Malachi 3:4
Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.
Then
The word "then" serves as a pivotal transition, indicating a future time when the conditions described in the preceding verses have been fulfilled. In the context of Malachi, this refers to the purification and refinement of the priests and the people, as described in Malachi 3:3. The Hebrew root for "then" (אָז, 'az) often signifies a consequential moment, suggesting a divine sequence where God's intervention leads to a restored relationship with His people.

the offerings
The term "offerings" (מִנְחָה, minchah) in Hebrew encompasses various types of sacrifices, particularly those that are non-blood, such as grain offerings. These offerings symbolize devotion, gratitude, and atonement. Historically, offerings were central to the worship practices in the Temple, serving as a tangible expression of the Israelites' covenant relationship with God. The restoration of acceptable offerings signifies a return to genuine worship and obedience.

of Judah and Jerusalem
"Judah and Jerusalem" represent the southern kingdom and its capital, the heart of Jewish religious life. This phrase underscores the collective responsibility and participation of the community in worship. Historically, Jerusalem was the location of the Temple, the center of Jewish worship and sacrificial offerings. The mention of both Judah and Jerusalem highlights the comprehensive nature of the anticipated spiritual renewal.

will please the LORD
The phrase "will please the LORD" (יֵרָצוּ לַיהוָה, yeratzu l'YHWH) conveys the idea of divine acceptance and favor. The Hebrew root רָצָה (ratzah) means to be pleased or satisfied. In the sacrificial system, the acceptability of offerings was contingent upon the heart and obedience of the offerer. This phrase indicates a future time when the people's offerings will align with God's standards, reflecting a restored relationship.

as in days of old
"Days of old" (כִּימֵי עוֹלָם, kimei olam) evokes a nostalgic return to a time when Israel's worship was pure and pleasing to God. This phrase often refers to the patriarchal period or the early days of the nation when the covenant relationship was strong. It suggests a longing for a return to foundational principles and practices that honored God.

and years gone by
The phrase "years gone by" (וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת, u'k'shanim kadmoniyot) further emphasizes the desire for restoration to a former state of faithfulness. The Hebrew word קַדְמוֹנִי (kadmoni) means ancient or former, indicating a time when the people's relationship with God was characterized by obedience and reverence. This longing for the past serves as a call to return to the covenantal faithfulness that marked Israel's early history.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Malachi
The last prophet in the Old Testament, whose name means "my messenger." He delivered God's message to the Israelites, calling them to repentance and faithfulness.

2. Judah
One of the twelve tribes of Israel, representing the southern kingdom. It is significant in biblical history as the tribe from which King David and ultimately Jesus Christ descended.

3. Jerusalem
The capital city of Judah, central to Jewish worship and the location of the Temple, where sacrifices and offerings were made to God.

4. Offerings
Refers to the sacrifices and gifts presented to God as acts of worship and atonement, which were central to the religious life of Israel.

5. The LORD
The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is the focus of worship and the one who desires sincere offerings from His people.
Teaching Points
Restoration of True Worship
Malachi 3:4 speaks to the restoration of worship that is pleasing to God. True worship involves sincerity and obedience, not just ritual.

Historical Faithfulness
The reference to "days of old" reminds us of the faithfulness of past generations. We are called to learn from their devotion and apply it to our lives today.

Heart Over Ritual
God desires offerings that come from a heart of repentance and faith. Our worship should be genuine and reflect our relationship with Him.

Christ as the Perfect Offering
In the New Testament, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial system. Our offerings are now spiritual, rooted in His perfect sacrifice.

Community Worship
The mention of Judah and Jerusalem highlights the communal aspect of worship. As believers, we are called to gather and offer collective praise to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the historical context of Judah and Jerusalem's offerings inform our understanding of worship today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our offerings to God are "pleasing" and not merely ritualistic?

