John Calvin Commentary Malachi 3:17

"And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, [even] mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." — Malachi 3:17 (ASV)

He shows by the issue itself why a book of remembrance was written—that God in due time would again undertake to defend and cherish His Church. So, though for a time many troubles were to be sustained by the godly, yet the Prophet shows that they did not serve God in vain, for facts would eventually prove that their obedience has not been overlooked. But the two things which he mentions should be noticed: for a book of remembrance is first written before God, and then God executes what is written in the book. When, therefore, we seem to serve God in vain, let us know that the obedience we render to Him will come to an account, and that He is a just Judge, though He may not immediately stretch out His hand to us.

First, then, the Prophet testifies that God knows what is done by everyone; and in the second place he adds that He will in His own time perform what He has decreed. So also in judgments, He preserves the same order in knowing and in executing. For when He said to Abraham that the cry of Sodom came up to heaven (Genesis 18:20), how great and how complacent was the security of the city! How wantonly and how savagely they despised every authority to the very last moment! But God had long before ascended His tribunal and had taken an account of their wickedness. So also in the case of the godly, though He seems to overlook their obedience, yet He has not His eyes closed, or His ears closed, for there is a book of memorial written before Him.

Hence He says, They shall be in the day I make. The verb is stated by itself, but we may easily learn from the context that it refers to the restoration of the Church. In the day then in which I shall make, that is, complete what I have already said; for He had before promised to restore the Church. As He speaks of a known thing, then, He says shortly, In the day I shall make, or complete my work, they shall be to me a peculiar treasure. This phrase confirms what I have already stated—that God has His season and opportunity, so that there may be no presumption in us to prescribe to Him the time when He is to do this or that. In the day, then, when He shall gather His Church, it will then appear that we are His peculiar treasure.

Thus the Prophet in these words exhorts us to patience, lest it be grievous to us to groan under our burden and not to find God's help according to our wishes, and lest it also be grievous to us to bear troubles in common with the whole Church.

If one or two of us were subject to the cross, and doomed to sorrow and grief in this world, our condition might seem hard. But since the godly, from the first to the last, are made to be our associates in bearing the cross of Christ and to be conformed to His example, there is no reason for any of us to shun this lot; for we are not better than the holy patriarchs, apostles, and so many of the faithful whom God has tested with the cross.

Since, then, the common restoration of the Church is here set before us, let us know that a reason is here given for constancy and fortitude. For it would be disgraceful for us to faint when we have so many leaders in this warfare, who by their examples stretch out, as it were, their hands to us. For as Abraham, David, and other Patriarchs and Prophets, as well as Apostles, have suffered so many and so grievous troubles, ought not this fact to raise up our spirits?

And if at any time our feet and our legs tremble, should it not be sufficient to strengthen us that so many excellent leaders invite us to persevere by their example? We see then that this has not been laid down for nothing: when I shall make, or complete my work.

By the words peculiar treasure, God indicates that the lot of the godly will be different from that of the world; as though He had said, “You are now so mixed together, that those who serve me seem no more peculiar than strangers; but they shall then be my peculiar treasure.” This is to be taken, as I have already mentioned, for the outward appearance; for we know that we have been chosen by God before the foundation of the world for this purpose—that we might be to Him a peculiar treasure.

But when we are afflicted in common with the wicked, or when we seem to be even rejected, and the ungodly, on the other hand, seem to have God favorable to them, then nothing seems less true than this promise. I therefore said that this should be referred to the outward appearance—that the faithful are God's peculiar treasure, that they are valued by Him, and that He shows to them peculiar love, as to His own inheritance.

And this mode of speaking occurs in many parts of Scripture; for God is often said to repudiate His people; the word separation, or divorce, is often mentioned; He is said to have destroyed His inheritance. Grievous is the trial when God cherishes, as it were, in His bosom the ungodly, and we at the same time are exposed to every kind of misery. But we see what happened to the ancient Church: let us, then, arm ourselves for this contest and be satisfied with the inward testimony of the Spirit, though outward things do not prosper.

He adds, And I will spare them as a man spares, etc. He states here a promise which should especially be observed: it contains two clauses. The first is that the Jews who remained alive would render obedience to God, by which they would prove themselves to be children indeed, and not in name only. The second is that God would forgive them; that is, that He would exercise pardon in receiving their services, which could not otherwise please Him.

