Old Testament - Malachi 3 - December 14, 2022

12/14/2022 – Malachi 3

This chapter begins with prophesies concerning Christ’s Second Coming. He tells them that He will first send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple.” This very thing suddenly occurred when the early saints had built the first temple of our dispensation, when Joseph Smith was ‘my messenger’. 

The Lord still continues to talk to the Israelites, for He is still worried about the way they are living, and those ways are far from the commandments He has given them--which means they are far from the help and the direction that He would otherwise be able to give them. The plan has always been: if we simply follow His commandments and do the things that will keep us close to Him, then we will always be close to His help. 

So after explaining how wonderful it would be to live at a time like the Second Coming, the Lord has Malachi explain to the people just what would allow them to be able to just that.

He tells them exactly what has hindered them:

V 4: The offerings they give must be done according to the guidelines that the Lord had given them, for those guidelines gave them things to think about that would bring them closer to the Lord.

V 5: They must give up sorcerers, and adultery, and liars, and those that oppress others, and those that ignore the widows, and the fatherless, and strangers who are struggling through hard times.

In v 7 He promises them, once again, “Return unto me, and I will return unto you…” If we will just take the first step toward Him, then the Lord steps toward us.

V 8-10: They had stopped giving their tithes and their offerings that would be used to help those in need.   He then promises, once again: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” 

Elder Bednar: “Often as we teach and testify about the law of tithing, we emphasize the immediate, dramatic, and readily recognizable temporal blessings that we receive. And surely such blessings do occur. Yet some of the diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this commandment are significant but subtle. . . . Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience. I promise that as you and I observe and keep the law of tithing, indeed the windows of heaven will be opened and spiritual and temporal blessings will be poured out such that there shall not be room enough to receive them.” (Ensign Nov 2013, 17-18)

V 11: He goes further with what He will do as they work themselves back to Him: “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall you vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”  They could, and we can, pray for these blessings of giving our tithes.

In v’s 14-15 The Lord explains beautifully that wrong doing will not ever be rewarded. Again, He warns them against wickedness and pride.

And then in v 17-18, He tells us what will be the rewards of following His commandments: “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels [royal treasure], and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.


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