattern of rebellion and repentance throughout Israel’s history,

1. Many in Israel fall away from following Yahweh (Judges 2:11, 3:12, 4:1, 10:6, 13:1).
2. They experience pain through God’s wrath which came in several forms, but mainly through exile (Jeremiah 47:2).
3. After being afflicted, they considered their ways and returned to God (Psalm 119:67, Daniel 9:4-5).
4. After a time of peace and prosperity they become complacent, exploitive, and disobedient (1 Kings 14:22, 16:19).
5. They fall away again.
6. The pattern repeats itself.

Perhaps those in Malachi’s time who decided to live faithfully will once again see a dividing between those who are faithful and those who are not. That it says you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked might indicate that these faithful people will be rewarded with the opportunity to serve and reign in His kingdom. At that point in time, they could be ruling with Christ and bringing righteousness to the earth as His servants (2 Peter 3:13).

It might be that the LORD will use His faithful servants who reign alongside Him to accomplish the cleansing of the land and people that He promised in Malachi 3:1-5. In Malachi 3:1-5, God said He would purify Israel like a refiner purifies ore or a launderer purifies clothing. He will do this by removing pagan worship and its exploitative practices from the land.

The righteous were those who honored God and served Him faithfully. The wicked were the arrogant ones, those who rejected God’s authority. However, the distinction seemed to be difficult for many in Judah to discern. This was because they mistook outward religious service for true inward righteousness. Further, they saw the wicked gain prosperity and thought that meant God was rewarding them, and sought to do likewise.

Many people pretended to belong to God by offering defiled sacrifices and insincere worship to Him (Malachi 1:6-8). Worse yet, the self-righteous among Judah thought the arrogant and the wicked were better off than the devout believers. They saw the evil ones as fortunate and believed God was too distant to judge wickedness. In their mind, life was unfair, so it did not pay off to serve the LORD (Malachi 3:13−15). The truth was that God sought to be close to those who would obey Him from the heart. Also, though He is compassionate and merciful, hoping that all come to repentance, He is still a just God (2 Peter 3:9).

The day will come at Jesus’ return when God punishes wickedness and restores righteousness in the land. Israel is His possession that He treasures (Deuteronomy 7:6). The LORD will prepare His possession with mercy to reign in righteousness. The last chapter of Malachi will emphasize this point.