Malachi Chapter 4/Commentary

Malachi Chapter 4

4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch” “The day is coming”: The skeptics in Israel had complained that God was either slow or incorrect in the way that He administered justice (3:14-15; 2:17). Yet God is not tardy when it comes to rewarding the just and punishing the wicked. The same is true with the final judgment (2 Peter 3:9). Although the prophets wrote of many such days that have come upon the wicked of the earth, including the destruction of Jerusalem, a final day of complete destruction of the wicked from the face of the Lord will be at the Second Coming (2 Thess. 1:9). God’s threats will be as surely fulfilled as His promises (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 33:9,11).

“Burning like a furnace”: Fire is often associated with the Day of Judgment and is a symbol of the holiness of God, which consumes all impurity. It also infers that God’s judgment is searching, complete, and that no one will escape (2 Corinthians 5:10). See Amos 1:4,7; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8.

“All the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff”: In the context, the label “arrogant” includes the people who were complaining that God is too slow or that God does not really know what He is doing. This means that questioning God’s leadership and judgment is just as bad as being a sinner who doesn’t care about God. Those who complained about the way that God was running the universe would be condemned along with all the evildoers. “Chaff” is useless and worthless and if we criticize God then we are useless to Him, His cause, and to the world.

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“It will leave them neither root or branch”: This does not mean annihilation for sinners, for the wicked will suffer after this life (Revelation 20:10; Luke 16:19ff).

“As far as this world is concerned, the wicked would be totally removed. This formula has also been found in Phoenician literature. The figure is of a tree given up to be burned so that nothing is left of it. John the Baptist used this same figure in Matthew 3:10” (Smith p. 650). “The mention of roots indicates the complete termination of growth. As with the two extremities of a plant, all the wicked—without exception—will be destroyed” (Gaebelein p. 724). This means that no one will escape, and that in the end no one will have gotten away with anything. In addition, the verse clearly infers that there are no second chances for the wicked after they are judged. “This warning is not only addressed to the ungodly; it includes also the grumblers. If they persist in their carping criticism of the Lord’s justice, they will meet with the same fate prepared for the wicked.

Hypocrisy is wickedness covering itself with the cloak of righteousness (Jeremiah 3:10f)” (Laetsch p.544).

So don’t give up when people who are proud do evil things and prosper! Avoid question God when such people say ungodly things about God or His people and become very popular and wealthy (Jude 15). God not only allows the wicked to prosper so they will have more time to repent and so they can’t argue that God never loved them (Matthew 5:44-48), God also allows such to happen so Christians will live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Do we really trust God?

4:2 "But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall” “You who fear My name”: In this context, having the proper respect for God includes never questioning His wisdom or His revelation. In addition, in the book of Malachi God has already told us that having respect for Him includes putting Him as the most important person in our lives and giving Him our best (1:6ff).

“The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings”: This is probably a reference to either Jesus, or the salvation that Jesus would bring. Jesus is often likened to a “light” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 9:2; “I am the light of the world” John 8:12).

He is called “our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). The righteousness that Jesus will bring will be available to all, just like the rays from the sun touch all men 2

and every part of the earth (Titus 2:11). The “healing” in the passage must be spiritual healing. This term means “health or restoration” and the term “wings” refers to the rays of the sun. The only true healing for the mind, soul, or heart is found in Jesus Christ and the gospel message. We must resist the temptation to think that such healing can be found outside of Christ--“For by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

“And you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall”: “The figure of calves enjoying open pasture after being cooped up in a pen, expresses the future satisfaction and joy of the righteous” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1587).

Here is the joy that people experience when they become Christians and they realize that all their sins are forgiven, “but went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39); “and rejoiced greatly” (16:34). Is this the way that we feel about our salvation?

“The righteous, now enlightened and healed, will gambol like calves, frisking about in their new found freedom” (Gaebelein p. 724).

4:3 "And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the LORD of hosts”

“You will tread down the wicked”: “To tread down the wicked indicates the complete victory of the righteous and righteousness over the wicked and wickedness” (Hailey p. 424). This verse clearly answers the cynical question asked by the unfaithful Israelites, “What do we gain by carrying out His requirements?” (3:14). This verse reminds us that the ultimate victory belongs to God and His people. If the proud are oppressing the righteous (as happened to early Christians), such oppression is only temporary. What do the wicked gain for all their efforts? Ashes!

