John Calvin Commentary Malachi 3

Here the Prophet does not bring comfort to the wicked slanderers previously mentioned, but asserts the constancy of his faith in opposition to their blasphemous words; as if he had said, “Though they impiously declare that they have been either deceived or forsaken by the God in whom they had hoped, yet His covenant will not be in vain.” The design of what is announced is like that of the declaration made elsewhere,

“Though men are perfidious and false, yet God remains true and cannot depart from His own nature” (Numbers 23:19).

So God here gloriously triumphs over the Jews and alleges His own covenant in opposition to their disgraceful slanders, because their wicked murmurings could not hinder Him from accomplishing His promises and performing in due time what they thought would never be done; and He adopts a demonstrative adverb in order to show the certainty of what is said.

Behold, He says, I send My messenger, who will clear the way before My face. This passage should doubtless be understood of John the Baptist, for Christ Himself so explains it, than whom no better interpreter can be found. Since John the Baptist was the messenger of Christ, the beginning of the verse can be applied to no other person. Afterwards, the Father Himself speaks, as we will see. But as He who appeared in the flesh is the same God with the Father, it is no wonder that He speaks, and then that the words which follow are spoken in the person of the Father.

There is here a striking allusion to Moses, whose office it was to intercede, that God might not in His just wrath destroy the whole people. For as then the majesty of God was more than could be borne without an intercessor, so that the people through fear cried out, “Speak thou to us lest we die” (Exodus 20:19), so also Malachi now teaches us that there is need of an intercessor, by whom God’s wrath might be mitigated, which the Jews had extremely provoked.

This office John the Baptist undertook, who prepared the Jews to hear the voice of Christ.

By saying that He would send a messenger to clear His way, He indirectly reproved the Jews, by whom many hindrances were thrown, as it were, in the way. It was as if He had said, “They prevent, by the obstacles they raise up, the redemption and the promised salvation from being revealed; there will therefore be the need of a messenger to clear the way.” For the Jews had introduced impediments, as though they designedly wished to resist the favor which had been prepared and promised to them.

But how the Baptist performed his work by clearing the way is evident from the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, as well as from the Gospels; and from this may be gathered what I have already said—that God, by His fidelity and mercy, struggled with those obstacles which the Jews had raised up to prevent the coming of Christ.

He afterwards adds, “And presently shall come to His temple the Lord, whom you seek.” After having said that He would open a way for His favor, He now adds, “come shall the Lord.” He introduces here, not Jehovah, but the Lord, אדון, Adun; and hence He speaks distinctly of Christ, who is afterwards called the Angel or Messenger of the covenant.

But the word אדון, Adun, is commonly used for a Mediator, as in Psalm 110, and also in Daniel 9:17; where it is expressly said, “Hear, O Jehovah, for the sake of the Lord,” למען אדוני, lamon Aduni; the word is the same as here, come then shall the Lord. The reason for this mode of speaking was because Christ was shown to them under the type which represented Him.

As then the kingdom of David was a representation of the kingdom of Christ our Lord, it is no wonder that the Prophets designate Him by this title, especially those who were closest to the time of Christ’s manifestation. But He is promised by another title, the angel or messenger of the covenant; but it does not mean the same here as in the first clause.

He called John the Baptist at the beginning of this verse a messenger, the messenger of Jehovah; and now He calls Christ a messenger, but He is the messenger of the covenant, for it was necessary that the covenant should be confirmed by Him.

The title of John the Baptist was then inferior to that of Christ. For though He was God manifested in the flesh, yet this did not prevent Him from being God’s minister and interpreter in order to confirm His covenant. We know that the office of Christ consists in confirming and sealing to us the covenant of God, not only by His doctrine, but also by His blood and the sacrifice of His cross.

Malachi then promises here to the Jews both a king and a reconciler—a king under the title of Lord, and a reconciler under the title of the messenger of the covenant. And we know it was the main thing in the whole doctrine of the law that a Redeemer was to come, to reconcile the Church to God and to rule it.

And He says that the Mediator was sought and expected by the Jews, and that through Him God was to be propitious to them; but this was said ironically.

