THEN SHALL YE RETURN
The people of God had returned from Babylonian captivity. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah reveal the struggle they had to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple area. As we come to the book of Malachi those struggles behind them they had settled into some bad habits. Improper worship and poor attitudes to God resulted in God speaking to His people through the prophet Malachi. As was the case the prophet worked to clear up the hearts of the people and then looked to a better day ahead. It was the day of the coming of the Messiah.
The third chapter closes with the idea that they, the people of God would return. Moses had written years earlier about the lawgiver not departing from Judah until Shiloh would come (Genesis 49:10). When Shiloh would come, unto Him would the gathering of the people be. Paul writes in Ephesians that this last dispensation of man on earth would be the dispensation of the fullness of times (Ephesians 1:10). When Paul, by inspiration writes to the Galatians, he speaks about Jesus coming in the fullness of times (Galatians 4:4). The stage was then set for the return of the people to God.
Jesus spoke about the events that would proceed the fall of Jerusalem in the first century. One of the events was that the angels with the sound of a trumpet would go forth and gather God’s elect from the four winds or we would say from the four corners of the earth. The people would be gathered together in the Messiah that was Jesus the Christ. It would be in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he begins to “sound” that the mystery of God would be finished (Revelation 10:7). The mystery was that Jew and Gentile would come together in a new body, which is the church of Christ (Ephesians 3:5,6). The coming together of Jew and Gentile into one new body was the “wolf and the lamb” lying down together (Isaiah 11:6).
Another thing which Malachi spoke about was that in that day when the people would return to the Messiah, that the people of God would be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked. There has always been those who were hypocrites. They try to cover what is in their heart to keep it hid from all men. Such imposters as a general rule are found out pretty quick. The case of Korah in the Old Testament during the days of Moses is an example. What was hidden in his heart finally came out and his attitude of not being a true servant was revealed. Setting aside such hypocrites who spend time trying to fool others there were those who would strive to lead God’s people away from Him.
The test given by our Lord was for us to observe what a person was producing with his life (Matthew 7:16). The good tree brings forth good fruit while the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit (verse 17). In other words, as Malachi had said, we would know the difference between righteous and wicked. The new covenant that God entered into with the new people of God would be written in their hearts and in their mind (Hebrews 8:10). We know some try to hide the content of their hearts. However, the Word of God written in our hearts cannot stay there. It comes out in our lives. We live our lives in such a way as to bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16). A life so lived, declares to the world the righteousness which God brings about in a person’s life through the gospel written in their hearts (Romans 1:16,17).
Malachi 3:18 speaks about knowing those who serve God and those who do not serve God. If we know who is a righteous person and who is not, by the same token we would know who serves God and who does not. No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). The lines seem to be blurred in the minds of some. The cry that arises from some is that all religious people who believe in Christ are the children of God. Such a broad definition does not agree with Malachi’s prophecy about being able to discern between righteous and wicked. Those who do not obey the gospel of the Son of God are in rebellion to Him and hence are not righteous (II Thessalonians 1:8,9).
Those who teach a different gospel will face the condemnation of God (Galatians 1:8,9). When there is a steady flow of information out of the mouths of those in rebellion to God, their souls are in danger but so also are the souls of those who listen to them. Can we know those who are in rebellion? Those who teach another gospel are not righteous before God. Malachi said we would be able to discern. Apply the Word.