John Calvin Commentary Malachi 3:18

"Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." — Malachi 3:18 (ASV)

This verse at first glance seems to be addressed to the faithful, for there has never been a turning concerning the reprobate. But as the word has a wide meaning, the passage may be suitably applied to the whole people, according to what we find in Zechariah, They shall see him whom they have pierced; for we have said that this might be understood of both the good and the bad. So also the whole people might be viewed as addressed in these words.

However, when we examine all circumstances more minutely, it seems that Malachi more particularly addressed the ungodly and again checked their furious blasphemies. For we find almost the same sentiment expressed here as when he said, The Lord whom you expect shall come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant whom you seek; and at the same time, he showed that the coming of Christ, which they said was advancing too slowly, would not be such as they desired or looked for. “Let not this delay,” he says, “be grievous to you, for everything terrible which His majesty possesses will be turned on your heads; for He will come as an angry judge and an avenger. You therefore hope in vain for any comfort or alleviation from His presence.”

So also he says in this place, You shall see this difference between the just and the unjust; that is, “You shall find that God does not sleep in heaven when the ungodly grow wanton on the earth and abandon themselves to every kind of wickedness. Experience then will eventually teach you that men shall not thus with impunity become insolent against God, but that all your wickedness must come to a reckoning.”

Therefore, when he says that they would find the difference between the godly and the ungodly, he means that they would find by the punishments which God would inflict that men are not permitted to indulge their own depraved desires, as though God slept in heaven, forgetful of His office.

Their blasphemy was, “In vain is God worshipped. What is the benefit? for we have kept His charge, and yet the proud are more happy than we are.” As they then accused God of such connivance, as though He disregarded and cast away His own servants and showed favor to the wicked, Malachi returns them an answer and says, “You shall see how much the good differ from the evil. God indeed spares the wicked, but He will eventually rise to judgment and come armed suddenly upon them. Then you shall know that all the deeds of men are noticed by Him, and that wickedness shall not go unpunished, though God for a time delays His vengeance.”

So now we perceive the Prophet’s meaning: that the ungodly who clamor against God, as though He took no account of either the just or the unjust, shall find, even to their own loss, that He is one who punishes wickedness.

As to the verb turn, I have already said that it has a wide meaning and does not always mean repentance or the renovation of man. It may therefore be taken as signifying only a different state of things, as though he had said, “The dice shall be turned, and such will be your condition when God shall begin to execute His judgment, that He will then manifestly show that He has not forgotten His office, though He does not immediately hasten to execute His judgments.” You shall return then and see.

Yet if anyone prefers to regard returning as the experience of God’s judgments, by which even the ungodly shall be touched, though without repentance, this view will not be unsuitable, and I am disposed to embrace it.

That is, the Lord will shake off the stupidity in which they were sunk and will correct their madness, so that they will not dare to vomit forth their blasphemies so insolently as they had been accustomed to do. You then shall return; that is, “I will make My judgment known to you, and you shall not rush on headlong as wild beasts, for being taught by facts, you shall learn the difference between the good and the bad.”

The just, and he who serves God, mean the same person. From this we learn that there is no justice where there is no obedience rendered to God. The first thing then in a good and an upright life is to serve God, for it would be of little benefit to be harmless towards men when His right is denied. And we know that God is not rightly served except according to what His law prescribes. We must then always come to this—that men must obey God if they desire to form their life correctly.