The faithful indeed today have all their desires fixed on Christ, after He has been revealed in the flesh, until they will partake at His last coming of the fruit of His death and resurrection. Under the law, we know that the groaning and the sighings of the godly were towards Christ.

But Malachi here, by way of contempt, checks these unreasonable charges by which the Jews accused God, as though He had disappointed their hope and their prayers. For we have said, and the fact is evident, that God had been presumptuously and shamefully impeached by them, as though He did not mean to fulfill His promises.

Hence the Prophet says ironically, and sharply too, that Christ was expected by the Jews, for they murmured because God had too long deferred His coming: “Oh! Where is the Redeemer? When will He be revealed to us?” Since they thus pretended that they earnestly expected the coming of Christ, the Prophet upbraids them with this, and justly too, for they had expressly manifested their unbelief.

“Behold, He comes, saith Jehovah of hosts.” Here the Prophet introduces the Father as the speaker, as has already been stated. The particle הנה, ene, behold, is used for the sake of removing every doubt, and then he confirms what he says by the authority of God. He might have asserted this in his own person as a teacher, but in order to produce an effect on the Jews by the majesty of God, he makes God the author of this prophecy.

The Prophet in this verse contends more sharply with the Jews and shows that it was a mere pretense that they so eagerly anticipated the coming of the Mediator, for they were far different from him in their entire way of life. And when he says that the coming of Christ would be intolerable, this statement is to be confined to the ungodly; for we know that nothing is more delightful and sweeter to us than when Christ is near us. Though now we are pilgrims and at a distance from him, yet his invisible presence is our chief joy and happiness (Romans 8:22, 23).

Besides, if the expectation of his coming did not sustain our minds, how miserable our condition would be! Therefore, it is by this mark that the faithful are to be distinguished: they expect his coming. And Paul does not exhort us in vain, using the example of heaven and earth, to be like those in labor, until Christ appears to us as our Redeemer.

But the Prophet here directs his words to the ungodly, who, though they seem to burn with desire for God’s presence, still do not wish him to be near them, but they flee from him as much as they can. We have encountered a similar passage in Amos,

Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord! What will it be to you? For it will be darkness, yea darkness and not light, a day of sorrow and not of joy. (Amos 5:18).

Amos in this passage spoke on the same subject. The Jews, inflated with false confidence, thought that God could not forsake them, as he had pledged his faithfulness to them. But Amos reminded them that God had been so provoked by their sins, that he had become their professed and sworn enemy.

So also in this place, Come, says the Prophet, and the Redeemer shall come; but this will be of no advantage to you. On the contrary, his coming will be dreadful to you.

We indeed know that Christ did not appear for the salvation of all, but only for the remnant and for those of Jacob who repented, according to what Isaiah says (Isaiah 10:21, 22). But since they obstinately rejected the favor of God, it is no wonder that the Prophet excluded them from the blessings of the Redeemer.

Who then will endure his coming? And who shall stand at his appearance? As if he had said, “In vain do you flatter yourselves, and even criticize God that he keeps the promised Redeemer, as it were, hidden in his own heart. For he will come in due time, but with no advantage to you; nor will you be allowed to enjoy his favor. On the contrary, he will bring you nothing but terrors. For he will be like a purifying fire, and as the herb of the fullers.” The latter clause can be understood in a good or a bad sense, as is evident from the next verse.

The power of fire, we know, is twofold: it burns and it purifies. It burns what is corrupt, but it purifies gold and silver from their dross. The Prophet undoubtedly meant to include both, for in the next verse he says that Christ will be like fire to purify and to refine the sons of Levi like gold and silver.

With regard then to the people of whom he has been speaking until now, he shows that Christ will be like fire to burn and consume their filth. For though they boasted with their mouths about their religion, yet we know that the Church of God had many defilements and pollutions; they were therefore to perish by fire. But Malachi teaches us at the same time that the whole Church was not to perish, for the Lord would purify the sons of Levi.

Here a part is stated for the whole, for the promise belongs to the entire Church. The sons of Levi were the first-fruits, and in the name of that tribe, the whole people were consecrated to God.