3. How does the concept of offerings in Malachi 3:4 connect to the New Testament understanding of spiritual sacrifices?

4. What lessons can we learn from the "days of old" regarding faithfulness and devotion in our personal and communal worship?

5. How can we apply the principle of heart-centered worship in our daily lives, ensuring that our actions reflect our faith in Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 1-7
These chapters detail the various offerings and sacrifices that were to be made by the Israelites, providing context for what it means for offerings to be "pleasing to the LORD."

Hebrews 13:15-16
This passage speaks of offering sacrifices of praise and doing good, connecting the concept of pleasing offerings to New Testament believers.

Psalm 51:16-17
David's psalm highlights that God desires a contrite heart over mere ritualistic offerings, emphasizing the heart's condition in worship.
Past DaysW. Osborne Lilley.Malachi 3:4
The Pleasantness of Religious OfferingsR. Tuck Malachi 3:4
Christ as a Spiritual ReformerD. Thomas Malachi 3:1-4
Christ's ComingJ. Jowett, M. A.Malachi 3:1-6
Did Jesus Come AgainCanon Charles Kingsley.Malachi 3:1-6
England's Ideal Future, and Our Duty with Regard to ItA. J. Griffith.Malachi 3:1-6
Messiah and His ForerunnerHenry Melvill, B. D.Malachi 3:1-6
Messiah's MessengerSermons by Monday ClubMalachi 3:1-6
My MessengerThe ThinkerMalachi 3:1-6
Purifying Through the Lord's ComingS. C. Kapff.Malachi 3:1-6
The Advent of ChristG. Preston.Malachi 3:1-6
The Appearance of the Great DelivererBishop Horsley.Malachi 3:1-6
The Coming of MessiahWilliam Jay.Malachi 3:1-6
The Lord Coming to His TempleC. Bradley, M. A.Malachi 3:1-6
The Lord's Coming to His TempleStephen Jenner, M. A.Malachi 3:1-6
The Messenger of the Covenant Delighted InHon. and Rev. B. W. Nod, M. A.Malachi 3:1-6
People
Jacob, Levi, Levites, Malachi
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Acceptable, Ancient, Former, Jerusalem, Judah, Oblation, Offering, Past, Pleasant, Pleasing, Present, Sweet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Malachi 3:2-4

     4351   refining
     8326   purity, moral and spiritual

Malachi 3:2-5

     1025   God, anger of
     8786   opposition, to sin and evil

Malachi 3:3-4

     6603   acceptance, divine

Library
The Lord Coming to his Temple
Westminster Abbey. November, 1874. Malachi iii. 1, 2. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple. . . . But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's sope." We believe that this prophecy was fulfilled at the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that it will be fulfilled again, in that great day when He shall judge the quick and the dead. But it is of neither of these events
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

January 19. "Prove Me Now Herewith" (Mal. Iii. 10).
"Prove me now herewith" (Mal. iii. 10). We once heard a simple old colored man say something that we have never forgotten. "When God tests You it is a good time for you to test Him by putting His promises to the proof, and claiming from Him just as much as your trials have rendered necessary." There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is to simply try to get rid of the trial, and be thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger blessing
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Unchanging Lord
'I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.' MALACHI iii. 6. The scriptural revelations of the divine Name are always the basis of intensely practical admonition. The Bible does not think it worth while to proclaim the Name of God without building on the proclamation promises or commandments. There is no 'mere theology' in Scripture; and it does not speak of 'attributes,' nor give dry abstractions of infinitude, eternity, omniscience, unchangeableness, but lays stress
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Dialogue with God
'Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?'--MALACHI iii. 7 (R.V.). In previous sermons we have considered God's indictment of man's sin met by man's plea of 'not guilty,' and God's threatenings brushed aside by man's question. Here we have the climax of self-revealing and patient love in God's wooing voice to draw the wanderer back, met by man's refusing answer. These three divine utterances taken together cover the whole ground of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Last Word of Prophecy
'Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. 2. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