And there is no doubt that the Spirit of regeneration is included in the words, the son who serves him. This is not to say that the faithful addressed here were wholly destitute of the fear of God, but God promises an increase of grace, as though He had said, “I will gather to myself the people who faithfully and sincerely worship me.” Though, then, He does not speak here of the beginning of a religious and holy life, it is yet the same as though He had said that the faithful would be under His government, that they might devote themselves to His service.

The second promise refers to another grace—that God in His mercy would approve of the obedience of the godly, though in itself unworthy to come to His presence. How necessary this indulgence is to us, those who are really and truly acquainted with the fear of God fully know. The sophists daringly prattle about merits and fill themselves and others with empty pride; but those who understand that no one can stand before God's tribunal do not dream of any merits, nor do they believe that they can bring anything before God by which they can conciliate His favor. Hence their only refuge is what the Prophet here teaches us, that God spares them.

And it must be observed that the Prophet does not speak simply of the remission of sins. Our salvation, we know, consists of two things: that God rules us by His Spirit and forms us anew in His own image through the whole course of our life, and also that He buries our sins.

But the Prophet refers here to the remission of sins, of which we have need concerning our good works; for it is certain that even when we devote ourselves with all possible effort and zeal to God's service, there is yet something always lacking. Hence, no work, however right and perfect before men, deserves this distinction and honor before God.

It is therefore necessary, even when we strive our utmost to serve God, to confess that without His forgiveness whatever we bring deserves rejection rather than His favor. Hence the Prophet says that when God is reconciled to us, there is no reason to fear that He will reject us because we are not perfect. For though our works are sprinkled with many spots, they will yet be acceptable to Him, and though we labor under many defects, we shall yet be approved by Him. How so? Because He will spare us.

For a father is indulgent to his children. Though he may see a blemish in the body of his son, he will not on that account cast him out of his house. Indeed, though he may have a son who is lame, or cross-eyed, or notable for any other defect, he will still pity him and will not cease to love him. So also is the case with God, who, when He adopts us as His children, will forgive our sins. And as a father is pleased with every small attention when he sees his son submissive, and does not require from him what he requires from a servant, so God acts; He does not repudiate our obedience, however defective it may be.

Hence we see the design and meaning of the Prophet: that he promises pardon from God to the faithful, after having been reconciled to Him, because they serve God as children willingly; and that God also, though their works are unworthy of His favor, will yet count them as acceptable, even through pardon, and not on the ground of merit or worthiness.

Prayer: Grant, Almighty God, that as Satan strives to draw us away from every attention to true religion when things in the world are in a state of disorder and confusion—O grant, that we may know that You care for us. If we do not perceive this by what we find in the world, may we rely on Your word and doubt not that You ever watch over our safety. Being supported by this confidence, may we ever go on in the course of our calling. And as You have deigned to make us partakers of that evidence of Your favor by which we know that we are reconciled to You in Your only-begotten Son, and being thus made His members, may we never hesitate cheerfully to offer to You our services, however defective they may be. Since You have once promised to be a gracious Father to us, so as not rigidly to test what we offer to You, but so graciously to accept it, that we may know that not only our sins, which justly deserve condemnation, are forgiven and remitted to us, but that You also so bear with our infirmities and our defects in our imperfect works, that we shall eventually receive the reward which You have promised, and which we cannot attain through our merits, but through the sanctification of Your Spirit, and through the sprinkling of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.—Amen.

We saw in the last lecture that no works of the faithful please God, except through a gratuitous acceptance. Hence it follows that nothing can be ascribed to merits without derogating from the grace of Christ; for if the value of works depends on this, that God is our Father and is reconciled to us in Christ, nothing can be more absurd than to set up works, which should be subordinated to this paternal favor of God.

We now see how these two things harmonize—that reward is promised to works, and that works themselves deserve nothing before God. For though God can justly reject them, He yet regards them as acceptable because He forgives all their defects. Thus we have briefly stated the reason why our works are approved by God: they are not so on account of any worthiness, but through His favor alone. For there is no work which would not on account of its imperfection be displeasing to God, were He to require that it should be according to the rule of His law. Hence God departs from His own law and turns to mercy, that He may regard works as acceptable, which otherwise, being defective, could not stand before His presence.