Malachi 3:13-18

13 “ Your words have been harsh against Me,”
Says the LORD,
“ Yet you say,
‘ What have we spoken against You?’
14 You have said,
‘ It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the LORD of hosts?
15 So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free.’”
16 Then those who feared the
LORD spoke to one another,
And the LORD listened and
heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the LORD
And who meditate on His name.

17 “ They shall be Mine,” says the
LORD of hosts,
“ On the day that I make them
My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.


The Lord lays down the charges against His people in judgment:
- They have come to the conclusion that it is useless to serve God and that there is no gain in observing God's ordinances.
- They also think that the proud, the wicked and those who tempt God have gotten away with it. So to them, there is no reason to fear God.


In the next few verses, however, God shows a very different side of Himself to those who fear Him. He listens and hears the faithful. A book of remembrance is also written before Him for His flock. This faithful remnant fears the Lord, submits to Him, heeds His word and meditates on His name.


The Lord also claims ownership over His flock. On the day of His coming, He will make them His jewels. He will spare them from His judgment in the same way a man spares his own son who serves him. A line will also be drawn between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who spurns Him.

My thoughts: I am humbled by the fact that God views us as jewels. Indeed, he values us so much as to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. How deep His love is for us.

For those who sometimes doubt that God even listens to our prayers, the verses underline the truth: God listens to His people and He hears them.

What a privilege, what an honour, and what a blessing.

Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say rejoice. Amen.


References:
1. Matthew Henry's Commentary of the Bible
2. John Calvin's Commentary of the Bible