It is so hard to imagine all wickedness and sin vanquished for good! In this life it seems that the bad guys win and win often. But God reminds us that He will judge, and those who stood by Him will stand approved, and all who opposed Him will be removed.

4:4 "Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel”

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Here is an exhortation to remember the Law of Moses. Malachi thus sets his seal of approval upon the Law. Remember, at this time the Law was about 1000 years old. Yet, time and culture hadn’t changed God’s Word. In addition, when the Law was given Malachi and his generation did not exist, and yet the Law applied to Malachi and his generation as well as any other generation prior to the cross of Christ. Jesus noted that the Law would remain in force, right down to the smallest bit of it until it was fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18). The Law of Moses came by divine command in the range of mountains called “Horeb”. The particular peak where God entered into a covenant with His people was called “Sinai”.

Note that Malachi endorses all the historical details associated with the giving of the Law. 1. A man by the name of Moses really did exist and God really did reveal the Law through him. 2. The place where the Law was revealed was called Horeb. 3. Israel was really in the wilderness and they really did camp around Mount Sinai when the Law was given. 4. The Law wasn’t given through many different writers; rather, the entire Law was given through Moses!

“All Israel”: The Law applied to anyone who was and would be an Israelite, even though it was never specifically addressed to them by name. In like manner, the New Testament applies to everyone, and what God expected of the New Testament Christians—God expects of all Christians.

“Would Malachi, the spokesman of God, have said that the Law of Moses had been commanded by the Lord to His servant Moses at Horeb if a large number of these statutes had never been enacted by Moses, but had originated in the minds of the priests and scribes living many centuries after Moses? Perish the thought!” (Laetsch p. 546).

4:4 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet”: Jesus made it clear that this verse refers to the coming of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:11-13). John the Baptist denied that he was literally Elijah come back from the dead, but he did come in the spirit and power of Elijah (John 1:21; Luke 1:17). During his lifetime, Elijah had preached repentance and a return to God, this was also the preaching of John the Baptist.

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“The great and terrible day of the LORD”: In a sense John the Baptist did prepare people for the final judgment (if they didn’t repent, they would be lost).

But the fearful and terrible day that the Jews of John’s generation faced was God’s wrath that was poured out on the city of Jerusalem in AD 70. See also Matthew 24:1-28 and Luke 21:1-21. Some Premillennial writers argue that this passage was never fulfilled in the life of John of Baptist and that another Elijah will appear before the end of time, yet such a statement flatly contradicts what Jesus said (Matthew 11:7-10; 17:11).

4:6 “And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse” “He will turn the heart of the children to the fathers. The children will no longer seek to be different, more up-to-date, more liberal and broad-minded than their forefathers” (Laetsch p. 547). “A great chasm existed been the godly forefathers and the degenerate generation of John’s day. The idea here is not the settlement of family disputes, but the conversion of the children so that they would be like their godly forefathers. To state the matter differently, John would lead in a mighty revival among the Jews. Thus did the angel interpret this passage in the announcement of John’s birth (Luke 1:16-17)” (Smith p. 652).

“He was to restore a right relation between parents and children and to turn the hearts of the children to the ancestral religion of their fathers” (Hailey p. 426).

God is not impressed when a generation feels that it is beyond the need for biblical teaching or sound doctrine. Our present society seems to feel that biblical teaching is out-of-date and that we are so smart that we can improve on what or how Jesus and the apostles taught. Yet the truth is that the answer is not found in the future, rather, all the right answers are found in the past (Jeremiah 6:16). God does not have new truth for each new generation; rather He has the same truth for everyone (2 Timothy 2:2).

“Lest I come and smite the land with a curse”: A return to God was the only way to avert destruction. Some listened, but most did not and consequently God came in AD 70 and destroyed their city and their land.

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“The book of Malachi serves as a fitting close to God’s ancient revelation to His people. The final appeal is made to the people to purge out the wickedness found among them and to render to Jehovah an acceptable service. A final warning is given of inevitable judgment upon the wicked. And a final promise is made of Jehovah’s righteousness to be provided in Him. There was no more that Jehovah could say or do; therefore no word was heard from Him until the silence was broken by the messenger who would introduce the Messiah” (Hailey p. 426).

In like manner, the book of Revelation renders the same expectation of judgment and repentance at the end of the New Testament (Revelation 22:12-17).

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