This is the reason why he mentions the sons of Levi rather than the whole people. It is as though he had said that though the Church was corrupt and polluted, there would still be a remnant which God would save, having purified them. The words which I had omitted are these—

The Prophet says that Christ would sit to purify the sons of Levi; for though they were the flower, as it were, and the purity of the Church, they had nevertheless contracted some contagion from the prevailing corruption. Such, then, was the contagion that not only the common people became corrupt, but even the Levites themselves, who ought to have been guides to others and who were to be in the Church, as it were, the pattern of holiness. God, however, promises that such would be the purifying that Christ would effect, and so regulated that it would consume the whole people, and yet purify the elect, and purify them like silver, so that they may be saved. He later tells us that the Levites themselves would need a trial to cleanse them, for they themselves would not be without filth, because they had mixed with a perverse people who had wholly departed from the law, and from the fear and the worship of God.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since we are by nature so prone to rash judgment, we may learn to submit to You, and so quietly to acquiesce in Your judgments, that we may patiently bear whatever chastisements You may daily allot to us, and not doubt that all is done for our well-being, and never murmur against You, but give You the glory in all our adversities; and may we so labor to mortify our flesh, that by denying ourselves we may ever allow You to be the only true God, a just avenger, and our Father, and that, thus renouncing ourselves, we may yet never depart from the purity of Your word, and be thus retained under Your yoke, until we finally attain that liberty which has been procured for us by Your only-begotten Son. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

In our last lecture, the Prophet delineated the office of Christ, so that hypocrites might know that they complained in vain of God's tardiness, as though He had deserted them at the very time of their extremity. He further said that there was a need for purifying, not only for the people but also for the priests; and hence it appears how corrupt the state of things had become among all classes. At the same time, he seems indirectly to reprove hypocrisy, not only in the common people but also in the Levites, for there is a contrast to be understood between the sacrifices they then offered and those offered by their fathers.

By saying then that they would offer to Jehovah an oblation in righteousness, מנחה בצדקה, meneche betsadke, he intimates that their sacrifices had not been legitimate, for they had become polluted, and therefore could not rightly minister to God. We therefore see that the Levites are here reproved because they had polluted God’s service by not offering the right sacrifices, such as He had prescribed in His law. This is not to be applied to the outward acts only, but also to the feelings and motives, because they did come to God’s altars with minds well prepared.

To offer in righteousness is a common Hebrew expression, meaning to offer in a right way, so that there is nothing wrong or worthy of blame. By the verb ישב, isheb, to sit, continuance is intimated; as though the Prophet had said that corruption was so deeply fixed in the Levites that it could not be purged away in one day or by superficial means.

In short, he meant by this one word to emphasize the severity of the people's corrupt state. For if only a slight washing had been sufficient, he would have simply said, “he will purify, he will cleanse, he will cast,” or melt, for he uses these three words; but he says, as I have stated, that He will sit to do these things, to show that He would continue in His work and carry it on for a long time, because the diseases, being so inveterate, could not be easily healed.

We now understand what the Prophet means. He later adds—

This verse shows that, although he had just spoken of the sons of Levi, he still had regard for the whole people. But he meant to confine to the elect what should not have been extended to all, because there were among the people, as we have seen and will soon see again, many who were reprobates; indeed, the greater part had fallen away. This is the reason why the Prophet especially addresses the few remaining who had not fallen away.

But he names Judah and Jerusalem, because that tribe had returned to their own country, and sacrifices were offered at Jerusalem—though not with the splendor of ancient times, as their situation had greatly deteriorated among those miserable exiles. Therefore, to encourage the faithful, the Prophet says that although the temple was then humble, and the worship of God as then performed was unadorned and lowly, there was still no reason for the Levites or for others to lose heart. The Lord would again restore the glory of His temple and truly show that what men viewed with scorn was approved by Him.

Here the Prophet retorts the complaints which the Jews had previously made. There is then a counter-movement when he says, I will draw near to you; for they provoked God by this slander — that he hid himself from them and looked from a distance on what was taking place in the world, as if the people he had chosen were not the objects of his care.

