Have you ever felt that the Lord might forget you? What with everything that happens in this world, and all of the billions of people that He has to look after, do you fear that you might just fall through the cracks and be forgotten by Him? In our Old Testament Scripture reading this week, from the Book of the Prophet Malachi, we will read how God will never forget His faithful followers, and read of one way in which we will be remembered. Let’s look into our Scripture passage.
The Book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. In it the prophet gave voice to some of the issues that the Lord had with the Jewish people after they returned from almost a century in exile. Malachi was a contemporary of both Ezra and Nehemiah, along with some other prophets, namely Haggai and Zechariah. It would be the final official Word from the Lord, as afterwards there was some four hundred years of silence until John the Baptist would appear on the scene, preparing the way for the Messiah.
As our passage begins, the Lord had some issues with the people. Many of the people who had returned to the Promised Land, following years in exile, were beginning to complain about following the Lord and obeying His commands (vs. 13-15). They wondered what the purpose was in obeying God and serving Him, when the wicked seemed to be living a blessed life. Here they were, doing what God wanted, and there seemingly wasn’t any payoff, while the wicked were living how they wanted, and everything was going fine for them. So why bother, they wondered. They claimed that serving God brought no acknowledgment or reward. The wicked get wealthy. Those who sin seem to escape punishment. God promised, though, that ultimately there would be a reckoning day.
Today as we look around, we may see people who give no thought to God seemingly blessed and prospering. We may ask the same questions that the people in Malachi’s day did. The mistake of that thinking is in what one considers a blessing. The measure of success is not wealth, fame, or power. If we complain about the blessings that evil people receive, we are actually exposing the immaturity of our own faith. We show that we are still struggling with the desire to place our trust in material blessings rather than in Jesus Christ.
God then spoke to those who continued to remain faithful to Him, who continued to fear and obey His Word. All through history, during the good times, and especially during the dark days, God has a faithful remnant who remain true to Him. God wanted this remnant to know that He has not forgotten them. The prophet Malachi spoke to the people, telling them of a special book that the Lord had (vs. 16). This book is called the Book of Remembrance, and it contains the names of all those who fear the Lord and meditate on His Name. Unlike a forgotten grave whose name has been erased by time and weather, believers are forever remembered by God in His Book of Remembrance. He knows those who love and serve Him, and He records our names for eternity.
The faithful remnant fear the Lord and honor His Name. They do not consider following Him to be futile. They talk and encourage each other to remain faithful. God takes note of this, and records these believers' names in His book, which is also mentioned in Daniel 12:1 and in Revelation 20:12. They are His treasured possession, like precious jewels (vs. 17). Those who live for God, serve Him, and are faithful to Him are God’s peculiar treasure (I Peter 2:9).
Malachi then gave a prophecy of the coming Messiah (vs. 1-2), comparing the Lord Jesus to the sun with its healing rays of light coming over the earth, overspreading it, like wings do. In the Day of the Lord, God’s wrath towards the wicked will burn like a furnace. However, He will be like the healing warmth of the sun to those who love and obey Him.
After Malachi, there was no prophet or word from God for 400 years (vs. 5-6). The next bold words for God came from John the Baptist, who was a type of Elijah, both in word and looks. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Is your Name written in God’s Book of Remembrance? Are you one of His treasured jewels? When the Day of the Lord comes, you do not want to be part of the wicked who will be burned like an oven. No one will. They will be wishing their names were in God’s Book! Don’t wait until it is too late. Turn to Jesus and accept Him as your Savior, and then your name will be forever written in God’s Book of Remembrance.
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