'Stout Words,' and their Confutation
'Your words have been stout against Me, saith the Lord: yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against Thee? 14. Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? 15. And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it; and a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Lord Coming to his Temple
The LORD , whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple; even the messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight: Behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like a fuller's soap, -- and he shall purify the sons of Levi -- that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. W hereunto shall we liken the people of this generation? and to what are they like? (Luke 7:31)
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Immutability of God
"Great God, how infinite art thou, What worthless worms are we!" But while the subject humbles the mind it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe. He may be a naturalist, boasting of his ability to dissect a beetle, anatomize a fly, or arrange insects and animals in classes with well nigh unutterable names; he may be a geologist, able to discourse of the megatherium and the plesiosaurus, and all kinds of extinct
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

God's Jewels.
(Schools.) MALACHI III. 17. "They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels." There is a legend of old time which tells us how a certain Jewish Rabbi returned to his home after a long absence. His first question was--"Where are my boys?" for his wife had greeted him alone. Then, instead of answering her husband's question, the wife asked his advice. She told him that some years before someone had lent her something very precious, and she would know whether after
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

The Unchangeableness of God
The next attribute is God's unchangeableness. I am Jehovah, I change not.' Mal 3:3. I. God is unchangeable in his nature. II. In his decree. I. Unchangeable in his nature. 1. There is no eclipse of his brightness. 2. No period put to his being. [1] No eclipse of his brightness. His essence shines with a fixed lustre. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.' James 1:17. Thou art the same.' Psa 102:27. All created things are full of vicissitudes. Princes and emperors are subject to
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

All Manner of Precious Stones
Gerhard Ter Steegen Mal. iii. 17 There it is fair, Where thousand, thousand flames for evermore In God's high palace glow, No more they light the dark and misty shore, As long ago: They burn, a crown of every radiant stone, For ever and for ever round the throne, Christ's diadem. Eternal lamps that never can be dim, Fed by the golden oil that flows to them For ever from the Heart whence flowed the Blood, They shine with light of every precious gem, Light of the joy of God. Past, pain and sorrow,
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

They Shall He Mine, Saith the Lord. Mal 3:16-18

John Newton—Olney Hymns

The Fellowship of those who Fear the Lord. --Malachi iii. 16-18; iv. 1
The fellowship of those who fear the Lord.--Malachi iii. 16-18; iv. 1. When those who fear'd the Lord of old Met oft, and spoke with one accord, A book was written, and enroll'd Their faithful names before the Lord. They shall be mine, Jehovah said, And as a signet on my hand, A crown of glory for my head, Among my chosen jewels stand. And I will spare them in that day, Even as a father spares his son, When all the proud are swept away, The wicked, root and branch, undone. Then shall my righteousness
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Whether this is True: "God was Made Man"?
Objection 1: It would seem that this is false: "God was made man." For since man signifies a substance, to be made man is to be made simply. But this is false: "God was made simply." Therefore this is false: "God was made man." Objection 2: Further, to be made man is to be changed. But God cannot be the subject of change, according to Malachi 3:6: "I am the Lord, and I change not." Hence this is false: "God was made man." Objection 3: Further, man as predicated of Christ stands for the Person of
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it was Fitting for Christ to Ascend into Heaven?
Objection 1: It would seem that it was not fitting for Christ to ascend into heaven. For the Philosopher says (De Coelo ii) that "things which are in a state of perfection possess their good without movement." But Christ was in a state of perfection, since He is the Sovereign Good in respect of His Divine Nature, and sovereignly glorified in respect of His human nature. Consequently, He has His good without movement. But ascension is movement. Therefore it was not fitting for Christ to ascend. Objection
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether that Fire Will Engulf the Wicked?
Objection 1: It would seem that that fire will not engulf the wicked. For a gloss on Malachi 3:3, "He shall purify the sons of Levi," says that "it is a fire consuming the wicked and refining the good"; and a gloss on 1 Cor. 3:13, "Fire shall try every man's work," says: "We read that there will be a twofold fire, one that will cleanse the elect and will precede the judgment, another that will torture the wicked." Now the latter is the fire of hell that shall engulf the wicked, while the former is
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Sunday-School Hymns.
SHEPHERD OF TENDER YOUTH. [Greek: Stomion polon adaon] We are assured by repeated references in the patristic writings that the primitive years of the Christian Church were not only years of suffering but years of song. That the despised and often persecuted "Nazarenes," scattered in little colonies throughout the Roman Empire, did not forget to mingle tones of praise and rejoicing with their prayers could readily be believed from the much-quoted letter of a pagan lawyer, written about as long
Theron Brown—The Story of the Hymns and Tunes