They expected God to be like a hired soldier to them, ready at hand to help them in any adversity, and to come armed at their nod or pleasure to fight with their enemies. This they expected.

But God declares something of a contrary character — that he would come for judgment. He alludes to that impious slander, when they denied that he was the God of judgment because he did not immediately, or soon enough, resist their enemies: “Oh! God has now divested himself of his own nature! For his judgment does not appear.”

His answer is, “I will not forget my judgment when I come to you, but I shall come in a way contrary to what you expect.” They indeed wished God to put on arms for their advantage, but God declares that he would be an enemy to them, according to what he also says by the mouth of Isaiah.

He further says, I will be a swift witness. He sets swiftness here in opposition to their slander, for they said that God was slow and tardy, because he had not immediately, as they had wished, come forth to exercise vengeance on foreign nations. He, on the other hand, says that he would be sufficiently swift when the time came.

And as there are similar blasphemies prevailing in the world today, this passage may be applied to our circumstances. Let us then know that though God may delay and overlook things for a time, he still knows his own opportunities, so as to appear as the avenger of wickedness as soon as it is necessary.

But let us always fear lest our haste should prove our ruin, for he has no respect of persons, so as to favor our unfaithfulness and be rigid towards those who are hostile to us. Let us take care that, while we look for the presence of God, we present ourselves before his tribunal with a pure and upright conscience.

He then mentions several kinds of evils, in which he includes the sins in which the Jews involved themselves:

1. Diviners or sorcerers. It is indeed true that among various kinds of superstitions this was one. But as the word is found here by itself, the Prophet no doubt meant to include all kinds of diviners, soothsayers, false prophets, and all such deceivers. Thus, there is here again another instance of stating a part for the whole, for he includes all those corruptions which are contrary to the true worship of God.

   We indeed know that God formerly, by his word, restrained the Jews from turning aside to incantations, magical arts, or anything of this kind. But he intimates here that they were then so given up to gross abominations that they abandoned themselves to magic arts, incantations, and the trickeries of the devil.

2. Adulterers; under this term he includes all kinds of lewdness.

3. Frauds and plunderings.

If we rightly consider the subject, we will find that these three things contain whatever violates the whole law.

The Prophet’s intent is by no means ambiguous, for he intended to show how perversely they reasoned earnestly with God. They ought to have been destroyed a hundred times, since they were apostates, were given to obscene lusts, and were cruel, avaricious, and treacherous.

And this reproof ought to be a warning to us today, that we may not call forth God’s judgment on others while we flatter ourselves as being innocent. Whenever, then, we flee to God for help and ask him to help us, let us remember that he is a just judge who has no respect of persons.

Let then everyone who implores God’s judgment be his own judge and anticipate the correction he has reason to fear. Therefore, so that God may not be armed for our destruction, let us carefully examine our own life and follow the rule prescribed here by the Prophet.

Let us begin with the worship of God, then let us consider fornications and adulteries, and whatever is contrary to chaste conduct, and afterwards let us address frauds and plunder. For if we are free from all superstition, if we keep ourselves chaste and pure, and if we also abstain from all plunder and all cruelty, our life is undoubtedly approved by God.

And for this reason the Prophet adds at the end of the verse, They feared not me. For when lusts, plunder, frauds, and the corruptions which vitiate God’s worship prevail, it is evident that there is no fear of God. Instead, men, having shaken off the yoke, as it were, run mad, though they may profess the name of God a thousand times.

By mentioning the orphan, the widow, and the stranger, he amplifies the atrocity of their crimes. For the orphans, widows, and strangers, we know, are under the guardianship and protection of God, since they are exposed to the wrongs of men.

Hence, everyone who plunders orphans, harasses widows, or oppresses strangers seems to carry on open war, as it were, with God himself, who has promised that these should be safe under the shadow of his hand.

With regard to the expressions, it seems not suitable to say that the hire of the widow and of the orphan is suppressed. There may therefore be an inversion of the words — meaning, they oppressed the widows, the orphans, and the strangers.