In the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles.
(October, a.d. 29.) ^D John VII. 11-52. ^d 11 The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? [It was now eighteen months since Jesus had visited Jerusalem, at which time he had healed the impotent man at Bethesda. His fame and prolonged obscurity made his enemies anxious for him to again expose himself in their midst. John here used the word "Jews" as a designation for the Jerusalemites, who, as enemies of Christ, were to be distinguished from the multitudes who were in doubt
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Never Changing One.
"JESUS Christ the same yesterday, and to-day and forever" (Heb. xiii:8). Blessed truth and precious assurance for us poor, weak creatures, yea, among all His creatures the most changing; He changeth not. "For I am the Lord, I change not" (Mal. iii:6). "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall all perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Sinner Sentenced.
1, 2.The sinner called upon to hear his sentence.--3. God's law does now in general pronounce a curse.--4. It pronounces death.--5. And being turned into hell.--6. The judgement day shall come.--7, 8. The solemnity of that grand process described according to scriptural representations of it.--9. With a particular illustration of the sentence, "Depart, accursed," &c.--10. The execution wilt certainly and immediately follow.--11. The sinner warned to prepare for enduring it. The reflection of a sinner
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant
"I give thee for a covenant of the people."--ISA. xlii. 6, xlix. 8. "The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in."--MAL. iii. 1. "Jesus was made Surety of a better covenant."--HEB. vii. 22. "The Mediator of the Better Covenant, established upon better promises . . . The Mediator of the New Covenant. . . Ye are come to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant."--HEB. viii. 6, ix. 15, xii. 24. WE have here four titles given to our Lord Jesus in
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Troubles of Lingering at the Crossing
TROUBLES OF LINGERING AT THE CROSSING Some time ago I consecrated to God for entire sanctification and thought I was sanctified. Then I began to doubting whether I was wholly sanctified; so I consecrated again. This I have done a number of times; in fact, so many times that I don't know what to do. Can you help me any in this difficulty? I am in doubts about my consecration. I am as consecrated as I know how to be, yet there is a feeling of unreality and uncertainty about it that is distressing,
Robert Lee Berry—Adventures in the Land of Canaan

His Schools and Schoolmasters.
(LUKE 1.) "Oh to have watched thee through the vineyards wander, Pluck the ripe ears, and into evening roam!-- Followed, and known that in the twilight yonder Legions of angels shone about thy home!" F. W. H. MYERS. Home-Life--Preparing for his Life-Work--The Vow of Separation--A Child of the Desert Zacharias and Elisabeth had probably almost ceased to pray for a child, or to urge the matter. It seemed useless to pray further. There had been no heaven-sent sign to assure them that there was any
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

Whether God is Altogether Immutable?
Objection 1: It seems that God is not altogether immutable. For whatever moves itself is in some way mutable. But, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit viii, 20), "The Creator Spirit moves Himself neither by time, nor by place." Therefore God is in some way mutable. Objection 2: Further, it is said of Wisdom, that "it is more mobile than all things active [Vulg.'mobilior']" (Wis. 7:24). But God is wisdom itself; therefore God is movable. Objection 3: Further, to approach and to recede signify movement.
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

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